Gianni

THIS IS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WRITING FOR A Blog??..

Perhaps you would like to hear a bit about what makes an almost 85 year old tick!!  Well, here goes!!

My physical life began when I was born on June 23^rd, 1922 named Lucille Beatrice Willey on a Farm in up-state New York the eldest of 7 children I had a fairly normal childhood with parents  who gave us love and support but with not much material wealth  I was a good student in primary, intermediate and high school And entered university at 16?.When I was 18, I met my future husband, Chuck Johnson and when he was drafted into the Army at the beginning of World War 2, we became engaged and on my graduation day in June 1943, we were married in the Methodist Church in my home town Geneseo New York. My first teaching job was in Warrensburg, New York in the Adirondack Mountains where heavy snow came in October and stayed until May. Then I joined my husband in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and became librarian in the Service Club for the soldiers on the post?After the war we went back to Geneseo for Chuck to finish his education Following which we drove to California[all the way across the country and Received our Master?s Degrees?To make a long story short, we had 4 children in a ten year period Mark Lansing,   Michelle Lucille   Kent Lyons, and Karla Raquelle Chuck became A University Professor in Illinois and Kansas and in 1952 I began to teach also Soon after this my marriage broke up and my new life Began It was in 1962 that I first heard about Bahá?u?lláh- and my first Bahá?í Conference was in London in April 1963 I became a HOME_FRONT PIONEER in Gainesville, Florida in 1966 And lived there with my 4 children for 7 years establishing the first Local Spiritual Assembly in North Florida and our home was the Bahá?í Center I drove carloads of young people all over the South and to Wilmette Illinois where the US House of Worship is located  My children went to black schools, which was unprecedented [this was before integration ] Our home was in a black community Next I accepted a position as Professor Of Library Science at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina Here we helped to establish another first Local Spiritual Assembly As in Florida I held regular Dinner firesides each Tuesday evening?.in our home in a predominantly black neighborhood My eldest son Mark had married an African American wife, Dorethea and they had a beautiful daughter, Erin [my first grandchild who spent a year with me in North Carolina] after her family returned from 2 years as pioneers in Puerto Rico We spent 5 years there and then I felt it was time for me to go International Pioneering[the most meritorious service to our beloved Cause] I attended a Pioneer training Institute at the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois and discovered that there was  a great need for pioneers in the Caribbean It was decided that I would go to Martinique[I didn?t even know where it was had to look it up on the map] My mother [in her late 70?s decided to go with me] we spent one night in Haiti and then  arrived in the middle of the night in Guadeloupe where there was an NSA meeting[Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St Marteen ]and our letters had not reached the community so no one met us at the airport A taxi driver took us to his home and he went to the Bahá?í Center And returned with Cam Dodd?s [Canadian pioneer who solved all our problems We ended up spending a few months at the Bahá?í Center in Fort de France, the capital of Martinique and finally found a basement apartment  in Francois, a commune where the chickens and goats visited frequently and my mother would tell me when there were eggs?..My mother declared her faith in Bahá?u?lláh and then we were 5 generations Bahá?ís!!!! Next another Canadian pioneer Angela Szepesi left and we got her apartment on the beach in a commune called[Anse a L?ANE Bay of the donkey?] and had a wonderful year of experiences [many special travel teachers and pioneers came through and stayed with us including House of Justice members, NSA members After the first year my mother became ill and We returned to the US where she passed to the Abha Kingdom ? I returned to Martinique where we happily participated in the election of the first NSA?s of Guadeloupe and then of Martinique I spent 15 years in this pioneer post [married a Frenchman Gaston Stritt]  and obtained a FRENCH PASSPORT!!!!!! When my daughter Karla had her third child she needed me and I returned to the US and decided to change pioneer posts My marriage had failed and after attending a Pioneer Training Institute in Green Acre Maine, it was decided that I would go to Tahiti in French Polynesia[where I have just begun my 11^th year of service?] While in North Carolina I went on my first Pilgrimage to THE HOLY LAND in 1974?.Then as a member of the NSA of Martinique, I had the blessing of attending the election of the Universal House Of Justice in 1988  and for my 80^th birthday I had the great bounty of a third short Pilgrimage[Around the World in 80 days at 80 Years old]  I had already visited The Temples in Wilmette, Illinois, attended the dedication of the temple in Panama, the Australian House of Worship at the marriage of Daniel and Delia Pierce OLAM.     Now during this Round the World Trip I visited 8 countries US, . Germany [including the Temple in Frankfort], [Israel Pilgrimage for 4 days] Belgium where I visited former pioneers, Pierre and Regine Leonard, India [where I stayed at The Bahá?í Center and met the NSA members Also, spent Sunday Guiding at the Temple as was able to give the Message to 17 Afghanistan policemen]and read a prayer at the Worship Service Next to Singapore, to Australia, New Zealand, Samoa[where I had the bounty of Guiding and reading a prayer in the Temple] In FIJI, then the  Cook Islands  and back to Tahiti and home The remainder of my story will deal with my precious 11 years in Tahiti My first stop en route to this pioneer post was Hawaii where I spent a week as the guest of several wonderful Honolulu Bahá?ís and also visited the tiny island of Lanai and Maui?.I  met David Addison [who is in love with the Marquesas Islands ]..He introduced me to a guy who works  in the bank at the airport in Faaa who said he would help me find a hotel for the first night since he thought I didn?t know any one?BUT when  we arrived??to His surprise and mine, there was a delegation to meet me [including Teura , Bernard, Philippe and I think Dan Lincoln ] They had beautiful flower leis which they accompanied with kisses as they put them over my head?Then they took me a small hotel where I spent the first night a roomette with a bed and a tiny lavabo. early Sunday morning they took me to the Grande marcher where we bought typical Tahitian food and went to the small Bahá?í Center to eat breakfast and to meet the other Bahá?ís?..It was located in the Vaininiore area and belonged to Paeta?s grandmother?They had rented it for me [the first pioneer who had been able to stay for a protracted period{Because of my precious FRENCH PASSPORT,,,,That entire morning we all sat on the floor of the main room   about 15 or 20 beautiful souls    I remember especially Francis and Poe[I thought she was his daughter. she looked so small and young[I don?t mean that he looked old]there were also Jean-Claude, Philippe and Dan Lincoln   Carl and Jacky  Paeta and of course Teura and Bernard?..I don?t remember whether Emile was there or not?We all introduced ourselves and communicated as best we could [with my poor French]There was no furniture but in a few days there was a stove and a bed in the bedroom]  They all seemed happy that I was satisfied with my lodgings!!! After a while I was tired [not having had much sleep] and someone brought me a mat and a pillow and I slept for 2 hours and when I woke up, they were still talking?.my memory of the next few days were of Jacky, Carl, Dan and Philippe taking me to a beach [I think it was in Mahina] and they all swam but I found it too rocky so I just lay in the sun. When we went back to the car, we had a flat tire and had to take the bus back to my place[we called it the Bahá?í  Center] and Carl stayed with the car and they went back later to change the tire    the next few days were full of finding important places   like the bank, post office, shops etc and my memory is full of the unlimited help of PHILIPPE who showed me the way everywhere  Chamber of commerce,,,Schools, University and I took my Curriculum Vita and applied to teach English in many places  Philippe also brought me lots of things I needed from his house?He helped me make the room more attractive and fixed a closet for hanging up clothes?...Bedding, chairs, a table appeared from somewhere and I bought a big blue tub because I had to heat water for my bath] a sissy ABOUT COLD SHOWERS I had a wonderful few weeks of exploring the city?Tourist bureau very helpful Went to several concerts and artisan expositions, participated in the Chinese New Year celebrations  One night with the guys we went to the Marie for a big party and met a mother and daughter Mary and Marie-Pierre who became my first non-Bahá?í friends and drove me to Point Venus , to Plateau Taravao I remember that Poe and Francis lived near Point Venus which was a good beach?.Dan Lincoln drove Teura and me to her sister?s house in the country Where there were lots of tropical fruits and veggies My first trip off the island was to Huahine I think where I joined Dan Lincoln who was already there For sleeping accommodations we shared the loft with Ione,Evelyn and their sons We ate alternately fish and rice and corned beef and rice When we left to come back to Papeete, we took the BOAT[for the trip there I had flown?.] this was most unpleasant because the sea was rough and we had eaten ice cream cones just before boarding?.Dan had to play NURSE because I was sooo Airsick and nearly everyone else aboard was also I was never so joyful to see dry land[they had a welcome home dinner prepared but I couldn?t eat?Dan went to Moorea with me for the first time and tried to rent a motorcycle but there was only one helmet so he rented bicycles and though I hadn?t ridden in

 a long time   I only fell once??. as we arrived at the small hospital where we visited Chris Shigetoni [a long time Bahá?í   Several years later we had a wonderful meeting [and cooked local food underground] there at Chris?s mother?s home   She loved to speak English with me She has now passed away and sadly we have lost track of Chris who loves Bahá?u?lláh- but has trouble with the laws?After I had sent back to my son Kent in Connecticut for my diplomas, (I applied at South Sea Nursery School to teach English and was accepted by the director Robert Green, British. This was interesting but very stressful!!! It was necessary for me to leave the center with Bernard Carawiane at 5:30 AM and take the bus home?I did this for several months but it became too Difficult and after a visit from Violette Haake, Our Counselor and yielding to her advice, I moved to Studio Coco in Punaauia   While at the Bahá?í  Center, I had been giving English lessons to the  neighborhood children  and after moving, I continued to do so every Saturday morning?Unhappily, the buildings in Vaininiore were structurally unsound and one evening I received the news that the buildings had burned to the ground and one of my students[a dear Chinese boy and his aunt had perished in the fire,,,I went to the ?:Wake{ And this was the saddest experience of my life   seeing the family and friends Suffering at the death of this 11 year old boy My life was easier when I could walk to school and I loved teaching the Three, Four, and Five year olds but the Director was not of upright character and was imprisoned and sent back to England   Now I only had private students   I had established through an ad in the Depeche[newspaper]  Attention Anglophones If you would enjoy speaking English in a social situation, please call LUDI AT 480 460     There were about 15 answers[largely  Metropolitan who want to improve their English  and this Club is still going strong with about 50 members  Of course my purpose was to make friends for the Faith and it continues to do this and several of the Bahá?í friends [Including GIANNI] are active in it. The Studio apartment that I was renting was expensive now that I didn?t have a regular job...It had served a useful purpose?many meetings of our Punaauia Bahá?í group, travel teachers [Eman Isadiar, concert pianist who badly wanted to stay as a pioneer, Patrick  computer specialist and others including our Counselors had stayed with me or met there..I was offered free rent  in a small bungalow in return for caring for 6 adopted ?Down?s Syndrome? children next door to studio Coco This was during the time that Chalice, the daughter of my son Mark spent the school year with me to learn French   The tasks involved in caring for these severely handicapped children was again stressful so I was relieved when     upon my return to Tahiti after spending  2 months with my family in America, Daniel Pierce asked me to share the 3 bedroom house in Paea where I still live?Pierre and Regine Leonard had wanted desperately to pioneer in French Polynesia he as a doctor and she as a nurse    but they were unable to get visas and work so they had to leave suddenly and Daniel and I took over this house which they were  renting  The year 2000 was a RED LETTER year for us!!!During that year we had 14 travel teachers?.from New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Canada Australia, New Zealand, America and some places I may have forgotten It seems that the whole Bahá?í    world was concentrating on helping the Faith grow in French Polynesia The New Year?s Eve celebration largely arranged by David Freesmith from Australia and Danny Fowler from Texas was an exercise in Unity and cooperation among the churches and our Faith in Paea The activities of this year culminated in the election of the Paea Local Spiritual Assembly [the second Assembly in French Polynesia] Papeete had had an Assembly for several years?Since I am writing this for Gianni?s Blog I want to reminisce about our first contacts with him?He reminded me and I recall thinking that he had a beautiful voice and a lovely smile, he was very quiet and seemed shy or timid But his love of  Bahá?u?lláh- was ?touching?  He was elected a member of this first Assembly and  has a reputation [with me  at least] of  fidelity, dependability and punctuality[quite rare in the island]He involved his niece and nephew  This is not the place to comment on the series of  very serious ?tests? Which our precious Gianni has undergone with unwavering Faith  He had 2 year?s experience as gardener, guardian and choir member at the House of Worship in Sydney and would probably still be there if DUTY to his family had not called him back to Tahiti   He now has his own house which he lovingly shares with the Bahá?í community I am proud to call Gianni, my son, my grandson, my friend, my colleague and his middle name should be SERVICE  He is a pillar of strength  and our community would seem LOST without him .

To terminate this monologue, Gianni hopes that what I have written might encourage someone who reads his BLOG to come pioneering to French Polynesia     nearly the last spot on the planet without an NSA

          COME COME COME     Bahá?u?lláh- Needs YOU!!