If You Build It They Will Come: Winter School 2003 by Joann Anderson
Submitted by Wayne Anderson, entered March 2026
Even though a winter storm warning loomed in the forecast, the Iowa Bahá’í Schools Committee decided to go ahead with their plans for Winter School 2003.
John Hanke, the registrar/webmaster of the Iowa Bahá’í website quickly posted a weather link and notified all participants to use their best judgment in deciding if and when to travel.
Committee members began arriving at the facility around noon, to find out that all area schools had dismissed early, including our facility. The forecast deteriorated throughout the day with predictions of highs near freezing and freezing rain changing to snow. Snowfall estimates grew from 2-4 inches to 8-10. We had the place to ourselves and methodically began our preparations. Setting up, decorating, preparing refreshments, and prep work for the next day’s meal. (This is Iowa you know – “If you build it, they will come”).
It rained all day across the state. People watching the radar mentioned how there seemed to be a hole in the storm around the Des Moines/Marshalltown area all day. Participants started arriving early and the temperatures continued holding above freezing until early evening. When the temps dropped below freezing, it coated the area with a brief period of freezing rain which quickly changed over to snow. The snow continued until noon on Saturday.
By the end of the weekend, 88 brave souls from 30 cities, in 5 states had ventured from their homes to gather in Marshalltown to explore and celebrate the role of our children and youth.
The committee based the theme on the August 19, 2002 feast letter in which our beloved National Spiritual Assembly made references to Our Children as “The Treasures of the Earth” and Our Youth as “The Light of the World”. This thread connected all aspects of the school.
The Iowa Bahá’í Schools Committee is constantly struggling with ways to make school more affordable for the friends. The committee feels that they have made progress this year by utilizing a facility with a kitchen that allowed us to prepare our own meals and snacks instead of having it catered. We also heavily promoted the work-study program, which allowed participants to sign up to help with various tasks and reduce their registration fees by 50%.
We are so fortunate to have such willing, humble servants in our midst who volunteered to prepare all of our meals. Bruce Wilson and Donna Labagh Wilson of Fairfield, IA, joyfully prepared the meals for the entire weekend even though several of their assistants did not make it due to the weather. The food was wonderful; evaluations confirm that this was the best food we’ve had at school in years. Work-study participants took turns assisting with serving and cleaning up of meals. The children also enjoyed being of service in this way.
The one major downfall of the weekend was, due to the weather the children’s coordinators/teachers and supplies were unable to get there. Fortunately, two gracious and loving souls stepped forward and took on this enormous task on a moments notice. They did the best they could with the limited materials on hand. The committee acknowledges that the children did not get the full attention that was planned and that they deserved, and for this we are truly sorry. The children did enjoy being of service in various ways, participating in devotional programs, dancing and singing at the Saturday evening social event, and playing in the snow. Their classes focused on activities in the Brilliant Star, stories of the faith, and various arts & crafts projects. Considering the circumstances, these blessed souls did a remarkable job.
The adults attended classes with the Jr. Youth and Youth throughout the weekend. Linda Covey from Missouri, made an announcement that she was in need of a feather to use in her Saturday morning presentation, she later discovered that she had one in her prayer book. This was not just any feather, it was a feather she received when visiting the Lotus Temple in India. It was from one of 14 Black Eagles that were circling the Temple during her visit. What a special blessing for the participants when she used this feather to demonstrate a Native American smudging ceremony to begin the first class of the weekend. While in this Sacred Circle, Clay Schiefelbein of Missouri, made a wonderful presentation entitled “Living God’s Will – The Prayer for the Central States.” Drawing on connections, between Native American teachings, and the Prayer for the Central States. Clay noted the 5 outer and 5 inner faculties of man (the physical, and the spiritual). Utilizing all of these aspects will help us on ‘this straight and far-stretching path’ towards Living God’s Will.
Auxiliary Board Member, Edward S. Rice, Jr. gave an emotionally moving talk about the ‘History of Youth in the Faith’. In the entire history of our faith & of every major religion, youth have played a pivotal role in advancing the cause. The youth of today, especially in this country, have greater potential & greater capacity than any previous generation. We are so blessed to live in the ‘time of the end’. This is the hour all prophecies point to. The youth of our time can and will build the Kingdom of God on Earth. It’s Our Time.
After the Committee heard of a report about the ‘Dawn Breakers’ done by 14 yr old, Veronica Labagh-Coplin of Fairfield, IA, for a school project last year. They thought, what better way to integrate youth into the community than to have a (pre) youth who has demonstrated exceptional Bahá’í Scholarship, be a presenter. It was quite an inspiration to see this young woman so passionate in her presentation. She began by reading excerpts from her report, and then drew comparisons to what was happening in other parts of the world during the time of the Dawn Breakers. She had prepared 18 packets of materials, each one about one of the 18 Letters of the Living. She then had participants break into 18 groups; each group was then instructed to develop a presentation on their Dawn Breaker, utilizing some form of the arts, and present it to the whole group the next day. Presentations ranged from posters, dramatic readings, skits, songs, a News Broadcast and even an actual video production. Very moving, very educational and very entertaining. We laughed, we cried, we learned.
The final class of the weekend was a guided community consultation on “Supporting Our Youth”. Vicki and Bryce Abel of Ames, IA, guided the community through exercises in consultation. Sharing conclusions. The Abel’s also conducted 3 guided youth-only consultation sessions during the weekend, which the committee knows is necessary for the youth to bond with their peers, and to grow and nurture friendships that will last a lifetime. As one youth said, “life long bonds in a matter of a weekend”.
All sessions began with music and a sing-a-long, led by Mark Johnson from Overland Park, KS. He also managed to somehow find time in the busy schedule to coordinate the children and youth together to sing “We Are One” for the closing program.
Diane Findlay, of Dallas Center, IA, coordinated 5 wonderful devotional programs, which were spaced throughout the weekend. She incorporated the concepts of children as treasures, and youth as light/colors. Highlights included newly published music by Iowa’s own Mark McDowell, and an original dance piece by Darajun Abel of Ames. The weekend culminated with a wonderful power point presentation, developed by Linda Coulter-Jones, on the “Prayer for the Central States” to bring the school to a tearful close.
In retrospect, the entire weekend was one highlight after another. What could have turned out to be a very expensive committee retreat instead became a wonderful microcosm of a loving Bahá’í community in action. Growing, learning and yearning to be a part of such a community at home. Divine confirmations were felt throughout the weekend. Participants returned home under bright blue skies and sunshine, energized and aware of the challenges that lie ahead in order to create distinctive Bahá’í communities at home and to continue building the Kingdom of God on earth.
