Bringing the Spirit of Africa to Iowa by Susan Abel
Submitted April 2026
When the world went quiet during the onset of the pandemic, Elijah and I felt a profound sense of isolation that I know many others felt, but it hit our home with a particular heaviness. Like so many families, we watched as the walls seemed to close in, and we realized very quickly that our mental health—and, perhaps more importantly, the spiritual and emotional well-being of our children—was taking a major hit. The digital screens and the distance were not enough to sustain the human spirit. We knew we couldn’t simply wait for the world to return to some semblance of normal; we needed to create a sanctuary of our own.
It was out of that deep necessity that our Sunday devotions in Cedar Rapids were born. We made a conscious, prayerful decision to prioritize meeting face-to-face, despite the challenges, because we knew that the physical presence of other souls was the only medicine for the loneliness we were feeling. We decided that we needed to dance, to sing, and to pray to our hearts’ content without reservation. In a very real way, we decided to bring the spirit of Africa to Iowa. We wanted to sit with the profound, simple knowledge that we love Bahá’u’lláh and let that love manifest in the way we move, the way we laugh, and the way we lift our voices together.
This journey has never been a solitary one, and it is the people who have walked alongside us who have made it a reality. Elijah and I have hosted these devotions with the consistent, unfailing accompaniment of our dear friends, Leila and Nuri Eady. Their steadfastness has been a pillar for us, a constant reminder that we are never alone in this service. We have also been unfailingly accompanied by dear Quddus, Eva, and their beautiful family, as well as their dear parents, Mama Anastasia and Papa Philip. To see the generations coming together—the wisdom of the elders and the energy of the youth—has been a gift beyond measure. And truly, Bibi Georgette and her beloved family have been the very heartbeat of our devotions. Their presence provides a rhythm and a warmth that keeps the spirit of the gatherings alive and vibrant.
Consistency has been our key. We learned that the spirit isn’t built in a single day, but through the discipline of showing up for one another week after week. Along the way, these gatherings blossomed into so much more than just prayers. We have seen the growth of Junior Youth empowerment classes and children’s classes, where the youngest among us are learning to navigate the world with a sense of purpose and service.
We look back with so much emotion at all the effort that has gone into this—the many rides given to make sure everyone could attend, the outpouring of love from every person who walked through the door, and the sheer number of hearts that have been knit together in this process. We are still going strong, and that is a testament to the power of community. We so appreciate every one of you who has been a part of this, and our message remains the same: please, keep coming. Your presence is the light of these gatherings.
We have come to realize that transformation doesn’t always happen in grand, sweeping gestures. Change is created one day, one hour, one minute, and one second of every day through the small, consistent choices we make to love and serve. Thank you, Diane, for your dedication to preserving these stories. They are the threads that weave our history together and remind us of how far we have come.
