Josh and Jessica Hanson

We are missionaries to Guatemala where we serve as Directors of Casa Shalom Orphanage. We have two children, Sophia and Judah. We have served in Guatemala since 2008 after receiving the call to missions work upon graduation from Lee University.

As directors of the orphanage, we oversee the care and raising of 75 children who come from all across Guatemala to find safety and shelter. Children come to Casa Shalom after having been abused, abandoned, orphaned, or severely neglected.  Here we provide them with holistic care that includes nutritious food, quality medical care, an education, job skills training, and, most importantly, the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

Our favorite missionary moment has been watching Maria graduate from college. Maria was a 12-year-old that arrived at the orphanage with her 7 younger siblings after their parents abandoned them. She’d never been to school, was completely illiterate, and was struggling to raise her siblings by herself in a 1-room shack with a dirt floor and no running water. Shortly after arriving at the orphanage, Maria began to attend school. She accepted Jesus as her Savior and become a passionate Christ-follower. She quickly made up for her lost years of schooling and graduated high school on time. Watching her graduate from college with a degree in Hospitality Management was one of the most rewarding moments of our ministry.