Austin Gutwein (AG) is a young man who had a dream to help others. At the age of nine, Austin founded Hoops for Hope and today thousands of children in Zambia have access to food, clothing, shelter, a new school and a medical testing facility. Austin has a new book entitled: Take Your Best Shot: Do Something Bigger than Yourself! Austin is interviewed by Sheila Schuller Coleman (SSC).

SSC: Well now it is my joy to introduce to you, I think one of the most inspiring guests we've ever had here on the Hour of Power and at the Crystal Cathedral. I would like to introduce to you a world changer. Because of this world changer, thousands of children in Zambia now have access to food, clothing, shelter, a new school, not to mention a medical testing facility.

Now you might be saying to yourself this world changer must be a wealthy philanthropist or somebody powerful or somebody with a lot of age, experience and political connections. Well this world changer started his mission at the age of nine and today he's 15 so he's accomplished all that within these few short years. Please welcome with me, Austin Gutwein. Austin! Thank you so much for being here.

AG: Thank you.

SSC: I understand this is a little different audience than you're used to.

AG: It is a little bit different.

SSC: Austin is a speaker on the “Revolve Tour,” which is a great big tour of teenage girls, like seven or eight thousand of them..

AG: Yes.

SSC: ..on a weekend. And then there's Austin.

AG: Yes. It's kind of interesting being the only guy there.

SSC: I'd say those are good odds, fellow. Those are really good odds.

Now what you have accomplished in your lifetime is something that many of us wish we could accomplish in our lifetime. And I know that God still has so much that He wants to do with you.

But for you, it all started with Maggie and what you call a “Maggie moment.” Can you tell us about that?

AG: Basically it all began when I decided that I could go out and make a difference. I was nine years old and I basically watched this video that talked about an orphan girl in Zambia who was caring for her great grandmother. That was the only person that she had left in her life.

I remember at the age of nine, I didn't know what AIDS was, but I knew that I had to go out and make a difference. I couldn't imagine living life without my parents. And when I heard that 15 million kids were going through this, I knew I had to do something.

SSC: But there's something very different about you, Austin, because there are a lot of kids who hear stories like Maggie's, but they don't have the passion that you have to go out and actually do something about it. So what was different? What was it about this that made you actually want to do something? It's like you couldn't stand by and not do anything, right?

AG: Exactly. I really do believe that every child and adult has something inside of them, that when they see it, it breaks their heart. They realize that they have to go out and do something about it. And for me, that was this little orphan girl.

I think what may have been a little bit different is that I felt like I wasn't going to stop until I knew that I was making a difference. And so I was just encouraged to use my favorite sport to make a difference.

So I started Hoops of Hope, which is just like a walk-a-thon except we shoot free throws instead. And today it has become the world's largest free throw marathon. And as you mentioned, we've been able to raise over one and a half million dollars to help these kids by building them a school and two medical clinics, as well.

SSC: Wow. That's just amazing. Can we just give that another round of applause? Now Austin, what have you learned from going to Zambia, because you've actually been there, right?

AG: Yes.

SSC: What have you learned? What's going on in this country?

AG: I think some of the things I've learned is that AIDS is still very much ravaging Zambia and the life expectancy over there is only 35, which is incredible.

But what I've also learned is that Zambia is a country that is ready to start helping and rebuilding, and when they find out that kids are making a difference, they're so excited about it they actually encourage their own kids to go out and make a difference. I've learned that this is a place that really wants help and wants to start making a difference.

SSC: Now you have a faith?

AG: I do, yes.

SSC: And how did your faith help you?

AG: I think that my faith in Jesus has played the biggest role. Jesus tells us in James to go out and to care for the widows and the orphans in their distress.

SSC: That's right.

AG: I believe that Jesus set the example for us. Jesus was always caring for those people while He was here on this earth, so I want to go out and live a life like He did and go out and help those people. So that's how my faith has played a big role in my journey.

SSC: Well, at the ripe old age of 15, have you reached all of your goals?

AG: Well for me, I don't really set goals because I think that that kind of limits what we can do. That can limit sometimes what we can accomplish so I just like aiming for the stars. That's really why I don't set goals.

SSC: Sounds like you've got goals but they're really high..

AG: Yes.

SSC: ..and they're God's goals.

AG: Yes.

SSC: There is something that you said in your book; you said people kept saying to you ‘God is going to use you, Austin.' How did that impact you?

AG: When people kept telling me that, it really said to me that God does have a plan for us. God has a plan for everybody's life and I really wanted to go out and live a full life.

SSC: I have had a prayer very similar to that. I have prayed for years, God use me. God, use me. And when we pray that prayer, we do live a full life, do we not?

AG: Absolutely.

SSC: Wherever we are, whether we never step foot outside of the United States or not, it's a full life in Him.

And now you have this book. You've not only founded a non profit, Hoops of Hope, but you have a book out called Take Your Best Shot: Doing something bigger than yourself. I just want to read a little phrase in here that you wrote, which I think is so important: “Most people think world changers need to be strong, smart and popular. Most people also think you need to be a certain age. I don't think so. I think becoming a world changer starts with something much more powerful than that.”

AG: Right.

SSC: And what is that?

AG: I think that being a world changer starts with something much more powerful and that absolutely is God driving you and driving in your life. I was not the popular kid at school. I definitely wasn't qualified. I wasn't even a basketball player in fact I was horrible at it. But even though I was only nine, I knew that God could use me to go out and make a difference and that's exactly what I wanted to do.

SSC: Well you are a tremendous example and an inspiration to us. We do mission learning at the school here where I'm the superintendent and the ones who usually do the best are the kindergartners. They generally have the best missions of everybody and then the high schooler's say “wow look what the kindergartners did!”

And you know it doesn't matter what age we are. I think that's the most important message today is some of us think we're too young, and some of us think we're too old to do anything for God anymore. And really there are no limits when we say “God use me.” We all want to live a full life and be used by God.

I want to say a prayer for you because I think that God has a lot more He's going to do through you, Austin.

AG: Thank you.

SSC: Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for this remarkable young man. Thank You for what You have already done through His life. But I also thank You for the amazing things that You are going to continue to do through his entire life. Those were prophetic words when people said God is going to use you, Austin. God, You are using him and I know You will continue to use him. May we follow his example and have the same courage that Austin has shown us, to step out in faith and be used by You. Thank You Lord, Amen. Thank you, Austin.

AG: Thank you so much.

SSC: And I'd like to acknowledge mom, dad and sister, who are here with us today. Thank you.

You can learn more about Hoops for Hope at www.hoopsofhope.org.

© Copyright Hour of Power 2009. This interview was conducted by Robert H. Schuller from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral and aired on the Hour of Power, October 4, 2009.