The Dinner Table

I love the relationships that are formed over a good meal. The cooking aspect is something Im slowly appreciating. The eating aspect is easier to appreciate. The way food opens the soul of conversation is a holy invention often manipulated by pride.
Thats why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Everyone attempts to respect the holiness of communion and conversation of life flows as easily as a head wound.
On my first Thanksgiving out of the country I am spending the week with other development workers at the Namwianga Mission. Some of which develop the mind (teachers), the body (physicians), and the soul (missionaries). And throughout this time together the holy communion of dinner table conversation turns to the challenges in AIDS work.
The frustrations, the myths, the fact, the hopes, the plans of each worker for the people we are all growing to love. loving to grow?
Prevention to students?
Outreach to mothers?
Education of clubs?
I believe the key is behavior change. With something as abstract as a disease that takes time to infiltrate the body's defenses it seems education lacks impact. But how do you break the chains of tradition?
Hope of the future is often clouded by present horrors.
So how do you escape when trapped?
I believe behavior change is a direct result of relationship influence. Anytime I followed through with a decision it was based on the influence of my family and friends. Influences of encouragement. of fear. desire to imitate or to shed any resemblance.
So it seems that this united people of Zambia must unite with an Influence. People must come together to create behavior change.
For if one can infect so many with a disease than for hope of health to be contagious One must become Two.
Them must become Us.
You must become Me.
Food must become Talk.
Prevent.
Outreach.
Educate.
Above all, Relate.
Holy communion dinner table conversation - Where hope develops the mind/body/soul to change.