"In brief, from the bounties of His Holiness Baha’u’llah, My hope is that thou mayest daily advance in the Kingdom, that thou mayest become a heavenly soul, confirmed by the breaths of the Holy Spirit, and may erect a structure that shall eternally remain firm and unshakable."
'Abdu'l-Baha passed away in 1921. Amelia used to say that, "After the provisions of His Will became known, my whole heart and soul turned to that youthful Branch, appointed by Him to watch over and guide the Faith of Baha'u'llah. How I prayed that God would help me to make him happy!"
This became her guiding light, to serve the beloved Guardian and make him happy. She often said that to see the Guardian smile just once was worth a lifetime of suffering. To this end, then, she poured forth unstintingly her love, her strength, her means, throughout the remaining years of her life, often and increasingly, at the cost of great physical sacrifice. Her personal possessions, art treasures, life itself, had meaning only as they could be used to serve the Cause of Baha'u'llah and the one on whom had fallen the responsibility of carrying forward "the great work entrusted to his care."
As the years passed, in numerous letters and messages to her, the Guardian referred to her "indomitable spirit of faith and love", her "indefatigable services'', her "single-minded and wholehearted devotion" to the Cause of God, her "self-sacrificing efforts" - examples which "will live and influence many a soul." These services were crowned by Shoghi Effendi in January 1951 with her appointment as member and vice-president of the newly-appointed International Baha'i Council, "forerunner" of the Universal House of Justice, and in December 1951, with her appointment as one of the first contingent of living Hands of the Cause.
