Thursday, December 1, 2011

YAKS

"Yet Another Koffee Shop"
in Redding, Ca.



We love YAKS! 
We first had coffee at their original location,
I'm thinking about 4ish years ago? We drove out of our way because we
had heard that a church had opened it, it was really cool, there was a heavy art
vibe, and giant cinnamon rolls.
We also found the people who worked there
to be sincere, friendly and hard working.
A refreshing switch from the
"NEEEEXT!" we often
encountered in the
bay area.


So,
over the Thanksgiving holiday we were staying in a hotel in Redding
and tiring of the complimentary breakfast for the 3rd day in a row
I suggested that we find the YAKS.
Always happy to support a good cause and local business.
So as we googled it we found that there were
four locations now.

Jeez.
A church run coffee shop expanded to four locations in
that community and that short of time?!?!
I was smelling a GodStory brewing
(no pun intended)
and decided that we needed
to get there quick and 
find out what was
happening.
The gal who I talked to was new to the area
and her job there, 
but here's what she told me.
Perhaps my friend from Mermaid Ranch
knows more details and might pipe in
with comments, 
but for now-
this is the story that I was told.


A Vineyard Church in Redding wanted to reach out to the community
so they started handing out free coffee in the mornings.
They wished, more likely prayed and believed for,
a location where they could give coffee and build upon relationships.
In their morning coffee give aways, 
they didn't see repeat people like they had hoped.
Even still, 
the coffee ministry was growing.
So much so that they were giving upward of 
500 free coffees a day
which did not impress the city.
The free coffee was disrupting coffee sales in the local coffee shops.
So they ended up opening a non profit for the purpose of 
maintaining the ministry
and they could sell coffee as well.


All I know is that there are now 4 locations and the one we went
to last Saturday was in an old Starbuck's location.
How did the church land a Starbuck's location?
Well, apparently Starbuck's needed a drive thru so they moved out
and now the hippest little coffee shop 
is in the best location EVER!
They roast their own beans now
and boast on some of their paper cups
"how about a cookie the size of your face?".
And I found this awesome shirt for my blog.

I love this.
I know it's meant to be read as
"you're getting too close"
but I like to read it more as
"you are close enough now for us to influence each other".
Like, 
now that you are in my bubble,
I can love you,
I can bless you,
I can care about you
and 
share friendship with you.
I have only done a few 
"Blowing Bubbles"
posts where I like to showcase my
friends that happen to be my HEROES.
"Blowing Bubbles" 
was my reference for getting OUT of my tiny bubble
and remembering the beautiful world oustide of it
that is changing for the better 
because of my HEROES.
So, 
I thought about changing those posts to this one
"You're in my Bubble"
which is appropriate when you visit my blog.
I want people to be in my bubble,
I want to be approachable,
I want to be embracing.
I want to be more like my heroes
whose bubbles are big enough to move to 
Uganda, Kenya, Haiti, India, South Africa, and many other special places.
Although I don't know the people personally whose 
bubble was big enough for making
coffee for 500 people in
Redding,
they are HEROS because
they model obedience and dreaming big.
I think they have 4 locations,
the favor of a city,
and 
an amazing "cool factor"
because they were obedient to get up early,
make coffee,
and venture outside of their bubble
to love people that would never enter their bubble in traditional ways.
I think they have four rocking locations 
because they were faithful
before they had anything.
That's what I think.

Thanks for being in my bubble right now.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy, amazing and wonderful life
to visit me here at 
Olio!
Thank you for making my bubble a little bigger!
And brighter!

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