History

In 1980 as principal of Garland Christian School in Garland Texas, Ray was challenged by a missionary to get the school kids involved in missions. That year Ray and Leah led their first mission team to Mt. Hebron Bible Institue in Monterrey, Mexico. The Hansen's continued to host mission teams annually, then bi-annually, then quarterly until The Hansens were asked to help with a childrens home in Jimenez, Chihuahua. After their first year in Jimenez, Ray and Leah attended language school at Rio Grande Bible Institue in Edinburg, Texas (on the border of Texas and Mexico). While in language school the need on the border became evident. So in 1991 Ray went to Reynosa city officials and requested permission to start a childrens home in their city. Soon after the city of Reynosa donated a plot of land to build Hogar de Ninos Rio Bravo.

Now the hard part, locating the plot of land which proved to be very challenging. After hiring two survey teams, the land was discovered, covered in garbage, cactus and scrub bushes. There were no roads, no electricity or running water, and no sewer system. Contruction of the childrens home started immedialty. Mission teams cleared the land and cleaned up the garabage. The cement for the foundation of the first home was mixed by hand with water that was carried in from the home of Christian neighbors two blocks away. "This was the beginning of faith-building in our lives and in the lives of those who would help make this children's home" says the Hansens. Today the childrens home that started on a trash dump is considered "The model for children's homes across the state of Tamaulipas". This statement was recently made by the Director of Social Services for the State of Tamaulipas