Jack Eans has worked in international poverty relief and development for over 30 years. But what Jack remembers most is that day at age 18 when he found himself crying before God after seeing images of children in Africa with no food. Abandoned by his father and as a foster child in his teens, Jack felt a connection and a calling to do something to help children. He had no idea what to do but even then he sensed it would be a journey to his own belonging.

After some military service and graduating with a teaching degree, Jack attended a mission conference where many of the great leaders of the faith were presenting, including Billy Graham. But it was a little old lady by the name of Elisabeth Elliot whose words pierced his soul and convinced Jack to become a missionary. That journey found him in Botswana as a Bible translator among the Kalanga tribe. In his 20’s and 30’s as a missionary in South Africa, Jack witnessed the horrors of apartheid but also saw first hand the hope in 1994 of a nation newly created. This was also the time HIV-AIDS was wiping out families all around him. Jack found himself in a unique position of helping to launch Focus on the Family and Promise Keepers at a time when South African families needed God the most.

Soon after doors opened for Jack to work more directly with children and families living in poverty. Jack worked in executive leadership roles with Compassion International, One Child Matters, and most recently with Horizon Initiative. These roles lead him to work in over 30 countries all over Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Jack personally refers to these days as working with the “forgotten children:” orphans affected by AIDS, war, poverty, child labor, and the worst nightmare of children trafficked for sex. He witnessed the devastation of typhoons in the Philippines, war in Gaza, political violence in Kenya, AIDS in Zimbabwe, and the earthquake in Haiti. Many times through these years Jack found himself wondering if God was in any of it. There was so much pain.

Renewed hope came in the form of working directly with orphans in Kenya, Honduras, and Guatemala as well as helping mothers living below the poverty line in Zambia to reach financial sustainability so they could keep their children at home. Remembering his own childhood of separation and hopelessness, God allowed Jack to focus on one thing: preserving children in families. Though separation happens, God’s plan for each child has always been family in some form where they can be loved, protected, and find hope in the Father who adopts them into His family.

In this most recent journey he was blessed to meet Mwita Chacha. Jack and Mwita connected on several filming projects in Kenya and Guatemala, telling these stories of hope. There was instant synergy, purpose, and friendship. One of Jack’s favorite moments with Mwita was at about 15,000 feet among the cliffs of Mt. Kilimanjaro where Mwita told Jack the whole story of his father, family, and what is now known as HopeCo.

Jack now lives in southern Utah with his wife Ana. After Jack left Horizon, it has been what Jack calls his “desert” time, wandering and wondering if the Lord had any further use for him in that calling from so long ago. During this difficult time, Mwita reached out and they reconnected on the topic of HopeCo again. Jack considers it pure joy and a privilege to be asked to serve on the HopeCo Board where he hopes to simply offer any wisdom, experience, and hope he can to help HopeCo continue to be a transformative experience in the lives of the children and families in Kenya, Tanzania, and beyond.

Jack has 3 adult children, one in Colorado, one in Montana, and one in South Africa. His two grandchildren, Ronan and Reya, live in Cape Town. If he’s not in the mountains he hopes to be on a plane to see them. Jack has been a life-long mountaineer having climbed all of the highest peaks in Colorado and Kilimanjaro twice. But the love of his life is his wife Ana, who he met in Honduras. Now 15 years later, she continues to be God’s gift to his childhood prayer of what it means to belong. God-willing he hopes to serve HopeCo’s children on their own journey to belonging.