Sally Ann Baynard (2)

My grandmother had been studying world religions, and one of her favorites was Rumi. One day we had read her and my favorite poem from Mathnawi, I asked her: Could we go visit where he was from? She said no, because, Balkh has been destroyed, but that his tomb was in Turkey, so I asked if we could go and visit it.

She told me that she was too old, and she was losing her sight, and she couldn’t go, but she said: one day you will go to Rumi’s tomb and you will pray for my soul and I did. It took forty-five years but I did. Thanks to Ali bey and all those who have supported his work. We have seen physical beauties of Turkey, which are so many of history, but even more importantly we have found the warmth and love of the Turkish people, people like you from in our first school, Anafem, to our last school which is this one (Faith University). We have felt some much warmth and love and we have seen in action the values of the movement that has given birth to these schools and to the hospitals and to the other projects for the improvement of human lives. We have made friends all over Turkey from a little boy named Mehmet that I was crazy about and to Urfa, to my little friend who is out there. We want to thank you for sharing not only your country with us, and not only your old math professor, Ali Yurtsever, but also sharing all those values for which this movement is so well known.