La Armonia Hermosa 2010

Beneficio

2010-02-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

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.

After Two Weeks...

2010-01-23T06:04:00.000-08:00

We have been here for two weeks now. I am learning more and more about La Armonia Hermosa and the culture here. There is a lot going on with the project and the people involved are great! The poverty down here in Guatemala is sort of masked by the Tourism of Antigua. We leave Antigua and head up Volcan Agua to Santa Maria de Jesus and the reality of the "Third World" becomes more apparent.

The project is really interesting. The people involved really have a heart for Santa Maria and want to see them succeed. Julio is the Guatemala in charge of everything, he is Les's go-to guy. Without him, La Armonia may not exist. He said his family are farmers and he is a farmer too, it's in his blood. He wants to spend more time working the project, but he needs to be able to feed his family. We are trying to find ways to make that happen so he doesnt have to teach, which takes up more of his time during the harvest season.

They are in need of a truck. We have visited 3 of the farms from the project, and you have to hitchhike out to a spot, then hike a half hour through some mountainous trails to get to the farms. After the farmers are done picking for the day, they have to put the 100 pound bags of coffee fruit on their backs and carry them back up the mountains to the road where they hitch a ride back into town. A truck would help out substantially. An added benefit to the truck would be that Julio would be able to give people rides on his way into Antigua for a few bucks a trip.

I came here knowing that the type of ministry that I would do would be different. It is... but it is also just like it would be in the States. I simply work with the people and find out what their needs are and try to meet them, whether it is food, money, or spiritual. That is pretty much the same thing I do at home, only the Guatemalan people are much poorer. The picture of the girl at the top is Melissa, Julio's daughter. She lives with her brother Melvin and her two parents in a house made of corregated metal sheets. We would probably use his house to store lawn equipment in back home. Julio just told us that he could have a house built on his property for about 16,000 Quetzals, or $2,000. Julio may not need saved, he is an elder in the Christian Church in Santa Maria, but he needs ministered to as he ministers to others in the community.

Hello from Chicago...

2010-01-09T14:32:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone who supported my trip, I was able to raise well over my intended goal!!!

I hopped on the Megabus in downtown Cincy this morning and rode up to Chicago where I am spending some time with friends until the trip to the airport tomorrow morning at 3:40!!! I was able to get a very cheap flight out of Chicago to Guatemala City, and the bus ticket up only cost me $10!!! Very exciting...

I will land in Guatemala City tomorrow at around noon where the brother-in-law of a friend will pick me up and rush me off to a soccer game in Santa Maria de Jesus!!! I'm jumping right into some fun! Les and Jamie are going to be down on Monday, then we will be staying in Antigua.

I'm gonna go order another cup of coffee... see ya!

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-24T21:48:00.001-08:00

So Christmas is finally here and what better way to celebrate the birth of our savior than with a blog update! Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope you were able to appreciate the birth of Christ on a deeper level than with a pair of socks or a new iPod.

I am very blessed to have so many supporters out there. Thank you to everyone who has given. To those who have given much, much will be given to you! To those who have given little... (I am REALLY JUST KIDDING!!!) I really can't thank all of you enough. I find it hard to express gratitude for the $200 gifts, but just as much I find it difficult to thank those who gave $5! Just knowing that you care so much about where the Lord is leading me and that you want to be a part of that is incredible to me! Thank you!!!

I have also been blessed with some work of my own to raise money for the trip. The day after I sent out the fundraising letter, I put an ad out for work (labor, construction, whatever I could do...) to work for some funds. The following day, I separated my shoulder putting me out of work for 5 weeks! I figured I would have to come up with some out-of-the-box fundraising efforts to get the finances I need to go. Well, God opened 3 doors for Espresso Bar Catering where I was able to raise almost half the money I needed for the trip! The great thing about doing those was that I was able to share with everyone at the events about what I am planning to do in Guatemala. Praise God!

I have just 2 weeks to go before I head out and I am fully confident that God will either provide, or open doors for me to get to the amount I need. Thank you all for your support and I will keep you updated on the trip!

Bless You All!

Coffee for Christmas???

2009-12-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

So here we are... Christmas is fast approaching and you still don't know what to buy your co-worker for that lame Christmas party your office is having. I know, you really didn't want to go because everyone will be drunk and Gary from Human Resources is going to be hitting on everyone again... even the men, but you feel compelled to go and share what the true meaning of Christmas is to your inebriated friends.

What a better way to present the Gospel to these drunkards than through the purchase of a pound of freshly roasted coffee! But that's not just any pound of freshly roasted coffee is it? Well for $13 I certainly hope not! Through the purchase of this pound of freshly roasted coffee, you will help send a poor visionary missionary to Guatemala to harvest the next crop of that very same La Armonia Hermosa that your drunken friend will be enjoying on these cold winter mornings. Also, you will help ensure that the farmer will get an even larger amount than fair trade companies guarantee. Finally, you will be assured that every step along the way, we are raising both the standard of living of the individual involved as well as the quality of the coffee itself. How can you loose?

If you are interested in purchasing a pound of this coffee (and who wouldn't be, I mean... honestly?) Feel free to contact me at emailphilroberts@gmail.com or by phone at 937.232.1793

Thanks!!!

Preparing to go...

2009-12-03T19:03:00.001-08:00

I am currently preparing to head down to Antigua, Guatemala on January 10, 2010. I will be staying in Antigua and working in Santa Maria de Jesus at a coffee co-op called La Armonia Hermosa. During the first two weeks of the trip, I am planning to take Spanish lessons through an intensive language school the first half of the day and heading up the mountain to work the rest of the day. In Santa Maria de Jesus, I will be harvesting coffee and so much more!

The purpose of this trip is multifaceted. I will be making a trip "to origin" to increase my overall knowledge of coffee production for professional purposes, but I will also be researching how this project was brought underway with hopes of replicating it in another coffee producing country.

As a ministry, I want to be available to serve God's people wherever they are, however they need served. This is an opportunity to combine a few passions of mine; serving God, serving people, and serving coffee! In a cross-cultural mission setting, I don't want to go without a purpose other than to just preach. I want to invest in the community and the local's lives, while raising their standard of living and providing a way for them to continue after I am gone. During this time, I will be living out the gospel, both in word and in action. I understand that I can have a greater influence on a community after living, working, and loving them.

Please pray for me and this exciting adventure! Thank you if you are supporting me financially or through prayer, I need each equally! I had planned on working to raise some finances on my own, but separated my shoulder this past weekend playing football! I will be unavailable to work for 3-5 weeks! Please stay tuned for fundraising opportunities you can be involved in!