Bean to Cup to Gospel | Coffee Leads to Unengaged People Group

Gary & Darren* were faced with the formidable task of gaining permission to be in a SE Asia region where one specific unengaged people group lived.  Other ex-pats that lived in the big city said it is impossible to get up into that region.  However, as they investigated, they came to discover that God had already prepared the way.  For this team, coffee is what gave them access.

Several years ago, before GSI was in this country, the national government planted thousands of coffee trees in the rural countryside where this people group resided.  They hoped that the local families would profit from the production and export of coffee. Unfortunately, the farmers were not taught how to process and prepare coffee beans for potential buyers properly. As a result, many families started burning down the trees to plant other cash crops to keep earning money to take care of their families. GSI workers, who were considering this area, saw an opening. 

They began studying everything they could about the growing and processing coffee beans while training the farmers. Through trial and error, they have been able to produce high-quality coffee. They’ve implemented direct trade practices, cutting out the need for a middleman and established mutually beneficial and respectful relationships between the producers and the buyers.  They have also opened a cafe in a provincial town to promote the community while serving the locally grown and processed coffee. The farmers are excited to have Gary & Darren in the area since many of them now have a steady income to provide for their families.

This bean to cup partnership has given GSI workers access to these farmers and their families, which are a part of an unengaged people group.  As they spend hours working alongside them each day, relationships are growing deeper and allowing them to share Biblical Truth.  

Pray that some of these will come to understand the Gospel and be discipled in God’s Word.

*Pseudonym used for safety purposes.