Press Conference

from May 31, 2017

Press Conference

Yesterday, while I was in the office, UBean's marketing person announced, "they had a press conference and they named us."

The State Inspection Office and City Inspection office announced in a press conference they had confiscated around 420 kilos of green coffee beans from UBean Coffee House and Roasterie. The beans were found to have 19 times the acceptable level of aflatoxins, a carcinogen that causes cancer. They also named our importer and showed pictures of the bags of that came from importers.

I went red. I told Mashka to call the lawyer and that I wanted to talk to her now. Our lawyer was still out of town, the other lawyer was in the hospital, so we got the other guy from the office. He called the Inspection office and told them to remove our names from the statement they released. It was too late, the original statement was picked up by all the news agencies in UB and it was being spread on Facebook. I was told that Mongolians believe their news and what is said on FB and this is really bad.

I called a meeting of the UBean employees into our prayer room which is actually the kitchen. Surprisingly, most were there. They like to come in and hang out when they are not working. Mashka filled them in on everything that is going on. Most didn't know much. Ariuka, the marketing girl, was fuming. Mandakhi, our barista, burst into tears. I told them that what they were saying is not true, do not talk about it with anyone, do not comment, direct all questions to me, and keep doing your job as best as you can. We glorify God through our work and how we respond to this. We then all prayed together.

Mashka, Ariuka, Jean and I met with the lawyer. He didn't speak any english so it was mostly just sitting around and waiting for translation. I made it clear that we were no longer dealing with the Inspection office without a lawyer present. I'm not signing anything without them, we are not talking with them. The Inspector had been calling Mashka on her phone. They have been really disrespectful and mean to her. It's a Soviet authority thing that still remains with people., which I can explain another time. Jean and I told Mashka that she is not to accept any more calls from the Inspector, that the lawyer would now be dealing with this.

We are going to dispute the results, try to get the destruction of the beans delayed, pressure any local company to test the beans and have the fine reduced. I still don't know what the total fine will be.

Though I want to fight, we really don't have the money too. I believe the state labs are incompetent and are at fault, but its a real possibility that someone is behind this. If we bribed them, this would probably go away, but I will not consider it. Our best option is to probably sell.

There are a couple of ways we can remain here and we will try them all if need be. I can address that later. This is really difficult. I'm trying to process this while I type. I am very angry. Did God prepare me the last eight years for Mongolia, only to have me close UBean? Everywhere we go it seems we step into turmoil. I should be comfortable in the sandstorm, but I am not. I did not think it would be like this. Had I known, I don't know if I would have come. Now that I'm here, wild horses couldn't drag me away. Ariuka pleaded with us not to leave. I told her I will go to prison before I leave.

None of this is my fault, I have little to no control, yet I feel tremendously responsible. I have never had to lean on God more than I have in the last two months. This is heartbreaking.

Chaz