How I Became a Baha'i

Denise and I declared our belief in Baha'u'llah on March 19, 1973, in our home on Lajes Air Force Base, Terceira, Azores, Portugal.

We each made our declaration independently, although we were about ten feet apart and could hear each other in conversation with our Baha'i friends, Gary and Maddie Papermaster. It was about 2:30 AM. Gary asked me whether I had thought about becoming a Baha'i. I've learned since in similar circumstances that it takes guts to ask that question. It's that personal. 

I made the decision that moment. It was a born-again experience in which my spirit soared, while my mind and body were anchored. I did not resist. 

Our study of the Baha'i scriptures, prayerful reflection, and ongoing discussions had lasted over a year before the decision. We were isolated in the Azores from any negative influence, or from our strong Lutheran and Roman Catholic families and churches. It was the essence of the Baha'i principle of independent investigation of Truth. Denise had made her decision weeks before, but said nothing to me or the Papermasters until that night.

The Papermasters visited our home many times in the village of Praia da Vittoria, where they lived a short distance up the street from our flat. They lived in relative poverty. I was an Air Force officer. Off-base housing in Praia was excellent. We could buy American food at the base commissary. We had excellent medical care at the base hospital. We could receive Baha'i literature through our APO mail, while such materials were prohibited through the Portuguese Post Office.

We learned from the Papermasters the best of what Azorean cuisine and culture had to offer. Some of our Air Force friends were afraid to buy local food at outdoor markets. Health concerns were justified. Denise made sure fresh baked chocolate chip cookies were always on hand for Gary. Hot dogs were a treat. Gary brought us the fresh catch of the day direct from the fishermen.

The late night visit on March 19 was normal. I worked shifts at the weather office on base. The swing shift was over at 11 PM. Maddie and Gary came over to play cards, usually canasta, to help me unwind.  Maddie always got wound up. We all stayed up too late. If there were long discussions about religion, I don't remember them.

We had moved into on-base housing a few weeks before the night of our declaration. The house was an exceptionally nice upgrade from what we had in town. Baha'i teaching often involves a "fireside" informal presentation or discussion. We hosted our own firesides before we became Baha'is. We had a real fireplace. A man delivered half a cord of wood for $5. Many things fell into place to make our declaration a sacred moment.

Baha'i Pioneers go to many countries specifically to teach the Baha'i Faith. The expectation is that you have the economic means to get there, set up housing, and provide for yourself by getting a job locally. The Papermasters quickly exhausted their meager life savings. The Portuguese government at the time was a Fascist dictatorship; Caitano was President. The local Catholic priest in Praia was strict about what would happen if you did business with or hired a Baha'i. Maddie and Gary were lucky to get part time jobs from locals who didn't care what the priest said. Like our communities in Lake and Cook counties of Northeast Minnesota, it was a small town culture scattered over the whole 19 x 12 mile island. Everybody knew what was going on.

We had performed as Baha'i pioneers should for about a year and a half before we were declared believers. We returned to Minnesota in July 1973.  I was honorably discharged from the Air Force. My eight year commitment had been reduced to six years, because of the rapid draw down of forces at the end of the Vietnam War.

Shortly after we left the Azores, there was a Communist revolution in Portugal. A newspaper reporter from the neighboring Island of San Miguel came to interview a Baha'i jeweler in Praia, because his was the largest file found in the office of the secret police. We didn't meet him until 1995. He had complied with the government restrictions on religion. The police files had all the best Baha'i pamphlets, and some opposing religious views. Conclusion: idealists, not a threat.