Antigua Memories by David Springer

ANTIGUA MEMORIES by David Springer, submitted November 2022

After embracing the Baha’i Faith, I always wanted to pioneer. There was never any doubt in my mind about that. After I finished college in the spring of 1971, I worked in the family business in a non-management position. I left that job in the fall of 1971 to go on pilgrimage in the Holy Land. After I returned home to Toledo, Iowa sometime in January 1972, I rejoined the family business, got married in the spring, and started a family. But I never lost sight of the dream of pioneering.

As you know, the call for pioneers was again raised during the Seven Year Plan. And it was during this time that we sold the family business in Toledo. I was offered a job to stay on with the new owners but I had no desire to stay. I was free and my thoughts were on pioneering. My work experience was narrowly focused on marketing residential wood frame home construction building materials, probably not the best work experience for finding a job at a pioneering post. But I was not to be deterred. I did have a teaching certificate in journalism. But journalism was the only subject I was certified to teach, Again, not the best, but it was a start.

I was eager to pioneer but admittedly, the whole process seemed a bit risky. This was a “nontraditional move” by Toledo, Iowa standards and we did not have much in the way of savings. So, immediately after selling the business, I did some short-term consulting and renewed my teaching certificate. By that time, Elham and I had two children, Geisu and Layli. Elham and I attended a pioneer training seminar at the National Baha’i Center in Wilmette, Illinois. At the end of the training, we were told that pioneers were needed in Antigua. Clearly, we did not give the decision to pioneer in Antigua a great deal of thought and analysis, we just followed our hearts and accepted.

We sold most of our possessions, loaded up what we had left in an old covered pickup (sort of a van), and I drove Elham and the girls to Minneapolis where they would live with Elham’s parents. I went back to Iowa and straight on to Antigua. The plan was that I would get a job and then send for the family. I am thinking that I left for Antigua sometime during the winter of 1982. I probably arrived in February. When I arrived in Antigua, someone (unfortunately, I don’t remember that person’s name) picked me up at the airport and took me to Doris and Nevil Francis’s home. Doris rented out rooms to pioneers. As I recall it was $5.00 (but it might have been $10.00) per day.

We pulled up to the house and there was a yard full of chickens and maybe a few geese. That was a problem for me! When I was very young my father told me about the time he was attacked by a turkey. He was a small child then and a turkey knocked him down and pecked on his head before an adult chased the mean turkey away. That story affected me so much that I never ever wanted to even get close to a chicken or any other kind of bird. Now, here I was at my new pioneering post and I had to walk right through a whole flock of them, just to get to the door. And, to make matters worse, I knew they would be there every day. I took a deep breath and said to myself “You have to do this.” I got out of the car and never looked sideways, I just walked right through them, focusing only on reaching the door. I was not attacked! And, believe it or not, walking through chicken flocks has not bothered me since. This is not to say that I would, even now, ever think about reaching down to touch one! Later in life, as I had to walk through organic chicken barns filled with 20,000 or so chickens with business clients, the Antigua episode might have saved me from an embarrassing moment!

When I finally got inside the house, Doris was most gracious. One of the first things she did was to explain to me the “water situation.” They saved rain water in a cistern. Water was precious. I remember taking drinking water from a bucket on the counter. Usually the bottom of the bucket would have small amounts of debris, but the water tasted great. Of course, the water situation dictated that we only flush toilets when necessary. I mention this, not because it was a hardship–it certainly was not. I mention it because I always took water for granted and this made me realize that I really was in a new place.

Just up the hill and across the road, Doris owned and operated a small shop. I loved that place! She sold everything from bread and butter by the slice to salt fish. It seemed like everyone in the village stopped by sometime during the day. It was not unlike the little store down the hill and across the alley from my grandparents’ house in Toledo, Iowa. It was closed on Sunday. But every Sunday Doris would fry chicken to sell at the shop in the little wood and glass case. What was not sold each day she would refrigerate each night and put it back out the next day. I loved her chicken and I was her best customer. Doris’s store had a front porch and I enjoyed sitting on the porch and greeting people as they came and went.

Also, in Antigua, it was the first time I heard anything about animals called mongooses. They were not liked by Doris and her neighbors because they stole chicken eggs. In Antigua, mongooses were an invasive species imported during slavery times to kill snakes. I heard about them but I never actually saw one in Antigua. It was later in my life, while living in Liberia, that my daughter Layli actually had a pet mongoose – they are amazing little animals.

During my very first days in Antigua, I remember seeing an olive-colored van on the road and it looked like it had GTE painted on it at one time. GTE was a telephone company in Iowa. I thought to myself “That can’t be a GTE van”. Shortly afterward, I met David Meswarb, another pioneer. He was originally from Iowa and that was his van, and it was an old GTE van. He also lived at the Francis home for a while. David came prepared – he had a motorcycle, a computer that had some of the really early computer games on it, and a little rubber boat. That little boat was put to great use on the beach! David was a chiropractor who planned to set up business in Antigua. Eventually, he rented a small house in St John’s and set up his business. We became lifelong friends.

I fondly remember Sunday evenings when David and I would take his motorcycle into St. John’s for our weekly roti. I remember one of those trips back to Falmouth Harbor when we were blazing along and came over a small hill where, right in front of us, was a car and a bus side by side stopped on the road. The drivers apparently were having a visit. I still hear David’s voice right when we saw the two vehicles blocking the road, “Ohhh God” he seemed to enjoy the excitement of the moment. There was no way we could stop. David didn’t even slow down–we just went right between them!

There were three Persian youth who also came to Antigua to pioneer–Afsaneh Mouzoon (now Mouzoon-Franklin), Seema Aidun (now Aidun-Roberts), and Mahvash Manshadi (I think that is her name). Afsaneh is still living in Antigua. Seema is in Canada. I lost track of Mahvash. But I do know that David, Seema, and Afsaneh remained close friends for the rest of David’s life. In his later years he so very much looked forward to telephone calls from them. And I must say how thankful I am that Afsaneh recently set up a phone call so Doris and I could speak again after so many years. I learned a lot about calm determination from those Persian youth.

A young Canadian couple, the Baloghs, also arrived when I was there. I remember one time when we were singing Allah’u’Abha and clapping our hands at certain points in the melody. This song was sung often in Baha’i gatherings in those days, at least in the Midwest. Mrs. Balogh mentioned that it was her understanding that the clapping of hands while singing such sacred words was disrespectful. Her thoughts were a good reminder to me that our understanding of such concepts as sacredness, reverence, respect, etc. may well vary from culture to culture. I am still learning about the application of those concepts in my life. Her comments, to this day, affect my thinking. Right, wrong, or somewhere in between, I still cannot bring myself to clap during that song!

Speaking of traditions and cultural differences, I was at first struck by the interface between the European cultures and the Antiguan culture. It seemed to me that Antiguans were fairly conservative in dress and more formal in manners. The Europeans, on the other hand, were not at all conservative in their dress–women going topless at the beach, for example, was not uncommon. It was not just at the beaches where Europeans, and Americans for that matter, seemed more casual and informal in dress and manners than Antiguans. It seemed like vacationers came and went but they really didn’t understand Antiguan culture. Not surprisingly, I occasionally heard what seemed to me to be negative and judgmental comments about Antiguan culture from foreigners. That didn’t happen often, but when it did, I always felt sad and a bit ashamed. Again, those situations made me look at myself and think about my thoughts and my perceptions.

Bob Findlay visited Antigua investigating a career opportunity and then returned to Iowa while I was still there. Bob had professional training and a glowing spirit about him. I knew he would be back. I remember that he contacted Elham when he returned and filled her in all about the island. There were other young pioneers and veteran pioneers from the United States in Antigua when I was there, but I can’t recall specific stories about them. Of course, there were many local Baha’is that I met and loved as well, but, again, their stories escape me.

There was great emphasis on teaching the Cause. I remember going into the interior of the Island with Doris, teaching and visiting local friends. At the time, I don’t believe white people often ventured into the interior of the Island. When we arrived, some of the children were pointing to us and were excited. However, their mother came out and said something very negative about white people to the children. Doris did not let those prejudicial words pass. I do not remember what exactly was said but I learned something about courage from Doris’s immediate reaction to defend the principles she espoused.

Doris really expected us to spend a much time as possible teaching the Cause of God directly. I remember her being a little upset with us when we were going off to the beach. Her idea was that we were there to pioneer, not play at the beach!

There was one major teaching event that I must mention. We found out that Mrs. Meherangiz Munsiff, a Knight of Baha’u’llah who traveled in India with Martha Root at the age of 14, and a world traveler who visited over 150 countries teaching the Cause and building Baha’i communities, was coming to Antigua. This was to be a very big event! By the way, I had met Mrs. Munsiff years before when I was visiting Baha’is in Cyprus. She visited the same pioneers on Cyprus that I was already staying with. I can’t describe her. I can only say that she had a presence about her of dignity, determination, experience, and absolute faith. As she was about to leave Cyprus heading to a youth conference in Salzburg, Austria, she suggested that I accompany her to Salzburg. I went with her. Now I would see her again!

The plan was that the Baha’i friends contact as many government officials and professional people on the Island as possible to invite them to a dinner and a talk to be given by this famous world traveler and lecturer. The corps of pioneers was among the recruits assigned to go all over St John’s to deliver invitations. Anyone among the local Baha’is who had government connections used them. The invitation process was very formal. I was not involved in the planning. For the most part, I did what was asked of me by Doris and the Antiguan friends.

I don’t think Mrs. Munsiff was aware of all these plans until she arrived. As I recall, she was a bit shocked when she heard what was planned. And, as I recall, the event was to take place shortly after she arrived so there was no way to change the plan. Executing the plan was difficult and we were down to the last minute trying to pull it off.

Logistics were a challenge. For example, it was very difficult in those days to even find enough silverware on the island. They did not have party rental stores and/or big discount retail stores. To find those kinds of things, we needed to know the right people. Tables and chairs were also a challenge. One of the Baha’is worked for the government. I still can see his face in my mind but I can’t recall his name. He was amazing, always calm, and I really loved him. Anyway, he was asked to get tables from the government. That was no problem for him. He might also have been the person who found the silverware. I remember on the day of the event when the tables were delivered. We were so happy until Seema asked him where the chairs were. He looked surprised and said, “You asked me to bring tables, not tables and chairs.” So that afternoon there was a mad scramble to find something for the guests to sit on. We ended up cobbling together benches from whatever could be found and managed it just in time.

Food was yet another challenge. I remember overhearing Mrs. Munsiff and Doris talking about the food and what was to be served. In the end, Mrs. Munsiff, herself, ended up cooking the chicken the very afternoon of her evening talk.

On the day of the event, we worked all afternoon setting up the place, It was held outside. At the very last minute after the final bench was in place we raced home to shower and clean up. We left the event site just minutes before the guests were to arrive. I was concerned because we did not know how many of the invited guests would actually attend. Would there be enough food or too much food? Would the place be empty or full? I remember racing back to the event after cleaning up. The event was already in progress when we arrived. We came around a corner and the event came into full view. And there it was! They came! The tables were filled with guests and the food was delicious and, of course, Mrs. Munsiff gave a wonderful presentation. It turned out perfectly! I left Antigua the next morning and, unfortunately, have not yet returned.

I loved Antigua and wanted to stay, so the job hunt went on until the last day. I did not have specialized career training or experience that would easily transfer to the Antiguan job market. However, I did have my teaching certificate in journalism from the University of Iowa. Teaching was my great hope. I tried to find a teaching job. However, that was not to be and I didn’t really have a “Plan B.” I was inexperienced and unprepared in this respect, and I didn’t really have a road map to create one. For example, I do not recall speaking at length with Antiguan Baha’is about other job opportunities and/or how to find them. Also, I do not recall having any conversations about how to network in Antigua. This is not to imply there was no help from Antiguan Baha’is. To the contrary, they were most encouraging and welcoming.

After it was clear that I was not going to get a job in the Antiguan school system, I traveled to Monserrat and looked for work there. It was there that I stayed with a young pioneer family, Elizabeth and Craig Owens and their children. His work was somehow related to recording or a radio station, I don’t recall for sure. Elizabeth was raising small children on a very limited budget. They became model pioneers to me. Eventually, they left Monserrat and now live in Kansas. Many years later I was at a Baha’i conference somewhere in the United States and it happened that at one of the sessions I struck up a conversation with the person sitting next to me. It turns out that I was sitting next to Craig Owens!

On Monserrat, with the help of the Owens, I met a British national and we talked about the possibilities of starting a tomato farm. He had the expertise and wanted to be involved. I considered it seriously. However, the plan was risky and required serious investment on my part. Again, I did not have enough sense or experience to figure out how to raise capital for that kind of development project. I just knew I would not have enough money to make the project sustainable and I knew that, even though it was a very good idea, there would be many difficult obstacles to overcome that would require time and money.

I traveled to Saba as well and stayed with another amazing pioneer who was on the National Assembly. She was there all alone and had a radio program. She taught me how to wash clothes by filling a round metal feed trough with soapy water, putting in the clothes, then standing on the clothes and stepping up and down for a certain number of steps. The assumption was that after enough steps the clothes would be clean. Makes sense to me! She was amazing and always encouraging. I don’t think there was a flat place on the island. I remember her walking everywhere. She is another hero of mine. Unfortunately, I cannot recall her name but I surely remember her face and I even have a picture of her. I believe she has since passed to the Abha Kingdom but her faith and perseverance greatly influenced me.

I also made short visits St. Kitts and St. Martin. On St. Martin I met a young pioneer who had a job spraying apartments and other buildings for bugs. On St. Kitts one of the friends took me around a bit and showed me the island. But no job opportunities were found.

My Antigua experience forced me into many “this is my first experience” situations, all of which were opportunities for growth. This was my first high stakes experience outside my element. I broke with normal “conservative Toledo tradition” and I was in the spotlight. And it was risky for me personally because I came from that tradition and somehow it was still a part of me. This was my first experience where I learned what is like to be without savings and without a job and with no fall-back plan. This was the first time (and not the last time) I went off on a journey (seemingly crazy to some) and returned home with goals unaccomplished.

I was gifted with meeting long-time pioneers who persevered in the midst of difficulties and hardship. I will always remember them and aspire to their example. I also met Counselor Sara Pereira and at least two of her Auxiliary Board Members. I treasure the memories of those meetings! It is not so much that I remember their words but I remember their faith and their certainty.

In the end, after about three months in Antigua, I returned to Minneapolis with dreams shattered, a heavy heart, a deeper understanding of what living a life committed to serving His Cause means, and with faith as strong as ever.

I should mention that this was not the end of my pioneering dream. With lessons learned from Antigua, we regrouped to try pioneering again. In just a few short years, we were pioneering in Liberia on the continent of Africa. I was the coordinator at ELRB Radio Baha’i Liberia, and for a short time, I even taught a high school journalism class! My Antigua experience turned out to be wonderful preparation for the next 30 or so years of pioneering, world travel, and serving the Cause. And beyond that, the fond memories of those souls I met on that journey, remain with me. Right now, for the time being anyway, Bonnie and I are homefront pioneering in Saint Simons Island, Georgia.