Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 190
Khilafat Centenary and published the book for the benefit of English speaking children and their parents. Other translations include "Havva Ki Baitiyaan or Daughters of Eve ", "Heavenly Signs" and "Ten Conditions of Bai'at". A Talim and Tarbiyat workbook (in Urdu and English) was published to provide Lajna with study guides, to enhance their understanding of the Ten Conditions of Bai' at as well as Daughters of Eve. Upon request from present Amir Dr. Ahsanullah Zafar, a lajna team researched and prepared a premarital counseling booklet. Lajna members also help with scanning the Holy Qur'an in various languages (Greek, Italian, Swiss, Polish, Marathi, Telgu, Muluganda and others) to be posted on Alislam. org website. Following the completion of the Zion Conference on August 12th, 2000, the late Amir Jama' at USA, Hadhrat Sahibzada M. M. Ahmad proposed that activities be organized in the city of Zion on a regular basis. Lajna USA made a commitment to contribute towards the fulfillment of the former Amir's vision to convert the city of Zion to the first Ahmadiyya City in the USA. Towards these goals, Lajna organized a symposium in May 2001 , entitled, "The Messiah Concept: Should You Care?", a workshop for teenage girls, entitled, "Girl Talk", in May 2003 and continue to organize summer camps entitled " Camp Bismillah" to provide a service to the community children of Zion. In 2000-2001, following Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV'srta appeal, even though Lajna pledged$ 10 ,000. 00 to build one orphanage in Rabwah, Pakistan, Lajna collected over $7 5,000. 00 within less than a year towards this Darul Yatama Fund! In 2001, a proposal entitled, "From our Children to your Children,'' was approved by present Amir, Dr. Ahsanullah Zafar to collect funds for a chosen developing country at the time of Eidul Fitr. . Thus far, our children have collected over $91,000. 00 and the funds have been sent to Markaz for distribution to Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Benin, Ghana, Tan2'. _ania, Kenya, Muzaffarabad, Qadian, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Since 2003, under the guidance of Khalifatul Masih y a ba, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Lajna lmaillah began to hold "formal" Majlis-e-Mushawrat (consultative body) as well as quarterly Majlis-e-Amila (executive body) meetings. Annual Shura Booklet and Annual Reports are published and provide a means of assessment of progress, strengths and challenges. The first Lajna mentoring meeting was hosted in 2002 by the Sanjose (Silicon Valley) Lajna in California. Since then, Lajna branches in Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Long Island, Central New Jersey, Willingboro and Maryland have come forward to host these events. "Adopt-A-Majlis Program" and "National Mentoring Program" are examples of programs implemented to mentor and guide the membership. Under Huzuraba 's amendment to the Lajna Constitution, two new offices were created in 2004; Secretary Nau Mu ' baeen (for training of new Ahmadi sisters) and Secretary Auditor. In 2005, the Media Watch Team was established in response to Huzur's directive to actively respond to negative campaigns against Islam. In 2006, in preparation for the 2008 Khilafat Centenary Celebrations, Huzur aba assigned Lajna lmaillah USA the enormous task of translating all of the Urdu addresses that were made to Lajna by all the Khulafa. Alhamdolillah, this translation project is progressing well, along with other Khilafat Centenary projects which include a compilation of the History of Lajna lmaillah-USA and a testimonial book from sisters who joined Ahmadiyyat from other faiths. Lajna is also improving it's infrastructure through the construction of a website and other technologies. In summary, this brief account was intended to highlight the journe y of American Lajna lmaillah over the past nine decades. Alhamdolillah! Members of Lajna lmaillah-USA can reflect on almost a century of progress and give thanks to Almighty Allah for helping them emerge from their humble beginnings in the 1920s into an auxiliary that has a tajnid of about 4000 lajna and 800 nasirat members, distributed in 67 local branches which are presently divided into 11 regions nationally. Nearing the close of 2007 and looking forward to celebrating 100 years of Ahmadiyya Khilafat, the American Maidservants of God , young and old, cherish the past, embrace the present and look to the future with a greater determination to use their time and abilities to carry on the work and make sacrifices akin to those of their pioneer sisters. May Allah enable Lajna and N asirat of USA to take small but steady steps forward in fulfilling their pledge to Allah and Khilafat, Insha'Allah, and in this way gain nearness to Allah in this world and the next, Ameen. Sa y, 'My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds (6:163).