Why Coffee?

My family and I made a year-long commitment to live in Central America, and a life long commitment to do whatever work the Lord would have us do. As we set out, I was excited.  I had been studying business as mission, and coming from a small business background, I believed I had answers that would help people. Right away I went to work on a sustainable farm project, and almost right away, I realized how little I knew about helping people. The work I wanted so desperately to help people, alienated them. The community I hoped to see built, I only saw fractured. Unfortunately, by the time I learned the lesson the damage was done. Fortunately, the Lord was kind to me. By his grace, He offered me the chance to learn from my mistakes.Since this time He has given me the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best minds, noted scholars and authors, in community development, social business, and international missions.  The Lord made it possible, in ways I would have never foreseen or been able to do on my own, for me to step back into the development missions arena with a new, expanded, and incredible role.Over the past few years I have worked in 9 countries. I have met and interviewed micro-entrepreneurs, striving to help their families survive, standing in the face of overwhelming struggle.  I have seen political corruption, abuse, and poverty so intense that I struggle with guilt when I lay my head down on my comfortable bed. I have stood beside people who would never rise off their mats again and who would die without the Lord. I have had my heart-broken at what I have seen.But I have also seen the Kingdom at work. Pockets of Christianity are thriving in the face of struggle. I have seen God’s people cling together and reach out in incredible ways to do incredible things. I have seen things that you can only call miracles and I praise the Lord for His goodness.Over that time, in all of those places, I have seen some really good work. Work that truly does help and not just help in a short-term way, but in ways that will help see communities change socially, politically, and most importantly, spiritually, for generations to come. Unfortunately, I have seen the opposite as well. Work that is paternalistic, dependency creating, and will ultimately only help fuel the internal good feelings of naive, well-intentioned, and kind-hearted people. The most troubling "help" I see, however, is when organizations exploit the people they are helping; they honor little, they take much, but they talk big.So why coffee?The answer is simple. The people. Kingdom Growers is a partnership. It is a partnership with a farming co-operative in Central America, and in Asia, that have a heart to share the love of Christ in their country. They desire to help people come to the Lord, to be discipled, and to be sustained. Every year the co-operatives struggle with fluctuating commodity prices. Every year coffee buyers haggle the price of great coffee as low as possible. Every year these farmers struggle financially to make it to next year, when hopefully things will be better. The farmers of the co-operative work intensely to provide the highest quality coffee they can. This project will honor that work; not by claiming their work for our own, but by telling you their story. By bringing you their coffee, by roasting it with excellence, and by serving it with pride.  This insulates them from the fluctuating commodity price, so that the ministry might flourish. We will attempt that which is difficult, to help those who are working so hard to succeed.Hopefully, as you follow this blog, you will be as inspired as I have. Try our coffee for the story first. We are confident you will come back for more. But most of all… If you are discouraged like I was, know this… The Kingdom Grows… God is Great… D.