She went on to explain that all the profits from Pacifica go to missions. The goal of the Café is to make a profit that goes directly to any equipment, supplies, or other needs of the year’s upcoming trips. If there isn’t a profit, then the tip jar at the front of counter is used. “It all goes directly to the people they’re working with.” For Stefi, it all comes down to that. The love of people, the love of creating space for them. “I just want a safe space for people to come. For respite, for whatever it is, that they would find it here.” Back in 2013, the Café wasn’t what it is today. It was still evolving and hadn’t found its full presence yet. But Ellen Oei and Stefi stepped up to set the standard that we have today. They tried roasters, organised rosters, budgeted, found suppliers and began shaping the space. “It was quieter than it is now,” Stefi explained. “But in some ways, it was a lot busier. We were really trying to rebuild and draw people back to the Café. It’s hard to picture something that is so alive now, before it has taken its first breath. Through all the growing pains and stretching, it has slowly taken shape over the years. Today, Pacifica has become a central hub of community for the school. Every Tuesday the Parents Fellowship meet on our couches. There are School Fair meetings every year. We host visitors, guest speakers and classes celebrating achievements throughout the year. Duke of Edinburgh prospects help every day, and there is rarely a day that goes by that the tables remain empty. When I asked Byrt about how he felt about what Pacifica had become he said, “Joyful, joyful. Beyond what I had even envisioned. A sense of thankfulness, that God is real and He is with us every day.” Throughout our conversation he was sure to remind me that he was not the only one involved. Peter Draper, MaryJane Stubbs, Marie-Louise Fitzgerald, Bil Ghali, Chris Baldry, Lee Pratt, and beyond, all “breathed life into Pacifica’s full identity. Like the body of Christ, each part played an indispensable role, and the absence of any would diminish the beauty and completeness of the work.” But really, it all goes back to God. “I have to say, God had given me all those ideas really,” Byrt says. Then he leaves me with this, “It is up to individuals like you and me to step out and take the risk to be held by the wings of God’s presence. You either fly or you fall, that’s where God gives you some of the most amazing work.” HOPE PRATT Pacifica, The Missions Café, PHCS
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