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Youth in Crisis Leads Pastor to Quit, Start Outreach

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EAST AFRICA -- It's no secret a growing crisis faces today's youth across the globe. More than 80 percent of all crime worldwide is committed by young people ages 15 and under.

The drug and sexual culture has stolen innocence as laws and regulations seem to become increasingly forgotten.

Changing the Downward Spiral

Sal Sberna has been a pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church near Houston for more than 20 years. One day, Sberna received an unexpected call from Loren Hill, one of his church members, with a possible solution that could help break the youth's cultural downward spiral.

"I called him right here and told him, 'You need to quit preaching and come right here to Africa,'" Hill told CBN News.

"When Loren called me I was in the midst of a capital fundraiser trying to raise about $8 million for a second campus. I said, 'Dude, I would love to do that right now, but I'm so busy. After years of talking about it, he never went away. Finally, I said I think you're right," Sberna shared.

Stepping down from his role pastoring the Met Church, Sberna and Hill have now partnered to form an organization called Reach Youth Global.

The strategy? To work with indigenous local partners and ministries in a country, supplying them with resources needed to reach the youth of that specific culture.

"Our goal has always been to take the young people of a country, train them, and show them a better way and let them help change their country," Hill, CEO of RYG, told CBN News.

A prime example can be found in Mashah Childrens Village, which was funded by RYG located in Uganda.

The village is located on the bank of the Nile River, and its Hebrew name means "to draw out."

Just as Moses was saved and drawn out of the Nile, this particular village was built to draw children out of desperate situations.

Saving the Children

"My name is Viola. I am 12 years old. My family life before this was not good," the young girl, who lives in Mashah Village, shared with CBN News. "I came to Mashah Village where they educated me, loved me, and I have friends."

With so many children coming from broken homes, RYG sponsors the children's living and education until they are 18 years old. They set up a school named Elevare on site, equipping the children with skills to eventually go back into their own communities as leaders for Christ.

Reach Youth Global has also partnered with the Rawlings Foundation, started by Dr. John Rawlings.

Rawlings led an international media ministry in the 1950s and 60s. He left that empire to fund youth camps, which now has 16 international locations today.

"We realized a long time ago if we are going to have kids come to Christ, we need kids who don't know Christ. Our goal is to have 90 percent of the kids at camp unsaved," Hill explained.

Reach Youth Global is focusing its efforts heavily on the youth of Africa, who live with persecution from terrorist groups today.

"The only thing that's really going to stop that isn't what Washington does, but what the kingdom of God does. We believe that these strategic partners we have here in Africa can push back this darkness," Sberna, RYG's president, said.

RYG dove head first into the Kibera slum, which is the largest slum in Sub-Sahara Africa, with 1.5 million residents. They set up the Kibera New Hope Feeding Center and school, which can house 350 kids.

The center aims to inspire children to fight against a life of crime and drug abuse in the slums.

RYG is currently seeking new partners internationally, keeping in mind the impact that can be made with one child saved.

"Recently a camp in Tanzania, a young man who had been recruited to al-Shabaab attended the camp because a friend brought him and he gave his life to Christ," Sberna said. "That is one less potential terrorist that's going to be murdering people and buying into something that is a lie."

For more information visit Reach Youth Global or follow on social media @joinRYG.

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About The Author

CBN News Reporter Angela Zatopek
Angela
Zatopek

Angela Zatopek is currently a reporter, covering a range of topics geared toward today's younger generation. Angela graduated with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a major in Corporate Communications and a minor in Journalism. With a diverse background in television, she has worked with Fox and CBS College Sports as a sideline reporter for the University of Texas. She also appeared in Miss Texas USA and was the winner of Eva Longoria and NBC's Ready for Love. She currently also has a faith-based jewelry line called OneLove Collection. The heartbeat of the jewelry line is to