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“ENLACE Coffee is a Win Win!” – Bruce Horgan, Willow Creek Church

Posted on by Liz Baldwin

Bruce Horgan, retired facilities manager at Willow Creek Church, shares why he and his wife Barb subscribe to ENLACE coffee. 

Barb and Bruce Horgan

Bruce first heard about ENLACE in 2014 when he was asked to lead a serving team to El Salvador. He has since been to the country 10 times leading multiple teams. “Once you get the bug, you keep coming back!”

Serving Trips

Bruce had gone on multiple mission trips over the years to the Dominican Republic and Africa so he was no stranger to serving outside the church walls. But he expressed how much he appreciated how organized ENLACE trips were. “It’s a great organization – we don’t have to be the tip of the spear. They do all the logistics and we just serve.” 

Serving Team
“From the time we get there until the time we leave, I see God at work whether it be providing materials or connections or being with us in prayer.” – Bruce

 

family with new ecostove
Many women and children are hospitalized or are living with extreme respiratory illness due to smoke inhalation. Eco-stoves are a life changer! Not only do families save money on purchasing wood, their health dramatically improves.

 

One of ENLACE’s goals is to empower the local church to form healthy relationships with their community so that pastors and church coaches can be effective in bringing about lasting change. Bruce communicated that once a serving team leaves, the work continues. It doesn’t stop from trip to trip. When the government leaders and other residents of the community, who may not be members of the church, see that their community is being improved through the church, they may be open to hearing the Gospel message.

 

women praying for a woman
Barb and daughter Colleen pray for a woman who has not seen her son for a long time.

 

little boy smiling  brick mason from El Salvador with American man  El Salvadoran pastor with American man

“We arrive as strangers and leave as friends” – Bruce

ENLACE Coffee: Some of the perks 🙂

Besides having coffee delivered to your door, Bruce explains why he and Barb have a monthly subscription to ENLACE Coffee. Being coffee drinkers they would get coffee regardless, so why not help families at the same time? “It’s a win, win!” Bruce and his family have even visited the area where some of ENLACE coffee is harvested and have witnessed the poverty of these places first hand. Meeting some of the people who work at the coffee plantation is an uncommon experience.  “The Santa Ana coffee blend was special [to us] because we’ve been there.”

 

bag of coffee

Every sip of coffee does a world of good!

 

When asked why he keeps coming back, Bruce commented that he is blessed to see the fruits of his donations and to form relationships with the people of El Salvador. And he knows that part of his monthly coffee subscription goes toward projects that lift people out of extreme poverty and provide a chance for a better life. To see God working through people to provide monumental improvements is an exciting experience.

 

If sipping on ethically-sourced premium coffee knowing the proceeds help churches end poverty in their communities sounds like a win-win to you, consider an ENLACE Coffee Subscription. To learn more about short-serving trips for long-term impact, click here.

GOD NEVER LEFT US: FELICITA’S STORY

Posted on by Paul Darilek

After her husband lost his job during the pandemic and then losing her sister a year ago this month, Felicita was in the depths of incredible pain and sadness. “But God never left us.”

 

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Felicita is an active leader in her community of Comecayo, El Salvador. In years past, long before the pandemic, she was the principal leader of an ENLACE housing initiative in her village that provided three extremely vulnerable families with new homes.

“Because of my age, people [didn’t] think I [could] be of service. But (as a leader) I gave it my all. I knew that families’ lives were going to change because of my efforts.”

 

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When the pandemic hit, like so many other families all over Central America, Felicita and her husband suffered greatly. Along with walking through the grief of losing her sister, the couple faced incredible uncertainty as their income dwindled. “My husband is a carpenter and could not find work because everything was closed… [These] situations made me have very bad days.”

But their connection to the local church and community provided them with a miracle that came at the right time.

 

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“Last year was painful… but God never left us. One day I was sitting on the patio of my house and Brother Héctor (from the local church) came and told me, ‘Lichita girl, I bring you a small package.’ I was so moved to see that it was not a small but a large package of food and supplies. The joy was so great that that night with my husband, we put a towel on our bed, and little by little we took out everything that the package brought.

 

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We admired it all and thanked God for this enormous blessing. And since in my house it is only the two of us, what we did is that we shared with our neighbors the blessings that came to our home.”

SOWING SEEDS OF HOPE

Posted on by Paul Darilek

As prices all over the world are skyrocketing, the most vulnerable in poor communities are yet again facing a food crisis.

The cost of seeds and fertilizers has increased dramatically, leaving many farmers in Central America unable to feed their families.

In the last two years, after Enlace donors helped church leaders to provide high-quality inputs and training at the right time, thousands of families were able to produce enough corn and beans to feed themselves, generate income, and feed others in their communities.

Our church partners in Central America are once again ready to serve farmers to offset the drastic increase in prices. Helping farmers at this moment will enable families not to slip back into extreme hunger.

Church Leaders are Ready to Intervene with Your Help!

Our local church partners have carefully identified 1,377 families in 45 in El Salvador and Guatemala who do not have the means to buy enough farming supplies to sow their crops this season.

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A one-time gift of $100 helps a family of five to feed themselves for a year and generate income. Would you consider helping these church leaders to continue this incredible blessing?

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THE CHURCH’S FINEST HOUR: HOW LEADERS CAN BRING ABOUT RENEWAL DURING A CHALLENGING SEASON

Posted on by Paul Darilek

2020 has changed how we do church. Large auditoriums are empty and we are now streaming on YouTube. After nine months and counting, we are being forced to ask ourselves new difficult questions about what it means to be the Church. Who are we in this new world we are living in? 

There are many different ways we could answer this question. However, with so much change, one thing has remained unchanging: The Church is God’s Plan A for rolling out hope and healing in our broken world. And we have plenty of brokenness and need right now. 

Communities coming together during the pandemic

Whether we are in El Salvador, Downtown Chicago or even sunny Southern California, our neighbors are confused and in need. The veil of self-sufficiency has been broken and people are being real about all of their complex problems. 

Our world is aching for the Church to rise up. 

People are feeling profoundly isolated and alone; they are sick and hungry; kids and parents are floundering with e-learning; the light at the end of the tunnel is very hard to see. 

Kelly Zea and her community from Willow Community Church South Barrington (pictured above) created a little bit of light for a special family in their neighborhood. They partnered with ENLACE’s Run for Central America group to raise money for one local Chicago family that had been hit extremely hard during the COVID season. Together they raised $400 during a Saturday morning 10K run at a local forest preserve.

But there is literally endless opportunity right now for church communities that are willing to listen, to sit with and serve people in need. 

Click Here to Learn More About Central American Families Facing the Worst Hunger Crisis in a Century

I know it doesn’t feel like it, but this truly is the Church’s finest hour. So much of what we do as churches is indefinitely cancelled, but the time is now for us to be generous with our lives and resources. 

As church leaders, it is our opportunity to cast this vision and invite our people to take risks and serve and give in new and uncomfortable ways.

For so many of the people in our churches, this COVID season has just been one personal tragedy on top of another. Our opportunity is to invite our people to redeem this season of their lives and turn this storyline on its head. 

We at ENLACE want to help you in any way we can. As you figure out what this season means for your church and community, please let us know what you need. And if you are feeling called to get your church more deeply involved in a global mission, we would also love to help you with that! 

This is truly the Church’s finest hour- we’ve got this friends!

Run for Central America Community Running Groups

COFFEE AS A MISSIONAL JOURNEY: THE STORY BEHIND ENLACE COFFEE

Posted on by Paul Darilek

Lightbrite: Coffee Business as Mission

ENLACE’s partnership with Lightbrite always has been much more than good business. This is because Lightbrite is not just any coffee company. Lightbrite is a business that partners with us in a missional journey that mirrors ENLACE’s vision of the importance of right and just relationships and God’s love for the world.

Product of El Salvador with Matt

Sign up at enlacecoffee.com to start your monthly subscription to Lightbrite-roasted specialty ENLACE coffee and receive ENLACE’s special edition Easter/Spring card sets created by artist, Jenny McGee.

 

Meet the Owners

Matt and Megan McNeece are the owners of Lightbrite. They live in Des Moines and operate their new coffee shop in Grimes, a growing area just south of Des Moines. Matt and Megan are well-known faces in the Des Moines area but not just because they are local business owners. For many years, Matt and Megan attended Lutheran Church of Hope, the largest church serving Des Moines, where Matt served as the worship pastor. Matt’s passion for missions led him to eventually become the Director of Missions at the church. Matt was instrumental in establishing the now thriving partnership between ENLACE and Lutheran Church Hope.

As a pastor, Matt led many trips all over the world helping organizations and churches to serve their neighbors and express the message of God’s love. It was when he was on a mission trip that Matt had a very unique experience. 

Matt, Megan and kids!


”I had my first light roasted Ethiopian coffee on a missions trip with my musician friends in Kenya… it blew my mind- I had no idea coffee could taste like that,” exclaims Matt. 

Matt’s joy of coffee eventually turned into a business idea that was as much about the “miracle in a cup” as it was about treating people at every stage in the process with respect, love, and appreciation. 

“From the coffee shrub to the coffee in your cup, a long series of connections play out,” says Matt. “People from across the world then others in your community work together, each pouring passion into their part, all to create a coffee drinking experience that delights the consumer. Lightbrite Coffee exists to illuminate these beautiful connections between coffee and people.” 

 

Get your Spring gift when you sign up for the Coffee Club in March! 

Sign up at enlacecoffee.com to start your monthly subscription to Lightbrite-roasted specialty ENLACE coffee and receive ENLACE’s special edition Easter and Spring card sets created by artist, Jenny McGee.

 

Lightbrite Shop Opening & Lockdown

Both Matt and Megan knew that ministry wouldn’t stop once they became small business owners and in fact, some ministry opportunities have grown. Their partnership with us is a great example! But as they began the transition from church pastors who loved tasting and roasting coffee to small business owners who relied on coffee for their entire income, the timing couldn’t have seemed worse. 

Matt and Megan opened Lightbrite Coffee in the same week as the initial COVID lockdowns began in 2020! We are so glad to report that their business has not only remained afloat but has proved quite successful. No doubt this is due to all the love that goes into everything the couple offers in their shop as well as their attention to each person who walks through their doors. 

coffee collage photos

Specialty Coffee and Seasonal Treats

Matt brews up seasonal offerings (the seasonal Honey Spice Oat Latte became the author’s new fav treat!) as well as the tried-and-true espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes. 

Megan, who is newer to specialty coffee, loves that coffee doesn’t need to be pretentious. By using delicious ingredients and experimenting with tea, there’s something at Lightbrite for everyone.  

Matt reviewing coffee beans

A Personal Message from the McNeece Family

“It’s an understatement to say 2020 was a crazy year. From leaving jobs we loved to chase the dream of opening our own coffee business… not to mention all the things with COVID-19, Equality, and Politics we all are living through… Yet still, we ended the year with incredible gratitude. We thank God… for a new business that is working even in the midst of so much challenge, and for the love of family that only grows as we adapt to new normals. May your 2021 be filled with renewed joy, hope, & love. Jesus came to reconcile a broken world to God, and if anything is clear this year, we could all use a lot more of that.” 

With Love – Matt, Megan, Levi & Logan

ENLACE is so grateful to Matt and Megan and we look forward to many years of sweet partnership!

Monthly Subscription Phobia is a Real Thing! 

We know that signing up for something on a continuing monthly basis is a big decision. We don’t underestimate the sacrifices you make when you support something in this manner. We also know that often monthly giving is scary because it’s a trick that unscrupulous businesses use to capitalize on people’s forgetfulness to cancel and/or to inundate them with unwanted information or engagement. 

ENLACE Coffee Subscription

Our Commitment to You

With ENLACE’s monthly giving program, whether it be as a general donation, through the coffee club, or supporting multi-year projects like chicken businesses, you are free to cancel at any time. You can also choose a donation amount that is perfectly right for you and if needed, change that amount. 

Since ENLACE began in 1993, we have always strived to demonstrate its trustworthiness both financially and operationally. Every year, as our funding has grown alongside the number of churches and communities we serve, we’ve been so grateful to our donors for their faith in us and in our reporting. We are so thankful to be at the top of their charitable organizations’ list. This transparency will never cease.

Additionally, ENLACE provides an annual report with financial statements which are always available on our website along with blogs and impact stories. Our staff is also available should you have questions, want more information, or would like to just get to know us! 

Why Giving Monthly is Critical

Monthly donations allow us to make long-term commitments on the ground in the communities we serve. Income stability enables us to plan ahead and make the best decisions with limited resources. It also gives us a chance to partner with like-minded people who often become more than donors to projects but people who provide expertise and networks that enhance our ability to serve vulnerable communities and enable us to grow.

LA QUERENCIA / A SAFE PLACE: A PLACE WHERE LOVE IS EXPERIENCED

Posted on by Paul Darilek

The essence of the word “querencia” means a place where love is experienced, a place of safety, a true home. The term also includes the idea that a spirit of warmth and welcome can be offered to others no matter where you are. This is the essence of offering hospitality; it’s not just your acceptance of another but your actions that embody real love and compassion. 

Pilgrimage Series


The writer of Hebrews exhorts the early church to actively build safe spaces and to extend hospitality with abandon. Churches working with Enlace that implement housing projects understand that a house is just the beginning of building a safe place. During the months and years that follow, through projects like clean cookstoves, home gardens, roads, clean water, livelihood projects and more, a house becomes a true home.

This month, consider the ways you’ve been given hospitality and safety in your life. What ways can you offer this to others?

 

LA ESPERANZA / HOPE: GOD WITH US

Posted on by Paul Darilek

Hope is the promise that God is and always will be with us. Because of that promise, we can rest in the knowledge that we are of great value to God.

Wherever you go this month, you can be assured that you will encounter Christ there. Whoever you are with, whether with friend, stranger, or foe, you can be assured that the presence of Christ is with you and can transform any situation. To walk through life in this manner is to have hope indeed.

Remind the people around you today of the hope that comes with knowing Christ. Point towards the ways you see God’s reflection in the places and people around you.

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This reflection is one of a series called El Peregrinaje or Pilgrimage. Each blog in this series offers meditations on words in Spanish and English and include brilliant photos of daily life taken during a month-long pilgrimage across El Salvador in September 2021 by Jordan Shive and Micaela Bueno. The meditations were written by Michelle Negron Bueno and Micaela Bueno and compiled in the 2022 Enlace calendar.

From the soothing sound of pattering rain to the knitting together of communities woven together in peace and God’s love, we hope you can join us in considering everyday things with a mind of worship. They hope that their words would allow you to marvel at the beauty of life while also reflecting on your own journey.


Learn more about the El Peregrinaje / The Pilgrimage Blog Series!

LA MARIPOSA/ THE BUTTERFLY: PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DIFFERENT PATHS PEOPLE TAKE

Posted on by Paul Darilek

Monarch butterflies fly over 3,000 miles every year from North America to the south of Mexico. They migrate across borders, using air currents and environmental cues, to find the best places to live.

Migration, however, is not unique to animals. People have moved around the earth since the beginning of the human story, and the movement of people groups is an ongoing narrative in the Bible. Jesus himself has a story of migration. Mary and Joseph left their home with Jesus. They fled for their lives and were welcomed into Egypt.

Although God could have chosen any story for Jesus to have, God chose one that included migration. This month, reflect on the story of Jesus as a refugee, how it parallels the stories of many people today. What does this mean for us today as we talk about immigration in the U.S?

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Get out a map and trace the journey of the monarch butterfly. When the butterflies return north after winter, they follow the same path as many immigrants. Imagine what sort of prayer you would pray for the well-being of Jesus’ family as they fled violence in search of safe haven. How might you pray in the same way for those who journey to the U.S. today?

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This reflection is one of a series called El Peregrinaje or Pilgrimage. Each blog in this series offers meditations on words in Spanish and English and include brilliant photos of daily life taken during a month-long pilgrimage across El Salvador in September 2021 by Jordan Shive and Micaela Bueno. The meditations were written by Michelle Negron Bueno and Micaela Bueno and compiled in the 2022 Enlace calendar.

From the soothing sound of pattering rain to the knitting together of communities woven together in peace and God’s love, we hope you can join us in considering everyday things with a mind of worship. They hope that their words would allow you to marvel at the beauty of life while also reflecting on your own journey.


Learn more about the El Peregrinaje / The Pilgrimage Blog Series!

TEJER / TO KNIT: THE BEAUTY OF WEAVING OUR LIVES TOGETHER

Posted on by Paul Darilek

There are many ways we knit or weave ourselves together with others. As followers of Christ, we have the opportunity to do so based on a common hope: God’s unrelenting love for all people. From this basis, we build communities that are truly safe havens, places of generosity and fellowship.

Too often we turn our fellowships into cliques, and they become communities of exclusion. But God calls us to something more whole, inclusive, and beautiful. God invites us to weave together communities where each member is seen, heard, and cared for.

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Look around your life this month to see who is forgotten or being pushed aside. In what ways can you become an ally for those who have been excluded? Perhaps invite someone to share their story with you, offering an open heart and listening ears. Or cook a meal for someone who could use support and friendship. Whatever you do, pay attention to those around you and be quick to anticipate the needs of others.

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This reflection is one of a series called El Peregrinaje or Pilgrimage. Each blog in this series offers meditations on words in Spanish and English and include brilliant photos of daily life taken during a month-long pilgrimage across El Salvador in September 2021 by Jordan Shive and Micaela Bueno. The meditations were written by Michelle Negron Bueno and Micaela Bueno and compiled in the 2022 Enlace calendar.

From the soothing sound of pattering rain to the knitting together of communities woven together in peace and God’s love, we hope you can join us in considering everyday things with a mind of worship. They hope that their words would allow you to marvel at the beauty of life while also reflecting on your own journey.


Learn more about the El Peregrinaje / The Pilgrimage Blog Series!

EL CAFE/COFFEE: MAKING CHOICES THAT LIFT UP OUR NEIGHBORS

Posted on by Paul Darilek

Coffee is a gift that Central America has provided the world for hundreds of years. While the cultivation of coffee includes a history of exploitation, many coffee drinkers today are seeking to make their cups sustainable and ethically sourced.

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Coffee is a good reminder that our actions have implications for people around the world. If we orient our lives towards promoting just care for all people, we will make choices that lift up our neighbors and support their wellbeing. No matter what you drink to start your day, whether it be coffee, tea, or a fruit smoothie, think about the person who harvested the drink you love. Pause each morning this month to be thankful for them and offer a prayer that God would bless their lives and family.

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If you are looking for another way to support ENLACE, consider joining our coffee program. Every month, you will receive ethically sourced, fairly traded coffee beans delivered to your doorstep! All the proceeds go to communities and families in Central America.

 

This reflection is one of a series called El Peregrinaje or Pilgrimage. Each blog in this series offers meditations on words in Spanish and English and include brilliant photos of daily life taken during a month-long pilgrimage across El Salvador in September 2021 by Jordan Shive and Micaela Bueno. The meditations were written by Michelle Negron Bueno and Micaela Bueno and compiled in the 2022 Enlace calendar.

From the soothing sound of pattering rain to the knitting together of communities woven together in peace and God’s love, we hope you can join us in considering everyday things with a mind of worship. They hope that their words would allow you to marvel at the beauty of life while also reflecting on your own journey.


Learn more about the El Peregrinaje / The Pilgrimage Blog Series!