Dinner for 700 #wa2011

The main hall at the Auditorium Maximum, Warsaw is an impressive venue. The high tech LED curtain pulses in response to the music played, the final checks are in place as the final preparations to ready the venue for the meeting in just over an hour…

Meanwhile the recently arrived delegates, mixing together, pour into an underground car-park temporarily converted into a banqueting hall.  It is MUCH better than it sounds, it feels extravagant and luxurious even.  The food of great quality – it feels like we’re attending a wedding rather than a conference.

The chat around the tables is of journeys – how long did you take to arrive?  how was the journey?  Did you fly or drive?

One woman from Belgium speaks of ‘sleeping’ in the airport, as she rubs tiredness from her eyes and tries to beat sleep.  Another man speaks of a long car journey through Europe – traffic jams and unending motorways “we drove for 30 hours”.  A student from Brazil speaks of a 26 hour train journey from Paris, “the train was delayed, there were many problems”.  Men and women from all over the world have taken all forms of transport to converge in this most beautiful of cities to draw together to focus on and celebrate the work of God in the student world.

These catch up and introductory conversations will give way to penetrating discussion, will ignite friendship and catalyse growth in the work around the world.  I am excited about what God will do.