Emmanuel

Emmanuel- God with us. It's that time of year when we say it the most. "God with us".  Lately, I've come to understand a different spin on that Angel's proclamation. God is now with us; always. We know that's true from the words of Christ; but, how often do we live like that?  Do we really live like God is always with us? Generally, I allow the cares of this world to pull me away from God's presence; existing in a state of preoccupation of life's circumstances. Jesus not only came to save us from our future judgment, but also from our present desperation. God is with us. God is always with us. This has been my revelation. In order to live above life's circumstances, we must train our hearts and minds to dwell in God's omnipresence in our lives. He is always there. Who would argue with God's faithfulness besides the faithless?  God's presence is our greatest gift; one we Christians will enjoy not only for this Christmas, but for all eternity. Merry Christmas!  I'm going to do my best this year, to focus on what I have already received rather than what I am lacking.

Our ministry down here at Grace Children's Home has changed SO much.  Melissa and I call it “Mexico 2.0”.  We moved to GCH, put our children in school (verses being home schooled) and I went back to my old job as Operations Coordinator.  With this move Melissa inherited the job as House Mom in the Babies’ Home (now called the Nursery).  She now manages four babies, three interns, four employees downstairs, as well as three kids and one husband, and a house upstairs (not to mention treating patients on Thursdays!).  My wife is one very gifted woman!  Not only is she doing a great job; she’s having fun too!  It’s awesome to see what God is doing through my wife and children.  They are very challenged, but doing great in school.  God brings us challenges and adversity as training tools; if we have the faith to trust in His process. 

 

Every day we see evidence of God's hand around us. His presence is evident in the lives of the children of GCH (and ours!) as they mature emotionally, spiritually and physically.  God is with us!

We have been down here 3 ½ years now!  Time moves by so quickly.  As 2014 comes to a close, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the support, love and encouragement you all have given us.  You have given us a gift with your prayers and financial sacrifices, enabling us to be here serving these children while serving the Lord.  Thank you!  We pray that God will richly bless you in the coming year!

The Hanson Family: Michael, Melissa, Caleb, Sarah and Nathan.

"Who opened the door?"

As I sit here reflecting over the last month, I wonder if these letters I write every other month benefit me most of all?  Years ago, before I started writing these letters, I wonder how often I sat and forced myself to think back over my recent history, examining the Lord’s miraculous work in our lives and glorying in His perfect provision?  I think I did that once a year; Thanksgiving maybe??  So, as an encouragement to you, a friend, partner in ministry (or both); I would encourage you to make time often to look back at your life.  I have been encouraging my children in the same way over the last couple months in school as they have faced challenges like never before since our move here.  We have been praying together, and I have been asking them to really look for the Lord’s blessing and work in their lives day to day.  How is God providing?  How is God moving?  Recently, we were really able to see God opening doors for us just to get the kids enrolled in school down here.  It was amazing.  The story begins with one of the school principals actually accompanying us to the office of Education in Tijuana!  There were at least five follow up trips, as the kids took placement tests and I juggled paperwork and hunted down documents.  We simply walked through the process, as I watched the Lord provide the right person in the right place at the right time every step of the way.  I could literally see the Lord making this happen.  All I did was watch.  

 In contrast, it seems as though most of the ministry we do down here would probably be better categorized as a fight.  It seems like very little comes easy.  And as I think about that, it seems like that is how it should be doesn’t it?  It should be hard.  Satan is our enemy “roaming around as a hungry lion seeking someone to devour”.  He is not here on earth playing games; he is playing for keeps.  Satan leverages our bad or ignorant choices and constructs evil strongholds in our lives that hold us captive.  Until one day, by God’s grace and conviction, He reveals to us what we’ve done.  If we repent, God rushes in and destroys the stronghold with divine weapons.  I often imagine being a warrior for God.  I can imagine myself as a soldier with a wrecking hammer running into battle for the soul of another by prayer and love.  I want to be that kind of guy.  Will you consider that with me?  Would you be open to caring enough for another to exercise discernment and begin to pray for them?  I mean REALLY pray for them; calling for the Lord to breakdown strongholds and walls of discouragement releasing them into the life of freedom and grace that God has for them.  What more could we do on Earth than that?  What else were we put on this earth for?  Could you imagine the impact that one decision would have on your marriage, your family or your friends?  What about your enemy’s? 

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor.  10:3-5

If you are anything like me (and we are friends so I know you are :))

I think you would want to fight like the person described in the text above like I do.  I want to make a difference in the lives of others.  I want my work in this life to impact eternity.  This last week, I helped coordinate the work as the Lord provided a home for a dear friend of the ministry down here.  Our friends from Westgate Church in San Jose CA, financed and sent a team of 16 guys down who worked from 8am to 7:30pm for four days to nearly complete a house for Lamberto Escobedo and his family.  That family was so blessed by that gesture, they were hardly able to speak.  They saw the Lord provide miraculously, first hand.  

The Lord has provided for me as well, as I now partner with 3 more people for the work here at Grace Children’s Home.  When the Palau’s left on furlough, I was the only missionary on site with the paid staff.  Now with Juan Strutton being named director of Orphan Care, his wife Alicia Strutton handling all things donor related (among other things); and my wife Melissa working as house Mom in the GCH Nursery (formerly known as Grace Babies’ Home); it’s a whole new world for all of us.  It is such a contrast, it almost feels like a vacation.  It is such a blessing now, living on site, working daily with my wife, working with the Strutton family, and now having the kids in school (rather than home school), it is like a whole new ministry for us down here.  “Mexico 2.0” for the Hanson Family.  God really is good isn’t He?

 

Thank you for your love and prayers; it really makes a difference. 

With sincere gratitude, The Hanson Family

Ps.  Happy Birthday Sarah Hanson!!

Rebuild

The word “Summertime” often brings different thoughts to mind in different people.  Here at Grace Children’s Home, a few things come to mind:  30 kids hanging out during the day looking for something to do (when there is not a group here :) ), lots of fun and lots of construction projects with our visiting partners. 

Sometimes construction begins with taking an existing structure down to rebuild it.  That’s what we see the Lord doing here at GCH.  With the resignation of the Palau’s and other staff changes, God is beginning to build something new in all of us here; the staff and the children.  God’s ways are perfect, and many times they are above our understanding.  When we find ourselves in situations beyond our abilities or stressed because of life’s circumstances; we are then available for the Lord to build something new in each of us.  There are so many parallels in scripture referring to this process; one example that I can relate to is John 12:24:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

When we allow the Lord free reign to work in us, it is like planting a seed in the ground.  We put our trust in the Lord to take us through the process of growing (or building) something greater in our life.  We can bail out of this process and ask Him to take the pressure off, but then we are like an unfinished building or a dead field.  If we remain confident in the Lord’s leading, trusting Him through the process, He will produce in us a “bumper crop” allowing us to minister in amounts and ways not previously possible. 

Can you identify with us in this?  God is guiding us and preparing us for an even greater harvest here at the children’s home.  We’ve enjoyed the Graduation of two of our oldest girls, Jenni and Erika.  There is a “wave” of kids behind them that are on track to do great things for God.  God is training the Hanson children as well.  In August, Caleb, Sarah and Nathan will attend the Christian school, Colegio Puerta Abierta where all the GCH kids go.  Our family is excited and nervous at the same time.  The thought of the added stress and difficulties ahead of them almost hurts as we empathize.  However, we need to trust the Lord for them too.  He loves all His children more than we possibly could anyway.

Through it all, we have seen so much blessing.  Enough grace and blessing for each day, and sometimes enough for a whole week.  We enjoyed a reunion with almost 40 family members in attendance at Morro Bay State Park over the July 4^th week.  We’ve seen the Lord provide for us miraculously as we’ve committed to putting the kids in school, we’ve experienced His healing in our bodies as Melissa and Sarah put some serious infections behind them.  We’ve seen the Lord’s hand in providing for my Dad through his surgery and now through chemo therapy.  Thankfully, Melissa’s parents are doing great.  Life has been extremely challenging and awesome at the same time.  Please continue to lift us up in prayer; the Lord is not through with us yet.

May God richly bless you as you walk in faith; Michael, Melissa, Caleb, Sarah and Nathan Hanson.

We are at War

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. -James 1:2-5

This passage of scripture would summarize our experience over the last couple months at Grace Children’s Home.  Aren’t you glad that promise is not conditional on our performance or intelligence?  It’s only dependent on our posture and our call out to God for help.  Over the last several months we Hanson’s have experienced some of our greatest staffing and health challenges ever since coming to Mexico.  At the same time, God comes through with just enough grace, healing and encouragement to keep us going.  This season has been difficult for our whole family to say the least.  An old pastor friend (Frank Gobel) called us this last weekend to encourage us and pray for us.  He said that he was sure our struggle was a spiritual battle.

What do you think you would see if God parted the veil and instantly revealed a view into the unseen spiritual world?  Would you see a bunch of fat babies with smiles and wings sitting on puffy clouds six feet off the ground playing harps?  If you don’t know, I’ll tell you now; that is NOT what you would see. 

I’ve often wished I was a better artist.  I have had a picture in my mind for a long time of what my best angel friend would look like.  He would be about seven and a half feet tall and as wide as a truck.  He would have a 150 pound double edged sword drawn, with his hands ready on the hilt and the point in the earth.  His helmet would be dented and slightly deformed from the many blows he’s resisted.  He would be bowed on one knee before Jesus with a broken nose and a grave scared face staring intently at Jesus waiting for his next mission.  He would be bruised, battered and bleeding.  He would be a warrior who fights every day.

I think any view into that world that we cannot see, yet experience every day would reveal many things to us.  We would then have an accurate understanding of the spiritual battle that is currently taking place for the souls of mankind and the war against God’s plan and his saints.  This glimpse would be life altering.  Motivating.  If you have ever stretched out in faith in your mission to fulfill God’s plan, then you know what I’m saying is real.

I love the fact that the war is already won with Jesus sacrifice and resurrection, and all we are doing now is battling it out for God’s chosen survivors.  However, make no mistake, our enemy and his minions are fierce, fighting to their deaths, because they know that they have nothing more to lose.  For them, all is already lost.  All they are doing now, is trying to gain more souls to share their misery for eternity.  That is the dismal reality.

We are so grateful to those who remember to pray with us as we fight together against evil strongholds in the lives of our children and families.  Thank you for praying against complacency and apathy for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Continue to pray for those you know, who are in the midst of “trials of many kinds”.  Prayer is our most powerful offensive weapon, because it is not only us doing the work.  When we pray, God moves.  We don’t always know how or why He chooses to do what He does; but He only moves and always moves in ways to advance His kingdom by saving the souls of men.

Thank you for your prayers, and may God richly bless you.

The Hanson Family