Throughout high school I worked at 2 local coffee shops. A sweet bakery named “Sweet Loves Bakery” which unfortunately closed down and the local Corner Coffee House. I loved the environment and dreamed of making something of my own one day. Coffee is a small thing but it’s a small part of almost everyone’s day. Many faces, some new some known. I loved connecting with people through service. I loved where I was but I had more in mind for what I could do. I graduated high school in 2024 and right before graduation I found myself at Apostolic Restoration Church. A lot of my life changed in 1 night. I plugged into this church family however I had already planned to move off so I packed up for Texas and I walked through an open door into the fashion world. I worked at Suitsupply where I had a work family that pushed for me to thrive. I started off as a host and ended up serving and greeting customers until after a few months when I was promoted to a style advisor. I went to New York for training and I found that the most exciting thing to me was trying new coffee shops. I loved fashion and I loved suitsupply but my creativity thrived within a place of building something of my own. Funny enough I also ended up being the barista girl at Allen Life Chapel, the church I plugged into at the time. A year later from my first service at Apostolic Restoration Church, I visited back home for their Mission Conference. That weekend I got baptized in Jesus Name and left with virtue. When I got back to Texas something shifted. My heart got weary and lonely and I missed the pews back home. I didn’t know what I would do if I moved back because those dreams I had felt unreachable even in a big city… but I trusted that God would open the door. Not long after a cute trailer popped up and I low balled the number not expected a yes. But sure enough the door flung wide open and renovation began. I planned my move back. I got plugged back in at Apostolic Restoration Church and not long into being back I opened Ópa Greek Coffee and started serving in the church coffee shop.
God took a small desire and creative mind then turned it into my reality. It is my ministry. A new face and a new story everyday. Ópa is a celebratory word in Greek. Cheers! However I want to use Ópa to celebrate all that God has done. A testimony of Gods faithfulness. He turned my life around and He can do the same for you. My hope is that every creative idea can be a new way to express John 1:1-14.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
This truth leads us to Acts 2:38-39 “Then Peter said unto them Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and your children and to all that afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”