Beneficio

So here we are... a week away from heading home. I feel like this has been an incredibly informative trip. I can't begin to tell you how much I have gained after this experience. I hope to share more in-depth with everybody when I return.

As I mentioned in my last post, Julio is the Guatemalan in charge of everything going on down here. The picture above is of Les and Julio walking back to Julio's after a trip to the future site of the beneficio. From the beginning, Julio has had the vision for using this co-op to help out the community of Santa Maria. The next step in that process is the building of a Beneficio or Wet Mill. At the Wet Mill, they will be able to process, ferment, wash, dry, and store the coffee until export. Up until now, they have only been able to process a small percentage of the coffee at Julio's, about 25%. With the addition of the Beneficio, they will be able to process all of their coffee, as well as bring jobs to the community, and offer the farmers extra income for taking part in the processing. There will also be enough space to start a nursery to grow new coffee varieties for the farmers, and work on an organic farming system.

A large part of this trip involved meeting with people that will help make the Beneficio project happen. We have met a few road blocks on the way, but it seems that after discussing the project with people, they are willing to offer assistance. Our friends Jonathan and Nicole are down here filming a documentary-style multimedia piece to help provide us with a medium to help raise support and awareness to the project.

There is a need for either Les or somebody else to be down here to help get the Beneficio started before the rainy season begins in May. I am looking into the possibility of coming back to help out with that if Les is unable. I know it seems like pretty quick notice to try and make it back down here, but somebody needs to be here and I would love all the experience i can get if I hope to replicate something like this in Africa or somewhere.

At the same time I am down here feeling God speaking to me about a different way to do missions, I am reading a book about a different way to do church. I am realizing more and more that living out the gospel no matter where you are is God's mission for us. I am also learning that being a very outspoken Christian verbally isn't always the best way to further the Kingdom. What I mean by that is this. I am a pretty outspoken Christian, as well as most of the people I associate with. A couple of friends that are here may not be the most outspoken, but show more of God's heart and Jesus' character than most of the people I know, including myself. They simply know how to love. I want that! I don't want to feel pressured to evangelize at every chance. I want to love at every chance, and thereby live out the gospel. Mother Teresa said "Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words."

that's all i have to say about that.