Faizi Alves

Brazil

'I am a third generation Brazilian Bahá'í.'

My grandmother was the first Bahá'í in my family, so I am a third-generation Brazilian Bahá'í. My grandmother became a Bahá'í many, many years ago through an English teacher. That was in Bahia, Brazil. She was attending a private English class, and a Bahá'í lady gave her Bahá'í books. Then, my mother became a Bahá'í when she was 15, and when I became 15, I, too, decided to become a Bahá'í.

Of course, I participated in Bahá'í activities ever since I can remember, and I always considered myself a Bahá'í. But at this time, at 15, I said OK, I have to be more responsible; I have to answer all the questions I have, so I began to study more about the Bahá'í Faith. And for the questions I had, all the answers I found in the Bahá'í Writings . So I said, even if I have more questions in the future, I can find answers in the Writings. I was sure that for anything I wanted, I could find the answers in the Writings.

I think this was a very important thing I did, because it made me stronger in my teen age years. Sometimes at this time in their lives people go through a phase that is very delicate -- destructive -- and then later when they want to start again, they have done so many things and their life has gone so many different ways, that it is very difficult for them.

In Bahia, we had very good activities for the youth. Everybody knew we were Bahá'ís. Sometimes more than 50 would come to our house during the day. Sometimes they would just play, or talk about the problems in society. Then they would start to get the feeling for the Bahá'í Faith and they would say more. Many of them would become Bahá'ís.

I like to be with people from different countries, different cultures. Even if people are from different cultures, they have so many similarities, at the end they are human beings. I like very much associating with Bahá'ís. When we go to conventions or other gatherings, everybody feels so much love for everyone else.

I think not only Brazil but the whole world is upside down. Each and all of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh can be at some point applied and helpful. Brazil has all the problems you can imagine in the world. For example, in Brazil there is an extreme between wealth and poverty. This is the most obvious problem. They used to say that Brazil is like a mixture of Belgium and India -- the population and poverty of India and also the wealth of Belgium. So it's like two countries in the same place. And this kind of thing creates many problems for the country. It's an economic war where thousands of children under one year of age die because they don't have enough food to eat. This economic war is as as bad as any military war in terms of casualties to civilians.

The Bahá'í Writings say that at some point the whole world is going to go towards the Great Peace, but in the meantime we are going to suffer.

My life is as a Bahá'í. Everything that I have done and that I am doing and that I will do is based on the Bahá'í Writings. At least I try. I believe that God has helped me a lot. And because of the time I have spent reading and studying, the Faith is really inside of me. I hope I can say that I am leading a Bahá'í life. I am trying to lead a Bahá'í life.