December 2025 Conchshell Chronicles

The Journal of Seek The Lamb and the Rio Coco Cafes

 

What if we were in the story?

I have been thinking about the characters in the Christmas story. We have been diving in on our Tuesday night and Saturday morning group, imagining if we were in the room, part of that First-Century community, feeling the weight of the Roman oppression, the harsh economic conditions, and the climate of religious thinking.

What if I was Zechariah’s pickleball partner, and suddenly he showed up at the court unable to speak? He takes a pen and begins to write about his encounter with the angel Gabriel. Why didn’t he believe Gabriel when he was told that he would finally have a son, and would name him John? I guess it was his years of frustration of unanswered prayers that triggered him to disrespect and disbelieve this angelic messenger. I get triggered with my unmet expectations often as well!

The Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

What if I was the barista at the Nazareth Rio Coco Café and Mary is one of our Coffee Club members, and she tells me about her encounter with the angel while I’m making her a Dirty Chai? Could I believe such a fantastic story? Obviously, Mary needed some help in her faith, because Gabriel told her about her cousin Elizabeth, who was with child in her old age, reminding her that ‘Nothing is impossible with God.”  I too often need to remember that when I face impossible circumstances.

The few days later my friend Joeseph came in and ordered a quad shot of espresso. I asked “What’s up Joe?” He replied “Mary is pregnant.”

 Silence…..“What are you going to do?”

“What else can I do but end the engagement?”  Silence….

It was the following week that Joe bounces in with a big smile and orders a cappuccino and Breakfast Sandwich.

“Howz’it Joe?”

“Couldn’t be better! It’s all cool! I had an incredible dream, and the angel told me this child was going to be someone special, and I was to name him ‘God Saves.’ “

“’God Saves’? What does that mean?”

“I’m still processing it because he told me that this child would save us from our sins!”

Hmmm.  What can I say to that except

 “O.K. Here’s the cappuccino and your Breakfast Sandwich will be right out.”

About 8 months later we get the word that Caesar has called for a census to tax us.

Joe must take Mary to Bethlehem, his ancestral home. Suddenly I’m feeling economic stress, which is nothing to what Joseph must feel having to saddle up the donkey and make the seven days walk south to Bethlehem to pay for the Roman soldiers who occupy our land. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for him.

Bet Sahour Shepherd's Fields 

 

We must make the trip as well, and Bethlehem is crowded with all the visitors to register for the tax. Mary is getting ready to deliver the baby and the only room in our cousin’s cave home is the back room where the sheep and goat normally stay. But since its summer and the sheep are out eating the grass in the fields, it’s available, even with the dank order of feces and urine. The only place to lay the child is in the feeding trough, which is where the chickens eat as well. I can imagine them hopping over the baby, and Him wondering if they are going to poop on him!

 

In the cave Home where probably Jesus was born. Bethlehem

We walk over to Bet Sahour, where our friends are with their sheep, and suddenly we witness something that has never happened before. The sky is filled with angels, many angels! Incredible rays of lights as they move around the sky and they are speaking to us, telling us about a Savoir being born in Bethlehem, and that we are to go see him, and that we will recognize Him because He will be wrapped in those swaddling cloths that we use to protect our newborn lambs that we sell to the Temple to be used in the ritual sacrifices. What could this possibly mean?

We are all filled with amazement, not knowing what to think! But since they told us, we go and find the Baby, and sure enough, He is in our cousin’s home in the back room. Mary has delivered that night! Now it’s all starting to make some sense!

A few weeks later we are with our other cousins, who work at Herod’s palace, and three astrologers arrive for Babylon, looking for the King of the Jews, who they say is being born at this time. Herod gets enraged, and our cousins tell us to get out of town, because someone is going to die as a result. Herod is paranoid and has already executed his wife and two sons because he thought they were conspiring against him.

The next day we are at the Temple, and we hear the Levites talking about these three guys and remember the prophecy that the Christ is going to be born in Bethlehem. We tell them about our experience in the fields with our shepherd friends, but none of them have any interest in going to see the Baby. I wonder why they would not walk the seven miles south to our cousin’s home to see for themselves.

Sure enough, Herod send’s soldiers to Bethlehem and they kill all the male children under two years of age. Horrible! We hurriedly leave to go home to Nazareth.

Over the next years, we watch the boy grow up, wondering how this is all going to turn out. Putting yourself into these scenes, knowing the participants suddenly makes it even more real!

Lamb Bleatings

LIVIN’ da DREAM and being available to the KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS….CELEBRATING DAILY , MOMENT BY MOMENT THE ONE I WORSHIP AND ADORE.                          MERRY CHRISTMAS! My soul is full and my heart is satiated.

Though I get very distracted from the main point of CHRIST MASS , I try hard to remember who He is and all that He has accomplished on our  behalf.  His sacrifice, his death, His resurrection and His continued pursuit of me on a moment by moment relational real basis that manifests itself in a way that touches every part of my reality...within and all around me. 

I looked up the word MASS and discovered that it points back to the liturgy and practice    (in churches...there is a reason behind traditions which reminds us of our purpose of existence) that helps us to prepare ourselves and our gifts at the alter of God. We recognize the sacrifice made for our sins and ask God to accept the sacrifice of our hands, for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His People. I try to remember in my every day moments what sums up Christmas to me,

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but  emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.      Philippians 2:5-11

God our Father continues to pursue us and desires us to receive His DOWNLOAD.  His plans are always perfect  and complete and watching the Lord do His thing in me and thru me is what gives me greatest satisfaction, JOY and contentment.  Concentrating on THE CHRIST of CHRISTMAS is the key for me in my journey.  He wows me continually…

I get to work alongside of one of the greatest legends of all time...my husband Michael who has managed to live at least   four amazing lifetimes with accomplishments, visions and the persevering faith of a saint.  We have managed to continue experiencing the impossible with our faith in Christ and the dispersing of His message through us.  God has done great things. And we  get to work with all 4 of our children and see them and their cats on a regular basis.  They are some of the most spectacular people I know that graces our planet and I am a proud wife and mother to have all of them by my side. 

Mikaela is the consummate pure hearted gentle beauty.      

She comes alongside of every one of us caring, giving and   becoming all that she can be.  It makes me weep to feel the blessing of her presence in my personal life and in the life of our ministry and business. Wise, effectual and  an inspirational Standard leading the way.

Lukas a powerful communicator, leader,  prophet, discerner of spirits, influencer, artist and teacher is an undeniable quiet force with a gentle compassionate heart that is growing.  I catch him often cleaning out spaces in the corners  of our Cafe that  no one else will care about, but he takes the time for it. He has taken up a new sport: Tennis and apparently has some undiscovered skills.

Arielle and Paul are a huge part of the scene in our lives   and a respected couple in our community. So thankful that God answered a secret prayer I had to have a “blue eyed” adorable son be a part of our lives...not only is he likable, capable and charismatic  but a man after God’s own heart who is able to help us put up shelves, TV’s , make surfboards and great investments for his family.  Such a blessed addition!  Arielle is a great example of a loving and powerful wife, minister, friend,  sister, (affectionately  called “mom” by her siblings),  daily healthy creative chef and entrepreneur . They walk in their gifts with hospitality being one of my favorites.

Moselle Luanalani is living up to her name as our graceful female heavenly Warrior and Leader.  She maintains many “jobs”including our Human Resource director, baker, trainer, etc...at Rio Coco Café and Roastery.  She works as a assistant to the Boss of a Christian radio network , works at Calvary Chapel, at our gym, does photography...you get the picture of our high achiever that can run a small country all by herself.  We are most impressed however, with her beautiful heart to serve our King and Savior .  She is an incredible servant of the Living God and we are most grateful for this trait.  She uses her gifts to bless many and has opened up her home in hospitality and service.  We are so very proud of each one.

We are also thankful that we get to work with my brother Ryan at the café where he specializes in a vast array of dishes (award winning chili, his famous Ginger Veggie Soup etc). It is    a joy for me to be around loved ones & friends that become OHANA to us, as many of you have!

May you all celebrate the Reason For The Season!  Laura

 

 

This Year 2025

Michael, Family & Friends at the Haas Promenade in Jerusalem

I am basking in the memories of the blessings of this past year as I consider God’s Greatest Gift to me in this Christmas season.  Yes, there have been some difficult situations, but we know that ‘With God, there is nothing impossible,” as the angel Gabriel told the virgin Mary.

Lukas and Mikaela started a Tuesday night ‘Dinner and Discussion’ group at the Rio Coco Café in January, and that group has grown to include many of our longtime friends. Last night we had  savory chicken over rice with macaroni salad and Asian slaw, followed by a discussion of the Gospel Christmas Story, which is on our Seekthelamb.com site if you want to take a quick virtual trip to Nazareth and Bethlehem.

I have been thinking much this week about the characters in this story, and how I would react if I had been in the room with Mary, with Joseph, at the Temple with Zechariah, and with the shepherd out in the fields. It’s a real story with real people with real feelings and perceptions. How would I have reacted to all these incredible events?

But what an incredible manifestation of God’s lover for me, and for you all.

I am very proud of Lukas, Mikaela, Arielle, Paul and Moselle for being part of the Tuesday night group and inviting many of their friends to be a part of our ‘Dinner and Discussion’ night. We are reaching their generation, their friends.

Last year at this time our prayers were answered with our friend Ani volunteered to come with three of her friends to help us open the café on Utila. What a time we had in February, March and April reconnecting to our friends at the surrounding dive shop/schools and our longtime Utilian friends! These girls were so much fun as we went to Trivia and Open Mic nights at the surrounding dive shops and pubs.

 

 

And then the great surprise to have our longtime Maui friend Jake join the team, which forced us to build more staff housing. Laura, Robert and I drew a rough design in the sand next to our outdoor shower, and Robert began preparation before we left. The simple two bedroom, three story apartment design has grown to have four bedrooms, a meeting room, a sunset porch, and two more bathrooms for our guests. What we thought would take four months has taken double that.

 

New Staff Housing at the Rio Coco Cafe Utila

 

We are located in the middle of 5 different scuba/free diving schools

Robert has done an incredible job managing the project and workers. It feels like we are living on a resort. I know that God has some very specific plans for that property in these next years. I hope He calls some of you to come and work the crowd of Europeans, Canadians, English, Irish, Israelis, and Asians who come in every day for coffee and food. They are very hungry…..

Now we have another young man joining our team. Daniel is an outdoorsman who has worked at ta Christian camp in Texas. Both he and Jake are going to be very effective in the ministry on Utila when we reopen the café in February.

I am very thankful that we were able to return to Maui this past summer to work with Hope Chapel and Paipala Church. This is where Laura and I met in 1987 and we have so many relationships on our island that are very alive and well used for the Kingdom. I hope we can spend more time there next year.

Maui Family & Friends

I spoke to one of my longtime friends yesterday who is getting ready to retire next year from United Airlines. He said he is inspired in his approaching ‘retirement’ to have a schedule similar to mine, where he is actively engaged in doing the Lord’s work in a variety of activities. Retirement to him will only be an opportunity to shift focus to other areas of ministry opportunity.

I understand his enthusiasm. I have three principal jobs now that I love:

• ·         Teaching the four Bible study groups that meet in the Airport, and especially when I can pass them off to younger teachers for a season. I have learned much from this next generation.
• ·         Working with Mikaela in the Roasting Room on Tuesdays and Fridays, roasting our 13 different single-origin coffees, making our seven different blends and bagging them up for sale.
• ·         Overseeing the building and ministry on Utila, which is an incredible opportunity to reach so many.

I also get to fix the toilets, arrange furniture, paint walls, clean floors, pay bills, and share many conversations with old friends and new.

God has been very good to us!  We celebrate him daily and especially this season.

I pray that these days are meaningful and fulfilling for all of you.

Merry Christmas.   Michael

 

Things to Pray with us this Month

1) That many would come to know the Savior this Christmas Season;

2) That we will have enough staff to open the Rio Coco Cafe on Utila in January/February and that many would support their ministry there.

3) For the renovations to our Discipleship Center in Waspam Nicaragua in January-February to prepare for an expandion of the Young Life Bible Clubs that we are working with on the Rio Coco. The building needs a new roof, fixing some leaks, and a water system for the toilets.

4) Good health for us all as we prepare for a few months in Central America.

 

Seek The Lamb Giving

If you would like to be part of our outreach to the many on Utila Honduras, or our students and families on the Coco River in Nicaragua, or if you want to help one of our missionaries in their monthly expenses, here is our giving page.

We appreciate all the gifts so many of you have given over the years.  Thanks you!

Seek The Lamb Giving

 

Rio Coco Beans Coffee

Join our coffee club and receive 20% off your monthly orders.

We just added a new light roast that is surprising distinctly delicious. 

Why surprisingly? Well, we mistakenly dumped our Sumatra Rain coffee at 415 degrees, which is a very lightest roast. Normally we dump the Sumatra at 435 degrees which is a medium roast. When I tasted it, I let our staff sample this bright, bold, cherry/chocolate coffee. 

It may become our best seller!

Rio Coco Beans Webstore

 

Aloha and Merry Christrmas!

Seek The Lamb

POB 2151

Vero Beach FL 32961