Eat Etc.

I just need to say something about what I said in my previous post about the organization I work for, Oasis Center. I feel that I have over stepped my bounds and have made some harsh assumptions based on some gossip and hearsay. I have heard all sorts of reports from all sorts of people. Rather than going to the leadership to get straight answers to questions, I sort of vented on my blog. That was not only unprofessional, it was just just plain wrong. I crossed the line. I don't want anyone to think poorly of Oasis Center. They have an amazing ministry to this community and I believe God is doing great things through them! In fact, I had a meeting today where I was informed today that, in fact, the Oasis is not "in turmoil", as I had said before. It appears that many of the things I've been hearing were not completely accurate. Financially, things are in good order for Eat Etc. and the organization, although there maybe have been a few hiccups along the way, seem to be doing well. The board is happy with where things stand, and the leadership is all in good standing. Please pray with me that God will continue to bless what we are doing for the community through Eat Etc., and that he will bless the leadership and give them wisdom as they continue to move forward and grow the organization. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

update on life in belfast.

Hey everyone! We are way overdue for an update and I apologize! I know some of you have been asking for an update. My job is keeping me really busy at the moment, as I am working days, nights, and weekends for the next couple of weeks. So, without further ado, here is where things stand...

The small cafe in Comber did not work out. The owner ended up being very unprofessional and dishonest with me. Just this last week I stopped in to the cafe unannounced, and found out that he had made a deal with someone else and it was under new ownership. He, for whatever reason, did not want to tell me the truth that he was dealing with someone else. It was all a bit strange. Anyways, we are trusting that this was not in God's plan for us, yet I am a little annoyed at how it was all handled.

I am still managing the cafe in Belfast. I am doing my best to keep my staff motivated, and hoping that we can really turn things around on my end of things. The Oasis Center is an amazing place that has really done a lot for the underprivileged community in Belfast. Please pray with us that God's will be done. That he will continue to bless what Oasis Center and Eat Etc. are doing for our community.

Reona is still looking for a part time job. There just hasn't been the right job yet, and she doesn't want to go into anything lightly. There are a few possibilities she is exploring, so please pray for us with that. Zoe is well. She is in the very beginning stages of potty training which... sucks! But we are learning as we go and Reona is doing a great job with her and has a lot of patience. She's talking more and more every day. I think I am hearing some signs of a Belfast accent. We'll see!

Our holiday (proper English!) in Spain was great. Very relaxing and Reona and I got to see a few parts of Spain that were really cool. We spent a day in Ronda, and a day in Alhambra, which is part of Granada. We are hoping to get away again in December, just before Christmas. So, we'll see which European city has good flight deals closer to the time.You guys would be amazed at some of the deals we've seen. For example round trip to Pisa, Italy is on sale for around $50 or so during certain times of the year. Crazy cheap!

Thanks for all your prayers and support! We love you all and look forward to hearing from some of you in the near future. I'll try to get better about updating more frequently. We love you all!

Jesse, for Reona and Zoe

Other Café News

We have an opportunity that God has literally dropped into our laps. Here in Comber (the little town just outside Belfast where Reona's parents live) there is a little cafe called Aroma. Steve and Ann have been eating breakfast there every Saturday for the past couple of years and we have been joining them most weeks since we arrived. It is a nice little place that is open from 9-3 for breakfast and lunch.

This last weekend we were in for breakfast and got talking to the owners (a retired couple in their 50's). We found out that they are ready for a "real" retirement and want to buy a house and move to south France. They said that they were ready to sell up and move on, even though the cafe seems to be doing very well. Purely out of curiosity the next morning I went back to them and just started asking a few questions. Turns out they are hoping to sell the cafe somewhat quickly and are willing to sell it for just enough to come out even. For the size and condition of the kitchen, and considering their current clientele, they are willing to practically give it away. Many of you know that it has been a dream of mine to own my own breakfast and brunch café one day. However, I went home knowing that even though it was a fantastic opportunity, we don't have that money set aside and it would just be too much to try and get a loan.

Later that week we went and had tea (that’s “dinner” for you foreigners!) at the home of the family we will be renting our house from (Andrew and Lesley Dornan). They are heading to Thailand as missionaries and we are living in their house while they are living abroad. In the little bit of time we have spent with them while we've been here we have already really connected with them and become great friends. In the course of the evening I happened to mention to Andrew about Aroma cafe. He agreed with me that if it was all as it seemed it would be a great opportunity for someone. I didn't think much of it and we went home. The next day Andrew came to visit me at Eat, Etc. and asked if we could talk in private. Much to my surprise, he asked me if I would be interested in buying Aroma cafe with him as my financial partner. It turned out that he and Lesley had some extra money set aside that they were hoping to invest before they left for Thailand to sort of support themselves. Up to that point nothing had worked out. He told me that when I shared about Aroma he felt that God was nudging his heart. He and Lesley prayed about it that night after we left and decided that they would make me an offer.

So, here's where things stand. On Tuesday (July 15) Andrew and I will meet with the folks at Aroma to look at the books and discuss the possibility of Andrew and me taking over Aroma. At this point I'm not sure which way it will go, it will all depend on how the meeting goes. We'll just see where God takes it. That's where you all come in. We hope that you will pray with us for guidance and direction as we explore the options.

Other News

We move into our house officially on July 23rd but will probably spend a week or so painting, sorting, and redecorating before we move in to help make the house our home! We have visited a couple of churches and are planning on visiting another church this Sunday. This is another area where we need some prayer support. We desperately feel the need to get plugged into a community of people who are following Jesus. We don't want to just join a church out of comfort or obligation, but because Jesus is truly calling us to be a part of it.

God provided us with a great little car. It’s a very small little European Ford Ka, but it handles well and will be just what we need to get around. And the fuel mileage is great, and it would need to be with gas topping $10/gallon at the pump these days!

Update on Jesse

During the week after the blessing I spent most of my time on the Internet and phone looking for employment. We found out about a brand new little cafe near the city center called Eat, Etc. It was opened and owned by a local Christian non-profit community center in Belfast called the Oasis Center. The idea was that Eat, Etc. would be a way for them to help fund their organization. I was hired for a part time, temporary assistant manager position. I worked 3 days that first week and then was asked to come in the next week. Much to my surprise the owners of the cafe offered me the full time general manager position. After some prayer and discussion, Reona and I decided that I should take the position. I am now heading into my third week as the manager and it has been quite a challenge.

Long story short, I have come to find out that Eat, Etc. was very much a quick and hasty decision made by those at Oasis center. Not much in the way of time, planning, research or any kind of organization was invested in the cafe before it opened. On top of that, to fill the staff quickly, they hired mostly young, inexperienced staff to run the place. So that's were I have come in. My job at the moment is trying to turn chaos into organized chaos. The good news is that they have seen tremendous improvement in the overall operations of the cafe and have been very happy and impressed with the job I am doing.

Update on Reona

Reona has applied for a couple of part time jobs, one of which would be with a non-profit organization working with mentally and physically disabled people. We are still waiting to see how that goes. Please be praying with us about that as well. She has kept busy with all the documents that start a life for us here (car stuff, utilities, insurances, passports, driver’s license, banking, etc), and she has been helping her Mum clear out and re-organize their house. There are also some possible opportunities for her to begin displaying her photography throughout some coffee shops in Belfast. As most of you know, one of Reona’s dreams is to use her gift of photography more. As her husband, I would love to see her expand her photography experience, to walk in her gifts and walk out this dream! As always, she remains the amazing mother, wife and friend!

Update on Zoe

Zoe is doing well! She was quite challenging the first couple of weeks here as she adjusted to a new place but is settling in quite well now. She is learning more words everyday and continues to grow up fast. This may gross some of you out but to us it was very exciting! (Parents will understand!) Last week Zoe had her first big girl poop in the potty! We began sitting her on a little potty and she hadn't done anything with it but sit and smile. Then the other night she surprised us all with... yes, that's right, a turd! We cheered her and hugged her and then got kinda grossed out by having to clean it up.

Gavin and Yuzeth’s Belfast Blessing

We arrived in Dublin on June 5, where we were greeted by Reona's parents and drove 2 hours north to Belfast. Everything went smooth and we didn't have any major hiccups during our travels. That first weekend was Gavin and Yuzeth's (Reona's brother and his wife) Belfast wedding blessing. It went well and it was a good time of reconnecting with many of Reona's extended family and friends from all across the UK, including England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

We're Here!

It has taken us entirely too long to update everyone and for that, we apologize. We have kept quite busy and a lot has been happening in the short time we have been in Belfast. So, in order to not over do it I’ll break up the update into several sections. Here's the scoop...