Baking on the Mission Field

For the last six years of my life, my mission field has been the food service industry, and I thought this mission trip was Him calling me out of that space for a season. God has instead called me into the bakery at Bella Goose Cafe, and it has been such a blessing to serve in such a niche way. It is confirmation that I can and should serve Him with the talents He’s given me, even when that doesn’t express Him as obviously as working in a church would. I can still shine the light of Christ in the food service industry. It doesn’t look like preaching the name of Jesus 40 hours a week, it looks like making the most of opportunities with coworkers to share how God has changed my life and how He has made Himself obvious to me. I’m learning that more here, and praying that that will transfer over to my life in the States, too.

The leadership at the cafe has me in the kitchen 3-4 times a week developing new menu items and training their staff in new techniques. This includes new cookies, cakes, and garnishes, then showing the pastry cooks how to do these new skills like cake decorating and piping. When I’m not in the bakery, I’m researching those new menu items and building out the bakery curriculum for the upcoming 6-week program this organization will offer. So far I’ve R&D’ed a couple cookies and cakes with their staff, as well as the presentation of a few existing menu items, all pictured here. I’m blown away by how well God has equipped me for this and how clearly He is showing me that He really does use everything for His kingdom and for the good of His people.

By helping in the bakery, I’m helping a business that is actively against trafficking and exploitation, one that is all about empowering their staff to chase after that goal, that dream, to be whatever they want to be. I’m giving them more skills that they can have under their belts, not just to be better cake decorators and menu-developers, but also critical thinkers and leaders. I’m encouraging them that they can do it and that on-the-job is truly the best place to learn in this industry. I’ve learned more in the workplace than I ever learned in culinary school, and it’s incredible to be the teacher instead of the student this time around. I’ve never been the one the team looks to first for advice or criticism. I feel like I don’t deserve the role but I’m honoring God in this by giving it my best and trying to remember that it’s not about my performance as much as it is about letting Him work through me, not just in the desserts, but in my relationships with the bakery team.

Recently, I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with one of my coworkers who asked me what the Bible is about after seeing me read it on my lunch break. Honestly, I was taken aback at how direct of an opportunity the Lord was giving me to talk about His love for her. I told her that it’s all about how God redeemed us. He knows that we are broken and sinful people who cannot measure up to the perfection that God is. In His perfection, He cannot be around imperfect beings, so we cannot be with Him in heaven unless something changes. Knowing this, God sent His only Son, who is also God, to live the perfect, sinless life and then to die the death that I believe we all deserve as sinful people, because we all fall short of God’s perfect standard. Because Jesus died on the cross, I can be with God forever in heaven as long as I believe in Jesus and what He did for me, and for anyone who believes in Him. That’s the only reason that I’m okay, more than okay. He paid the price for my brokenness so that I can be with Him forever in heaven. He took on the justice that I deserve and gives me the grace and freedom of eternity with God. This truth has turned my whole life on its head, and everything in my life is about this. How could it not be? How could this not change everything? It was incredible to share this with her, and I’m praying for her to ask more questions and for me to be ready for God to speak through me. I’m also praying that this boldness will carry over into my life at home, that I would have more conversations with more coworkers similar to this one. God has saved me, and I know He can save others, too. How can I not tell everyone I know?