Week 34: The Power of Prayer

I was raised Catholic, however, I no longer identify with the Catholic faith and have not identified with any organized religion for sometime. This may seem contrary to the title of this post, however, I have been continually struck by the power of seeing women come together in prayer (I can only speak to women coming together, because those are the circles that I am invited into) and I felt it was time I shared this feeling. Earlier in the term one of the teachers from Modisi went on medical leave and this week three teachers and I went to visit her in the hospital. She was very happy to see us and everyone chatted cheerfully for the hour long visit. At the end when the teachers and I stood to leave, everyone clasped hands and started to pray. Each teacher murmuring their own prayer to themselves as we all stood around the hospital bed. Although the words of the prayers were in an incoherent Setswana to my ears and the god they were addressing does not hold meaning in the same way for me, the weight of their actions was not lost on me and I was touched by the beauty of the moment. To be surrounded by people who care about you calling on a strength greater than themselves to ease your pain and quicken your recovery is a beautiful thing to me, and I feel lucky to have been a part of it. The teachers were happy I wanted to come and the teacher we were visiting was excited to see me, however, most of the visit was in Setswana of which I understood little. I felt like a guest at an intimate moment and truly lucky to have borne witness to it. In the moment of prayer I could feel the love in the room and was grateful to these people who let me into their circles.

During the same hospital visit, a woman dropped off a flower and said “she died last night.” Our teacher friend explained that she had made friends with the woman next door who was dying of cancer and as she said this she began to tear up. To me this was a reminder of how our lives touch others and even until the very end we have the capacity to affect those around us, for better or worse. I hope when possible people choose for the better.

On a lighter note, I had a small dinner party this week with a few PCV friends and another new American friend I made. My menu was very similar to what I usually make in the states (Risotto, dark chocolate almond biscotti, and roasted butternut squash). The only difference is when a friend asked what she should bring, instead of answering “just you!” I asked if she could bring a plate. More often then not I am cooking for one so the fact that I have a four set of forks, knives, and spoons seems a bit odd but came in handy this week and the thought of having 4 plates just seems like they would take up more space then they are worth. If this becomes a regular occurrence perhaps I will buy more, however, I think it will really just encourage me to do my dishes less since one friend traveled 10 hours by bus to see me and my other friend has waited over 6 hours to get a hitch out of her village. Needless to say I think my two plates will continue to suffice.