Some of the fondest memories I have of when I was a child are the times when my Mom's friends would stop by for a cup of coffee during the day and chat. Sometimes they would just catch up on the news of the family, always there would be laughter, and often there was profound sharing of both the joys and sorrows of everyday life. When I grew up, my friends and I shared our own form of this ritual, but more often it included going out to an espresso shop or driving through to get two tall lattes and chatting in the car at some lookout point. Sometimes we would just catch up on the news of our families, always there was laughter, and more often than not we would share the joys and the pains of everyday life. Now that I live in Costa Rica and am building community in a new culture, I have found another place where I can sit for awhile, share a cup of cafe con leche (coffee with warm milk) with some bread or pastry, and converse about the joys and pains of everyday life. My Costa Rican friends call this daily ritual of rest and conversation, the cafecito, which literally means little coffee. I have found that good conversation and sharing don't just happen in my life; I need to take the time for it. In the cafecitos that I have had in my home or shared with co-workers at the Baptist Federation offices, I have discovered again the building blocks of community. They have allowed me to see Jesus in the common joys and sorrows of our everyday life that we share. The cafecito community that I experience here in Costa Rica has become another place in my life's journey where I am reminded of Christ's presence. It was He Who said, " If you open the door, I will come in and eat with you and you with me." I am blessed to have had these tangible reminders of Christ's presence expressed in community, no matter where I have been in the world. I hope that you too will find time in your day for a little coffee, community and Christ's presence.

Mylinda Baits