In a world where conflict is domestic and global, organizations that spread a message of love and hope are much needed and received. His Outreach Worldwide, or HOW, is a local faith-based nonprofit that aims to share God’s word and love through its children’s publication, Sharing Jesus with Children Around the World, and in outreach ministries based all over the world. This February marks the 15th anniversary of the two-time Up & Coming Weekly Best-winning community staple. Located at 3013 Raeford Road, HOW has been committed to its global ministry since the idea was hand-delivered by God in a dream to Founder and Director, Lynne O’Quinn.

“For years I had been teaching Bible school to children, which I loved. For years I had been praying that God would give me a way to reach the children of the world with the gospel of love of Jesus Christ. I was working on a Bible study and sitting at the computer every day and I was reading the scripture and working on that. That was the Jesus Bible Study…and every day I would sit there and pray for God to give me a way to reach His children all over the world,” O’Quinn said. “I went to the beach and I had my two grandsons at that time… and I had them by myself for two weeks. We had a great time… I really was tired. By the time the whole family came that last weekend, they got the kids, I went to bed and I told my husband not to dare wake me up. I was sleeping until noon if I wanted to sleep until noon. I was that exhausted. I went to sleep and God, of course, had other plans for me… During the night, I had this dream. And I’m not one to ever remember dreams… I was in this space that was all white and there was one desk in the middle of this space and I ran in. I threw everything down on the desk and sat down. This shimmery figure was standing there beside me and I looked and said I’m so sorry I’m late. And he said it’s ok, what matters is that you’re here now.

"I think that, of course, was in reference to past life. Where I wasn’t following Him like I should. I then remember He handed me this piece of paper. I don’t recall a face. It was just a shimmery figure. Jesus. He handed me this piece of paper and said this is your assignment. And I read it and said, I can’t do this. I don’t remember what it said…but I handed it back to Him and He said no you don’t understand. This is why you are here. This is your assignment. Handed it to me, and the minute I took it back, I woke up. I heard Him say, get up and go write. People ask me how it sounded. All I know is that night, when I was so tired, and still dark outside, it was commanding enough to make me get out of bed and go. There is that three-second window when you can roll back over and go to sleep. I think, had I done that, none of this would be here now. I got up and went downstairs. I remember I got a piece of paper, a pen, made coffee, because it was still dark outside. I was sitting there like what am I doing, sitting here… The words just started coming and coming and coming and coming. And those were the words, to that little book, Sharing Jesus with Children Around the World. I couldn’t write fast enough. I just started writing all the words down. Not one word has been changed in that book. When I finished I had a manuscript of that book.”

God has been the driving force behind the outreach. Only weeks after sitting and writing the now global children’s ministry book, it spread beyond O’Quinn’s wildest imagination, a sign that this was truly her assignment. “Within one week’s time, the book was on every single continent,” O’Quinn said.

The book has been translated into over 100 languages. His Outreach Worldwide has expanded beyond the book and has now established ministries in several countries around the world. They focus on not only sharing God’s love but also supplying communities with clothing, food, and education. HOW has started establishing churches in its base countries, and they now have 4 in Honduras. The churches are run mainly by those who grew up in the ministry, continuing the work of the outreach for generations to come. Those interested in giving to HOW can do so by visiting their website http://www.hisoutreachworldwide.org/.