Pilgrims of this Path must writhe in agony; the more the Beloved makes them restless, the more he showers on them his mercy. This seeming cruelty is a sign of his mercy, and only those who are able to bear it are fit to stay near him."

Elizabeth wrote on 17 July 1947 to Darwin Shaw and John Bass, then in Myrtle Beach:

Today Baba went over the maps, pictures and data about Myrtle Beach ... Baba is definitely coming in the near future, so take care of Myrtle Beach properties as you would take care of Baba, and work hard to get rid of mosquitoes.

After Norina and Elizabeth had returned to America in 1941, they had energetically begun the work of establishing the Myrtle Beach Center and spreading Meher Baba's name. Before leaving America, Norina had asked Filis Frederick whether she had any message for Baba. "Ask him if I can come to India," Filis had said. For two weeks, Baba kept asking everyone whether he should call Filis, but in the end he said he would send for her "later."

Some months later (on 14 February 1948), Baba dictated this message to Don for Filis: "No sense of sacrifice should be too great for the spiritual ideal, and no ideal of this supreme nature, in its various aspects, was realized without sacrifice."

During the daytime at Mutha's Bungalow (the women's quarters), Soonamasi was keeping watch by sitting on the verandah. Rano would relieve her during meal times. One afternoon when Rano was on watch, a man passed by the house singing. Baba clapped and, when Rano went to him, he asked, "Where is that sound coming from?"

"Someone is walking on the road singing," she replied.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Baba asked.

"How could I? He was on the road."

"Even if he were in the sky, you should have stopped him!" Baba reprimanded. "Your duty is to see that there is no noise at all."

Rano could only apologize and promise not to let it happen again.

One day Baba handed an empty tin to Khorshed, who asked what she was to do with it. Baba replied, "Keep it with you; it will be useful someday."

Khorshed could not understand how it could be useful, but Baba did not say anything more. A few days later, Baba assembled all the women before him and dictated, "I want to divide you into groups again. One group will stay at Pimpalgaon, another at Meherabad.