“Jesus delivered the Great Commission. In it comes the command for all the peoples of the earth to be reached with the good news. But who was Jesus speaking to? Was it to the original apostles only? To the church at large? To particular local churches? To frontline, missions-minded people? Or is it given to each and every Christian?”

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As I stood, waiting for my departure to Southeast Asia, the reality of the next three months hit me.  For three years I had waited for this moment.  I had spent three years preparing, yet I felt completely inadequate for the task ahead of me.  Why me?  Why was I being called to go?

The saying is true, “its so much better being in the passenger seat than driving.” Before I came on this trip, my perspective of missions was limited to building houses, giving out medicine, or handing children gifts. Not to diminish those things, but my perspective of missions has expanded.

We often pass down heirlooms, trades, skills, or maybe businesses. We want to pass down a generation of “Look, what God is doing. Now, be a faithful vessel that continues the work.”

This Christmas, let’s celebrate a God who traded Heaven to gain us. May that joy fill our hearts, so that it overflows into the 3.1 billion people who won’t be celebrating Christmas this year.

Our team just began a homestay. You can read more about what these are here.

On our first night, we ate with our friend Sam who was a devout cousin. Our conversation with him was very direct. He loved to discuss religion and what he believed. He began to discuss the duty of his belief and how Allah was the one true Father.

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.

Meet Iris – A Grad from South Asia

Q: Give us a little background about your testimony/story and how that led you to looking for an organization like Cafe 1040. 

A: I grew up going to church, I was saved when I was six years old and I can remember telling my mom that I wanted to be a missionary. I don’t even know where I got that vocabulary or where it started. I just knew I wanted to go and tell people about Jesus.

“I’m so impatient.

Sometimes I really hate the pressures of time because my personality always has me dreaming of the future. This creates an urgency in me to get the most out of where I’m at.”

n my 18 years with Cafe 1040, I have had the privilege of hearing and seeing stories of lives changed from students who participate in our missions mentorships.

For our students, the people living inside the 10/40 window are no longer an unreached statistic on a page. (3.1 billion to be exact) They are friends they text for coffee dates, they are families they have shared a meal with, and they are people, just like you and me, longing for meaning in this life.

Within the first weeks of being in Asia, our team was already eager to meet local friends and start fostering relationships with the people here. One guy that my roommate and I met was named Evan.

But that day she heard for maybe the first time in her entire life that there is a God who loves her and who has made a way to be with her, and I’m thanking the Lord that He let me be a part of it.

Have you ever wondered how giving a stock gift to a non-profit works? Read this story from our founder to see how your stock gift works for both you and Cafe 1040.

Meet Margaret – A grad from North Africa

Q: Give us a little background about your testimony/story and how that led you to looking for an organization like Cafe 1040. 

A: Missions was the only thing that was consistently on my heart throughout my life. Once I graduated, I decided I have to figure it out now. I did a short trip to Israel with my church, and I loved the people and the culture. I thought maybe the Lord is calling me to the Middle East. I went to Greece and worked in a refugee camp and loved the experience. I was able to share the gospel with people and see them respond. I tripped over myself so many times. I knew nothing about the culture, so I decided I needed more training. This is where Cafe 1040 came in. I met a guy in my local coffee shop and he told me about Cafe and told me to look into it. I thought that sounds cool, and I love an adventure. I then started to pursue Cafe 1040 for more training.

Raising support to sustain a life of missions can be overwhelming. It can be a major obstacle that keeps people from ever obeying God's call on their life. We know God controls every resource in the world, but do we truly believe He can provide in this way for our life? We've put together a series of support raising stories from people in different stages and viewpoints of life as a way to remind you that God is at work and He loves to show off in this way.

“If I'm being honest, deciding to go on this trip was a big risk for me. By nature, I tend to be a pretty fearful person, especially when it comes to big decisions. However, thankfully, when we ask God for his strength, He doesn’t leave us where we are. Because of Him, peace overcomes fear, every time.”

Experiences, classes, trainings, and projects have opened my eyes to so much, but nothing has changed me more than what God has done over these past six weeks.

Before this trip, I was unsure how exactly God would use me overseas along with what life will look like being a cross-cultural worker. However, I have seen clearly time and time again affirmations through my relationships with teammates and locals of the calling on my life for this work.

Every year we have the privilege of seeing incredible stories unfold through our missions mentorships. This is one of those stories. Watch Jack's story told through his eyes.