Tonight  while having a pint at my favorite pub I shared with a friend some challenges I’ve been facing  as well as a key decision I had to make.  He listened and gave some great advice.  My burdens were lifted and my heart gladdened.  I shared a challenge and he shared some freedom.

As we were leaving I spoke with my long time friend, the bartender, whose new-born baby had recently undergone her 3rd open heart surgery.  Before the surgery he shared with me his burdens and we had prayed together.  Tonight he showed  me a video of his baby girl laughing and smiling.

It made my night, in fact it was the best part of my week to see her happy and healthy.  Our common joy over his little girl’s healing was built upon my friend first sharing his sadness and our prayer together.

When we share our challenges and sorrows with each other we then naturally share the joys and triumphs too.

Share some today.

J

I've had 16 hour days. Each kilometer traveled on this island was made possible by Tompy our friend, local leader and driver. Tompy is friendly, aggressive, quick and always has his eyes on the road. He is driven to get me to my destination. Sometimes he seems a bit rude, sometimes he drives to vit vit (quickly quickly). Yet Tompy alway gets me to my destination. He gets me where I need to be on time and even more important safe.

Tompy doesnt get distracted. He is focused. He knows his goal and does what he needs to do to achieve it. This means honking his horn, passing cars in a split second and often taking risks.

Living our calling and achieving our goals means staying focused and leaning into life.
What are your here for? What is really important to you in life? What do you need to finish today? Honk your horn, keep your eyes on the road, be a bit rude if needed. Reach your goal.

Drink Coffee. Do Good.

Jonathan

Ahh, to rise early, prepare my morning cup, wait for it to brew (which, quite often, are the longest minutes of the day), then greet the day with a fresh cup of Rwandan, Haitian, or Thai coffee. To greet the dawn with a good cup of coffee and quietly read my morning prayer; for this I am thankful.

I am thankful for my family, for my wife, and my sons, for my newest son that we have been recently blessed to adopt.

I am thankful for my mother and father who are enjoying the grace of old age.

I am thankful for my team here at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company, who work so hard to make sure you have coffee in your cup to enjoy.

And I am thankful for our farmers who pick each cherry, put it in a flotation tank, de-pulp it, dry it and sort it 7 times over for you and me.

I am thankful for you, our customers, our partners, who make this all possible.

Drink Coffee. Do Good.

Jonathan Golden, Founder of Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co.

Haiti? Thailand? Rwanda! We are the Rwandan Coffee Company, right? Well, yes and no!

Rwanda

When I first sensed God’s invitation to start the coffee project almost seven years ago, it was with the goal of impacting Rwandan coffee farmers by doing good. Together we have helped thousands of farmers and their families in Rwanda. Orphans are being fed, homes are being built, and coffee is being harvested!

Haiti

In 2010, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. I remember watching the news and wondering how we could help. Haiti was once one of the world’s largest producers of coffee. It is interesting to note that both Rwanda and Haiti have a population 10 to 12 million people who underwent a horrible tragedy and have begun to experience healing and reconciliation through coffee. 

I first asked our friends in Rwanda to pray. Then I went on a coffee-hunt to Haiti and met with farmers in Marmelade and Chadirack.  In March of 2011, we roasted our first Haitian Bleu coffee, Café Marmelade. We are now building relationships and making a difference. We have recently distributed nearly 100,000 coffee seedlings to the Haitian people.

Thailand

Earlier this year we began exploring a new Community Trade™ partnership with farmers in Thailand who are working hard to grow coffee and provide for their families. My friend, Fraser, from Bright Hope World, asked if we would consider inviting these Thai farmers into the Drink Coffee. Do Good™ story. The same farmers that were once enslaved through the drug trade of opium poppies are today growing coffee, making a sustainable living, and protecting their daughters from the sex traders. 

Together, we are now engaging in Community Trade in Rwanda, Haiti and Thailand. Literally tens of thousands of farmers and their families are now experiencing a better life, and we get to drink a good cup of coffee.

Expanding our Community Trade model also allows us to now provide you with seasonally fresh coffee. Coffee, like any other fruit, is seasonal and best when fresh. The green coffee will have a shelf life of around 10 months. In line with our seasonal offerings, I am proud to announce that our first container of Ruli Mountain coffee has arrived from Rwanda and initial orders will be delivered next week.

As we drink Rwandan, Haitian, and Thai coffee together, we will continue to seek to do good wherever God gives us the opportunity. 

Mesi, Khawp Khun, Murakoze, Thank you. 

You are doing good!

Jonathan D. Golden, Founder