diff --git a/services/IssueService.js b/services/IssueService.js
index 80ee793..4dc14f8 100755
--- a/services/IssueService.js
+++ b/services/IssueService.js
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ function parsePrizes(issue) {
  * @private
  */
 async function ensureChallengeExists(event, issue, create = true) {
+  logger.debug('Enter ensureChallengeExists to scan an issue record');
+  logger.debug(`Enter ensureChallengeExists. Number: ${issue.number}`);
+  logger.debug(`Enter ensureChallengeExists. provider: ${issue.provider}`);
+  logger.debug(`Enter ensureChallengeExists. repositoryId: ${issue.repositoryId}`);
+
   let dbIssue = await dbHelper.scanOne(models.Issue, {
     number: issue.number,
     provider: issue.provider,
@@ -70,6 +75,7 @@ async function ensureChallengeExists(event, issue, create = true) {
   });
 
   if (dbIssue && dbIssue.status === 'challenge_creation_pending') {
+    logger.debug('dbIssue is PENDING');
     throw errors.internalDependencyError(`Challenge for the updated issue ${issue.number} is creating, rescheduling this event`);
   }
   if (dbIssue && dbIssue.status === 'challenge_creation_failed') {
@@ -83,12 +89,15 @@ async function ensureChallengeExists(event, issue, create = true) {
   }
 
   if (!dbIssue && create) {
+    logger.debug('dbIssue is NULL, process to create new record and challenge');
+
     await handleIssueCreate(event, issue);
     dbIssue = await dbHelper.scanOne(models.Issue, {
       number: issue.number,
       provider: issue.provider,
       repositoryId: issue.repositoryId
     });
+    logger.debug(`dbIssue is CREATED ${dbIssue ? 'Succesfully' : 'Failed'}`);
   }
   return dbIssue;
 }
diff --git a/utils/db-helper.js b/utils/db-helper.js
index 05e09fe..4c7eb3a 100644
--- a/utils/db-helper.js
+++ b/utils/db-helper.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2018 TopCoder, Inc. All rights reserved.
  */
 'use strict';
+const logger = require('./logger');
 
 /**
  * This module contains the database helper methods.
@@ -52,11 +53,16 @@ async function scan(model, scanParams) {
  * @returns {Promise<void>}
  */
 async function scanOne(model, scanParams) {
+  logger.debug('Enter scanOne.');
+
   return await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     model.scan(scanParams).exec((err, result) => {
       if (err) {
+        logger.debug(`scanOne. Error. ${err}`);
         reject(err);
       }
+      logger.debug(`scanOne. Result.`);
+      logger.debug(result);
 
       return resolve(result.count === 0 ? null : result[0]);
     });
diff --git a/utils/kafka.js b/utils/kafka.js
index 60f477a..d70189b 100644
--- a/utils/kafka.js
+++ b/utils/kafka.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const logger = require('./logger');
 
 class Kafka {
   constructor() {
-    this.consumer = new kafka.GroupConsumer(config.KAFKA_OPTIONS);
+    this.consumer = new kafka.SimpleConsumer(config.KAFKA_OPTIONS);
 
     this.producer = new kafka.Producer(config.KAFKA_OPTIONS);
     this.producer.init().then(() => {
@@ -77,12 +77,10 @@ class Kafka {
   }
 
   run() {
-    this.consumer.init([{
-      subscriptions: [config.TOPIC],
-      handler: this.messageHandler
-    }]).then(() => {
+    this.consumer.init().then(() => {
       logger.info('kafka consumer is ready');
       healthcheck.init([this.check]);
+      this.consumer.subscribe(config.TOPIC, {}, this.messageHandler);
     }).catch((err) => {
       logger.error(`kafka consumer is not connected. ${err.stack}`);
     });