News — change lives through coffee

 Around 150 years ago, Karen Tribe villagers from Burma crossed into Thailand and started the village of Som Poi. They have been at the current location for about 70 years, now, with most of the villagers still originally from Burma. Before moving to the current location, many people were getting sick and dying from a disease in their area of Thailand which is what prompted the move into the area of Som Poi they are at today.   There are 575 Villagers with 37 members in the I.T.D.P. Co- op. They are all from the same tribe, which is Karen.  Som Poi is...

The Lanna Coffee Project at First Chinese Baptist Church (FCBC), San Fransisco just completed eleven years of service! Lanna coffee is grown in Northern Thailand by hillside farmers who, with the help of American Baptist’s International Ministries (IM), work toward economic stability.    IM and Intertribal Development Project (ITDP) help bring Lanna’s Arabica coffee beans to market.  With improved livelihood, the farmers are less likely to send their daughters to work in the cities where they are often subjected to labor exploitation.   FCBC’s project also supports two International Ministry homes in Chiang Mai:  The House of Love, a nurturing home...

Reducing Inflammation and Slowing Aging with Organic Coffee Everyone seems to be looking for a miracle cure for aging, but the answer might be much closer than we think. Research has shown that one of the most consumed substances in the world can actually have a tremendous positive impact on health: caffeine. Drinking healthy caffeinated beverages can reduce inflammation, which is the cause of many age-related diseases. And, most importantly, drinking a cup of coffee is as easy as it’s ever been. Inflammation Inflammation is a general term used to describe when the body protects itself through an immune reaction. In...

How do I describe what it’s like to see a dream fulfilled… or to see the faces of those I’ve heard of for so long or the ones seen only in photographs? It’s been a whirlwind of joy and so humbling to be here in Ma Oh Jo, Thailand. I’m humbled by God’s faithfulness, by the belief my friends, family and co-workers have in me, by this opportunity and by the people who truly believe in partnering with me to make a difference in this world.         Each morning as I head out of my hut down the dirt pathway...