Discussion

There is so much work to be done. And so often it seems that we are just back where we started.

But when we work together - wow - is there anything to hard to overcome?

One of the on-going challenges of working with families with HIV is the challenge of working with each other. We are very frail, very simple (and at the same time very complex) human beings. We bring to our place of service our own old natures (often not so nice ones!) and have our own particular ways of doing and seeing.

But when we really talk, when we really share and pray, then we see some of the barriers drop.

As a team we start each day with some sharing from the Bible and prayer. Its never enough - a few songs - a short devotion to get us ready for the day - and a small time of prayer for the people on our prayer calendar - and for each other. But it is a foundation, a grounding for what each day's service holds.

The 3 home-based care teams (2 persons per team) meet one day a week with Sheba, Giri and Daniel to review their work. Monday's its Shanti and Seema, Tuesdays its Lata, Sandhya and Sunita, Thursdays its Rahul and Sanjeev. Then at on Fridays we all meet together to discuss our weeks work - and pray for the next set of challenges that are upon us.

Its seems sometimes that we do a lot of talking. But then we need to communicate, to share the challenges that our friends with HIV and their families face. And still we see things fall through the cracks at times.

"To jaw- jaw is always better than to war-war" said Winston Churchill. Though we do have opportunities to talk with each other - we need to keep deepening them, refreshing them, becoming more vulnerable and real.

Otherwise the cold-wars of silence will rule - however many meetings we hold.