i just came from the opening general session of the youth workers convention in guatemala.

wow. [choke]

wow. [choke]

it’s so difficult, as i’ve found in the past, to describe how amazing this is. i mean, i love our youth workers conventions in the states too. but there’s something intangible here, something that ramps things up a bit. i’m sure it’s a combination of things:
- the fact that there has never been a youth ministry gathering anywhere close to this size in central america. so these people are in no way numb to the overwhelming emotion that comes with being in a room of 1200 people who share the same passion and calling.
- for many, especially the gautemalans, the event brings a palbable sense of holy revolution, that significant change (in their churches, in their cultures, in the lives of the teenagers they love) is right at the fingertips of their hearts.
- and, then, i’m sure some of the excitement is just cultural — they’re a less jaded and cynical group than we are in the states. there are none of those “backward baseball cap wearing, tattoo sporting, neu-fundamentalist, i’ll keep my arms folded or my hands in my pockets unless you get a mosh-pit going” youth workers here.

anyhow. it’s wonderful and beautiful. i hardly understood a word, but could tangibly sense god’s spirit in the room. maybe that was especially true since i couldn’t understand a word. no cognitive stuff to distract me!