Coffee Shop Culture...

Have you ever wondered why coffee shops are so popular? Was it Friends that made it socially popular? The hit TV show where a group of friends meet at the coffee shop and attempt to figure out relationships. 

Or, was it Lorelai from Gilmore Girls who couldn’t go more than a few hours without coffee?

There is just something about taking a cup of coffee that costs less than $1 to make, but ends up making millions of dollars (I’m looking at you Starbucks). What is it that attracts people to places such as this? Granted, coffee is a magical bean that turns a person into a much happier and productive machine. 

Whether you are a coffee drinker or not, when someone asks you if you want to “go grab a cup of coffee together” it is an unwritten rule of an invitation to hang out. Coffee become much more of a social thing, than a necessity (for some). I am sure this is also a culture difference, however this is as much of a thing in Texas as it is in Vancouver. I have had plenty of opportunities to try out many different coffee shops in the area of UBC (the University of British Columbia), but here are my top five favorites!

(Brindley’s) Top 5 coffee shop chains in Vancouver: (Not in this order...) 

The Beanery – Thankfully this place is a 2-minute walk from my apartment and the Korean couple that owns it always greet you with a smile and “Good morning/afternoon!” I LOVE this place since it feels so homey with the TV on a sports channel, the furniture, and the coffee stations that look like the buffet cabinet at home! Annnnd the coffee is cheap, so you can fix it the way you like. 

Bean Around the World – Amazing study atmosphere, when you can find a table that is! Lots of natural lighting and plants makes me feel at home. My favorite thing to get there is a vanilla cappuccino!

Starbucks – I have 5 Starbucks shops within a half of a mile radius. The closest one is about a 3-minute walk and the manager’s name is Taylor (which is my “coffee name” because no one can correctly spell or pronounce my first name… AND it takes too long to spell it for them)

Tim Hortons – I learn several things about Timmies. One, their donuts specially the maple donut is DELICIOUS. Two, it is very Canadian to ask for a “Regular Double-Double” which is a cup of regular coffee with two creams and two packets of sugar.

Blenz – Blenz is a 4-minute walk from my place where I go to say hello to one of my favorite Baristas. Ivan, who is from Hong Kong, speaks in his self-taught cockney accent and makes fun of the way I pronounce Canadian words. For example, it took me 3 minutes to order this AMAZING “Naniamo Bar” pictured below.

“It is a bar dessert which requires no baking and is named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia on Vancouver Island. It consists of three layers: a wafer and coconut crumb-base, custard flavoured butter icing in the middle and a layer of chocolate ganache on top” according to Wikipedia.

There you have it! All of these double as my "office" where I send emails and update my team with what is happening here! I also get a lot of reading done here. Needless to say, I am so thankful for these places and look forward to exploring more here in Vancouver! 

A Day in the Life of a (New) Campus Minster

Well, it has been eight weeks living in Canada and I am slowly getting used to my new life. Even though I live in an urban city the pace of life is slower than you would imagine. People are always going places, but they stop to smell the coffee. (Unless it is exam week, then the zombie-like students roam from class to class.)

Since I am not a student but live on a university campus, I have had to be creative on how I get to “hang out” with students. For example, I have been given several books to study on “what ministry on a campus looks like” so I have joined students in the library for “homework parties” where they do their homework and I do mine. If students need a caffeine pick-me-up or a snack to keep their stomach from disturbing others around them, I will bring them fruit and granola bars. It is hard to think about your immediate needs when your mind is full of your “To Do” list and deadlines. I know, I have been there! I would have probably starved if God didn’t send people to provide for me! (Shout out to Mama T for the food and the random library guy who brought me coffee!)

You might be asking, “What does a typical week look like for you?” Good question, because I am still trying to figure that out! I will share with you a rough outline of what it typically looks like.

Sundays- I wake up at 8 a.m. and prepare for church. I meet the “set up crew” (they need a better nickname, because they are superheroes, let me tell you!) to unload the van with the sound equipment and instruments. The worship team arrives and sets up the stage and speakers. Meanwhile, the Yoon’s and I set up the breakfast table, Welcome Table, Connection Table, and fold bulletins. We stand at the door and welcome people as they enter, making sure they have pens and connection cards to fill out (they return those to us at the end of service.) Usually I am in charge of announcements in the service, which has taken some getting used to! We worship together and chat with people after church. Every Sunday, we have an average of 90 people with different people each week! Praise the Lord! A few times a month we have a workshop after church that discusses topics like, “How to Study the Bible” or “Time Management Tips”. I usually try to get a few students to go to lunch, but it’s a busy point in the semester.

Mondays- Usually I take this day off until Alpha meets at 5:30 p.m. This semester I had the privilege to join united Alpha night every Monday night from 5:30 to about 7:30 p.m. We share a meal together with our assigned tables and get to know our group. Then we watch the Alpha video and discuss questions about the video or what we got out of it. It is so interesting to hear the different perspectives and experiences we all have!

Tuesdays- This is my day to take time to pray for my Grace Team partners and do some book keeping. I am currently a part of the prayer team from Origin so I meet with two other students to pray over each other and those who fill out connection cards.

Wednesdays- We (Craig, Peter, Michaela and I) meet for staff meeting (unless this happens on Monday). I keep my schedule open to have lunch or coffee with students I meet with that week. In the evenings, I go to the first year residences and run a “Soularium booth” with another student from Origin. This is a fun time to have conversations with students on their views of life, God, and spirituality.   

Thursdays- I meet with students for lunch or coffee, grocery shop for week, attend TNT (Worship night) with UCM (University Christian Ministry, and sometimes fellowship at their community house after.

Fridays- I usually spend the morning catching up on reading and planning for the weekend which varies week to week. I also host a Life Group at my apartment where I provide a meal and a warm place to build relationships with students who live on campus and attend Origin.

Saturdays – This is a unique day where students take some free time to go into town to eat, visit some touristy places, or go see a movie. It’s also a great day for hiking, cooking together or hosting a game night! I think Saturdays were designed to build relationships while having fun with others.

There you have it, just a rough outline of what my life looks like during the week! One thing I have learned is, flexibility is crucial. God is in the details of every day!

It has also been challenging to adjust to a life with no set schedule, policy, or hours. Like, I have to write my own job description! Not only that, but personally I am adjusting to life as an "adult." Do you know how strange it is to live on a university campus and not be a student, teacher, or intern/worker? It's weird. Those are all roles I am very familiar and comfortable with, but figuring out what God wants me to do on a daily basis?! (I know what your thinking, "tough love" right?) All of this transition and change has beckoned me to ask the question, "Who does Jesus say I am?" That question leads me to a better question, "Who do I say Jesus is?"   I am still on the journey to find the answer to both of those questions.