URBANA06 diary beginning

December 27th:

The gate was opened on time. Thanks God my sister and I checked the LCD screens. Our boarding gate was changed at the last moment and you know how the airports are crowded this time of the year...

After flyin for about half hour, I met this just-divorced man. I inmediately noticed that he sees life so diferently. The guy gave me a strange look and asked me about what I was reading. "Well connected: restoring hope through Kingdom partnerships" is not a common title, more when contrasted to this guys book: "The history of farthing". I never thought you could ever find books with that title.

After throwing a couple of "bate-phrases", I knew this guy was needful to speak, not to listened, so I remitted myself to ask questions and make reciprocal expressions of understanding. It resulted that his ex-wife was 9 years older than him. They had been faithful to each other all the time, no extreme fighting or hitting, their two daughters were just leaving for college, so the only reason I could think of for them not staying together was the age difference. -"Ha ha ha, age difference? of course not!"- he replied. -"That has nothing to do with our problems, is just that she likes to suffer all the time and she wants me to suffer with her. I still have faith that I will find a woman that truly loves me and wants me to be happy without being a victim". Well, I think he enjoyed being listened to. I never asked this man his name.

As promised, as soon as we stepped in St. Louis, there was somebody to help us find our way. A large information booth and a guy called Jay where our support to get to our hotels. We got to the metro link, and we were greeted by other 4 or 5 urbana atendees. I had my first theological conversation with Jay during our way to our hotels: topics like church narrowmindedness, priority and relevance of the gospel in a postmodern generation added to a little Brian McLaren's Emerging Church movement dispute. What a way to start our adventures!

We finally split after getting to downtown. I was greeted by this just-engaged canadian girl with last name Singh. The irony of this is that I had just unawarely won a contest of the funniest last name on that hotel's guest list! After registering, I ran to my sisters hotel and we headed to the America's Center. My sister had to register there, and I couldn't wait to see the Dome, so I left her with her new friends and went to explore a few interesting places. People from all around the world, gathered in the same place, getting out from every single door and perfectly identified with their name tags silently greeted me with their wandering smiles.

Against all odds, I was able to find the rest of the mexican team and some of the pioneers of the students ministry in Mexico... The excitement of what I was about to experiment in this convention didn't allowed me to sleep; well, added to the so frequent hitting I received from one of my roommates while sleeping...

Oración en Urbana:

"Señor, vengo ante ti con quebranto, pidiendo un abrazo de paz. Gracia por las tremendas oportunidades que me das de conocerte, de entender algunos conceptos que son más de lo que yo hubiese imaginado entender algún día. Pero aquí estoy, llorando como niño en medio de unos cuantos miles de jóvenes, sabiendo que nada de lo que tengo vale sin ti. Aún así, sabiendo que incluso todo lo que tengo es por ti, es tan inútil en mis manos ineptas. Te amo Padre, deseo amar a la gente a mi alrededor como tu quieres que ame, con entrega, con desinterés y con toda falta de egoísmo posible en mi humanidad. No permitas que regrese a casa sin el bonche de experiencias que me has traido a experimentar para que de esa manera haya avance de mi hacia ti. De manera que soluciones y acciones se vayan materializando de la mejor manera. De manera que caminos se vayan creando aún ante mi impotencia. Te pido que la diferencia que tanto añoro sea tu diferencia, orquestada día a día por tu dirección y acorde siempre a las intrucciones de tu voz. Quiero ser sabio, diligente y humilde. Quiero entender tu llamado para mi como tu lo entiendes. Quiero hacer lo que quieras que yo haga, sin importar qué tan difícil, doloroso o denigrante sea. Guíame Señor y preséntame a tu equipo de trabajo. El desafío es tan grande pero tu eres aún más grande y añoras que seamos herramientas de transformación para establecer tu Reino en la Tierra con poder y amor. ¿Qué es eso a lo que le tengo miedo? ¿Qué es eso de lo que me he cansado de justificar para no hacer, para dejar de lado? ¿Cuales son esas cosas? No tengo duda, sé que te las tengo que entregar..."