Two things become clear when watching Oklahoma State’s Rylee Langerman play basketball. Inside, she’s all grit and determination---driven by relentless hustle and heart. On the outside she’s noticeable in ways that go beyond her jersey.

“I've had alopecia since I was in second grade,” says Langerman. “Little patches would fall out and you could hide it no one really knew that I had it, but then in middle school I started to lose everything. So I just was kind of caught in a place where I was just really confused and no one else around me struggled with the same struggles that I had so I just felt very alone.”

Riley gave her life to Jesus in elementary school which gave her hope and strength as she navigated the challenges of hair loss.

Will Dawson: In middle school you're going through all kinds of changes and trying to figure out who you are and for a girl I’m sure it's probably even more so because your hair is part of your identity.

Rylee: Towards the end of my eighth-grade year is whenever it really started to get bad. That’s when I was like ‘Wow, this is actually going to happen to me.’ My family was asking me if I wanted to wear a wig or if I wanted to do something like that and we went and tried them on and I was like, ‘I just don’t think this is right. I don’t think this is what God has for me.’ I felt like I was hiding something about myself. And I just had to confront that head on instead of putting it off and hoping that it wouldn’t. I just was like, ‘This is what the Lord has for me and I’m going to do my best to embrace it.’ I knew at the time I don’t know how the Lord is going to use this, but I felt very convicted that it was happening to me for a reason so I tried to lean into that.

During those difficult years Rylee developed a love for basketball. The game grew into more than just a passion. It became a source of strength and confidence.

“I think the Lord definitely provided an outlet for me in basketball because I was able to just be on the court, be a completely different person, disassociate from whatever was going on outside of the court because at that time nothing else mattered whenever you’re in the game. So, I think that was definitely a place for me to find a little bit of confidence outside of middle school struggles.”

Her confidence was justified. By her senior year of high school, Rylee led her team to two state championships. Then she took her talents to the University of Arkansas where she spent three seasons---growing both her game and her influence.

“I think anytime a little girl with alopecia comes to my game and stays after to talk to me I think that that is whenever God really just shows me what I was able to do with the platform that he gave me. Being able to meet with the little kids and show them that they’re not alone and show them that it doesn’t have to define you and that you and that you can still be good at basketball or do other things and be in the spotlight and you don’t have to hide. I think that’s every time when I feel the most rewarded.”

In 2024, Rylee made the move to Oklahoma State, joining forces with Christian head coach Jacie Hoyt, who saw firsthand the courage Rylee brought both on and off the court.

Jacie Hoyt: “The light of Christ just shines through her I mean it's very evident in the way that she talks the way that she goes about her business and the way that she just walks in confidence in a situation that I don't know other people could really do it the way she does.”

After earning her master’s degree in health administration this past May, Rylee is now pursuing medical school—driven by the same passion to help others that’s guided her journey all along.

“I just grew up in the medical field. My dad's an orthopedic surgeon, my grandpa was an anesthesiologist, and my uncle is an ER doctor so from a very young age it was just my dream to be a doctor, and I get really emotional when I think about it, just think about how good the Lord has been to provide this opportunity for me and it's an honor to be able to follow in their footsteps and to take care of people and to hopefully show God's love through being a doctor.”

Dawson: “What does your story tell you about God's faithfulness to you?” 

Lagerman: “It tells me that no matter what I'm going through he is always going to be good and his plan is always going to work out better than you could have ever imagined. I think that there's been a lot of times in my life where there's been a lot of unknown and a lot of confusion and I've been able to just rest in the fact that it's going to work out and it's not in my hands and God's going to take care of it even if it's not how I picture it going to be it's going to be better than I could imagine. And being able to look back at personal times in my life and say that I now have no doubt in my mind that that's how it's going to work out and so being able to just rely on God's faithfulness like that is just it's a huge blessing and a comfort.”

“Weird things started happening,” Phillip Hanks recalled about his failing health. “My eyes began turning yellow. I was constantly tired all the time and I started dropping weight. It sent me into fear. This is the end of your life.”

Phillip valued strength more than anything. A bodybuilder since he was thirteen, his focus was always to get that much bigger, more cut. But at thirty-four, years of excessive supplement use had damaged his liver, and a supposedly sterilized tattoo needle was the final straw.

“When I went to see the doctor, they ran blood work,” Phillip said. “That sterilized needle had Hepatitis C in it. ‘You have liver cancer, and you're going to need a liver transplant.’ It shocked me. I have never even had a broken bone, let alone any kind of surgery or anything else. The next thought I had was, ‘You don't want to drag someone through all of that medical stuff.’ So, I began trying to break off the relationship with my then girlfriend.”

“I loved him,” Tiva said. “It was never a question, as far as I was concerned, that I wasn't going to be there for the storm. Whenever there is something that has happened to me, I always call on Jesus. So, I just kind of held on to that and asked for God to, you know, heal him and cover him.”

“And that's when I decided this is the woman I have to marry,” Phillip said. Phillip and Tiva exchanged vows shortly after, and from then on were joined in prayer. A few months later they got the call; a liver was ready. As he was put under for the surgery, Phillip had one more word with God.

“'Okay, God, you know, if this goes wrong, I want to come to you,’” Phillip said. Due to complications, Phillip flatlined on the operating table. “I was part of light,” Phillip said. “The brightest light you could possibly imagine. I remember being filled with overwhelming love, peace, joy, excitement. I think I was in the outer realms of Heaven. And I heard audibly, ‘It's not your time, you have to go back. You’re going to be okay.”

It took three and a half minutes to resuscitate Phillip. After two follow up surgeries and a painful recovery, the transplant was deemed a success. He went on to live normally for nearly thirteen years – until one day he felt a shooting pain while playing basketball. Doctors discovered that Phillip’s transplanted liver was failing, requiring another transplant and also a new kidney. He was then sent to a specialist in multi-organ transplants at Indiana University Health, Dr. Richard Mangus. The news he had for Phillip was disheartening.

“We're going to have to remove your liver, kidney, pancreas, upper and lower intestines and your stomach, and we're going to have to replace them. He didn’t know if it was going to work and I said, ‘Well, do you have a restroom?’ I'm crying and I'm blubbering and I'm down on my hands and knees. I remember looking up and I was kind of yelling at God, ‘So this is it? This is how I go out?’ Then I was reminded, ‘You died for three and a half minutes. I was with you then, why would I leave you now?’ That calm that I felt when I was in the light, it came back over me, and I was like, ‘Okay, alright.’”

“I was very upfront with him and told him I didn't want to do the transplant,” Dr. Mangus said. “In the end, Philip changed my mind. You know, some people get so sick and in their mind and in their attitude, they're defeated – Philip wasn't like that. He felt like that we could do this. I think that gives some small bit of confidence to the surgeon, like, ‘I can work with this person.’”

Once a donor was eventually found, Tiva rallied family and friends to lift Phillip up in prayer. Dr. Mangus performed two extensive surgeries, transplanting the five organs over the course of two days. The results were astounding.  

“I tell patients, 'You're going to be in the hospital at least a month, most of that time in the ICU.' Phillip, within days, was up and around and starting to walk. I think it's remarkable.”

“It was amazing,” Tiva said. “Phillip is here because prayer moves mountains.”

Phillip rejoined his family and has since felt healthier and happier than ever before. He began working with the Illinois Secretary of State to promote organ donation. He speaks at events and high schools telling everyone he can how God, and the power of prayer, saved his life – Dr Mangus agrees. 

“It's inspiring to see someone like him, Dr. Mangus said. “I think faith can have a very large part in making it through any kind of a health issue. Everything that we do, it came from God. You know, my patients tell me often that everyone's praying for them, they're praying for me, and I say, ‘Thank you very much. I will take all the help that I can get because I need it.’”

“I can't put into words how grateful I am for the donation,” Phillip said. “God is real, Heaven is real, and prayer works. I cannot count on one hand how many times God has blessed me over and over and over again, and I'm nobody special. If you call on him, He will come.”

Yamesia had a scare when she was five months pregnant with her daughter Naura.  Her baby was later born with a cleft lip.  During pregnancy,” she told CBN, “I kept working with my husband.  We collected rubber and firewood to sell. I remember one day I started bleeding after work.” 

Months later after Naura was born, her parents wondered how she would survive since she wasn’t gaining weight.  “I am always careful when feeding Naura,” said Yamesia. “I remember one day she choked while drinking from her bottle.  She started sneezing, and I got so scared. 
I love her so very much.”

Yamesia and her husband live on a remote Indonesian island called Nias. Naura’s dad, Yeriadi, worked hard to save for an operation to repair the cleft lip.  But there was never enough. “I worked collecting rubber.  I work extra hours collecting firewood to sell,” he said. “The operation is so expensive.” 

Then one day a local midwife told the couple about Operation Blessing. Thanks to YOU, we paid for Naura to receive surgery to repair her cleft lip.  “I was overjoyed when I heard that Operation Blessing would help with my daughter’s surgery,” said Yamesia.     

Now as they look at their smiling baby, the happy couple no longer worry about their daughter’s health or future. 

“I am deeply grateful to God,” said a grateful father. “I want to thank everyone who supported Operation Blessing. Because of you, my daughter Naura had her surgery.  

“Thank you so much to everyone who supported Operation Blessing and helped my daughter with the surgery,” added Naura’s mom. “May the Lord Jesus bless you all abundantly.” 
 
 

Partnering with CBN means more than just giving—you’re helping feed and clothe families, providing medical aid to those without access to hospitals and doctors, and helping provide clean water for the thirsty. Your faithful giving brings hope to the hopeless and the truth of God’s Word to millions of homes through The 700 Club! Help bring the love of Christ to the world when you become a CBN partner today! 

Sut Mai, a 10-year-old boy from Myanmar, comes from a large family, and his parents are ministers. All ten members of Sut Mai’s family live with their uncle and his family, and they face financial challenges, particularly in paying for the children's school fees. Despite these hardships, Sut Mai has shown remarkable dedication and discipline, especially in his spiritual life.

Sut Mai actively participates in Sunday school and even takes the initiative to remind his peers to follow the rules. One lesson that had a profound impact on him was "Teach Us to Pray.” This lesson taught the importance of staying focused and disciplined during prayer. Sut Mai learned that the disciples were asleep while they were supposed to be praying with Jesus. In the same lesson, the disciples were unable to cast out a demon because it was the kind that could only be cast out by prayer. This lesson emphasized the need to avoid distractions when praying to God.

Through this lesson, Sut Mai developed a strong sense of discipline in his prayer life. He understood that only God has the power to cast out demons and that it is crucial to honor God every time he prays. Sut Mai's commitment to prayer has not only strengthened his faith but also positively influenced his behavior. "I decide to honor God every time I pray," he says with conviction.

Superbook has played a significant role in Sut Mai's spiritual growth. The engaging and relatable stories of the Bible brought to life through Superbook have helped him connect with the Word of God and experience Jesus's love. These lessons have transformed his behavior, making him more disciplined and focused, especially in his prayer life.

Sut Mai's story is a powerful testament to the global impact of CBN Animation's Superbook. It shows how the stories of the Bible can bring hope, transformation, and faith to children and families, regardless of their cultural or regional background. Superbook has the potential to reach even more children like Sut Mai, offering them a chance to connect with the Word of God and experience his love.

We invite you to join this mission. Whether by donating to CBN Animation’s Superbook ministry through the link below, sharing Sut Mai's inspiring story, or accessing Superbook resources for your own family, your support can help spread this ministry to countless others. Together, we can bring the light of God's Word to children around the world, transforming lives and fostering faith.

Give to Superbook