David and Esther Tanyi
At just 25 years old, David Tanyi was the oldest of the five young Cameroonian Knights of Bahá’u’lláh – the four others were all under 21. Newly married, and forfeiting a job opportunity to go pioneering, he reached French Togoland in early 1954, and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh together with Vivian Wesson and Mavis Nymon. David’s young wife Esther was only able to join him several months later together with their first son, born in his absence.
It was the start of 35 years of pioneering, during which Esther and David Tanyi experienced poverty, hunger and malnutrition, loneliness and xenophobia – but also the joy of teaching, and laying the foundations for Bahá'í communities in Togo, Benin and Ghana. 'My heart is as sweet as sugar,' wrote David Tanyi, 'to see that the Faith is now spreading here is a miracle indeed. I tell you sister there are...Show More
At just 25 years old, David Tanyi was the oldest of the five young Cameroonian Knights of Bahá’u’lláh – the four others were all under 21. Newly married, and forfeiting a job opportunity to go pioneering, he reached French Togoland in early 1954, and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh together with Vivian Wesson and Mavis Nymon. David’s young wife Esther was only able to join him several months later together with their first son, born in his absence.
It was the start of 35 years of pioneering, during which Esther and David Tanyi experienced poverty, hunger and malnutrition, loneliness and xenophobia – but also the joy of teaching, and laying the foundations for Bahá'í communities in Togo, Benin and Ghana. 'My heart is as sweet as sugar,' wrote David Tanyi, 'to see that the Faith is now spreading here is a miracle indeed. I tell you sister there are many pure souls here . . .'
Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, who taught the Bahá'í Faith to Esther and David Tanyi, described them as 'Adam and Eve of the Bahá'í Faith in Cameroon' because they were the first Cameroonian couple to accept the Faith, and the hospitality they offered in their home was instrumental in building the first Bahá'í community in that country.
All the young Bahá'ís who were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh came from this community. Shoghi Effendi wrote to them: 'you are rendering historic service, and you are becoming the honour and glory of Africa.'
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Teachers & Pioneers |
Bahá'í History
- Contributors:: Enoch Tanyi (Author)
- Format: Softcover book | 242 pages
- Dimensions: 125 x 200 x 20 mm | 354 g
- Publisher: George Ronald, 2017
- Language: English
- SKU: BKS-BIO-G.0149
Teachers & Pioneers
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David and Esther TanyiEnoch Tanyi
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To Climb A MountainFlorence Conway
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LifelineMeherangiz and Jyoti Munsiff
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Sole Desire Serve CauseDon Brown
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Knight with a BriefcaseJudith Kaye Logsdon-Dubois
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The Art of Empowering OthersJuliet Gentzkow
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The Life and Times of Charles DunningKeith Munro
Bahá’í History: Overviews
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A Basic Bahá'í ChronologyGlenn Cameron
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175 Years of PersecutionFereydun Vahman
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The Bahá’í Faith in Words and ImagesJohn Danesh and Seena Fazel
1844-1853: Ministry of The Báb
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The Dawn-BreakersNabil-i-A'zam
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The Báb and the Babi Community of IranFereydun Vahman
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ZanjanAaron Emmel
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Heroes of the New AgeEdward Diliberto
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Heroes of the Dawn BreakersIvan Loyd
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The Chosen PathHussein Ahdieh
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A Child in the Holy LandGisu Mohadjer
1853-1892: Ministry of Bahá’u’lláh
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The Story of Bahá’u’lláhDruzelle Cederquist
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Stories of Baha'u'llahAli-Akbar Furutan
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The Chosen HighwayLady Blomfield
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Treasures of the CauseRose Deloomy
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A Child in the Holy LandGisu Mohadjer
1892-1921: Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
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Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-BaháAnnamarie Honnold
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A World Without WarHoda Mahmoudi
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Memories of Nine Years in AkkaYouness Afroukhteh
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Lighting the Western SkyKathryn Hogenson
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá in France, 1911-1913Jan Jasion
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The Chosen HighwayLady Blomfield
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Sarah Ann RidgwayMadeline Hellaby
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Two Visits to BristolCarole Huxtable Lulham
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New YorkHussein Ahdieh
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A Seed in Your HeartJanet Rose
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Through the eyes of Margaret CousinsKeith Munro (Grandnephew of Margaret Cousins)
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Portraits of some Bahá'í WomenZebby Whitehead
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He Loved and ServedNathan Rutstein
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Perfect ExemplarDariush Lamy
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Portals to FreedomHoward Colby Ives
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William Henry RandallBahiyyih Randall-Winckler
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John David BoschAngelina Diliberto Allen
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The Life of Laura BarneyMona Khademi
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Infinite HorizonsKathryn Jewett Hogenson
1921-1957: Ministry of the Guardian
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Shoghi Effendi, RecollectionsUgo Giachery
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George TownshendDavid Hofman
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A Seed in Your HeartJanet Rose
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The Story Of My Heart‘Alí-Akbar Furútan
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FaiziMay Faizi-Moore
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From Copper to GoldDorothy Freeman
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Portraits of some Bahá'í WomenZebby Whitehead
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A History of the Bahá'í Faith in South Carolina Louis Venters
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Fires in Many HeartsDoris McKay
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The Life of Laura BarneyMona Khademi
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Infinite HorizonsKathryn Jewett Hogenson
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Shu‘á: Ray of the SunShapour Rassekh
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Leroy IoasAnita Ioas Chapman
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A Child in the Holy LandGisu Mohadjer
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Sole Desire Serve CauseDon Brown
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Her Eternal CrownDella Marcus
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Knight with a BriefcaseJudith Kaye Logsdon-Dubois
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The Art of Empowering OthersJuliet Gentzkow
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Hermann Grossmann, Hand of the Cause of GodSusanne Pfaff-Grossmann
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The Life and Times of Charles DunningKeith Munro
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Beyond East and WestBernard Leach
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Attorney for Racial JusticeGwendolyn Etter-Lewis
1957 onwards
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FaiziMay Faizi-Moore
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The Story Of My Heart‘Alí-Akbar Furútan
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Our Friend MonaAzadeh Rohanian Perry
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A History of the Bahá'í Faith in South Carolina Louis Venters
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Manijeh, Not Only A Change Of NameManijeh Saatchi
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Without HesitationAnisa Abdul-Razzaq Abbas
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Crossing the LineRichard Abercrombie
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Shu‘á: Ray of the SunShapour Rassekh
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When Reason SleepsAudrey Mellard
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Anchor of FaithRichard W Thomas
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The JourneyNahid Meshgin
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Lotus of BahapurSheriar Nooreyezdan
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Make Life ColorfulOmid Vafa
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Our Story is OneMaryam Safajoo