The principal called his friend Armand Morsen in desperation. A group of high-school boys in Paramaribo, Suriname (a small country in South America), had become so disruptive and rebellious that their teachers could no longer control them.
"They didn't want to listen to their teachers anymore," says Armand, who leads Cru in Suriname. "They didn't want to do their homework; they didn't want to pay attention in class. Most of the parents couldn't control their kids anymore, and one of the guys, Robby, was even beating his mother regularly."
So Armand came to school and began teaching the 14 boys the CrossRoads curriculum, a character-based strategy using Jesus as a model.
After a few lessons, the boys' behavior began to change. Robby stopped beating his mother and became motivated to study.
Armand saw a change in each of the boys' lives. "Some of them said the most influential lesson was when they realized that God made them unique," says Armand, "and that they were special because of that. It motivated them to go on."
At the end of the school year, all but 2 from the original class of 30 graduated to the next grade. Seeing the dramatic change in the boys, the other teachers requested the CrossRoads curriculum for their classrooms, and CrossRoads has spread to other schools.
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