Nothing beats the wonderful smell of coffee and hot chocolate. As I walked into the Heritage Hall Great Room, reminiscing about the time I spent there my freshman year four years ago, I smiled at the number of students present at Friday’s Missions Coffee House.

To be honest, I was completely confused at how this coffee house was more missions-centered than any other coffee house Student Life has put on in the past.

Sure, two different groups talked for a minute or two about the missions trips they were going on this semester, but that is where the incorporation with the week ended.

Hanging a world map on the wall behind the performers does not make the coffee house any more missions-centered.

Global Missions Week has a way of bonding the student body and reminding us of how God is working in this world outside of our little Cairn bubble. Overall, most students anticipate and greatly enjoy the events of Global Missions Week year after year.

So when I found out there was this fun event to end out the spiritually enriching week, I was pumped.

But there were a lot of factors out of whack with this night. Besides the only can of whipped cream running out almost instantaneously, and the food consisting of only store-bought chocolate chip cookies, the night just seemed random. Don’t get me wrong, the performances were AMAZING, but it seemed like just another coffeehouse. I felt disappointed that the week was so connected and exciting, just to end with an unrelated event.

It would have been really cool if prayer had been incorporated into the night–especially after we heard from the two student groups going on missions trip. It would have been good to pray for these groups. Or maybe Student Life could have incorporated testimonies about students who had something to share they learned or enjoyed from the week.

Granted, the night was already packed and lasted two hours, but I would have preferred either not calling the coffeehouse a Missions Coffee House or actually tying it into the week more.

Now, about that talent. At events like these, I’m always so impressed with how many talented students we have here at Cairn. Everyone sounded truly flawless. There were great singers, students who did powerful spoken word, stories, and poems. I really enjoy hearing the beautiful voices of my Cairn fam.

Overall, the talent was worth the event, but the event definitely needed more intentional planning.