For long weeks and months, it was not clear whether He would go to California or not. In April, Bahá’ís on the West Coast feared that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would not be visiting them, so they went to visit Him . . . Filled with humility and thankfulness, most of the California party returned home to find a telegram from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Chicago, which read, "Will be here one week after which I go to Boston and Montréal, then come to California. We'll see you there in June, God willing." . . . But a month later, Helen Goodall and Ella Cooper were surprised to receive a telegram from the Master summoning them to New York. At that point, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá plan to leave for the Orient after New York and He wished to see them before He left. The Bahá’ís in California had almost given up all hope of seeing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the West and were sending a stream of letters expressing their disappointment. Harriet Wise had a message from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the California Bahá’ís which read: "Convey to them, my greetings and love. It has become necessary to depart for the Orient. Certain obligations have come up, so I must depart for the Orient. I move according to Divine wisdom. I have infinite longing to meet you, but what happens now is according to Divine wisdom, that is, I must depart for the East. Although I leave, yet my heart is with you. There is no separation between us and I am never free from mentioning your names." The West Coast Bahá’ís desperately wanted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to visit, but it remained just a hope for many months. On 24 June John Bosch and Luther Burbank received a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which read, "As to my coming to California it is a little doubtful, for the trip is far and the weather hot and from the labors of the journey the body of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has not much endurance. Nevertheless, we shall see what God hath decreed." . . . Never, so long as I live shall I forget their faces, their bowed heads in the silence broken by one bitter stifled sob of a poor woman who was there on crutches. Two days afterwards with meekness and submission, they as an assembly wrote a short little letter to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá acknowledging His decree in loving acceptance. O It is all very heartbreaking! . . . On 1 August ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote to John Bosch, saying: "O thou who art longing for the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! Thy yearning letter was wonderfully eloquent and its effect on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was inexpressible. I greatly long to fulfill the request of the friends, but am as yet in these parts, until later the requirements of Wisdom will be revealed. If the Western cities demonstrate their infinite firmness in the Covenant, this will act as a magnet to draw ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . . . And on 5 August Lua received an optimistic message from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, saying, "If all the assemblies unite in California it may be the means of attracting Him here after all." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá strength was heavily taxed by the work He was doing in the East and the journey West was long and tiring. But when they knew that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be attracted by the love and unity of the friends, Hyde Donne, Willard Hatch and another believer stayed up all night, praying that the Master would make the journey. And on 13 August ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent a wire to John Bosch that actually suggested that He might go to California: "Your telegram was the cause of much happiness, God willing, I will depart for the Western part. Give these glad tidings each and all." John told Marzieh Gail that this was the first telegram announcing the Master's journey West. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá finally arrived in California, He told the friends, your love drew me to you.