Leonora Armstrong - Interest in Pioneering

Interest in Pioneering

The desire to pioneer first came in Leonora's mind when `Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan were unveiled at the Bahá'í Convention held in New York City in April 1919. Spontaneously, and right at once, she wrote to `Abdu'l-Bahá, offering herself in service and his reply to her was:

"Thou hadst expressed thy great wish to be of service to the Divine Threshold and to heal the infirm with the Divine Panacea--the infirm who is afflicted with passion and self. Spiritual malady is more severe than physical illness for it may be that the latter may be converted by the least remedy into health and vigor, while the former will not be cured by a thousand well-known remedies . . . My hope is that thou mayest become a spiritual physician."

Leonora was very touched by the message from `Abdu'l-Bahá and also Martha Root, a well-known Bahá'í who traveled widely, served as a great influence upon her in choosing South America as her destination. In her own words Leonora said:

"This hope of the Master's became my highest aspiration and when, early in 1920, I read His Tablet to Martha Root, commending her teaching work in South America and stressing the importance of its being followed up by others, it at once seemed to me that here there might be a definite task for me. A letter to Martha brought an immediate reply, with all encouragement."

Martha Root had made a historical visit to South America in 1919 and encouraged Leonora by sharing her experiences and sending a copy of her own diary notes from that period. This led Leonora to consider pioneering in South America and though Martha had at first suggested Argentina as a destination, at the last minute she encouraged her to go to Brazil.