Ok, I like you too, Barça.

Tomorrow, 11 September, is a national holiday in Catalunya. Already folks are putting out flags, whether the independence movement's design or the "official" ones. I must admit that I've enjoyed listening to Miss Ruth, a staunch Madrileña, scoff at the independent flags and count the Spain flags hanging from the buildings. I plan to surprise her tomorrow morning with a small Spain flag for her apartment.
Today I had lunch with Chery, an MTW worker in the Poblenou neighborhood. She's helping with a national church plant and facilitating small groups. She gave a good yet honest view of a worker's life and a taste of opportunities in Spanish urban ministry.
Though completely different in many ways from Madrid, I have to say that Barcelona is starting to grow on me. I'm having a difficult time trying to comprehend Catalán, though! I manage about three words and I drop back into Castilian.
One of the most exciting things in Barcelona is the work that Miss Ruth's pastor, Ricardo Cerni, is spearheading. More than fifty years ago Cerni started a translation work that has mushroomed into equipping pastors all over the Spanish-speaking world with all sorts of ministry books. The first manuscript translated was the Heidelberg Catechism. Since then, he and his team have translated Calvin's Institutes, numerous commentaries, and recently finished a new Bible Translation, la Biblia Textual.
When I visited the church on Sunday, Pastor Cerni opened a small door and I was suddenly in a warehouse, with shrink-wrapped hardbacks piled everywhere on pallets. A stack of brown paper packages bore addresses for Cuba, Colombia, even a pastor in Mesquite, Texas. The books are provided for free, since Pastor Cerni says the greatest need for pastors is to be educated on systematic theology. He says that in Spain (and by extension, the Hispanic world) church teaching is very shallow because pastors haven't been trained in how to preach the Word and apply it to their context.
Cerni himself has had quite the journey in pursuing God's call. Growing up, the only way to take advantage of youth activities was to join the Falange youth organizations. So he did, though he certainly wasn't of the Francoist persuasion.
Interestingly, Cerni commented that Protestant Christians were caught in the middle during the Spanish Civil War by virtue of the fact that they couldn't side with the Nationalists, yet siding with the Republicans was against their beliefs, though many did because they thought it could guarantee freedom of religion.
As a young man, Cerni said he went through a time of rebellion in France, then quite suddenly came to the Lord and ended up attending Bible school in Glasgow. (Yo, Liam!) As he began teaching English, which he has done for more than thirty years, his translation and book work grew. He met his wife, Alicia, in the Barcelona church, and they have four grown children.
Tomorrow is my last visit with Ruth and on Thursday I leave for Águilas by train. ¡Anda!