Iowa-Antigua Connections by Diane Findlay
Submitted November 2022
When the Universal House of Justice issued a call for international pioneers at the beginning of Seven Year Plan (1979–1986), one of the goal areas assigned to the USA was the Leeward Islands, a collection of Caribbean islands under the jurisdiction of one National Spiritual Assembly. Several Iowa Baha’is or Baha’i families responded to that call by spending time on the beautiful island of Antigua. This little country, comprised of 108 square miles plus the tiny neighboring island of Barbuda, was newly independent from the United Kingdom and just starting to find its way as an self-governing nation. The Faith was introduced there in 1950s and firmly established in the 1960s. It came under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly of the Baha’is of the Leeward Islands in 1981. In 1980 there were 21 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Antigua and Barbuda. Pioneer support was needed to help with teaching, consolidation, and development of Baha’i institutions. Several Iowa Baha’is arose to provide support.
David Meswarb, originally from Cedar Falls, moved to Davenport where he graduated from Palmer Chiropractic college. David was living in Louisiana when he answered the call to pioneer in 1982. He moved to Antigua, where he lived in the small village of Liberta and had chiropractic practices in St. Johns and English Harbor. “Dr. David” became a beloved figure and tended to the health needs of many locals, as well as his fellow Baha’is and pioneers. He was known for his dedication to the Faith, his direct and natural teaching style, his dry wit, and his penchant for storytelling. David lived in Antigua until 1994 and served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the Leeward Islands and, later, the East Leeward Islands. He also served as an assistant to a number Auxiliary Board members. David attended the 8th International Baha’i Convention in Haifa, Israel while serving as a National Spiritual Assembly member. Just last week, he passed from this world after several years in Missouri. You’ll find David’s obituary elsewhere on this site and, I hope, we’ll fill in more about his life, his many services to the Faith and the people around him, and his stories!
David Springer, formerly of Ames, Iowa, made a trip to the Island in 1982, hoping to find work and bring his family there to live. David spent much of his time there teaching the Faith directly with local Baha’is. He remembers extensive and complicated plans for a major proclamation dinner for professional and government leaders when Mrs. Meherangiz Munsiff, Knight of Baha’u’llah and renowned world traveler in service to the Faith, visited the Island. Despite many challenges, the event was well-attended and turned out perfectly! When David’s efforts to find work on Antigua were unsuccessful, he visited several other islands in the Leeward chain but, ultimately, had to return to the USA and regroup. While David’s stay was brief—about three months—he made an impact on the Baha’i community and its efforts and made lifelong friends, including Dr. David. His dreams of pioneering were later realized when he and his family moved to Liberia, where he taught and served at ELRB Radio Baha’i Liberia. Springer recently traveled from his current home in South Carolina to Missouri to serve as executor of Dr. David’s estate, and spoke at his memorial service.
Bob and Diane Findlay and their young children, Nathan and Naren, spent sixteen months as pioneers in 1982-83, hosting weekly firesides, writing and editing a newsletter for the Leeward Islands Baha’i community, helping with children’s classes in Willikies, visiting villages adopted by their teaching team with the Balogh family (fellow pioneers from Canada), and generally helping with whatever needed doing. Diane and Bob served as Assistants to Auxiliary Board Members Shirley Mathers and Roy Massey. Diane volunteered at the public library in the capital city of St. John’s and the children attended the local school. Bob and Len Balogh opened many doors of friendship and conversation by creating maps of nearby villages, which the villagers found very exciting! It was a wonderful experience for the family. Diane shared stories in a book titled Memories of Antigua: Books, Bugs, Bicycle Pumps, Beaches, and Blessings.
Zhalih Para, who was born in Kingsley Iowa, spent a youth year of service in Antigua from February to November of 1989. She was attending a youth retreat in Iowa for college students. Kim Wood of Kansas was also in attendance. Kim was already planning on going on a year of service to Antigua and had just found out that the youth that was to go with her had backed out. She convinced Zhailih to go instead. Zhalih spent her time there volunteering in the hospital and the school for the deaf and participating in service activities with the local youth. While there, she and Dr. David became good friends—a friendship that lasted the rest of David’s life. She was also a central part of his memorial service.
Jane Rodriguez-Javier (formerly Jane Rodriguez), who grew up Low Moor, Iowa and attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, pioneered in Antigua for almost 15 years, from 1996 to 2010. Jane lived first in St. John’s, Antigua and later resided in Ferris Farm and Seaview Farm, serving in multiple capacities during her lengthy period of service. She first served as an Assistant to Auxiliary Board Member, Debbie Eckert, and later served directly as an Auxiliary Board Member for Protection. Jane also rendered service as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward Islands and was the Secretary of the NSA for many years. Jane was a founding member of the Institute Board and was a committed teacher of children and youth classes and Ruhi tutor. Jane returned to the United States in 2010, along with her husband, Wilton Javier and stepson, Wilbert.
Another connection, though not as direct: Elizabeth Owens and her husband Craig served as pioneers in the Leeward Islands from 1975 to 1983, living in Antigua the last six months or so after a long stretch in Montserrat. Elizabeth was later appointed to serve Iowa’s Baha’is as an Auxiliary Board Member from 2008 to 2016.
Photos are of Diane Findlay’s book and from the 2005 Caribbean NSA Conference, held in Antigua. Look for Jane Rodriguez-Javier wearing a red shirt, and is standing behind the bush in the middle of the photo.
