Sam grew up as a self-proclaimed redneck mountain man. In the hills of West Virginia, he was always outside learning about the land. While studying agriculture and irrigation in his college years, Sam was drawn to Cafe 1040's mentorship program and spent a semester in North Africa, where he clearly felt God calling him into missions. But he wasn’t sure where. Or how.

Have you ever looked closely at an optical illusion?  There’s one in particular that comes to mind.  You have probably seen it. It looks like an image of a vase.  It’s an illusion because the image of the vase is actually the space between two faces, but most people only notice the vase. It doesn’t matter how long you stare at the picture before you figure it out.  Once you notice the faces, they can never be unseen.

Sometimes it can be easy to fall into the daily, humdrum routine of living life overseas, but my work of building relationships, learning tools, and sharing the love of Jesus has given every moment here a purpose.

Where were you 90 days ago? While it’s hard to think back that far, I know where I was: sitting apprehensively in an airport, unsure of what to expect for the next 3 months, but eager to see what God had in store.

Do you ever wonder what a day could look like overseas? Each day is full of stories and new experiences. Each part of our overseas mentorship is designed to expose students to different ways to engage culture. This past week, we had a group of students in a home stay, which is where students live with a local family for about a week.  This is a tool we use to immerse students in culture and language and to give them an intimate view of different beliefs. For many, this is the first time they have experienced other religions in this way. It’s also a time where God opens the students’ eyes to what He is up to and how they can be a part of it.

Twenty years ago, a sixteen-year-old girl living in a rural mountain village was kidnapped in the middle of the night. Terrified, she spent three days with a family who intended for her to marry their son. After negotiating with her family, she was a married woman. The first ten years of her marriage were marked by extreme poverty, fear, and pain. Her husband soon became an alcoholic who spent his days gambling away their small income. Struggling to make ends meet, this young girl who was now a mother spent many days wondering if life was even worth living. Would killing herself take away the pain?

This last week I had the opportunity to participate in a homestay, which is where you spend time living with a local family. It allows you to get to know the language and culture of a place on a deeper level. I stayed with two local guys – Jay and his friend, Peter.

This past week our team traveled to the mountains and spent the week trekking through villages. About 30 years ago, a team of workers said “yes” to God’s call and brought the Word to a small minority group living in the mountains. While it was a long process filled with trials and persecution, today this people group has churches. They have pastors. They have the Bible in their own language.

A light musical alarm sounds in the background as I sit up to the small beam of sunshine poking through our window. The hot morning air, combined with the humidity, makes for an unusual awakening. As I push off my mattress to stand, I think to myself how different it feels than the air I am used to in Canada.

Sam grew up as a self-proclaimed redneck mountain man. In the hills of West Virginia, he was always outside learning about the land. While studying agriculture and irrigation in his college years, Sam was drawn to Cafe 1040's mentorship program and spent a semester in North Africa, where he clearly felt God calling him into missions. But he wasn’t sure where. Or how.

In early November we took our students to a city about 3 hours outside of base town. There we met Magdi, who was our tour guide and gracious host. He's an upper caste Hindu, with strong family affiliation. Our first night with Magdi and his family, one of our students was able to share his personal testimony. Unexpectedly Magdi began sharing about dreams he has personally had about JESUS.

Here’s a question society loves to answer for us. Just google it. There are pages of ways to not be forgotten and advice on forming your personal brand. It’s at the heart of most marketing. Buy this product and you will be known for this or work at this company and people will think you are that. As humans, we are created with an innate desire for purpose, for an identity. Throughout life we find it in different places: as a professional, parent, student, athlete.

When I was in Asia, I got hit by two buses. The details are mostly irrelevant, though everyone wants to hear them. A careless bus driver and a poorly timed left-hand turn catapulted my motorbike into the front of an oncoming bus. For a terrifying moment, I ricocheted between two forces strong enough to crush me. Neither of them stopped.

For the longest time my faith was all about me:

What can God provide for me?

How can I grow in my relationship with Him?

What does He say that will make me feel better in this moment?

At Cafe 1040, a major goal in our mentorship is to equip this generation with the confidence to go wherever God leads them to go and make disciples among every people group.

Remember the really famous 'Hilltop' Coca-Cola ad from the '70s about buying the world a Coke? It was a little before my time, but it's one of the most famous ads of all time. It was also the closing scene of the series Mad Men, if that's more your style. The song in the ad also talks about wanting to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. Definitely from the '70s!

There’s no denying that when Thanksgiving hits, it’s only a mad dash to Christmas. Anticipation builds, parties are planned, cookies are exchanged and stores are flooded with hurried shoppers.  It’s all wrapped up in the season of Christmas.

One man and one woman in complete harmony with God. Perfection. That is where it all began. But it didn’t last. Sin invaded the perfection of harmony, leaving everything broken and unclean. Man was now forever separated from God.

Listen to one of our grads share a story about how she was able to meet a friend during her time in North Africa and share the story of Jesus with her for the first time. 

In this line of work, you usually have more questions than answers. How does culture affect Christianity? How does where you were born impact your faith? Is it even possible for every people group to know Christ?