Julie Joins us for Java

A couple of weeks went by and Sarah was back in town, so we decided to make a visit to the Java Joint and see our new found friends.  My best friend, and almost sister, Julie was a bit hesitant.  She was going through a difficult trial in her life at the time and wasn't sure if she wanted to join us.  "It'll be fun, and you'll add so much to the group." I cajoled her.  She finally decided to join us and on our way out the door she asked, "Should I bring my little bag of games?"  We all agreed she should.  This was the beginning of a new Friday night tradition - coffee and dominoes.

(I know, I know, most of you are thinking that dominoes is an old folks game.  But, Jules and I actually started playing this "old folks" game as teenagers working at Silver State Baptist Youth Camp with "Uncle Bill". Those were good times....)

When we arrived, the fellows jumped up and asked us what we would like to drink.  At the time we were all working at the church, and these fellows new our income was small so they bought our lattes.  What nice guys!

 As we made our way to the table we all settled in to what eventually would be our normal spots - Sam on one side of Bob and me on the other, Jules beside Mike, and Sarie in the middle.  When Jules pulled out the dominoes, the fellows eyes lit up!  There became the most competitive group of domino players I have ever seen with Bob declaring to be the King of Dominoes.  We had such a marvelous time and while we were seated talking and laughing a thought entered into my mind and little did I know the same thought entered into Roberts mind...

Second Encounter

It was a few weeks later, and my friend Sarah was in town and staying with my friends and I at our house.  She was home for a short furlough from her mission work in the Philippines. She and Sandra called me while I was doing my normal jog and wanted to know if I wanted to meet them for coffee at the Java Joint.  I was all for that, of course.  (Let me just insert here, Sarah is a coffee connoisseur.  Any chance that we could get a cup of Joe, Sarah was there!  As she always says, "Today is a five cup of coffee day!")

I came in the Java Joint that night and spied my two friends.  As soon as I got over to them, Sarah informed me that Robert and Mike were around the corner at a table in another room.  As I went to the counter to order my coffee, I figured I'd better stop and say hello.  After all, they had purchased my latte a few weeks prior and I did not want to snub them. 

Robert and Mike asked me what I was doing there and I told them that I was meeting my friends, Sandra and Sarah.  They then invited me and my two friends to sit at their table.  It was a fun night filled with lots of conversation as they inquired about Sarah's work in the Philippines and Sandra's job at the church.  Time slipped quickly by as we really enjoyed each others company.  It was getting pretty late and as we gathered our belongings to leave the two gentlemen shot out an open invitation to come and join them anytime we wanted.  They were always there on Friday night.  They probably never expected us to take them up on that offer, but what else do three single ladies have to do on a Friday night?

Backing Up a Bit

I am going to back my story up just a little.  As Robert has said, that was not the beginning for him. I am going to give some background information about the two gentlemen who purchased my latte that night.

Robert had been attending Windsor Hills Baptist Church for some time.  He was out wandering through Borders Bookstore one Friday night and he saw a man that he recognized from church.  In a church that runs about 400 on Sundays it is hard to get acquainted with everyone, so Robert went up to him and introduced himself.  They chatted for a little while then Robert left and went on his way.  A few weeks later Robert was back at Borders and once again Mike was there - drinking a latte and reading.  They struck up a friendship and began meeting every Friday for dinner or coffee or both.  With each get together they would solve all the world's problems and then go home.

One Friday night, Robert suggested they go to a quaint little coffee house in Bethany that he had heard of.  This was the beginning of their adventures at the Java Joint where Isis (the barista) made the "meanest" vanilla latte around.  They were hooked and the Java Joint was their regular spot from then on.

Little did they know how buying a latte for a missionary lady, who happened to wander into their spot in the world,  would change the course of their lives.  We often joke about how expensive that little chai tea latte  became.

The Beginning

There are moments in everyone's life that change them forever.  Such was the case on a cold Friday evening in Oklahoma City when I walked into a local coffee shop.  I had been jogging in the park nearby and decided to treat myself to my favorite beverages, a chai tea latte.  Sitting near the coffee bar were two gentlemen whom I was a little acquainted with.  We were members of the same church and I had seen them from a distance.  They, recognizing me, offered to purchase my drink.  One to never turn down a free latte, I readily accepted their offer. I sat down with them for a few minutes and chatted.  I do not recall what we talked about, and after about 5 or 10 minutes I thanked them for my drink and went on my way home.  (Let me just say here that I once was a missionary, and they just "wanted to be a blessing to the missionary".  Little did they know that this brief exchange would have a profound affect on all our lives.)

This was the very beginning of what we later called The Elite Coffee Group.

This blog is about a group of seven friends: Robert, aka "Bob, Chief Perc and Grinder"; Mike, aka "Mikey, Editor N Chief"; Julie, aka "Jules, The Score Keeper"; Sandra, aka "Sam, the resident Canuck", Sarah, aka "Sarie, Our Foreign Correspondent"; and myself - Debby, aka "Debster, Coffee Correspondent".

(This info may not seem relevent now, but as the story progresses it will make more sense.)