says. But a few weeks later, “[Emmanuel] still had such excitement for his future because of the [promises of the] Word of God. This is the change we strive for.” Emmanuel still hopes to play professional basketball someday, but has plans to complete secondary school and attend a university first. A BIGGER PICTURE
What about practical issues of poverty? While the Word of God may have the power to restore hope and value, youth who lack basic life skills will still struggle to succeed in the world. Rather than separate social development from spiritual formation, OneHope coordinates the efforts of local churches to engage social needs through initiatives that are creatively rooted in Scripture. For example, according to the World Fact Book of the CIA, about 44 percent of the Central African Republic’s population is illiterate. But among children, this percentage rises much higher. Franklin explains that in most local schools, up to eight students must share one book, since so many children lack reading materials required to learn. OneHope chose to combine a physical solution to this problem with a spiritual one. Partnering with local churches, the organization shipped over 200,000 books to schools in the CAR and developed a literacy program specifically for mothers and children. These materials follow the metanarrative of Scripture, so while students become literate, they’re also learning the story of how God has redeemed the world. Another physical challenge facing youth in the CAR is a lack of clean water. The scarcity of this resource has caused over 60 percent of school-aged children in the country to suffer from roundworms and other parasites—diseases that not only debilitate health, but also limit a child’s 22
ability to attend school and prepare for the future. To address this issue, OneHope recently piloted a new hygiene education program for children. Wanting, once again, to do more than meet basic needs, the program provides each child with anti-parasitic medicine as well as an illustrated booklet that couples practical hygiene lessons with biblical principles. In all its initiatives, from basketball to hygiene, OneHope weaves lessons of character development, as modeled by Jesus
and other biblical figures, such as Joseph and Daniel, believing that cultural transformation takes root when change happens on all levels—physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. “We don’t just want these kids to have a religious experience,” Franklin says. “We want the love of God to reflect off every part of their lives.” A BRIGHTER FUTURE
Theodore Kapou, bishop of the Apostolic Church, has been praying for this national renewal in the CAR for years. From his