Building bridges in Brno
In April 2024, Suzanne Kerr, a short-term, self-initiated pioneer from New Zealand, embarked on a journey to the city of Brno, Czech Republic. Suzanne’s journey serves as an inspiring example of how each of us can make a meaningful impact in our own communities. Her experience shows that adopting a pioneering mindset, whether abroad or in our own neighbourhoods, is achievable for any believer, and that we can connect with those around us by engaging with our neighbours, participating in local events, building friendships, and creating opportunities to share the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
Below is a written excerpt by Suzanne, sharing her recent experience in Brno that demonstrate her sincere efforts in building friendships and fostering conversations that create opportunities for spiritual and communal growth.
Account by Suzanne Kerr
“Upon setting off for short-term pioneering in the Czech Republic town of Brno in April, I started by spending three days in Prague cataloguing books in the Bahá’í National Library with another pioneer friend. We then attended two days of the National Convention before coming to Brno. As soon as I arrived, I began visiting the local Bahá’ís, getting to know them, and finding my way around the public transport. It's very efficient and gets you everywhere, but it takes a bit of getting used to.
“There is an Australian couple here, a bit far from me, but they host a weekly devotional meeting which I attend. I walk in the local park almost every day and make friends with the locals. Being close to the inner city, there are many students and young families. I have spent some time talking with children at a Bahá’í-owned Montessori school and will attend their end-of-year garden party and award ceremony.
“The country is very cautious about religion due to its recent history with various groups, but people seem to enjoy chatting with a 'stranger' who can talk openly and answer questions with no 'history' as it were. Everyone wants to know what a New Zealander is doing here! After just three weeks, a Bahá’í friend near where I live decided to have before-work/university devotions, which I support each week. I am amazed at how many young people turn up at 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. to pray and have breakfast.
“Apart from that, I have tried to keep in contact with the people I meet on walks by connecting for coffee, the odd meal, free concerts in a church in the city, and joining other events to socialise and support their lives and studies. One of the young people asked for some 'lessons,' so I prepared a PowerPoint presentation on the history of religion over the last 6,000 years, and we had the first part of that last night. We had 13 people in my apartment and 4 on Zoom, so I count that as a success. Now I have a lovely PowerPoint and lots of background information from my research—a win/win!
“Additionally, we will have had five 19-day feasts and five holy day commemorations by the time I leave, nearly one a week. We also had a meet-the-neighbours picnic with activities in one of the parks, which involved a lot of walking in the area, talking to people, and encouraging them to come and get to know each other. It was fairly successful; I enjoyed it, and I think the other Bahá’ís did too. We had a good talk with some neighbours and have ideas for further activities. I personally think a good outcome would be putting people with similar needs together—one older lady said she loved walking and wanted to find other active people in the area to walk with. That will definitely be a work in progress.
“My 90 days* here are up on 16 July. I can't believe how the time has flown! I'll have to think about how I can serve further or find a way to return, but visas are not easy. Actually, writing all this down was good for me—sometimes I think I'm not doing very much.” *The span of her visa for Czech Republic
Feature image: Stock image of Freedom Square in the city of Brno.
