We just made a big decision – one of those decisions that requires a leap of faith and much trust. It was one that we were excited about and longed for deep in our hearts.

As a integral part of the program, Cafe 1040 uses homestay visits as a way for students to get unparalleled insights into the culture and life around them.  This story is from a Spring 2015 Cafe 1040 Graduate.

For a lot of people, June 17th through July 17th is just another thirty days of the year. However, for many Muslims around the world, these thirty days constitute the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic Muslim calendar, a time devoted to increased prayer and fasting.

No matter your career, the majority of us probably didn’t end up in our jobs because we saw a massive billboard that laid it out for us and then our great Aunt’s dog spell it out with his kibbles. The truth is, the Lord calls us to listen and follow His direction, which is most often filled with many steps of faith. 

We landed in a very small Muslim village among an unreached people group. I was a bit nervous hearing that we were stepping into a place like that. The sound of the prayer call from the Mosque filled the streets when we first arrived

Hospitality – in the states we associate this with words like inviting, welcoming, and understanding. It is such a simple word. I would have never thought one word could hold so much depth – that one word could dictate a culture. Living here in Southeast Asia has redefined my view of what it means to be hospitable.

From the time John was a child, he had been having dreams about God, dreams of a person so bright that he couldn’t see. 

For several years, our team in North Africa has had the opportunity to reach out to a local Muslim couple – Khalid and Amira. Khalid is an influential community figure and has been instrumental to the work we are accomplishing here.

At a time when we were feeling the weight of discouragement, God led us to a man named Harry, and for that, we’re grateful.

Across the world, storying has been especially successful among people groups who are oral – they remember and pass on information by telling stories. As a practice of communicating the truths of Jesus in any culture, we teach our students how to story, that is to tell the story of Jesus in an engaging, story-telling format.

There is a portion of the world that has little to no access to the best news that the world will ever hear. That fact and the statistics that support such a statement helped bring us to this part of the world.

We asked them why they chose to live here, and what they were seeking. They replied that they wanted to know truth and follow Buddha. The conversation progressed into sharing that we loved Jesus. They told us they had never heard that name. 

“I often catch a whiff of incense as I walk the streets of Southeast Asia. It’s burning all around at temples and pagodas, and in the shrines housed in nearly every home and business. The smell reminds me that I too should be praying, just as the call to prayer in the Muslim world reminds me to pray not just 5 times a day, but without ceasing.”

On one of my free days, I had the chance to bike up a mountain with my friend John; I was really excited for this opportunity because I could feel God was going to allow me to share the story of Jesus with John that day.

If you're asking "What will I learn with Cafe 1040?" You aren't alone. It is one of our most frequently asked questions. 

Asia keeps many beautiful secrets. And to one whose feet touched this new soil just over two weeks ago, Asia is indeed an enigma.

The village is located on the edge of an island. It is so small that a person can walk from one end to the other in 5 minutes. The people’s main occupation is fishing. They fish for squid, fish, and many other things. As I walked along one of the two main roads or “paths”, I saw many people mending their nets.

Everyone brings different strengths and weaknesses to the table, leaving plenty of room for disagreements and conflict. Being a missionary in another country, where your team is the only ‘family’ you have, and where the majority of people living there have never been told the story of Jesus, can be even more difficult.

I traveled to three different countries in three days with probably less then 12 hours of solid sleep. I went on excursions pretty much every other week of the whole three months, each with a different purpose and environment. Each excursion exposed me to a wide variety of concepts, like-minded organizations, and a variety of issues.