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Argentina

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Argentine flagIt was Columbus Day weekend 30 years ago that I went to spend 21 months working as an apprentice to the missionaries in Rosario, Argentina.

In October 1989, Carolina and I moved to Córdoba, Argentina, to work with the church there. We returned to the States to live in October 2002.

So it’s been 30 years since I first went to live in Argentina. 26 years since we went there as a family; 13 years since we came back.

15 years there, 15 years here over the last 30.

13 years there, 13 here over the last 26.

That’s what October reminds me of.

Pray for Argentina

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protestRecent events have reminded us of how limited a view of the world U.S. news media give us. While the terrorist attacks in France dominated headlines, bigger attacks in Nigeria went virtually unnoticed.

Because of that, I’m fairly confident that most who read this will know next to nothing about the drama unfolding in Argentina. In 1994, a Jewish mutual aid society (AMIA) was bombed in Buenos Aires. 85 people were killed and hundreds were injured. Since it didn’t take place in New York or Paris, you probably never heard about it. But many remember and have been investigating ever since. The trail seems to lead to Iran, but full information has not come forth.

Recently, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Alberto Nisman, filed a 300-page document accusing the current president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, of being part of a cover-up; allegedly, Fernández and others conspired with Iran to frustrate the investigations in exchange for oil from Iran.

Nisman was due to present his accusations in court last week, but he never made it. He was found dead in his apartment with a gunshot to the head. Initial reports called it a suicide, but strong public outcry made officials admit the circumstances were suspicious. Fingers were later pointed at the Argentine intelligence community. Last night Fernández announced a dismantling of the current intelligence agency and the creation of a new one.

I won’t take sides in all of this, nor will I claim to have inside knowledge as to what all has transpired these last 20 years. I’d just ask you to pray for the people of Argentina, who are living through a great time of insecurity. There’s a feeling that justice won’t come about in this or many other situations.

photo from Pulsamerica

Volveremos, volveremos…

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So Argentina is back in the World Cup finals. Against Germany again, just like in 1986 (the last time they won) and 1990. It’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t from a World-Cup-obsessed country what the World Cup truly means. As the popularity of soccer grows in the United States, the distance between our culture and those of soccer nations is seen all the more. Even people who are knowledgeable about soccer in the United States don’t seem to understand what international soccer is about. We certainly find it hard to grasp the depth of passion that the sport evokes. So let me offer some suggestions:

  • Don’t try and change the game. There’s a part of you that wants to whine about the flopping that is an integral part of international soccer. Suppress that part. You want to find a way to replace penalty kicks, hoping for a more equitable solution to tie games. Get over it. You have a thousand ideas as to how to make the game more attractive to an American audience. Accept the fact that international soccer as is is the most popular sport in the world; it doesn’t need American ingenuity to remake it.
  • Try to imagine a country united behind one team. We live in a fragmented country, with dozens of styles of music, hundreds of television channels, vast regional differences in food and speech. We’re also fragmented when it comes to sports. Football is king, yet NASCAR, baseball, tennis, golf… any of a number of sports can take first place in the hearts of individual Americans. In Argentina, for example, they are proud of winning the gold medal in basketball and producing world class golfers, tennis players, swimmers, etc. Rugby is very popular. But soccer defines them.
  • Sit back and enjoy the finals on Sunday! And feel free to root for Argentina.

Basketballs and soccer balls, but no vuvuzelas

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work.5380329.2.sticker,375x360.no-vuvuzelas-sticker-v1Another sports Friday. What can I say about my San Antonio Spurs? If you’d asked me on Monday, I’d have told you that I was a bit concerned. The Miami Heat had won a game in San Antonio, and the good guys seemed vulnerable. What could they hope for when going to Miami? Eke out a win and come home with the series tied.

But they did far more than that. The Spurs demolished the Heat in two consecutive games, and now they have the series firmly under control.

Amazing to think that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili won a championship together 11 years ago and have a chance to do it again. They dominated the NBA from 2003 to 2007 and are back on top. They came within a few seconds of winning last year; now they’re poised to win again.

Of course, it’s not just the “Big Three.” The Spurs’ rising star is Kawhi Leonard. Young and athletic, talented and unassuming, Kawhi was just what San Antonio needed. Hard to believe that he’s not much older than my oldest son. Maybe that’s why I love to see him do well.
His two-handed putback last night was the highlight of the game:

https://vine.co/v/Mjxn92jTzKp

And the World Cup is under way! I’ll try and write more about that next week. For now, I’ll just say

¡Vamos Argentina!

Are you ready for some futbol?

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The 2010 World Cup begins today in South Africa. It’s the biggest sporting event in the world. In the United States, we like to call our sports finals “world championships,” but most of the world couldn’t care less who wins them. Contrast that with the World Cup of soccer, with the 2006 tournament drawing a total of over 26 billion viewers. (I’m guessing that’s adding all the games together, unless we had a lot of extraterrestrials watching the game)

My real introduction to World Cup soccer came in 1986. I had been in Argentina for less than a year when the tournament rolled around. Argentina ended up winning it all, which was really something to experience. It’s amazing to see how the streets empty and the city grows quiet during games, until the roar of “Goal!” sweeps across the town.

In 1990, Argentina came in second, losing in the final minutes of the game. I thought people would be pretty disappointed, but they celebrated even more in 1990 than they did in 1986. In a tournament like that, second place is still an incredible achievement.

I’d like to predict an Argentine victory this year, but I hesitate to do so. They probably have the most talent, but their coach, Diego Maradona, leaves a lot to be desired. He was an incredible player, but has not impressed as a coach.

Whatever happens, the tournament should be great fun. Every game is being televised by the ESPN/ABC networks, so you should be able to catch some of the games. I can’t wait!