Interview Series: YWAM MINISTRIES

INTERVIEW SERIES.

YWAM Kona Ministries.

David Longenecker: Cafe Staff.

• What is your name, age and hometown?

David Longenecker; 20 years old from Lancester PN,

• What DTS did you do with YWAM and what was one highlight from it?

I did it here in Kona and I did Fire and Fragrance DTS in January 2014. I went to the Philippines on outreach. A highlight was probably just creating really good relationships with the YWAM people there, because I lived on a base. I'm still friends with some of them today.

• What is your current ministry with YWAM?

I work for the Banyan Tree Cafe, so I'm a barista on missions. Basically I just serve coffee to the Kona campus. I work six hours a day in the shop and then I'm involved with the leadership track, and we have group bible studies with the cafe staff. Mostly; it's serving the YWAM campus, serving missionaries coffee. I came here to serve the people who served me in my DTS. When I did my DTS, the manager here helped to disciple me because I wanted to work here.

• How is the Lord moving in this ministry?

Since it's such a service oriented ministry it's really easy to meet so many different people from so many different places. And also the coffee industry connects so many different people: the people who serve, the people who brew it and then the people who drink it. The cafe is a connecting place where people come and have meetings and dream about the future and get energized for DTS.

• Who is this targeted to; how did you feel called to this?

A bunch of people that are kind of in between seasons almost mostly work here. A lot of people just work in here because they have nothing to do until next quarter, and a lot of people have dreams to work in a cafe; so this is a really easy way to work in a cafe.

• How has the Lord given you a heart for the nations?

I definitely have a heart for America. During my DTS God told me specifically to go to the US, and so he definitely gave me a heart for America and revival in America. I think He has given me the ministry of working in a cafe as a tool for that because cafes are really popular, its kinda a part of our culture in the US. I see myself working in cafes for the next 5 or so years or even beyond that possibly.

• Do you have any advice for people interested in serving the Lord through this type of ministry?

Don't just do it because its cool because its a lot more work than I thought it was going to be. Its not just physical work it's emotional because you're interacting with people all day long. But also definitely do it because it can be for anyone really. If you're really a social person it'd be good for you, if you're not an outgoing person there are other jobs for you in the industry. It could fit anybody. It's just an industry driven by passion I would say.

“I just really love coffee, its so good.” -David.