Trio from Spartanburg sharing love of Jesus, one cup of coffee at a time

Sit down, pull up a chair; let’s have a cup of coffee. That’s what local Spartanburg college students Caraleigh Brady and Leigh Squires might say on a typical day while running their coffee shop, Cross Roads Coffee, located in downtown Spartanburg on East Main Street.

During their four-week stay in India, Jamie Bowers, Leigh Squires and Caraleigh Brady of Spartanburg (l to r) built relationships with several Indian families.

Together with assistance from Leigh’s parents, Randall and Cindy Squires, these two juniors from Converse College opened the coffee shop in February 2006. Opening the coffee shop fulfilled a dream the girls had to provide students with a place to fellowship.

Caraleigh and Leigh say, “A cross roads is a place where people cross paths from different origins. Cross Roads Coffee provides a place where many different types of people can cross lives over a common cup of coffee, and they can also cross paths with the world through our various efforts to expose international information to our patrons.”

In addition to their work at the coffee shop, both girls are involved in the Spartanburg Baptist Collegiate Ministry.

Tracy Turner, BCM campus minister, says, “They set the pace for BCM as far as leadership. It may not be upfront leadership, but they lead with their heart and by influence. They both see life, day in and day out, as a mission trip.”

In addition to their missions attitude at home, compassion for the lost and a desire to build relationships with non-Christians led the two entrepreneurs and their coffee house manager, chef, and discipleship group leader, Jamie Bowers, on a journey to India this past month.

Caraleigh and Leigh felt a call to go to India after hearing a presentation about the Indian people group that First Baptist Church, North Spartanburg, had adopted.

During the presentation, they heard about “the people, how they grew coffee as their trade, and how they were the ‘Asheville of India’ due to their appreciation for art. The church said that they were searching for connections with these people.” The girls said they knew they had a connection because of the coffee house as well as their love for and study of art, and God used those connections to lead the girls on the trip.

The trio spent four weeks in India and stayed on five different plantations. Caraleigh says, “We built relationships with these people and sought to know them better, and in return they were able to draw another step closer to Christ. We also learned a great deal about coffee from the farmers, and we created a lot of artwork of these people.”

Above is a painting by Leigh of a young Indian girl she met while on her mission trip to India. Leigh and Caraleigh did many drawings and sketches from which they are creating paintings.

They were able to literally become part of the Indian families by spending time with them over meals, dressing in their traditional clothes, and shopping with them.

Jamie says, “It was through many cups of coffee and tea that conversations happened and we had the opportunity to share Christ, to learn about their culture and religion, to learn who they are as people.”

Caraleigh says, “It was as though while God was using us to love these people, he molded our hearts as much as he molded theirs. He taught us that through getting to know these people and listening to their stories, we were able to make a deeper impact on their lives. In return, this taught us a different aspect of God’s love.”

While in India, both Caraleigh and Leigh created sketchbooks full of artwork, and they are currently in the process of creating paintings of the people that will be exhibited at Cross Roads Coffee.

“Of course we would like for people to see the beautiful colors and clothes that they wear and even many of the components of their culture, but most importantly we would like for these people to see them as what they are intended to be: God’s masterpieces, inside and out,” says Leigh.