Interview: Edy’s First Trip to the US

Interview by Faith Pitsikoulis

Edy Morales is the Director of Coffee for the San Lucas Mission, and today we are learning about his first trip to the United States. Edy recently visited Minnesota to speak at the 2024 Friends of San Lucas New Ulm Gala. Edy was in the States for 10 days and we sat down with him to discover his first impressions and takeaways from his trip. He visited Eagan, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Sleepy Eye, and New Ulm.

Question: Did anything surprise you about the culture and the people in the United States?

Edy: I was impressed by how kind and friendly the people are, and how they treated me like I was part of their family. That’s what impressed me the most.

Question: What specific places did you visit?

Edy: We went to Eagan, which was where I stayed with Terri [FOSL’s Director of Coffee]. Then, we went to Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sleepy Eye. I saw the St. Paul Cathedral, which is gigantic. I also saw the church where Chuck [a volunteer who ships and promotes Cafe Juan Ana coffee] sells Café Juan Ana in Sleepy Eye. Apart from that, we went to where Father Greg led some Masses in New Ulm. So, we went to four churches. We also visited Spyhouse Coffee Roasters. They have coffee from several countries. It was another world. Oh, we also went to a distillery and tried quite a bit of alcohol.

Question: Did you learn any new coffee techniques during your trip to roasteries in Minnesota?

Edy: I learned that they have different ways to store coffee there. We do it in boxes, but I saw it done in barrels with lids. It’s a little bit safer and more sealed. It also keeps the coffee cooler. I learned that there are tasting rooms, so when they are going to launch a new product, they have to taste it first. We do it here occasionally, but they almost always do it there. The roasters have a room specifically for tasting.

Question: How was the coffee in the United States?

Edy: The ones I tried weren’t from Minnesota. I had coffee from Colombia. I imagine the coffee shops only distribute and sell the coffee. The coffee I tried in the restaurants was very delicious.

Question: Are there any new methods from your trip that you are excited to implement at Cafe Juan Ana?

Edy: Yes, coffee combined with other ingredients. They combined coffee with other flavors. They also use cold coffee a lot. There were frappes and cold brews where they prepared the coffee with cold water. I learned people are going to drink cold coffee when it’s very hot. We want to implement that here and make more types. We don’t always have to give a cappuccino or Americano, because they’re always hot. The cold coffee is very delicious.

Question: What was your favorite food you had in the States?

Edy: The salads impressed me the most, maybe because they are not traditional here in Guatemala. You have the option of making various mixtures, so I had never tried a salad with fruit in it before. I saw salads with strawberries, pears, and blueberries, and I thought how could you combine a vegetable with a fruit? I thought it was impressive. I liked Raising Canes [a fast-food chain that specializes in chicken fingers] a lot too.

Question: What was your favorite memory altogether?

Edy: I loved all of the places, because they were very quiet and calm. Everywhere I went was huge, and I was impressed with the amount of land everyone had. People had 20, 100, 250 acres. The last place I visited was a home with 1,000 acres and a lake. It was huge. I was also very excited when I entered the cathedral. It was very calming and I could see the statue of Saint Luke [the namesake of San Lucas], and I sent a photo to my daughter. Her birthday is October 18th [the day that St. Luke’s Feast Day is celebrated in San Lucas]. The cathedral has a stone from where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, so the whole cathedral was impressive to me.

Question: What was the most surprising experience?

Edy: Chuck wanted this priest he knows to bless me. He blessed me, wished me luck on my trip, and told me that God is working for me. It gave me strength for the rest of my trip.

Question: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your visit to the United States?

Edy: Yes, that I loved Minnesota. I loved it mainly because it is the state where my Father Greg came from. So, since I was little, I always wondered what Minnesota was like. The people I met were very friendly. Everything was very exciting, and I received an invitation to many people’s homes, which I did not expect. I just thought this was a trip to get to know them, and now I am invited to return.

 

You can support Edy’s work by purchasing Café Juan Ana or joining our Growing Together giving initiative to benefit Café Juan Ana. Thank you for your partnership as we build a future of dignity and hope for all people!