07/24/2026
Happy 149th Birthday to our founder, Jesse Overholtzer—the indomitable "Mr. O."
Decades ago, an ordinary man sat alone with a globe. He would place his finger on a country, close his eyes, and weep for the children he would never meet. He prayed a bold, impossible prayer: that "someday God would raise up an army of evangelists to encircle the globe, telling boys and girls about Jesus."
Today, that beautiful prayer is being answered in ways Mr. O could have only dreamed. Because of God's faithfulness, 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 impacted over 34 million children in our last ministry year alone.
Let that sink in. That means one child hears the life-changing message of Jesus every single second of every minute of every hour of every day. Praise the Lord!
Recently, Focus on the Family honored his legacy by naming Mr. O in their 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴 booklet. He was a true testament to what an ordinary person can do through the extraordinary power of God.
But the mission continues. We are walking in his footsteps, straining toward a God-sized vision to reach 100 million children annually. The next generation is waiting, and they need hope.
Will you help us encircle the globe today in honor of Mr. O’s birthday?
For a copy of The Indominable Mr. O, click here: https://www.cefonline.com/mrobirthday
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