Over the years, we have sat down with numerous mothers, fathers, friends, cousins and coworkers talking about international missions. Inevitably by the end of the conversation, we have ventured onto the question of safety.

Is missions safe? Is where you are living safe? Do you feel safe overseas? Will my son or daughter be safe in your program?

The question comes in many forms but the heart of the question remains the same.

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.

What is the number one reason missionaries pick up, pack up their bags and head back to their home country? Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with finances, homesickness or cultural exhaustion.

Are you curious about what an overseas missions mentorship is like? We could explain the different features of what you will experience but there’s really no better way to learn than from the students themselves.

Most long-term missionaries were first introduced to missions through a short-term trip. Short-term mission trips usually range somewhere between 1-2 weeks and are great opportunities for people in every stage of life to engage in God’s global mission.

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.

An Interview with Cafe 1040’s Executive Director

"Recently, I was invited to attend a seminar at a church for people considering becoming missionaries. The church does this event annually to help its members navigate the process “from the church pew to the overseas location.”  Friends, this is a treacherous journey.  I have heard many missionaries say “getting there was harder than being here!”  

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.

In the last few years, there has been a new wave of opportunities for people to leverage their jobs for gospel advancement. Often called “Marketplace Missions,” this idea refers to taking your career and moving it to a strategic location for the mission of God.

Are you passionate about photography? Do you get excited thinking about a degree in Nursing? Are you pursuing a degree in law?

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.

Logan knew he needed to overcome this fear, but he still was quite nervous. How could he share the story of his relationship with Jesus cross-culturally with grace and no fear? His mentor listened to his concerns and encouraged him to pray for an opportunity to share his story.

Missions is not just a topic that is referenced in specific places in the Bible, but instead is a theme can be found from Genesis all the way to Revelation. “Since creation, God has been interested in redeeming all peoples to himself.”  From God’s first command of Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28), God has intended for the earth to be filled with worshippers.

It's hard to imagine the reality of living and dying without the chance to know the name of Jesus. It's even harder to imagine the 2.9 billion people in the world who live in this reality. It's not something we commonly think about and incredibly difficult to wrap our minds around.  

Check out this video that helps explain what it means to be unreached.

Currently, only 3.3% of missionaries are serving among unreached people group and less than 1% of all Christian giving is given toward unreached peoples.

How will we complete this task?

Jason Mandryk gives five essentials to completing the Great Commission:

As we seek to mobilize the next generation of missionaries to the unreached, we continue to ask ourselves, “What best mobilizes students to these places?”

What would you say if your son or daughter came home to tell you they think God is leading them to be a missionary?What if that place God is leading them to is Saudi Arabia? Iraq? Sudan?

We want to give you a deeper look into what the program looks like and what the students are learning. We start out the semester by helping students build a “strong foundation." We start with the sustainable basics of surviving overseas, with overwhelming emphasis on abiding in Jesus Christ.

As Magdi found himself at the end of his rope, he wept in his bed. He was an innocent man being falsely accused of murdering his troubled cousin. The city buzzed with life outside his window like it does every Thursday night but he felt terribly alone. All of the Hindu gods he had prayed to had left him hopeless and in the dark.

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?