By Alan Hunt | Vice President of Advocacy
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Matthew Hanks. Matthew is in the process of joining our World Orphans staff as a Director of Advocacy. I first met Matthew and his wife, Amelia, in Ethiopia, where he and his family were finalizing details for the adoption of their son, Kaleb. I am not sure how Matt found out that a World Orphans team was staying at this particular guesthouse, but it seems that God surely orchestrated that unlikely meeting in order to start a conversation. That conversation has allowed me to see and hear Matt’s heart for the orphan and vulnerable child and to understand the journey that He has Matt on.
Matt met Amelia while in Haiti. Matt describes it like this:
“Having met (Amelia) on a mission trip to Haiti where we worked with orphans, it’s remarkable to look back and see the common thread that God has woven into our story; poured into the foundation of our marriage. The Lord’s command to take care of the needs of the orphan has always been very near to our hearts, and we’ve often felt that we would be involved in orphan care at some level.”
Matt and Amelia attended the Christian Alliance for Orphans Conference in California following our meeting in Ethiopia as God continued to prompt Matt to take the next step. I met with him here in Colorado a few weeks later and had the pleasure of hearing more of Matt’s story of how God keeps stirring his soul with a sense of yearning to do more.
Matt and Amelia are deeply involved in orphan care as adoptive parents, as orphan care small group leaders in their church, and now as advocates for the ministry of World Orphans. As a successful small business owner, Matt knows how to recruit, train and lead. I am confident that Matt will make a significant impact on the ministry of World Orphans.
Please join us in prayer for Matt and his family as he goes through the process of training and raising personal support to join our staff.
You can read more about Matt’s journey at: http://mattandamelia.wordpress.com.