The Most Expensive Coffee in the World

OK. For those of you who weren't there and wanted to know about the illustration, here it is:

I haven't always been a coffee drinker. Actually I just started drinking it again after about 20 or so years. But I looovvve coffee. Especially strong coffee. And when I heard about this particular coffee I just knew that I had to share it with Revolution. (A friend of mine, Jono, who is also a youth pastor told me about it. He actually "shared" it with his youth group as well and gave me some of it so that I could do the same. Thanks Bro!) Now this coffee is very expensive. It actually costs about $420 per pound in Canada but you can find it a little cheaper on-line. It is the most expensive and sought after coffee in the world. It is only grown in Indonesia and is a delicacy all over the world. It is called Kopi Luwak. There's no way that we could have given a cup full to every person there Wednesday night (too expensive) and I didn't want to make some and let everyone try a sip (too gross, sorry guys... I wasn't drinking after you) so we gave 1 coffee bean to every person. That's right we gave 1 Kopi Luwak coffee bean to everybody as they came into the sanctuary. Everyone held their bean, most tasted it, some even chewed it up and swallowed it. They say that this coffee is not only the most expensive but also the most caffeinated. The strength of the bean is amazing, and the smell?... it's incredibly good. If you like the smell of coffee, that is. Anyway, as I was explaining to everyone the greatness of this particular coffee and everyone was tasting their coffee bean we watched a video on how coffee is roasted (sorry, I had to go all "Discovery Channel" on them, haha) and then we watched a second video. This video was from Animal Planet. It was about these things called Civet Cats (kinda like a cross between a raccoon and a monkey) that are nocturnal mammals that live in the trees of Indonesia. They love to eat coffee cherries. The only problem is, their digestive system can only break down the 'fleshy' part of the coffee fruit and they poop out the seed, or bean, because it won't digest completely. (I think you see where this is going) Then, after they excrete (that's a fancy term for poop) the un-digested bean out onto the ground, people come and dig through the excrement (poop) that's on the ground and collect all of the beans. Then they sort and dry the beans. Then they roast the beans. Then they sell the beans. They sell the beans for a lot of money! And there you have it... Kopi Luwak. Google it. I'm not making this stuff up. The most expensive, most sought after and most caffienated coffee in the world comes from poop! That's right, poop. People all over the world pay top dollar for it too. Crazy, huh?

By now you're probably wondering why in the heck did you let students put that stuff in their mouth? It's one of those "crazy youth ice breakers" that you do, right? Nope. We don't do "ice breakers" in Revolution (sorry, I guess I'm too old or something). Let me explain why we did it.

We started a new series Wednesday Night titled "What In The World Is Going On? There are so many people who are living in fear, depression, worry and the list could go on and on. There are wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes erupting, economies crashing and again, the list could go on and on. And some people are freaking out. They're asking the question "what in the world is going on? Is this the end of the world? Does God even care that we're hurting? Are Christians suppose to suffer? Why is this happening to me? And that's what we'll be talking about for a few weeks. Back to the reason for the coffee bean. No matter what you are going through in your life... no matter how much "crap" you're surrounded by, no matter how much things stink right now... hold on! Persevere. Push through. Don't quit because God is going to take what looks disgusting and broken and dark and crappy... and He is going to turn it into something that is valuable, great, precious and amazing. No matter where you are in life right now... no matter how bleak the situation... no matter how "bad" it is... God has a greater plan than what you can see so don't quit! Embrace the process. Don't try to escape the process. Because just like the Kopi Luwak coffee bean, without going through some crap, it could never become the greatest "most expensive coffee in the world."

Love Ya!

Java Jim

I Almost Didn't Go

Hey Guys!

Today we're gonna hear from one of our student leaders. Dean and his wife Monica are one of our main student leaders on Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights. It was amazing to see God work in their family in this trip. Here's Dean's testimony:

Dean Berkley

I just want to start by saying that God is so faithful and amazing and His timing is so perfect. Satan was attacking me from every angle to keep me from going to Brazil, even up until a few hours before we were to go to the airport. I was ready to throw in the towel and just stay home but my awesome wife convinced me to come to church Wednesday night and let God handle the problems. I am glad I listened to her because I really felt God working in me and by the end of the night I felt such a peace about going on this trip. The amazing thing is now that we have gone and come back I realize why satan was trying to keep me here.

Easter Sunday’s evening service was so powerful. When Pastor Jim got up to speak you could really feel the anointing in the service. There was such a sweet spirit in the air that night and we were privileged to see God restore hope and healing to a church that was on the verge of just giving up. Pastor Bart admitted to us that he had thought about quitting more than once but now he has a new passion for Villa Zumbi. God really spoke to me that night about not giving up on anything but to just trust him wholeheartedly. Living Hope Church of Villa Zumbi really needs our prayers lifting them up daily. There is definitely some strong spiritual battles taking place there but we know that our God is victorious and He will prevail and Villa Zumbi belongs to God.

Wednesday morning God opened another door for us to minister to some of the elderly in Villa Zumbi. We actually went to the park to play with the children but no one showed up due to the colder weather. There was a community center inside the park where the elderly were holding a meeting. According to our interpreter the elderly there are not thought of much and left on their own. When we walked in the door they were so excited that we took time to come see them. We were able to pray over each one of them for specific healing and they were so grateful for what little time we were there. One of the women in the group invited us to come to another meeting in another town the following day so we went Thursday morning and prayed with another twenty men and women. We gave a call for salvation and 12 of them accepted Jesus into their heart, God is so amazing. We also prayed with each one for specific healing and after doing so we were introduced to the woman who was over 36 of these community centers for the elderly. She was amazed that we took time to come do this and now she has invited us to come back and go to as many of these centers as possible. It is truly amazing how God can open doors that we can’t even imagine exist. I will never forget this time we spent praying for these dear men and women. God has really been working with me in getting out of my comfort zone and just depending on Him to direct my steps. I would like to say thank you to Jim and Mary Jane for being obedient to God and taking us on this mission trip. It has truly blessed me and I am asking God to never let me go back to my old self but to just let Him use me for His glory.

Brazil Testimonies

Hey Guys!

Here's a few more testimonies for you:

Nick Pullum

I went to Brazil expecting to be ministering into these people’s lives but I am telling you I have been ministered to throughout the week. The atmosphere of Curitiba, Brazil is absolutely AMAZING . As soon as we arrived at the church we were welcomed with open arms. The services that we were in were AWESOME they were so hungry for God, and when you look into the kids eyes they are so full of joy and laughter no matter how they are living. I am proud to say that I was apart of this awesome experience!

Monica Berkley

The most important thing I learned from this trip was: It’s not the money you make or the things you have that are important. It’s the love and compassion of Christ that is in you and you are to pass on to others. That is what is important. We have to share the Love of Christ with everyone! No matter what they look like or where they come from. Douglas was a little boy that I connected with at the school in Villa Algi. He stole my heart from the very start. We played thumb war, sang songs together, and I was able to share the love of God with him. When it was time for his class to leave he gave me the biggest, tightest hug and told me he wanted me to go home with him. I wondered what kind of home life does he have, is there a mother, father, what does he go home to everyday? That broke my heart and yes I started to cry. Then he started to cry and that broke my heart even more. As the day went on he came by several more times and I would give him a tight hug and tell him that I loved him. Later that afternoon, we were driving through the village to see what conditions these people actually live in each and everyday. While driving through the worst part of the village we drove up on the house where Douglas lived. The tears started up again. God has put Douglas in my heart and I will pray for him daily. I pray that he will never forget that small amount of time he spent with us and the love of God that we shared with him. It is amazing how you go on a mission trip thinking you are going to change others lives when in reality it is your life that changes. You go and pour out only for them to pour right back into you. We came into contact with so many wonderful children and adults. Some were thankful for us coming and said we were answers to their prayers. Others just wanted to know all about our Lord. We have no room to complain because we are so blessed. These Brazilians have almost nothing material but they are so happy and open to the Gospel. We have so much that we have forgotten the most important thing….Faith in God is all that we need!

Listen to What God Did

Hey Guys!
Today we have a couple of testimonies from some of the students who went on the trip. It's so encouraging to hear some of the amazing things God did in them in Curitiba, Brazil. I know you'll be blessed hearing what God did through them and more importantly "in" them:


Austin Stevens
You know my life will never be the same. GOD really hit me this last week. He showed me that nothing is impossible and love could be found in the darkest places. Looking at some of the places these people live you could never tell they would love as much as they do. They are so welcoming to the Gospel and they really take it in when we read them scripture or just share with them about Jesus. They've given me hope. I came to teach them but when it was all said and done they taught me.


Rachel Pusen
I went on a mission trip to Curitiba Brazil expecting to be a blessing to the people of the area, and maybe be a little more thankful for all the stuff I have back home. But it was so much more.
No words, or pictures, or anything I could ever say or do can describe exactly what happened in Curitiba. I saw poverty so bad you want to cry looking at it. I saw the most beautiful children in the world walking through streets full of trash and sleeping in houses no better than a cardboard box. I saw darkness and hopelessness like I've never experienced in my life.
But I also saw God. I saw Him transform people. I saw people fall on their knees before God. I saw people saved in the middle of the street. I saw children give their lives to God while playing in the park. I saw God raise up a congregation to save a struggling pastor from giving up. I saw relationships formed in mere hours that will never be forgotten for as long as we live. I saw orphans smile. I saw children that literally have nothing, laughing and jumping for joy.
I experienced God like I have never experienced. I walked through the midst of spiritual warfare like I've never seen before. I met some of the kindest and most amazing people on the planet. I will never be the same. I CANNOT be the same after the things I saw and felt. It was so amazing that I didn't want to leave.
Until we return I will always keep the people of Curitiba in my prayers. I pray God continues to strengthen the pastors in the area and the people around them to continue doing all that they are doing to win the people in the Villas to Christ.

Still Thinking About Brazil

I've spoken with several people that went on the trip, as well as a few parents, and the consensus is the same across the board... we're all still thinking about Brazil. Anytime God uses you the way He did us last week it's very difficult to shake it. It's like you're on this spiritual high that brings everything into focus and everything is so clear. You "know" that God wants to use you and you "know" how powerful the message of the Gospel is. It's amazing. But this is only day 3 of being back in the States. What's gonna happen once we've been back 3 weeks or 3 months? Will the fire be burning as strong as it is now? Will God feel as close as He does right now? Only time will tell. But the truth of the matter is this - the fire should be burning just as strong, God should feel just as close because the message of The Cross is the same in the U.S. as it is in Curitiba, Brazil! Why do we allow the enemy to tell us that we have to be on the mission field to be effective with the Gospel? Sure, people in the States are certainly hardened more to the Gospel than in Brazil but Jesus is still the same. He's just as concerned with the souls of Americans as He is with the souls of Brazilians. We definitely need to go on foreign missions trips, but we should really be on a "permanent" mission trip as long as we're on this planet... which means right here at home. So whether you went on the trip or not, if you call yourself a Christ Follower, it's time for us to fervently pursue God and passionately share the Gospel because Jesus IS coming back!

MJ and I are so pumped about what God is doing in Revolution and the transformation we're seeing in the students and in the leaders. We've got some great things planned for the Summer so get ready as Revolution takes the Gospel to our community and to the world.

Tomorrow we'll kick off our students blogging with a post from Austin Stevens, so be sure to check it out!

Love Ya!

Jim

We're Back Home... But Tired!

Yesterday we went back out to the camp (Hope and Life Brazil) to visit some of the children that live on the mountain. It was raining so we couldn't do it. We actually had a hard time getting up to the camp because of the roads. So, when we got there we visited with my family who moved there 2 months ago. We played a little volleyball, had lunch in the pavilion (this is where we will hold services and feed children when they're on the property) and then we all prayed over my family before we left. It was very difficult leaving our family there but we all know they're called to be there and you can really see the opportunities for ministry that are starting to come together.

When we got back to Betania we packed our stuff and headed for the airport. When we got to the airport it was time to say goodbye to out translators and once again (there seems to be a theme here) the tears were flowing. These people were so good to us. The way they served and took time out of their schedule to travel with us for the week was very inspiring. We all formed a tight bond with our Brazilian brothers and sisters. Sweet people. Our flight was at 7:20pm and we were exhausted. We flew into Rio and our flight was late so we had to actually had to "run" to our connecting flight. Yes, we were actually led through the entire airport (by an airport employee), up and down escalators, through hallways, just so we'd make our plane. We flew 9 hrs into Miami (the home of God's favorite football team... the Dolphins.) and by the time we made it through customs our flight was already boarding. The only problem with that was that we were at the opposite side of the airport. So, there we went... off to the races! We ran and made it to the gate, just in time for them to drive us out to the plane. So we made our final plane and we were only an hour and a half from home.

As we were coming into Atlanta there was something that struck me. As we were descending into Atlanta, you could see all the houses and streets, it looked totally different from where we just were 15 hrs before. There were no slums, no houses stacked on top of each other... I saw swimming pools and tennis courts. Nice streets, with manicured lawns, with nice cars in driveways... that's what I saw. Man, what a contrast to where we just were. But we're home. So what now? Do we just continue on with life as normal? Do we tune out all the memories of what we just experienced? Do we allow ourselves to be lulled back into the American lifestyle of "it's all about me?" Only time will tell but I know that for me and MJ, we're gonna keep it burning strong. We want to make a difference, not only in Revolution, but around the world as well. And I've got a strong feeling that the students and leaders of Revolution, that were on this trip, are gonna do the same!

Please continue to check the blog next week because each person that went on the trip will be blogging to give their take on the whole trip.

Love Ya!

Jim

We've Got to Do Something!

OK. Today was a great day but it was also the hardest day. We went to the orphanage and spent about 7 hrs with all of the kids living there. There were 42 children. These kids were so beautiful. They were so loving. They just craved affection from everyone on the team. Everywhere you looked kids were running, jumping, riding on the shoulders of the guys on the team, laughing, playing frisbee, hugging, sleeping in the arms of some of the girls on the team, coloring... just having a good time. It was an amazing day. We gave a simple Gospel presentation with jelly beans and Portuguese coloring books that we made (each color jelly bean represented something of significance). One child gave her life to Christ and was so excited about it. That was all the great stuff. The hard parts of the day was when I saw Stephanie, Chiago, Lucas and Gabriel. These kids were here when we adopted our kids over 2 years ago. This was my 3rd time seeing these children since MJ and I adopted and each time I've had to look them in the eyes as I've driven away. I'm tired of crying and being sad for these children. I really want to help them. MJ and I have discussed it and I don't think there's any way we can adopt any of these children. (Because I don't think the government would allow us to adopt since we already have 8 kids.) But there's got to be something we can do. I want to find homes for these children. These kids didn't ask to be abused and abandoned. They didn't ask to 'not' have parents to love and protect them. It's not fair. Now, I realize that there are over 145 million orphans in the world (these are UNICEF's 2010 numbers) and I can't save all of them. But I don't know the other 144, 999,996 of them. I know these orphans. They know me. I've held them and I've hugged them. I've seen their smiles and I've seen their tears. I know them. As Christians I believe that God allows us to see things... not just so we'll feel pity, not so we'll just pray... but so we'll do something! We've got to do something! We can't just sit by while there's a world of hurting people out there who need us. People who need somebody to care that their orphaned, or poor, or destitute. Someone who will be Christ's hands extended to them... not just to pray but to act. Will it be us?

Pray for us as we go back to the camp tomorrow. We're going to visit people on the mountain, give candy to the children and meet the people who live there.

Good Night!

Jim

Wow Part II

Hey Guys!

Yesterday Rachel was suppose to blog but we got back late and she went right to bed so I asked her to go ahead do it this morning. So, here's Rachel:

Wow. This trip has been nothing like I expected. I expected to come here, see people in poverty, and try to share God's love with them. But that has only been a very small part of this trip. Relationships have been built, people have been saved, lives have been changed, churches have been renewed.

It's amazing to see how quickly we can get attached to these people and children. They give us so much love. It's going to be hard going back to America where people have a lot of corrupt attitudes.

Yesterday was a spiritual battle. We went visiting in Villa Zumbi. We went to people's houses and shared Jesus with them. The things we saw, the things we felt, and the people we touched can't even be put into words. People live in houses as big as me bedroom with 5 people. They have so little, but the children are still so full of joy.

This has truly been a life altering trip. Two days to go...

Rachel

Hey Guys, it's Jim again. For those of you who have students on this trip, expect them to be different when they get home. They've seen and experienced a lot of different emotions and have seen what the power of the Gospel can do in dark places. Hopefully they will be able to carry on the fire of sharing Jesus when they get home because His Spirit is just as powerful and life changing in the States as it is here. Well, it's off to the orphanage.

Jim

All I Can Say is, "Wow."

There really aren't words to describe what we saw today. Even if I exhausted all the adjectives in my limited vocabulary it couldn't describe the things that we saw and experienced. I've been wanting students to blog but all of them have been going to bed so you've been stuck with me, sorry. We really haven't had much free time because we've been running 100mph every day and only been sleeping a few hours each night. All of them have been doing great though. Today there were a lot of tears shed. Tears of sadness and tears of compassion.

We were in Villa Zumbi again and we were doing "house visits" with the local Pastors and their wives. The purpose of the visits was to pray for people and invite them to church tonight. When we went in these houses the condition of the houses gave you the "heebee jeebees" because they were so dilapidated. It's weird but when you stepped into the houses you could physically feel the oppression. That may sound strange but it's true. I'm not one to see a demon under every bush and behind every tree but there was definitely something spiritual going on. There was one house that we went in that was indescribably sad. When we went into this house there was trash and filth everywhere. There were children in the house too. It was small, dirty, falling apart, the smell was overwhelming and when I walked on the floor sewage and mud would skirt up through the cracks. The lady who lived there was pregnant and already had 5 children. She was only in her 40's but looked like she was well into her upper 50's -60's. There were dogs and cats walking in and out of the house. There was a fresh litter of kittens that were walking around at our feet as we stood in this living room that was about 6'x6'. The kittens were actually licking the sewage that was skirting up through the cracks in the floor. I mouthed to Mary Jane that I was going to have to wait outside because I couldn't handle it but she shook her head "no" so that I would stay.

As we listened to this lady's story, through a translator, one of the Pastor's wives asked her what we could do for her and what she needed. Her response was shocking. She could have asked for anything... food, clothing, money, someone to build her a new house or even fix this shack of a home she now lived in... but she didn't ask for any of those things. She said, "she wanted to be right with God." All I could say was, "Wow!" Out of all the things to ask for and that's what she chose. We actually led her to Christ. And all the other stories were similar. Almost every house we visited someone came to Christ. And it wasn't a half-hearted salvation experience to appease the Americans. It was authentic "come to Jesus" stuff! One man told us that he was recently in an accident and died. He said he went to Heaven and that God told him that he couldn't come in and that he had to go back and get right with Him... and he said, "here you are." He came to Christ today. I could give you several other stories just like that. God is so good!

Tonight we ministered in the church at Villa Zumbi again. We taught children's classes and sat in the service as Crossroads ministered. Nick P gave his testimony and then we prayed for the sick at the end of service. After service it was the time for tearful goodbyes as all the students and leaders had to say goodbye. This was the last time we'll see these children and teenagers this trip. There was a lot of crying going on, that's for sure. It was definitely an emotional day.

Tomorrow we go to the orphanage that MJ and I adopted from. We'll put on the same program we did at the schools and then we'll just hang-out the rest of the day with these precious children. We'll cap the day off with a pizza party for the kids in the orphanage and then it's back to Betania. Please pray for us. This trip has been everything we hoped for and more and we're not even done yet. So, I'll say it again... "wow." Lord, have your way in and through us as we come to the end of this trip.

Love Ya,

Jim

It Really Hits You Hard

Today was an emotional day for a lot of us. We ministered to approximately 600 students in 5 different sessions at a school in Villa Algae. The children live in impoverished conditions that are more extreme than even the ones in Villa Zumbi. These children are beautiful. They loved every aspect of our presentation (especially the worship and the drama). We were able to speak to them about the Gospel and we were able to put salvation bracelets on every single one of them so that they would remember what we shared with them. Christian, Amber and Ian David gave their testimonies and did a great job.

At one point in the day, the Principal of the School came and spoke to me. As we talked I mentioned to her that some of my children used to attend her school before we adopted them. Then I showed her some pictures of them, she smiled, then I went and did my ministry portion of one of the programs. After a few minutes a teacher came over to me, and through a translator, asked me for copies of the pictures because she wanted to show them to some of the other faculty. She came back a few minutes later and, through a translator, told me that some of the teachers remembered Diogo and Ana. They said that Ana was always sad and that she would just sit in the alone in the corner. When she told me that, she handed me my pictures and then just walked away. As I walked back to my bag I began to tear up because Ana is NEVER sad and she smiles almost all the time now (unless she's in trouble, which does happen often... haha!). It made me wonder what would have been her fate if we hadn't of stepped up and adopted her. What if she was still in the orphanage? Where would she be today? And what about the other 4 children? Only God knows.

When we finished ministering we took a drive through the village where all these children lived. It was about 5 o'clock in the evening and it was beginning to get dark. You definitely didn't feel safe and we tried not to make eye contact with any of the adults as we drove through the streets. The streets were muddy and the houses were small and in shambles. It was horrible living conditions. When we rounded the last corner on our way out of the village there they were... two boys we had just met at the school. Douglas and his brother were two boys around 7 or 8 years old that lived in this village where people are shot and killed every night. Where you can't feel safe. Where a church was abandoned, stripped of everything valuable by vandals and then destroyed. It is a bad place to live, especially for children. As we got closer to Douglas and his brother they recognized us and we stopped, rolled down our window and said, "hello." They were so happy to see us again. After we greeted them we said, "goodbye" and continued on our way. As we drove out of the village I started to tear up again. Just thinking about these children who are living in conditions like that. It's just not right. Pastor George, from Crossroads Curitiba, is reaching out into this village evangelizing and discipling these people who desperately need to hear the Gospel. We're definitely going to keep lifting him and his church up in prayer, even when we get back home.

The thing that's going to stick with me from today is that when you see these kids in school they look like any other kid at any average school in the states. But when you see where they live and the conditions in their village, "It really hits you hard."

Everyone is doing great. Pray for us as we go back into Villa Zumbi tomorrow.

Love Ya!

Jim