When I was 15 years old, I went on my first mission trip to the southern region of Mexico. We partnered with a local pastor in the area and traveled to various Mayan villages to do service projects. Some days we helped with constructing homes and church buildings, and other days we hosted vacation bible schools for the kids in the villages. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least. As a middle-class American citizen raised in Oklahoma, I had never been exposed to this level of poverty and such a drastically different lifestyle than my own. I left there with a new sense of gratitude for the position I found myself in life. I also discovered some key truths about life. Firstly, happiness and joy can be found in some of the most difficult places. If I'm being honest, I've found that happiness often feels more abundant in these places, despite the outward circumstances. Furthermore, I became acutely aware that the same God I worshipped back home was at work in the lives of the people I met. He loved them, pursued them, and sustained them. I realized not only does He love them, but that I could partner with Him in the process. This trip sparked a desire in me to experience new cultures, expose myself to the hardships people face, and allow God's love to impact me and those around me wherever I went.
Fast forward to college, where Joel, Carson, and I had lots of opportunities to travel and partner with ministries across the globe. If I had to guess, we've probably been to around 30 countries combined, give or take a few. If there is one thing we have learned over and over, it's that God loves everyone on earth and wants a relationship with them. I can't think of many things more powerful than sacrificing your time and resources to travel across the world and tell a stranger that God loves them, and not only does he love them, but he's willing to send someone across the globe to tell them. We have seen miracles and salvations, and we have built long lasting, God-centered relationships with believers all across the world. Through the process, we have learned that community is central to spiritual growth, which is why we value working with long-term missionaries, organizations, and churches that are rooted in the communities we visit, so that when people encounter God, they have a pathway forward where they can walk through life with other believers.
Moravian Coffee is an extension of our love for God, and our love of community centered around Jesus. This is why we currently donate a percentage of our sales to great organizations, both locally and across the globe. We can't wait to highlight some of these organizations on our blog, so that you can get connected with them as well and see the amazing impact they are having!
We have dreams of opening cafes worldwide, using them as a way to impact local communities, and providing missionaries with work visas and stable incomes. In the meantime, we will continue to invest in the people we know are changing the world, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"
- Trent
Chilling on a Mountain somewhere ;) (Port Au Prince, Haiti with a non-profit called NouFam)