Cultivating Coffee and the Great Commission

coffee filled white ceramic mug beside brown coffee beans on beige wooden surface
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Coffee has a long-standing tradition of bringing people together. From spouses at a kitchen table to study groups at the local café to friends catching up over a cup, coffee is a stimulant for conversation and connection. And the good news is, your favorite cup of joe is now stronger.

During a recent trip to Honduras, Equipping Leaders International (ELI) hosted a Bible conference teaching from the Book of Romans. Our conferences focus on serving Christian leaders with little formal training in ministry, resources, or the prospect of obtaining either. It is our hope that with access to continued training and teachings, pastors can advance the gospel in families, churches, schools, workplaces, and communities. 

It is our hope that with access to continued training and teachings, they can advance the gospel in families, churches, schools, workplaces, and communities.

This particular event was well attended by pastors, leaders, and others in the community, with several guests traveling from nearby remote villages to attend. One of our traveling friends was Pastor Rodilber. 

A young man with an unwavering devotion to Jesus, Rodilber oversees a small congregation comprised mainly of coffee farmers in Mandasta. While the church members have a tenderness for their pastor, they struggle to support him financially. However, Pastor Rodilber was undaunted by the scant monthly offerings. In fact, he was inspired by his circumstances. He recognized that while he biblically taught his church members, they could also teach him. 

Hondurans are no strangers to coffee. Dating back to the 1700s, coffee has been a profitable export for the country since its first introduction. The idyllic climate allows Honduras to produce over six million bags of coffee each year. This undoubtedly contributes to the 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed daily worldwide and has allowed Honduras to soar to its ranking as the largest Central American coffee producer.*

So for the last several years, Pastor Rodilber joined Honduras’s 120,000 farmers, working alongside his congregants to learn the art of coffee cultivation. Now, he owns a small coffee business that allows him to provide for himself as well as employ fellow church members. Together, they harvest beans, trash husks, and dry coffee throughout the week before taking a day to rest, join together, and worship our Savior on the Sabbath. 

Pastor Rodilber’s Coffee Drying Under the Sun

While cheerful in all their work, hand-trashing husks from coffee beans consumes a considerable amount of time and effort. 

During our trip, ELI was led and blessed to make a significant contribution for Rodibler’s business to buy a thrashing machine. The new machine will help enhance productivity and provide new opportunities of employment for members of the church. By listening to the Lord’s promptings, Pastor Rodilber was able to bridge a financial gap for himself and his community while further connecting those around him to the grace of God. We are thankful to serve alongside him. 

However, our work in Honduras did not end there. We were able to minister to other attendees of the conference and received an influx of responses to how God was working through our teachings. 

One person commented, “Previously, I felt spiritually asleep and numb. But as I heard the gospel truths, my soul was awakened and I felt alive to the word of God.” A young woman shared, “As I heard the teaching of Romans 1-3, the Lord impressed on me that God’s judgment is not just on the wicked immoral sinner, but even on the morally good person. I shouldn’t boast about my life but close my mouth before the Lord.” Another leader remarked, “I want the Lord to rid me of those attitudes in me that don’t reflect Jesus.” 

“Previously, I felt spiritually asleep and numb. But as I heard the gospel truths, my soul was awakened and I felt alive to the word of God.” – Conference Attendee

Our ELI leaders were even reminded of God’s teachings in Romans when our group experienced car troubles on the way to the conference. Through the frustration and fumes of a faulty truck and an ever-changing arrival time, we were reminded of Romans 8:28-30.

This passage states, “ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. [NIV]” 

Here, the Lord proclaims it’s not our performance- good or bad- that will take us to our destination in glory, but rather the eternal unchangeable purpose of God. When our poor performance here on earth leads us to conclude we will never make it, we should be reminded that the gospel is not about performance, but God’s saving purpose in the performance of Jesus. 

We are thankful that God taught us alongside our attendees- like Pastor Rodilber was able to learn alongside his church. 

Pastor Rodilber Praying with Others

Yet, the lessons don’t stop there. Our leaders were also able to meet with Santos Sotero and his team. 

Santos is one of the most active teachers and disciples in Latin America for ELI. Not only is he hosting four Bible conferences per month in Honduras, he recently traveled to Costa Rica to host a conference and has an invitation to work in El Salvador as well. 

Pastor Rodilber even plans to take a short break from his coffee business to accompany Santos to some of his upcoming events. Santos’s work is prayerfully being supported through our Annual Fund. He has a vision to plant a church in a town dear to his heart and is eager to help expand the work of  ELI into other countries. 

It’s because of pastors like Santos and Rodibler that ELI is able to carry out our mission of equipping and multiplying biblically mature leaders who make disciples in every area of community life. Visit our website to learn more about ELI and how you can help us fulfill the great commission. 

*Statistics Gathered from World Coffee Research

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