A beloved child of God!

Nanci didn’t have a father in her life — she didn’t think anyone was watching over her or caring for her.

It was a lonely feeling … but then you sent the Unstoppable program to her village in Burundi. It’s a special-edition Book of Hope developed in partnership with Joyce Meyer Ministries and helps girls ages 10-14 find their identity in Christ.

Nanci truly connected with it. For the first time, she read about the life of the Savior, Jesus … and one particular story spoke to her.

When the woman in need of healing pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, He reacted to her with kindness and said, “Go well my daughter. All your sins are forgiven.”

For Nanci, it seemed like Jesus was speaking these words to her!

“It let me know that I can call Jesus my Father, and He calls me daughter,” she says.

“It helped me a lot to understand that I have a God who takes care of me. That book gave me hope again. I now understand that Jesus loves me and that He is greater than all fathers.”

Thank you for showing Nanci that she has the unending love of a Savior and heavenly Father!

Fast Facts

On the path to reaching the next 2 billion children by the year 2033, we’ve made a huge step forward with a 2024 faith goal bigger than any year before in our 37-year history!

Your Gospel reach is increasing exponentially!

My Story of Hope … Karla from Colombia

Just 9 years old … and brokenhearted.

Karla’s life had always been complicated. Her mom works long hours, so Karla’s grandma is raising her. Karla has 3 brothers, and they all have different fathers — but at least Karla’s father was still in her life … until he wasn’t. He abandoned the family, and left Karla feeling sad and hopeless.

But then you reached out to her — with an invitation to come to our Superbook program with other neighborhood children. Superbook makes use of Bible-based videos to share the Good News with children and disciple them in the faith.

Karla realized she still has a Father, her heavenly Father! She chose to follow Jesus as her Savior, and today she’s growing in her faith and sharing the Gospel with her mother and brothers, too.

Thank you for sending God’s Word to lead Karla out of hopelessness and into new life in Christ!

In Chile: LeonEl the lion leads the dance

Juan and Egla came to church as a last resort to fix their broken marriage … and found the healing they were seeking!

They committed their lives to Christ and were soon recommitted to each other … not long after, their daughter Damaris was born.

But to their sorrow, Damaris never seemed to connect with Jesus at church … and at age 11 she was more interested in friends, social media, and dance class.

Then you reached out to Damaris through a OneHope program that centers on LeonEl, a lion mascot — who loves to dance! LeonEl guides kids and their families through God’s Word with a focus on being part of God’s royal family.

The stories in the program spoke to Damaris, and she chose to follow Jesus … and she created a special LeonEl dance of her own that is a big hit at her church and school!

In a majority-Muslim nation: A family restored

Annisa was considering suicide. She’d already committed self-harm, cutting her own hands. She felt lonely, desperate, hopeless …

She was growing up in a majority-Muslim nation, in a Muslim family, where she felt rejected and pushed aside in favor of her sister, whom her parents seemed to love far more than they loved Annisa.

Annisa saw an ad for our Unfinished Story program on her social media and went to the website in search of answers.

She connected with local Christians and poured out her heart and her troubles to them …

Today Annisa has received the Good News about Jesus from God’s Word and she’s thrilled that her relationship with her parents and sister has been renewed, too!

Discipleship: How we navigate the path for the next generation

By OneHope President Rob Hoskins

In a rapidly changing world, the task of discipling the next generation takes on new dimensions and challenges. The younger generation of today is growing up in a post-truth era, where absolutes seem scarce, and the inclination of the older generation is often to dive headfirst into trying to convince them otherwise. This approach is often born out of fear, fear that stems from both older and younger leaders. Perhaps this approach misses the example of how God Himself handles discipleship: the Book of Genesis, for instance, doesn’t commence with the fall in Genesis 3; it begins in Genesis 1 with the majestic act of creation. Using this model, our approach to discipling the next generation can emulate how God has always led us: by showcasing His awe-inspiring nature and glory first. The second component of effective discipleship involves presenting truth dynamically, addressing the questions unique to this generation rather than regurgitating answers to questions posed by earlier generations. The third aspect revolves around a missional perspective. Biblical discipleship should guide Christian youth to realize that our mission to the world must spring from our relationship with God. It’s not about our own efforts but our proximity to Him, which informs our response to the world’s issues.

Finally, the Body of Christ should champion intragenerational discipleship. Intragenerational means running the race together, not passing a baton from one generation to the next.

In my own journey, my father didn’t just pass the baton and leave me to run the race of leading OneHope on my own. He continued to love, guide, and serve me. He still brings wisdom to my knowledge. I hope to do the same for the next leader at OneHope, embodying intragenerational leadership and discipleship, where roles evolve but the commitment to the mission remains steadfast.

Discipleship in today’s world might look different than it used to, but as the Church we have to run the race together, as a united family, ensuring that the next generation is equipped to continue the journey.

NATION BY NATION

Cooking and praising God! Steve finds hope and healing

Steve’s family was terrified: the little boy had begun having violent convulsions! They rushed him to a doctor … but in their under-resourced area of Madagascar, quality medical care was difficult to access …

And they were basically told to wait it out, and maybe he would be OK. The convulsions continued to strike, and it became obvious he would suffer developmental delays and perhaps even brain damage. Eventually the seizures stopped … but Steve had fallen far behind the other children his age, and his future seemed bleak.

But then his mother, Lea, attended a training event with OneHope partners in Madagascar, Kelimahefa Ministries. Here she heard a message that to God every child is special and has a unique purpose. Lea believed this was true about Steve. She began to watch for what his passions and purpose might be and soon realized that he loved to be in the kitchen when she was cooking.

She began teaching Steve to cook, sharing the Word of God with him as they worked together … and soon Steve was not only an accomplished cook — he was also devoted to studying God’s Word, and began to catch up on his other studies, too!

Today Steve has been completely healed from the scars of his past! Thank you for sharing God’s Word, hope, and healing with him and his family!

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$1 shares the Gospel with 3 children. How many will you reach?

February 2024