Some of you will remember the Hanson family from a couple years ago, when they were our OJL featured family. They are saying ‘Yes’ again. This time to being a forever family to a little boy who’s birth mom said yes to life. Jim and Jessica Hanson have been married for over 20 years. After God blessed them with 2 biological sons early in their marriage, they thought they were “done” having children. However, God had other plans for them. In the past 10 years, God has given them a passion for orphaned and abandoned children and a heart for adoption.

In 2005, they began preparing for some short-term missions work to help clean up after Hurricane Katrina. This trip lead to more opportunities to serve and several missions trips to Honduras to help build an orphanage, where they were later asked to consider being the directors. This was not God’s will for them at the time, but put them on the path of adoption.

Over the next 2+ years, they pursued adoption from Honduras, the US foster care system, and ultimately the International Special Needs adoption program, where in March of 2011, they adopted triplet daughters from Colombia. Upon returning home from Colombia, they believed their “mission/ministry” was raising these three beautiful little ladies.

In the spring of 2013, Jim and Jessica felt called to do a short-term mission trip to Guatemala. While there, God began to stir in them a desire to move to Guatemala to help a missionary friend start and run an orphanage. Amazingly, God provided and Jim and Jessica packed up their family of 7 and moved to Guatemala to be missionaries September 2013, just 6 months after God put it in their hearts.

The family lived and worked in Guatemala for 2 school years, returning to the States June of 2015. Prior to returning, God began to plant a seed in their hearts about heading home and beginning the adoption process. Little did they know that a child was in need of a home just weeks after their home study was complete. Liam joined their family the end of 2015.

Just a year after Liam joined the family, Jim and Jessica felt led to update their home study and be available for a mom who would choose life. Nine months passed without a nibble and they began to think they would be at peace to walk away (not renew home study) if not chosen by September. No sooner had they said that out loud 😊, and they were chosen by a birth mom. Little Samuel was born August 29!

Thank you for partnering with the Orphan Justice Center and OJL to bring sons and daughters home! Your monthly gifts are making a world of difference in the lives of orphaned children.

“I wanted something to live and die for. I wanted something to breathe and to bleed for. I’m not interested in trying to figure out ways to make my life safe and preserve my comfort.”

– Derek Loux