July 2014 Global Report

J u ly 2 0 1 4

“To be born in my country means to be a Buddhist ...

... to be a Buddhist child in my country means to be abused ...”Buddhism seemed like the national religion — Christians were considered “traitors.” But for the millions who were impoverished and hopeless, Buddhism also seemed like a death sentence.

“To live as a child in a Buddhist home in my country is to suffer,” says Pastor “J,”* one of our partner pastors from a sensitive Asian nation where OneHope is at work.

He understands this truth because he grew up in a poor Buddhist family, with an alcoholic father and nine brothers and sisters.

yet, when he was 13, God intervened in his life in the form of a Christian summer camp where he met Jesus Christ — he later helped lead his entire family to the lord. And today, he is one of our biggest ministry partners in this sensitive nation of Asia — a country with a very restrictive government, a place where Christians are persecuted and looked down on —

But also a place where the minority believers are anxious to share their faith, and thrilled to have access to OneHope Scripture engagement programs, especially God’s Big Story — the series of illustrated cards that teaches children the meta-narrative of the Bible and leads them to Christ.

*Name changed for security reasons.

(continued on page 2)

2014 Update: halfway there?........................................2

Thailand: case study for development.................4

A personal word fromPresident Rob Hoskins......................................................6

InsIde thIs Issue

Buddhist children find the hope of Jesus Christ through God’s Big Story.

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2014 update: halfway there?We are halfway through 2014 — and should be halfway to accomplishing the 2014 goal of reaching 93.5 million children and youth with God’s Word.

At press time, our records show we have reached 46,365,752 so far this year.

To complete our goal by December 31, we must stay strong and keep delivering God’s Word worldwide. Please pray for His provision — and as He leads you, please give generously today.

Thank you for your love and compassion toward the next generation. Remember every dollar presents God’s Word to THREE children and youth.

(continued from cover)

“It’s against the law to print Christian literature in my country — but when I showed the God’s Big Story cards to the authorities, I was able to tell them: this is not literature, this is pictures. We’re allowed to print pictures.”

This year, in this sensitive nation, Pastor “J” and our other partners will touch the lives of 100,000 children with this program alone! Please be in prayer for the same miraculous results that Pastor “J” and his family experienced when he first met Jesus.

Thank you for helping to share the love of Jesus Christ with children in desperate need!

God’s Word for the next generation in a sensitive nation!

Our God-given goal is to reach 93.5 million children and youth like these with God’s Word this year!

Personal God

Sin

Salvation

Grace

Buddha = an enlightened guide

Wickedness = ignorance

Good deeds lead to Nirvana

Suffering = Evidence of bad karma

It was tough being a Christian in her Buddhist country.

Believers were a tiny minority. It could even be dangerous for pastors and church workers because of persecution and government opposition.

But when Pim heard a pastor speaking about the blessings of a life with God, she decided to accept Christ.

Then she heard about God’s Big Story. Pim wanted to share the Gospel with Buddhist children. Only a teenager herself, she went to training — and launched a God’s Big Story Club at her church.

Every week, she presented a series of illustrated cards sharing the major stories of the Bible, demonstrating the overarching narrative of redemption through Christ.

Pim has since launched a second children’s ministry in a village 20 kilometers from her home, and a third 90 minutes away. In the third outreach, all 13 members of her God’s Big Story Club have already committed their lives to Christ!

God is using your OneHope Scripture engagement programs to do great things in this country! Thank you for reaching out in love to Buddhist children and youth.

God’s Big story changing lives!

Challenges to sharing the Gospel with Buddhists

To present the Gospel to devout Buddhists we must introduce a new worldview, beginning with God Almighty, creation, the fall of man, and redemption through Jesus Christ.

Additional challenge to sharing Jesus in majority Buddhist nations:Becoming a Christian is often seen as a betrayal of one’s family and country!

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Pim’s God’s Big Story Clubs are reaching children in three different villages with the Good News!

nO concepts of ... Instead

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One majority Buddhist nation where believers are anxious to reach out to the next generation with the Good News is Thailand. Our research there showed

1. Thai young people are not interested in the church’s current methodology for presenting spiritual matters.

2. Churches lack effective resources and training for youth ministry.

3. Thai youth have misconceptions about Christianity, especially as it pertains to Jesus Christ.

4. And Thai young people love festivals.

Our response was the development of the Christmas in Asia program which is highlighted by the distribution of the Christmas Story of Hope. It:

1. Capitalizes on Thais’ love of the lights, music, decorations and celebration of the commercialized Christmas season.

2. Appeals to young people who are otherwise not interested in church.

3. Provides an effective resource for Thai Christians to share at a time when hearts are open.

The results among a sample of students who read the Christmas Story of Hope over the 2013 Christmas season:

1. Fewer students thought Christmas was about decorations and music.

2. More students understood Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birth.

3. More students believe Jesus has power over sickness, evil spirits and death.

4. More students understand the Bible teaches that Jesus is God’s Son, and forgiveness is available to anyone who believes in Him.

Our church partners are following up and building on the good foundations laid by the Christmas outreaches. Please keep praying for Thailand’s next generation.

thailand: case study for development of an effective outreach program in a Buddhist nation

samsara cycle of reincarnation

nirvana escape from Samsara

Hundreds of thousands of Thai students received the special Christmas-edition Book of Hope last Christmas.

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thailand: case study for development of an effective outreach program in a Buddhist nation

At the core of Buddhist teaching is this idea: through right thinking and action, man can free himself from the endless cycleof death and rebirth.

Middle Way

plan for reaching Nirvana ... requires good karma in the form of correct

1. View2. Intention3. Speech4. Action5. livelihood6. effort7. Mindfulness8. Concentration

Basic Buddhist worldviewsamsara cycle of reincarnation

nirvana escape from Samsara

Karma governs the cycle of Samsara

Summer camp might have been ugly.

“We were warned to be prepared for students who were hard to handle,” says Wor, OneHope’s Thailand director. Aggressive, disrespectful ... “bad apples.”

But our partners in Thailand were eager to love each child, sharing God’s Big Story and The GodMan film.

And love worked.

The girl who was supposed to be “the worst”? “She was actually very respectful,” Wor says, “paid attention, and could answer more questions about the material than any of the other students.”

The others also behaved well. By the end of camp they were enjoying the activities and stories.

the “bad kids” on a good path

At a summer camp in Thailand, Buddhist children heard the Good News for the very first time ...

“Of the 40 children at camp, 25 made an informed decision to receive Christ,” Wor reports!

Please keep praying for our partners in Thailand, and the Buddhist world. God is doing a great work through the OneHope programs you provide. Thank you!

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A personal word from

President Rob HoskinsDear Friend,

your faithfulness and compassion are making a difference — in Buddhist nations and around the world!

you can see for yourself, in this special update about OneHope Scripture engagement programs in Buddhist nations: God is opening doors to share the Good News, even in difficult circumstances. We’re grateful for the Holy Spirit who goes before us and prepares the way.

We’re also making good progress toward our goal of presenting the Gospel to 93.5 million children and youth around the world this year — praise God. Of course, we still have far to go.

Our partners are going strong throughout the summer with outreaches in the Buddhist world and across the globe, including the ongoing World Cup outreaches in Brazil and 15 other nations.

Please keep these programs and the children in your prayers. let me urge you, also, to be as generous as you can again today. your gift will help bring new hope and new life in Christ to children and youth in desperate need.

Thank you for standing with us!

nAtIOn BY nAtIOn

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One highly sensitive Asian nation is very restrictive of believers and freedom of religion. Buddhism is the majority faith, and Christian believers are a small minority.

But they are excited to reach out to the next generation with God’s Big Story, the series of illustrated cards that share with Buddhist children the truth about the major themes of the Bible and the overarching meta-narrative of redemption.

These stories connected with a little girl named Shreya. every time she attended Bible Club and received one of the cards, she completely memorized the story ... soon she understood the Gospel and chose to follow Jesus as her lord and Savior!

Today, she has memorized the stories and many Bible verses, and she is sharing her faith with her friends and family.

sensitive region (Asia) — a life transformed!

JAPAN — The “Junction Series” of short films developed for use among young people in Japan is making an impact ... and the latest one, The entrance exam, has been accepted into the Himeji International Short Film Festival. This is a great boost for publicity and will help get the word out to churches and ministries that OneHope Scripture engagement programs are available to them.

INDIA — A Hindu teenager fell ill with a painful sickness that doctors could not help ... but when he received the Book of Hope, he had faith to believe that Jesus could heal him! Right now, his new church family is praying for him, and believing together for God’s touch in his life. Please join in praying for healing for Chandak.

MOlDOVA — A new door is opening! Our first church and ministry partner in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova is now ready to launch the Hope for Kids program and begin using our Pathway to Hope special edition Book of Hope together with Kids’ evangelism explosion. We’re praising God for access to a new nation. Please pray for Moldova’s next generation!

PeRu — unreached People Groups are receiving God’s Word! The Book of Hope has been translated into San Martín Quechua, a dialect of Quechua spoken by about 44,000 people there. Right now, there are very few children’s books available in San Martín Quechua, and the Book of Hope is being\very well received. Our partners have even been allowed to do presentations in schools and educational centers!

600 SW 3rd Street Pompano Beach, Florida • 33060

1.800.GIV.BIBL (448.2425)www.Onehope.net

* Some photos used in this publication are representative of the people whose stories are told. In some cases,

names and location details have been changed to protect those involved.

In 2014, OneHope reached its billionth child — a young girl in China — with a relevant Gospel message. This

year OneHope will reach nearly one hundred million additional young people with Scripture programs that are

age- and culturally- specific based on research it conducts among children and youth, leaders and educators

in each country it works. Since 1987, OneHope has helped kids experience God’s Story by collaborating with

churches and ministries — and working with local governments, schools and non-governmental organizations —

by bringing a message of Hope to children and youth in more than 100 countries. www.OneHope.net

Bhairav felt lost in the crowd at home ... he never seemed to get enough attention from his parents, who worked long, hard hours to try to provide for all the children.

left on his own much of the time, Bhairav sought the attention he craved in bad company, other boys with too much time on their hands, who led him down the path toward alcohol addiction.

Drinking with his new friends, Bhairav felt like he belonged ... and the pain of feeling rejected and unwanted at home faded into the background.

But thank God, a Christian friend saw what was happening to Bhairav and placed the Book of Hope into his hands. It was like a revelation! Could there really be one true God who valued Bhairav, who loved him like a son?

“God’s Word. every Child.”delivered from hopelessness and alcohol abuse

Bhairav received Christ after reading the Book of Hope!

He read the book over and over, amazed every time to discover the words and actions of Jesus Christ, who cared enough for him to die on the cross — and to rise again with the promise of forgiveness of sins and eternal life!

Bhairav made the decision to follow Christ, and today, by God’s grace, he is growing in his faith and completely free of alcohol. Thank you for reaching out to Him with the Good News that changed his destiny forever.

Six sisters and two brothers was a large family — even in India.