Something is happening in Lexington, Kentucky. Recent years has seen a basketball program known for its winning tradition, become stagnant. This season brings change. A re-energized fan base, fueled by a new head coach, and a collection of talented new players, hopeful to bring a championship back to Kentucky.

Otega Oweh says, “I just want to be a part of something like that, take my talents to the next level and just go somewhere I can showcase on one of the best platforms, which is Kentucky.

One of those players, the team’s leading scorer, is Otega Oweh.

“Just going out there and playing hard every single night, giving it all for Kentucky.
I’d say that’s something that I think about every day before I go and play,” Oweh says.

Born in New Jersey to first generation immigrants, Otega’s Nigerian roots and faith in God run deep.

Will Dawson: So tell me, what does your name mean?

Oweh: It means we give God the highest praise.

Dawson: What does that mean to you in your life and how you play basketball?

Oweh: I mean, for me, it just kind of means that I just give God praise in all situations, because the path that I'm in, it’s the unknown. You don't know what's really going to happen. We put in all this work, and you can still not make it. But regardless, God got me here for a reason. So he just gets all the praise.

It was his parents who instilled the values of hard work and faith.

“That's just kind of how I carry myself, like, regardless of what I'm going through day in, day out,” Oweh says.

Although Otega admits it did take a while to sink in.

“When I was younger, that's something I didn't quite understand because when you're young, you want things to happen a certain way,” he says. “When things don't happen, you want to start blaming somebody.”

Some boyhood mischief caused Otega to reevaluate his priorities.

“Just things off the court that I got in trouble for doing certain things where I had to take a break from basketball and when I had to take that break, that's when I really turned it around. And I want to say that's credit to my parents, but also credit to God, because I really could have gone a whole different path. I mean, like, I just always go back to that. Like I give God the highest praise and all situations,” he says.

Faith and sports have always been a tie that binds the Oweh family. Otega’s brother Odafe is a starting linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. His success and determination has inspired the twenty-three-year-old guard to rise to be his best.

“I've seen how he had to go through a lot just to get where he was. And that just shows how God works in mysterious ways, because, I mean, I'm just proud of what he's been able to do. And whenever I see him play on Sundays, Thursdays, Mondays, you know, it just pushes me to go even harder,” Otega says.

Otega says his game isn’t the only thing he works hard at. When it comes to his faith, he’s still learning, driven by a desire to grow.

Dawson: How often do you read your Bible?

Oweh: Every morning. Yeah. I try to read at least one verse, sometimes two every morning, cause, I mean, I'm no expert at all. Obviously, I still have a bunch of questions, so I don't want to overwhelm myself with just trying to read as much as I can in one day. I just try and read one verse every morning.

Dawson: When you pray, what do you pray for?

Oweh: Just for guidance, protection. For him to protect me and just give me the courage and the strength to go out there and do the things that I know I can and to just humble myself and to show the skills that he's blessed me with in front of everybody.

Now in his junior year, Otega is helping the Wildcats get back on track as one of the nation’s best college basketball teams. And he’s taking it one game at a time, diligently putting the work in for his team, his family, and his faith.

Otega says, “If being a Christian was easy, everyone would be a Christian. But there's always going to be trials, tribulations cause the people who get called to follow God, they go through it and it's a hard life. So, you know, I always got to be strong, always just got to be bold and know that when there's a task or a challenge, just because God calls you for it, it's not that you shouldn't look at it as like, why is it happening to you?Just try and embrace it and use God as your peace.

I just want to use my skills to show that I give God all the glory. So, I just do that every single day, God gets all the glory, because I wouldn't be here without him at all.”

Drusilla takes care of her granddaughter, Mary, after her mother abandoned her at the age of two.

“My daughter had Mary while she was still in high school.” Drusilla started. “She could not bear the weight of responsibility. One time, she was ready to sell Mary, then later she disappeared. Now I take care of her. I think of her more like a daughter than a grandchild. I love her very much. Everywhere I go, she goes. We are inseparable.” 

Drusilla runs a small business selling sweet potatoes just outside their home in Nairobi, Kenya. She doesn’t make enough to even pay for Mary to go to school.

“The little profit I make is for feeding and paying rent. Sometimes we have no food. I have no one to help me with Mary. When I work, she plays nearby, but sometimes she wonders off and I have to leave everything to look for her. One time, she was almost hit by a car. I felt so bad. At times, I would just cry.” She explains. 

“One of my friends saw Mary running in the streets and suggested that I take her to a nearby school and ask for assistance.”

The school is supported by Orphan’s Promise, so they told her that Mary could attend for free and receive much more than a basic education.
When I visited, I saw exactly what they meant.  

“We are hearing the sound of lots of children talking and laughing and having fun together. This is a place of joy. It’s Touch of Love ministries supported by Orphan’s Promise, right in the heart of one of the slums here in Nairobi. Our support started with nine and today there are two hundred and thirty-one children here that are beautiful just like my friend Mary. She’s five years old she’s in class PP1. When children come to this place they have two meals a day. They are educated and it’s a safe place for them to be so we’re happy to support this place.” Terry explained.

“What I like most about this school is to play. I like coming to school to learn new things. We learn English and Swahili and I like singing with my friends. When I come here, I am never hungry, because we eat good food. We are taught to pray to God every day, and I thank God I am here.” Drusilla’s granddaughter, Mary expressed. 

“When Mary is at school, I know she’s at peace. I thank God that Mary is going to school. May you have a long life for opening your doors to my grandchild.” Drusilla graciously notes. 

“I love this school. Thank you for feeding me, and for educating me. I love you all!” Mary finishes. 

Tami is a grandmother and grade school-teacher who loves staying active and playing sports.  One afternoon, while playing tennis with her husband, Tami injured her shoulder.

“I was in full stride, almost running to get to the ball, and then I overextended my arm to get to the ball. And then I overextended my arm,” said Tami.  “It felt like a pull, like a tweak or a pull in my shoulder.  I felt it.  I could hear it.”

For three months, Tami tried everything to alleviate the pain.

“I iced it… and then I would put a heating pad on it.  I did pain reliever; I mean, it hurt to go to sleep, I didn't sleep well.”

One morning in December while off from work, she started watching tv, and came across the 700 club. Gordon and Terry started praying.

“When I turned it on I said, ‘I wonder if he'll pray for my shoulder?’  Then it became ‘I think he's going to pray for my shoulder.’  I felt very confident that he was going to pray for my shoulder."

Gordon said…

“There’s someone you got severe problems in your right shoulder, it’s a deep injury and it’s like your shoulder has locked up and god’s healing it he’s restoring it.  Just begin to do what you couldn’t do before and realize god has healed you, he has set you free.”

“I said, ‘yes, that’s for me.’  At that point I really did feel relief.  I went up, I went back, it didn't hurt.  I did all those things I couldn't do.  It was instant.  I felt it and I was so excited.”

But then, a few days later, the pain began to creep back in.

“I believe totally in healing I just didn't understand why it was returning.  And I thought maybe it was my lack of faith or something to that effect.  I just thought, ‘You know what?  I'm just going to pray through this thing and just keep trusting god and keep professing it, and just go back to the scriptures about healing and just keep reading them.’”

But the pain persisted, and after a few weeks, Tami decided to go see a doctor.

“He x-rayed my shoulder and said it was a calcification due to an injury, he saw there a little teeny tear on the rotator cuff,” said Tami.

The doctor sent Tami to physical therapy but that only made it worse.

“I was frustrated cause, you know, I’m active.  I want to move and I don't want to move with lots of pain.  And I want to do things.”

One night in February at the dinner table, Tami told her family she was going to keep trusting God.

“I just said, ‘you know what?  I have been healed.  I was healed December 29^th, and I am healed.  So I just know I am.  And I’m going to just walk it out. I'm just going to live it out’ – it was a turning point.  From there, I just know that I just started doing what I normally do.  I started trying to reach back, I started this.  I would wash back here, I would do all kinds of things with my hand, and it just got better and better and better.  I didn't do any more pt.

Ever since, Tami’s shoulder has been pain free.  The whole experience strengthened her faith.

“God heals.  And he loves us,” said Tami.  “He doesn't always heal us in the same way, but he loves us and he's listening when we're praying.  He is listening.”

In the beautiful country of Myanmar, a young girl named Soe faced a life filled with challenges and uncertainties. At 14 years old, Soe grew up worshiping Nat idols, following the traditions of her parents. Her life was marked by frequent nosebleeds, a condition that caused her much distress. Despite attending church, Soe didn’t initially believe in the teachings about God shared by her Sunday school teachers. Instead, she spent her time at church talking and playing with friends, not paying much attention to the worship.

However, Soe’s journey took a transformative turn through the influence of her Sunday school teachers and the Superbook lessons she watched. Initially skeptical, she gradually became more interested in God's Word. One particular Superbook episode, “A Giant Adventure,” which depicts the story of David and Goliath, resonated deeply with her. “Among the Superbook lessons, I preferred the story of David and Goliath because through the life of David I knew that God is able to strengthen us and help us,” Soe shared.

Inspired by the story of David's courage and faith, Soe decided to pray to God for healing from her nosebleeds. Miraculously, her prayers were answered, and she was cured. This experience solidified her faith. “I thanked God and my faith in God was confirmed through this witness… I decided to believe God always,” she said.

The Superbook outreach program, with its weekly video lessons, games, and crafts, played a crucial role in nurturing Soe’s spiritual growth. Unlike other cartoon videos, Superbook captivated her interest and excitement. “Superbook made me more interested and more excited… I had to know more about God through Superbook lessons,” she explained. Whenever she felt unhappy, she would pray to God for joy, finding comfort and peace in her faith.

Soe’s dedication to her faith grew stronger. She began reading the Bible one chapter a day, not out of obligation, but with a willing heart to know more about God. Singing also became a way for her to feel God’s presence. “All my spiritual well-being is caused by the inspiration of Superbook lessons,” she expressed.

Today Soe faces another challenge—difficulty hearing clearly. She asks for prayers to help her hear the Word of God clearly and to remain a faithful daughter of God. “Pray for me to fear the Lord, to be a faithful daughter of God, and to be able to continue my study till the end. Please pray for my parents to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior,” she requests.

Soe’s story is a beautiful testament to the transformative power of faith and the impact of Superbook and CBN Animation. It highlights importance of sharing the Bible in ways that resonate with today’s youth. By making biblical stories accessible and engaging, Superbook helps children like Soe connect with the Word of God and experience Jesus’ love in a profound way. Superbook has the potential to reach even more children, offering them the same hope and transformation experienced by Soe.

We invite you to join CBN Animation’s mission of reaching children around the world with the Gospel. Whether through sharing Soe’s story, accessing Superbook resources for your own family, or donating to CBN Animation’s Superbook ministry through the link below, your support can help extend this impact to countless others. Together, we can bring the light of God’s love to children around the world, one story at a time.

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