Our Story
Coffee with a Purpose
The coffee mission all started with an Atlanta Georgian Pastor’s idea to try a new way to plant churches and create long lasting relationships with the hurting and broken. God’s vision to him was to create a business that would support the Church plants in the U.S. and all over the world. After several failed attempts, coffee became the answer and Phoenix Community of Atlanta was formed. A non profit company that supports its staff, church planting and missionary work with the coffee profits and donations.
In 2013 after using mostly Panama and Nicaraguan coffee to supply their business and do mission work in those countries, God called them to explore Guatemala. The Pastor from Atlanta invited our Pastor from Beach Baptist Church on a mission trip to Guatemala. They visited a small village in San Juan Moca Chicacao Suchitepequez ( first white people to have ever been seen by the village) and God took care of the rest. Over the next several years all the parts came together. The village was in need of all the basics, water, food,health practices and the Lord. God provided Pastor Rafael and his wife Maria from San Pedro La Laguna near Lake Atitlan. Their family owned a small coffee field and processing area in San Pedro. Their hearts were led to pastor a church. The amazing thing is there isn’t any coffee in the Church jungle area. fields are in San Pedro La Laguna near Lake Atitlan, about 4 hours away. This is where some of the world’s best mountain, volcanic soil and shade grown coffee fields are located. Our Church loved the mission and began buying the coffee from Atlanta and selling on Sunday with all profits going back to Atlanta to be used in Guatemala.
In 2015 after several mission trips to Guatemala we decided to be a partner with Phoenix of Atlanta and start our own coffee mission Son Coast Coffee. This proved to be the perfect fit for us. We were able to help the small coffee farmers by purchasing their coffee for 5 to 10 times what they usually received from the large cartels. This gave them a liveable wage. We bag and sell the coffee with all volunteer help. All the profits are donated to Rafael and the Church plant. We borrowed interest free for 5 years $20,000 from members of our congregation to purchase our first shipment of coffee and equipment. Since that time the loan has been paid in full. Son Coast Coffee has sent over $109,000 to Rafael, the village and Church not counting the actual coffee purchases to the farmers. Rafael is still the pastor and makes the 4 hour trip every week from his home to the Church. Your donations have helped build a room in the Church for them to live in during their stay in the village from Wednesday to Sunday. Examples of other Donations from 2017 to 2023 are: Student Scholarships, Built Houses, Medicine, Church Generator, Phone and phone plan, Rafael Gas, Built Retreat Center (Cabana),Rebuilt houses destroyed by hurricane, Village and Coffee Farmer COVID relief. Purchased Grain and Food during COVID for the village, purchased Church Musical Instruments, cook stoves for village houses and paid off soccer field.
