WRITTEN BY A CAFE 1040 STUDENT

My heart will forever be gripped for the people in the 10/40 window. For me they are no longer numbers of unreached statistics on a page. They are names with faces—friends I know and love deeply. They are visibly broken and lost hearts professing in false idols or nothing at all. They are beautiful people that our Father desires to be his own again.

In a little over a week, I leave. I’ll fall back into my American life as I return home, but now my soul will long for these people in a way it has yet to do. My favorite moments are when God’s love is so overwhelming that I am gracefully broken. 

That is how I feel for this area, gracefully broken. 

I have seen Christ’s unrelenting pursuit and passion through the work being done here. The weight of His presence has brought me to tears as I look out at his creation and feel his love and brokenness for those blinded from His presence.  He has transformed me far beyond what I imagined he would during my time here. I cannot express my gratitude for this.

As my team and I prepare to depart from our community of friends here, we are overflowing with praise for God. He has established relationships, allowed us to see His light and working in some, and in others plant seeds that hopefully one day will turn into a curiosity and desire to know Him. We have been blessed to be a small part in his plan for this community of longing people. As we leave we pray that He would continue to build bridges here.