Come Barista With us in Denmark and Sweden

Malmo, Sweden

We are going to barista in Denmark and Sweden.  Many of you have been following our blog since 2012 and our first Mission Corps assignment to Ecuador with the Church of the Nazarene.  We call this our "second career," and these assignments have sent us to lands that we had never been to before and given us an awesome peek at how big God is and how He is touching lives for His Kingdom. Denmark and Sweden is a new encounter for us.

 Here is the background.  Our church has begun to open coffee-shop ministries in Europe: 2 in Poland;  Sweet Surrender Cafe, 2 years ago in Copenhagen, Denmark, and a new one, Arrie Kulturhus, to open mid-August in Malmo, Sweden.  This is where we will live from August to November.  And, we are excited!  We love adventure, new cultures, people and coffee. And, we love to talk about our faith and the reason for our hope, Jesus Christ.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark

Occasionally, we will cross the the Oresund Bridge linking the coast of Sweden to Denmark, a 30 minute train ride, to serve coffee and work at the Sweet Surrender Cafe.

As we began to think how we could serve even before we set foot in these two countries, it occurred to us that we could take aprons.  Most baristas have pocketed aprons that smell like fresh linen in the morning and coffee at the close of day.  What's the difference, we ask?  Both are a savory invitation to slow down.  While Sweet Surrender already had 12 aprons, after 2 years they were getting a little worn.  The new coffee house, Arrie Kulturhus, has no aprons.

MWashite from DR Congo, Africa

Interesting how God is always up to something.  When we shared this apron idea with a friend, she suggested we contact ThreadMfg.com, an organization here in Phoenix that offers sewing classes from beginner through advance levels for women refugees.  This program provides women refugees an opportunity to participate in a rigorous curriculum to improve their sewing skills, learn English and shape their professional goals.  It seemed as though God had directed our path to ThreadsMfg.  This organization gives back to the Phoenix community, and they will make aprons for baristas who will give back to their community but on a different continent. It's a great feeling to be the middle-man between two organizations that reach out in service to others.   We hired them.  They are designing 12 basic barista aprons for Copenhagen's Sweet Surrender and 6 vintage aprons and 6 basic barista aprons for Arrie Kulturhus in Sweden.
Pick up date:  August 6, 2015.

We wanted our blog friends to be among the first to hear our good news and to begin this adventure with us.  Stay tuned for prayer requests, barista workshops, packing challenges, and interests related to all things Scandinavian.   For starters:  pray that we will be sensitive to God's direction.

Keep Looking Up.  And thank you for reading our blog.
J:m and L:nda