As the summer has gone on and the newness of base town has worn off, I have felt the weight of the spiritual darkness that is present here in a new way. Both the darkness of base town and of this country in general has felt a little heavier these past few weeks as a result of being here for an extended amount of time and seeing the true state of brokenness that sin leads to in a culture.

Ramadan across the Muslim world is a time of commemorating the revelation of the Qu'ran. For a whole month, Muslims abstain from food, water, and other indulgences from sun up to sun down. It is said to be a time for cultivating a deeper relationship with Allah and refocusing on becoming a better Muslim man or woman. I have now been overseas for 3 Ramadan seasons, and each year I have felt the weight of this season more and more.

Since coming to Europe, I’ve become a bit of a runner. It began with working toward the goal of running a 10k by the end of the summer and has been used by the Father to teach me so much more. My team begins each run by reading Hebrews 12:1-2, and a few weeks ago, the phrase “fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ” struck me in a new way.

At that moment, I felt alone in my fear. I don't even know how I would have voiced what I was feeling to my group, but that wasn't the issue. It was the fear of moving forward. Without anyone else knowing this internal mess inside me, it was then how much I felt seen by the Father. He was the one to move my feet another step.

Now I had adequate experience with riding a bike back home, so I wasn’t too worried about biking every day to where we would need to go, so I began to champion the idea of disgust in my mind with one of pride and underestimation of how horrible this bike was. I thought, “I can totally ride this heap of junk”. But as I began to get on it, I quickly learned Excalibur would be the most significant tool in my experience of humility.

There aren't many of us who like being uncomfortable.  We like planning ...everything.  We like making to-do lists that we then accomplish. We like for things to be neat, tidy, and orderly. Dare I say we simply don't like events or people or things to be out of our comfort control?

As we headed into the desert, we were encouraged to use this time to reflect on what the Father has been teaching us through the semester and to write a word/phrase in the sand. This phrase came to mind almost immediately - “I surrender control”.

During my time with Cafe 1040 in Europe, our group navigated the city through a "buddy system," ensuring no one ventured out alone. When a teammate sought a companion for a rendezvous with a girl she had met at a local Korean Festival, I volunteered without hesitation, completely unaware of what God would do from this encounter.

Home Stays are one of the most powerful tools our program offers to cultivate a love for Muslims in the hearts of our students.   There is an amazing transformation that takes place in your heart when you are given the incredible gift of hospitality at the hands of people most often described in our media as terrorists. The hospitality of this culture is indescribable.

If I’m honest, I really had no idea what this program was about until I got here. I had a vague idea that it would help prepare me for future work overseas, yet I didn’t even know what I needed preparation in.

Setting down my chopsticks after yet another dinner of chicken and rice, I looked up to see three rough, wrinkled fingers waving in my face. “Three… three”, she says in her best English. Although we couldn’t communicate verbally, I knew what she meant. She was planning for me and my team to wake up at 3:00 a.m. to go fishing with her family, a daily routine for most people in this remote fishing village. She seemed overwhelmed with excitement to be hosting three American girls in her home for the weekend to experience their culture first hand. 

Truly, I have seen how much I have taken for granted the liberties and freedoms we have in America. Abiding in God looks so much different here, having to gather discreetly, safe language, praying with the blinds shut, and not being able to worship out loud. But even in the midst of limited freedom, God is present and God is good.

A recent class about calling has turned my thinking about missions and discerning God’s will for me upside down. The principle of the class is that "calling is content, not context" meaning that we are all called to do the same thing...just not in the same place.

One of our mobilizers had the opportunity to sit down with The Center for Missionary Mobilization and Retention and give some insight on their podcast into the day to day life of a mobilizer and how what many of us may perceive as mundane is an important piece of the mobilization process.

Everyone meet Ellie! She is wise, a learner, and passionate about all of God’s people. She gives a great depiction of what the program means to her, and creates a space for anyone to relate to her story. She inspires and encourages, and we can’t wait for you to read about her experience!

Everyone meet Ellie! She is wise, a learner, and passionate about all of God’s people. She gives a great depiction of what the program means to her, and creates a space for anyone to relate to her story. She inspires and encourages, and we can’t wait for you to read about her experience!

I remember the first time I saw someone pray to something other than God. My team and I were on our way back to where we lived from a look around the city, and along the way we were passing through a busy section of town decorated on all sides by brightly colored storefronts and restaurants.

There is something about the stripping away of expectations that draws us face to face with reality Himself. Through this process, I have been introduced to parts of myself I dislike most. I am guilty of fixing my eyes on God on the basis of where I am going and what I get to do rather than on partaking in life with Him. Through this conviction, the Lord has extended grace and forgiveness by continuing to walk me through my selfishness.

Have you ever wanted to sit down with a Cafe 1040 grad over coffee and hear about their experiences? Each of them has been impacted in a significant way by our overseas mentorship program and has many stories to tell.

Truly, I have seen how much I have taken for granted the liberties and freedoms we have in America. Abiding in God looks so much different here, having to gather discreetly, safe language, praying with the blinds shut, and not being able to worship out loud. But even in the midst of limited freedom, God is present and God is good.