February 2021 Global Report
10 MILLION children and youth to receive God’s Word in Latin America!
Through the Bible App for Kids, God’s Big Story, the Book of Hope, The GodMan film, Superbook, and many other Scripture engagement programs, you are already at work introducing the next generation in Latin America to Jesus Christ!
You’re reaching children like Eli and Israel, 5-year-old friends who are members of the Bible Club at Fuente de Vida Church in Nicaragua. Even at just 5 years of age, they love interacting with the Bible App for Kids edition of the Book of Hope and the animated series, Superbook. They’ve already learned so many Bible stories!
“We learned God is the Creator of all things, animals, plants, and humans,” Eli told us.
“And we learned that because we are people created by God, we should praise Him,” Israel says.
Thank you for sharing the Word of God with young people like these, all over Latin America! This edition of the Global Report shows the impact you’re making, and how you will reach 10 MILLION more Latin American children and youth like Eli and Israel with the Gospel this year.
Question our faith?
by President Rob Hoskins
One of the single most disturbing trends in the Church today is young people who know what they believe but cannot explain why. Such shallow faith is all too easy to walk away from.
Complicating the issue is that we are living in a post–modern world which requires the Christian Church to understand the times and re-interpret what discipleship looks like for this generation.
We need to make the shift to passionately embrace our beliefs and relate them to daily life experiences while our methods must also leave room for doubt, disbelief, and authentic dialogue.
Discipleship in a post-modern world is going to look more like answering the question of the day. And in this technological age, the medium is the message. Or at the very least, it affects the message in profound ways.
Young people today thrive on interacting with new information and want to be part of their own learning and discovery process. Techniques like the ancient Socratic Method are re-emerging to challenge young people to engage with questions as they encounter new information and navigate the thinking process until they arrive at the answer…
It is engagement with God’s transforming Word coupled with robust discussion about God, ourselves, and the world around us that cement strong and lasting faith formation. In our current context, faith must be engaged in healthy relational contexts for youth to understand, own, and grow in their beliefs.
It’s time to revive new modes of discipleship by engaging young people in relational conversations to help them develop a strong faith foundation — one that is not easy to walk away from.
Lead Today is building Latin American Christian leaders for tomorrow.
Created in partnership with John Maxwell’s EQUIP organization, Lead Today empowers teens to lead with biblical principles by showing them a leadership model they can admire, respect, and follow.
By discovering the ultimate example of a servant leader, young people engage with God’s Word, and learn how Jesus came to change our lives and give every person a divine purpose and calling. Powerful stories of biblical leadership help students discover their God-given potential as they begin influencing others right where they are.
This is what helped to transform the life of Keydy in Honduras, when she enrolled in the Lead Today program. She felt insecure and lacked courage before the program. But after she completed it, things changed!
“Lead Today was very helpful, both in my personal life and in the spiritual, since the 15 units that we studied are important factors that stand out in a true leader. I must try to improve every day with the help of God to achieve my goals and be an example and influence those around me,” she says today.
“I thank God for this program because it allowed me to inspire people. I hope that in the same way Lead Today continues to grow and expand throughout the world, as it is very helpful for us young people to learn about these issues. It encourages us to show that we can be the true leader within our home, community, study center, and other areas to influence our country.”
You are helping to transform a generation in Latin America!
He received the Book of Hope 16 years ago …
The amazing colors and illustrations of the Book of Hope captured David’s imagination when he first received it as an 8-year-old boy in his home nation of Guatemala.
El Libro De Vida, as the book is called in Spanish, sparked his desire to learn more about Jesus, and David soon began attending church and dedicated his life to Christ.
Today, David is 24 years old and is a beautiful example of the faith and values you taught him: he attends university and also works to help support his parents and siblings. He and his brother — who also came to Christ through the Book of Hope — serve on the praise and worship team at their church.
The Book of Hope you gave these boys 16 years ago is still bearing fruit in their lives today!
OneHope Latin America 2021 Faith Goal: 10,000,000
Ten million children and youth to receive God’s Word through OneHope Scripture engagement programs in Latin America this year!
2021 Active Countries: 21
1. Argentina | 8. Chile | 15. Peru |
Latin America program spotlight
In addition to the Book of Hope, The GodMan film, God’s Big Story and other programs, you are also reaching Latin America’s next generation through these innovative outreaches:
En Tus Manos
Active in 15 countries
The short film from our partners at Toy Gun Films highlights the power of God’s Word to transform lives and speaks to the very real threat of domestic violence and gangs in Latin America.
En Tus Manos was shot entirely on location in Bogota and has won eight international film festival awards.
The Royal Family Program
Active in 13 countries
Our research showed that family violence and struggles are a real problem for many children in Latin America, and this special-edition Book of Hope addresses the topic.
The book’s lion mascot, LeonEl, narrates 8 Bible stories, while directly applying them to characteristics and good practices of a healthy, loving, family. Children are invited to accept Christ and become part of God’s family, a truly royal family.
Superbook
Active in 17 countries
In partnership with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), this Book of Hope is based on CBN’s popular animated series, Superbook. It uses art from the television episodes, presents the person and character of Jesus and invites primary schoolers to start their journey with Him.
It was just about this time last year …
When coronavirus began to pop up in news stories about China … then Italy … then … You know the rest of the story.
2020 demonstrated how dramatic changes can happen seemingly overnight … which makes it imperative: those of us who want to be wise stewards of what God entrusted to us must have plans in place for the legacy He wants us to leave.
You can even use this time right now to make sure your legacy of sharing God’s Word goes on transforming young lives for years to come, when you include OneHope in your will or estate plan.
You can designate a specific amount as a bequest, or call for a percentage of the remainder of the estate after taxes and other fees — and you can also make OneHope the beneficiary of the unused portion of your IRA, which will then flow tax-free to OneHope to maximize those funds in reaching the next generation with the power of God’s Word.
Then you’ll have the joy of knowing: a solid plan is in place to protect your legacy even when you’re gone from this earth. And you’ll continue sharing the Gospel with children and youth like the ones you’re reading about in this Global Report, across Latin America, and around the world.
Let this be your legacy! Create or revise your will or estate plan today to include OneHope. And if you have questions about the process, just contact April Floria at 1.800.GIV.BIBL (448.2425) or aprilfloria@onehope.net today
NATION BY NATION
SOLOMON ISLANDS — A girl receives her first book … a Book of Hope!
The Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific, may look like paradise, but a 5-year civil war devastated the nation …
- Children spent years unable to attend school — many girls still don’t go to school.
- Families were displaced and may still lack the basics for everyday life.
- Cultural and traditional values were lost … today Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates of family and sexual violence in the world.1
These are some of the reasons God’s Word is so desperately needed! And when you sent it to Lovelyn, a little girl from Malaita Province … The Book of Hope became the first book she ever owned in her life!
She was thrilled, so were her parents. They pledged to read through the book together and learn its lessons of hope for their whole family.
1 Nicole Steinke, “Solomon Islands is no paradise for women. These people are leading the charge for change,” last modified April 6, 2017, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-06/solomon-islands-women-girls-challenge-sexual-violence-inequality/12006340
KENYA —
RUSSIA —
BURUNDI —
God’s Word. Every Child.
A mother and daughter saved and transformed!
Their country began falling apart before she was born — and the economic and political chaos of Venezuela ramped up in devastating ways during 9-year-old Guadalupe’s lifetime.
She and her single mother felt the pressure as they struggled for survival. But Guadalupe did not respect her mother’s hard work for the family and felt angry and bitter about their circumstances. In fact, Guadalupe was rebellious, disrespectful, and deceitful with her mom.
But then she was invited to a club at the local church and received the Book of Hope. Together with the other children, Guadalupe watched the Superbook films about Jesus and studied the Scriptures. She was amazed to discover that Jesus loved her!
When she read the lesson on forgiveness, she knew she wanted Jesus to forgive her sins … and once she invited Him into her life, she also wanted her mother’s forgiveness. She apologized to her mother for the ways she disobeyed and disrespected her — and of course, her mother was delighted by the transformation of her once rebellious child.
Today, Guadalupe’s mother is also following Jesus and attending Bible study with her daughter!
Thank you for sending God’s Word to show Guadalupe and her mother the way to new life in Christ.
