When we arrived in Marseille, France in 2017 with our 3 kids, cat and a full moving truck of stuff we were clueless as to what was waiting for us in that beautiful Mediterranean city. We spent several months just trying to get our feet on the ground. Our experience overseas and exposure to many different cultures made us aware that each place holds its own beauty and challenges and we took some time adjusting to the uniqueness of Marseille.
Not long after our move the church opened a cafe in the church lobby. We quickly saw the potential impact this could have and when the opportunity to take it over arose we were quick to pray and ask God if this was His direction. THE NEXT MORNING… we had an email asking if there were any projects we needed funding for. With that first funding we put our hands and feet to work and never looked back!
Now we had absolutely no idea what we were doing, having no experience in running a cafe or in business, but we had the vision to see it become a place where people could be at home, where they could experience a great cup of high-quality coffee (also selfishly something we wanted to have in the city) and open up a bridge for people who wouldn’t come to church but would come and drink a coffee.
Soon we were overflowing with design ideas, planning community events, and dreaming of how to use this idea of coffee in order to bring in the community. A small group of volunteers developed and we all went to Brussels for Barista training. Another group of people helped with the actual construction and worked really hard building a beautiful space. We were blessed with some amazing partners that were excited with us and provided the funds necessary to see this all come to fruition.
The first year was a lot of hard work. We poured in a lot of hours to build clientele, training volunteers, building teams, testing out different ideas, and developing our values as a cafe. Over time we saw some of the richest relationships develop not only with our clients but our volunteers, with the community and those we did business with.
The possibilities became endless in how to connect to the community around us, providing a feeling of home and a place of belonging to anyone. It was a beautiful picture of what we feel represents Jesus in the world today.
Every week, either through our recurring clients or new ones, we would have a conversation with someone that would start off with… What’s different about this place? And the conversations would begin… We’ve loved learning how God continues to open doors through community and coffee.
So as we look forward to what’s ahead, we hear God speaking to us, use what’s in your hand and I will continue to bring relationships across your path. And this is why we need you! To help us 1) meet our financial goals so we can get there and 2) prayerfully stand with us as we pray for God to do the impossible as we share His love with everyone that comes across our path! And lastly… to hopefully see you in the Holy Land!
