Updates from Cafe del Rey

After traveling around a little bit in my few years of life. I have realized people are people everywhere. Everywhere from China to Chile, from Germany to Guatemala, and from Denmark to the Dominican Republic people are people. We go to work, we have families, we have churches and stores, we have problems with our families, money, our churches. Everywhere people are just trying to get by and make it in this difficult, sin infested world.

And in Hato Mayor it is the same.

We are working hard, we are sharing the gospel, and going to church, and going to the grocery store. Girls go to hair solons and boys go to hardware stores. At Cafe del Rey we clean dishes, sweep floors and make food and coffee.

Instilling in a person who has no experience in the business world simple business skills is easier said than done. I didn't realize the amount of patience I need for my job. 

When they came to me and asked me if I could take over the financial side of the business because they aren't very good at it, I knew this was going to be more like a marathon than a sprint.

But slowly and surely we are learning, the human brain is an amazing thing. You are instilled your whole life that this is the sure way of doing something and than someone teaches you something different although your brain resists over time you can learn. Kind of like my spanish. Its honestly amazing.

I have gotten to teach them what controlling expenses looks like. And if we start off the day with 3000 pesos and end with 1500 pesos, just because we have pesos in the cash register does not mean we made money. Also if we are buying all the ingredients to make a pastelones for 61 pesos and selling them at 50 pesos we are actually losing money, no matter how many we sell that day. And the big work in progress right now is, if someone asks for a frappuccino, they want it to be the same as it was yesterday, consistency, consistency, consistency. 

And our money is slowly becoming consistent. We are learning how to cut costs, put money aside for savings, and also how to control our spending. Its an uphill battle, but over time I have faith.

As soon as you think they get it, they go back to their old ways. But thats where the patience comes in, they want to do whats comfortable and what they are use to, change is hard.

It is so parallel to how Our Father is with us. 

His patiences with us blows my mind. How often and quick I am to fall back into my old ways, my old sins and He patiently shows me the right way again. 

Although I love my job, I love being part of the business, I love doing cost analysis, spread sheets, and fixing problem after problem after problem everyday. What I love most is sharing the gospel. What I love most is showing people the way, the only way to get to heaven. So I started a bible study, although I'm not fluent in my spanish yet, it is beginning in english for our missionaries here and anyone else who wants to join. 

Please keep Cafe del Rey your prayers as we progress.