We aren’t going to get into every gritty detail of our story (our journey of becoming a family of three instead of three individuals!) and for the sake of our sons privacy (it is HIS story and he will tell it one day! ) we will briefly summarize our little fairy tale.

The three of us- Jacob, Stephanie, and our little African blessing, all met in Uganda in 2013!

It was an immense, immediate and indescribable bond!

We fell in love.  instantly.  *sigh!!

Since that day we have been through more obstacles, and ups and downs than we ever thought possible! Soaring highs, and deep, dark, lows… we have been a family of three living on two continents, parents without their child, and it has been a long agonizing journey to say the least.  ( There were actually four of us at one point, but we haven’t summoned up the strength to write about that experience yet, its too fresh still…)

There have been many crisis and many health scares, many, many broken bones (sadly I’ve lost count) and I think all of our hearts have just about had it! But we rejoice in the Lord for He has brought us this far, and he will not leave us now!!!  We are getting closer, we can feel it, and we are simultaneously experiencing desperate longing, and motivated hope for the near future.

Unless there is a Christmas miracle around the corner we are not aware of, 2016 will be our year!!  This is our season!

Since 2013 when it all began, we have gotten married, started our ministry, bought a house, and built an orphanage.  Although it seemed like a long, drawn out, torturous journey, God had a plan.  We couldn’t see where it would all line up on a path, but it did, and now were here!  And although we can barely see where that plan is going in the future, ( I’m over here straining my neck and squinting trying to see) We know God is working all things together for our good.  HE WILL MAKE A WAY!!! Hallelujah!

The holidays are rough for us, missing him and wishing he was here, and he is currently getting ready to have both of his legs operated on, they can’t seem to stop breaking.  We just want him to be happy, healthy, and in our home where we can give him the love and care he needs to thrive and grow into the wonderful man of God he will become!  He is twelve years old, and will be a man in no time!

We have never met a person like our son, who seems to be the most fragile human on the planet, but simultaneously the strongest, and most courageous.  We are already forever blessed to have known him, and will be unfathomably proud to call him OURS!! 

I think that is enough for now, those pesky little tears are in the corner of my eyes again! Please contact us if you are interested in supporting us in any way, we need all the help we can get!  LETS DO THIS!!!

update 1.1.16-fundraising page!

https://www.youcaring.com/jacob-stephanie-hanks-adoption-fund-505653

&

tshirt fundraiser!

https://www.bonfirefunds.com/hanks-family-adoption