Happy New Year

Well its the first day of the new year. It really feels weird thinking that I will be turning 15 this year. I realize that a lot of things are going to happen this year. 

Since its the first day of the new year, people make new resolutions. I don't really know what my resolution is but, I think I have one for Hoops of Hope. This year I pray God will use Hoops of Hope like He has in the past. I also pray that we will be able to touch more and more people for His kingdom. Last, I pray that this year the participants will be changed as well. 

Over the past five years we have been able to raise over a million dollars! We have been able to build a high school and a medical clinic. We are also funded for the bicycle goal and we have been able to build a water project in Kenya. We are almost fully funded for our second medical clinic which will go next to the school.

I don't think anybody ever anticipated that it would grow this big. We never anticipated that we would have 20,000 participants in 17 countries. I also don't think we anticipated what Hoops of Hope would do to the kids, teens, and adults participating in the event. This past year, we came to realize how the people here were being changed by doing the event. Seeing isn't believing. You can be changed by just hearing stories. Like the story of kids at the orphanage in Nigeria who did Hoops of Hope. Those stories didn't leave anybody the same.

I really am excited for this year and what God is going to do. I am just waiting to hear about more stories, because I know we will never be the same.

In Him,

austin gutwein