First, stress came from school, then from work, or even both. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and two years later, when it seems as though it is finally ending, news of war breaks out. It feels as though we can never catch a break. 

On Feb. 27, the World Mission Society Church of God in Naperville hosted “Coffee & Canvas,” an event to share love with those weighed down by daily hardships and recent news. 

The event began with attendees being seated at their table, each with canvases and brushes provided. Before they started painting, they were able to order complimentary special drinks like the pink drink, matcha latte and boba, all homemade by the members of the church. There were also homemade sandwiches and pastries to get acquainted with the guests over food.

Once the participants arrived, they watched an introduction video of the church, and afterward, they were able to choose what paints they wanted from the paint table in the middle of the room and put them onto their palette. 

The theme for the paintings was “life,” and there were a variety of different paintings that came about. People painted trees, scenery, flowers, mothers, children and even a Bears logo. 

Paciana Gallardo, a College of DuPage student who attended the event said, “the event truly brought out my inner painter. I really liked what life means to other people.” She painted a tree to symbolize a small seed growing into a strong fruit bearing tree that is beneficial for life.

The room was filled with echoes of laughter from all the guests, each having a smile on their face as they discussed each of their artworks. 

One of the event coordinators, Ashley Prescott, said, “planning an event is always difficult, and it took a lot of preparation. But seeing everyone’s smiling faces made everything that much more worth it, and I would gladly plan another one again.”

Through painting and spending time with one another, attendees were able to escape for even a couple of hours from the stressful worries of life and enjoy their time surrounded by a peaceful environment.

As most of the guests finished up their paintings, the event concluded with a presentation about life in a spiritual sense according to the Bible. Since everyone was thinking about how to exemplify life through their paintings, the presentation allowed them to view life from a different perspective.

Tiffany Larocque, a student from Northern Illinois University who also participated in the event, expressed how her experience was. 

“It really felt like we were a family and my guest and I really felt that love. We both felt very welcomed, and it was nice to be together,” Larocque said. “I thought the event was fun and important when I saw the PowerPoint about different topics in the Bible. It was really smoothly integrated and a nice way to let people want to learn more.”

Learn more at watv.org.