Land of Thousand Hills Coffee One Good Cup of Joe

It was an early Texas morning the musty smell of rain was in the wind across the parking lot of bent tree bible fellowship in Carrollton, Tx.  It was the second day of the Catalyst Dallas and to truthful I was dragging I needed caffeine to perk up my body.  I work overnights and I am used to sleeping having just hit the pillows at the time of day.  So even though I had some sleep the night prior my fleshly body was yelling sleep.  Well Land of Thousand Hills came to my rescue in the form of a free cup of coffee.  It was bold and full of body.  It has the power to take of the best roast of Starbucks, Kona, and any of the other blends.  But Land of Thousand Hills in more than just a cup of Joe.  It one way in the consumer culture you can be Jesus to the least of us on this rock we call Earth.  Like many other groups in the free trade market place Land of Thousand Hills was born out of the genocide and war of the mid 90's in Rwanda.  

" In 2001, Jonathan Golden, founder of Land of a Thousand Hills, recognized a simple and tangible opportunity to make a difference in the reconciliation of the Rwandan people. This realization led Golden to start a coffee company that pays a fair wage to the farmers of Rwanda, helps them with their basic needs, and brings a quality product to coffee lovers.

The introduction of specialty coffee to the healing fields of Rwanda proved to be an uncommon opportunity for once warring countrymen to not only rebuild their homesteads, but to work together toward lasting peace. A commitment to excellence in coffee has brought dignity and hope to a nation that history suggested would never recover.

Now, Land of a Thousand Hills has reached beyond the borders of Rwanda to bring dignity and hope to Haiti, Thailand, and other parts of the globe. We partner with farmers and local community leaders to develop the coffee into a sustainable income, pay a just Living Wage, and strive to further meet the needs of the people. When you buy Land of a Thousand Hills, you are receiving coffee that is 100% Arabica, fairly traded, and roasted fresh. Your excellent morning cup is offering hope to these developing coffee communities with each purchase. "

Land of Thousand Hills motto is Drink Coffee Do Good.  I want everyone to take a look and see how your cup of Joe and have a deeper impact on the least of us.

This Video was shot live at Catalyst Dallas 2012

If you want a chance to win some Land of Thousand Hills Coffee Click Here Til Jun. 3rd 2012

Erin McGinnis is the Media Arts and Services Coordinator for LHF.

Catalyst Dallas 2012 Retrospective Day 3: Main Event 2

The last day of Catalyst Dallas was a bittersweet time. On one hand, you know that the speakers, the entertainment, and the worship will be as awesome (or more so) tha the previous two days (one day if you don't attend the Labs), but still, it's coming to an end and trust me, you don't want it to.  There's fun and games, and the emcees Trip Crosby and Tyler Stanton are hilarious. Once again, each speaker brings their "A-Game," and blesses the socks off the attendees. 

"In the gap between what is and what could be, there is an intercessor." - Nancy Duarte. Nancy is a consultant, founder, and CEO at Duarte, which offers presentation and design for churches, companies, and non-profits. She spoke on the common lack of presentation power among pastors and speakers in church. While much of her presentation was instructive with awesome graphics illustrating famous speeches, there was a passion for the spoken word and intense desire to help us learn to present the Gospel in a rich, compelling way. She pointed out that we can do anything, show anything, and accomplish dreams of reaching others when we give up our tired ruts, trust God, and allow ourselves to be dynamic.


Video 1: Family Dynamics

"Fear makes us posers. You are the kid of a King, and you gotta live like that!" - Bob Goff. If being around Bob Goff, the author of Love Does, for about 5 seconds doesn't get you excited and hyped-up, then you need to check your pulse. This man is clearly on FIRE for Jesus. His words nearly burst from the passion and zeal contained within them. He has a heart for Uganda and its people, and his organization has been the instrument of great and mighty change for the innocent there. He also has a heart for inspiring others to boldly...no, BOLDLY!! go forth in faith and follow the call of Jesus to love those around us, whether in your backyard or beyond an ocean. He spoke of how we hide in our comfort zones, safely integrating into our surroundings and changing NOTHING. Hearing him speak made me consider just how much I've been loving my fellow man and consider what I could do to pass that love on to others.

Video 2: Compassion International

"Engage before judging..." - Pastor Rudy Rasmus.The pastor of St. John's (Methodist) Downtown Church in Houston, this somewhat soft-spoken man with a beaded beard and grandfatherly air brings wisdom, depth, and love wherever he goes . He spoke honestly and openly about his troubled past and healing. He was emphatic that "being present" was acting in love first, and not in accordance to our preconceived ideas about people based on what we see. His words struck may of us, even if we had thought we were non-judgmental before. I personally would love to visit his church and see the great work they do with the homeless in downtown Houston, Texas.

Video 3: FaithVillage.com

"God's not bothered by your big request, He's bothered by your small faith" - Perry Noble. Southern as they come, Perry Noble spoke with power and presence. He talked of being bold, that in our bold presence we can do great things. He reminded us that we have a God with us more powerful than the world in which we live and that we have the ability to affect change. He also spoke of our frustrations when things aren't what we expect--"We don't follow [Christ] for what He gives us, but for who He is." Who is He? The sovereign One who created it all and gives us the strength to bring change to others. 


Video 4: Hello Somebody

"The grass is always greener where it's watered!!!! - Judah Smith. An intensely powerful speaker, Judah Smith shared an unusual and compelling message--GO HOME! Intertwined with jokes about bacon, parenting, and shouting "Amen!" in church, he brought a message that was unexpected after a series of speakers that spoke of global influence and traveling to help those around the world; while there are those who are called to do these things,, for majority of us, our ministry is right at home. Our hometowns, our families, and our friends. He points out that many Christians would more eagerly go across the oceans to minister to strangers than have coffee with an atheist family member. He reminded us that not everyone is called to travel the world and instead of being envious of those who pastor megachurches in big cities or build orphanages in Africa, we should look in our sphere of influence and "water our own grass"--bring that passion and desire to those in our neighborhoods and communities. This was especially impacting for me because I spent my teenage life planning and plotting to escape the small-town part of Texas I grew up in. I even did escape for awhile, living in Austin, texas, with a comfy city job and a duplex in a fun neighborhood, only to find myself right back here, somewhat kicking and screaming inside. I see how God places us where He wants us, and instead of pining over what we wanted, we need to love what we have and minister to those right in front of our noses.

Video 5: Amazima

And so, Catalyst Dallas 2012 ended with people empassioned, excited, and carryig a LOT home to mull and pray over. I pray that the nuggets I shared here bless you as much as they blessed me.


Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Director for LHF.