A caretaker contemplates open shifts in the chart.

Another year, another week, another shift:  the KPC 24 Hour Prayer Vigil celebrates its 23rd Anniversary today.  Since its inception on April 18, 1985, in Kensington, Maryland, the vigil has continued unbroken, with participants signing up to take two-hour shifts. The vigil was moved to the Poolesville, Maryland, temple on October 31, 1985, and on October 31, 1999, a second vigil was begun in Sedona, Arizona.
 

The chart in the Maryland temple (picture above) shows the week that ended last Sunday as complete (middle of chart), with the week to come showing a number of slots to be filled (right side of chart).  In the picture at right, a "caretaker" for the chart records it and considers strategies for filling it.  She'll be one of three people who take responsibility this week for seeing that all slots are filled.

A participant contemplates where to plug in her name, while an Ani points out a good possibility. She is part of a dedicated community of Buddhist monks, nuns, and lay practitioners who uphold the vigil, entering incoming prayer requests from around the world into our Prayer Request books.