A Wee Bit About Bri…
Brianna Robinson (called Bri by most who know her) is a southerner by birth and is originally from North/South Carolina, USA- home of thick accents (which she never had) and Krispy Kreme donuts (which she wishes she did have right now).
She loves the entirety of Emerald Isle with all of her heart. She is passionate about the arts being used to show the love of the Father, change culture, and seeing people come to know their true identity in Christ (in general, but especially the Irish/Northern Irish) and also seeing them mobilised into missions. She is all about discipleship, reconciliation, hospitality, hearing people’s stories (especially over a good cup of tea or coffee) and walking with them through life, spontaneous adventures, travelling, walking/hiking, road trips, and roller coasters. …She also finds it impossible to resist a good pun.So, her personality is just as cheesy as her nickname.Ya cheddar believe it.You are invited to follow along on Bri’s journey on her Facebook group or on her Website ,
Or sign up to receive her email newsletter!
The Story…
God has called me to live life to be a part of seeing His Kingdom come and move in the hearts of the people of a place positively erupting with beauty and hope, despite a still-lingering broken and painful past-Northern Ireland. The Lord spoke to me when I was young about long term missions, and it has been a journey of discovery throughout the years that has brought me to many places. Following a last minute decision to take a trip to Northern Ireland in 2015, the trajectory of my life drastically changed and a long time prayer was answered….”is there any certain place in the world God was calling me to focus in on, a place/people to invest more of my time and time?” What began as a week-long, Spirit-led/guided, trip, full of so many stories and beautiful relational connections, with friends, became a seed planted in my heart that only began to take root as I returned to the States.For the first time in my life I felt like I had truly just left home…to go home. It was like coming home for the first time, and it was far beyond any attempts I made to rationalise or explain it…it began a journey only God could orchestrate.
How did I end up longer term in N. Ireland and what has life been like the past years?
Through a series of prayer and decisions, I ended up going to do a DTS (discipleship training school) in 2016 in Northern Ireland at YWAM Rostrevor. Upon completing this 6 month time, I stayed on to staff at the base in Rostrevor, and then after a couple of years, I moved to Belfast and worked for a year with a YWAM team pioneering there in the city. It is my heart’s desire to devote my life to sharing the message of Jesus Christ’s love through discipling others, building community and taking part in the ministry of reconciliation.
In the past years, this took on many expressions such as hosting/leading outreach teams, youth/children’s ministry, discipleship training schools, connecting and partnering with local churches, reconciliation/peace/cross community work, forgiveness education, and the arts. Both YWAM Rostrevor and YWAM Belfast are also part of the wider YWAM Ireland and YWAM global family, and make an effort to join in with what others are doing around the world, particularly focusing on nations that have conflict/war in the past (such as places in the MIddle East, Balkans region, South Africa, etc.).
During the holiday season of 2019, I returned in the USA for the first time in awhile to renew my visa/take a time of needed sabbatical. In spring 2020, I had the chance to go to Brazil and volunteer at a YWAM base (JOCUM Veredas) in Joinville, Santa Catarina. I intended to go for one month, but while I was there the pandemic began. So what started as one month became six months that I was there! During this time I became part of their DTS staff and was part of daily life in the base, as well as was involved with street evangelism and some arts projects and outreach. I was able to leave Brazil in August 2020, and spent the following year in the USA spending much needed time with family and friends, and connecting with supporters and churches. I was finally able to return in N. Ireland for the long term in September 2021! Daily I am reminded that this is the land God has called me to invest my life. I am all in.
What Am I Doing Right Now?
My friends and I have pioneered a new YWAM ministry team, called YWAM Newry, with vision to be based in a small town, on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, called Newry! Coinciding with this vision, we have started a coffee social enterprise, called Fringe Coffee Company!
We have a desire to being life, hope, colour, connection, and community, and the love of Jesus to Newry and beyond. We have completely dove off of the deep end, but know we have vision from God and are not afraid to run with it. A big part of this vision is to one day have a cafe/arts and media centre in the town. That it would be a place of connection for people, and training and drawing out of people’s creative gifting. But after much research and seeking the wisdom of those who are in the business, we decided to start from the ground up and begin with roasting our own coffee with the plan to one day grow into a permanent space.
So for now, you will find me roasting our coffee in the wee nearby village of Rostrevor, and doing pop-up coffee shop events around Northern Ireland! There is so much more to come and so much we want to see happen here on the island. Most of all, for people to know there is space for them, and there is always room at the table.
I would be amiss not to mention that as Fringe, we are partnering up with our friends at the Imbizo Foundation, based in Durban, South Africa, to help support their vision of bringing life skills and entrepreneurial training and helping people living in the townships to be equipped to create sustainable futures. They have a similar heart that we share here in Northern Ireland, to see their communities thrive and grow and heal. So we decided that a portion of our proceeds from Fringe is going to support Imbizo!
For more information about us and for how to donate specifically to YWAM Newry & Fringe Coffee Company, please visit our website:
Follow us on social media:
@ywamnewry (Instagram/Facebook)
@fringecoffeeco (Instagram/Facebook)
"And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges
and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled." (Luke 14:23)