Alfredo and Rebeca Franco

I promised a few pictures from the wedding I attended in Ensenada last weekend and here they are. Hermana Rebeca and her novio, Alfredo, before the wedding. And on their way out after the ceremony. The happy couple at the reception with the Adventures in Life Mission Team of 2008. Grand daughters Berenice and Leslie along with son in law Martin, who performed part of the ceremony, AIL Intern Kaycee and Amy, part of AACF at UCLA.

Dear Mr. Schultz

Dear Mr. Schultz, I know you are really important in the coffee world. In fact, it was because of you and your influence that I became a lover of all things coffee. Unlike many, I am not a Starbucks hater. I own one of the classic Barista Espresso Makers. I think your Casi Cielo is a great tasting coffee. And I was all in favor of your getting rid of those smelly, sausage breakfast sandwiches that killed the smell of coffee in your stores. But I do not think you learned your lesson. One of the stated reasons for dumping the breakfast line was that you were rediscovering yor core business. Well just in case you forgot, again, your core business is coffee! It is not breakfast, ice cream, tuna sandwiches, books, or fruit smoothies. For those things we turn to Denny's, Ben & Jerry's, Chicken of the Sea, Amazon, and Jamba Juice. So it somewhat surprising to me that you are introducing Sorbetto, a citrusy fruit smoothie type drink in your stores. You stated that your research shows that this is what customers want. Really? Is that why you are doing it? Why not have steak sandwiches? Fries? Ice cold beer? Don't you think your customers would respond to these too if they were given the option? What about me? I'd like lower prices. Let me know when I can expect those, since you are only giving us what we want. Mr. Schultz, your business is coffee. You do it well. Better than most. Stick to that. In & Out Burger is a great example of a company guarding their legacy and their original vision, while remaining profitable. Take a lesson from them. You'll be glad you did. Sincerely, Dave Miller A Concerned Starbuck's Customer

A True Love Story

This Saturday I will be at wedding in Mexico.  Hermana Rebeca, whom some of you know as our cook in Ensenada will be marrying her husband of over 20 years, Alfredo. I say marrying because for all of that time, she has been married to the "old" Alfredo.  For years, Alfredo stood outside the church, was harsh with his wife, neglected his children, and was for the most part, absent from his family. Rebeca left him almost five years ago, saying that if he wanted to be part of her life, he needed to change. While I am sure there is more to come, It is safe to say that God has done a miracle in the lives of Rebeca, Alfredo, and their family. In all my years of ministry, I have never seen such a change in anyone.  He has completely given his life over to Christ and become what Rebeca calls, "A new creation."  He laughs, jokes, smiles, has a new job, and is a real father to his kids.  Something he never was as they were growing up.  It is amazing! If I have ever doubted the existence of God before, the change I have seen here, and the resultant restoration of this marriage and family has convinced me anew of God's presence, love for us, and power to change even seemingly impossible situations. We serve an awesome God. I'll post some pictures of the happy couple next week.

News From the Front

Alright, I know it has been awhile but I've been away. Once again I am in Mexico helping the local church here build facilities and do a better job of serving people who live in their neighborhoods. We just got the electrical in, [thanks Gustavo and Marcelo] and are currently drywalling and painting the interior of the worship center we built in Ensenada in April of this year. Here's a picture of the outside. Once we finish that, we will be doing some concrete work out front, painting the exterior, and then the the local congregation, [God is Love Church] will move in. They had outgrown their current facility. On July 16th, I head to Guadalajara for 5 days to train a team of students and leaders from King of Kings Church for their mission with us in Oaxaca. It is our first short term mission trip where we will be leading a team of Mexican participants. As you can see, I have a busy few weeks ahead of me. Also, as gas prices continue to rise in the US, it was good to fill up my tank the other day with my now favorite brand of gasoline, Pemex. It sells for about $2.50 a gallon, depending on the exchange rate. That's $60.00 a tank compared to $95.00 on my trip into Mexico.