Urban Training of Trainers 1

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror or a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”

C.S. Lewis, “Weight of Glory”

Urban Training of Trainers 1, September 24 – 28, 2007

Gathering to learn about how to effectively work in inner city settings, we represented Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, and the three largest cities of Argentina: Buenos Aires, Cordoba, and Rosario.

We learned how to ask questions to help those in our target communities see what they have to offer: asset-based community development. We looked for the values and beliefs that led to negative behaviors and outcomes in our communities, seeking to identify the underlying worldviews.

We looked at the various “players” in our communities, ranking them in terms of power and influence.

We sang songs together about hope (a Venezuelan couple, Marcelo, and Bibiana).

We sang crazy songs and laughed together (Gaby, Silvia, and Nora, wonderfully dedicated women from Buenos Aires).

“And we all…are being transformed…from one degree of glory to another.” 2 Corinthians 3:18a