Denitta grew up in Brazil. Her parents served Ethnos among the Ká apor people. After high school she attended Ethnos’ Bible college where she met Dave Hanna who shared her burden for unreached people groups. They were married and served with Ethnos Canada in Latin America and Papua New Guinea.
God’s Word says: Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
If God’s ways are so much higher and better than our own, it should not be surprising that we cannot always understand what God is doing or how what He allows is good. Dave and Denitta had to leave Latin America before the last two tribes heard the gospel. “God, don’t you care about the Shiriana or Yanomá peoples?” The truth is that God loves them even more than any human can. God’s Word says: 2 Peter 3:9 “God is not willing for any to perish but that all should come to repentance.”
Next God took the Hanna’s to Papua New Guinea. Denitta learned the language so that shecould share the gospel with her friends but two weeks before Bible teaching was scheduled to begin, they had to leave the country. “God, is it me? Am I the problem?
Do you desire my friends to die and go to Hell rather than hear the gospel from me?” But God had to lead her to the truth of whom God is and the truth of whom He says she is.
1 Corinthians 1:9, Amplified Bible “God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, And therefore ever true to His promise, And He can be depended on)”
Dave and Denitta resigned from Ethnos Canada and God led them to northern Manitoba. 80% of the population in their town was First Nations people. To their surprise, the people did not want to hear about the “white man’s God.” They prayed for open doors to share truth about God and Dave was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. Dave shared that God is trustworthy no matter what.
Psalm 111:1,7 “Praise the LORD… All He does is just and good.”
The people could identify with the pain of cancer and from then on Dave could share anything he wanted about God and the people would not shut him up. But Dave died a year after he was diagnosed with cancer. Truth still remains:
2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, His way is perfect.”
With open doors for Bible teaching, Denitta expected to stay and retire in Manitoba, but God did the unthinkable and asked her to move to Iowa to help care for her parents. After her Dad died, Ethnos Canada contacted her and asked if she would consider coming back to work for them as a receptionist.
Denitta laughed at them, “I would love to come and work with you, but let’s be realistic, who would support a single widowed missionary working home support?”… But that is exactly what God is doing. Denitta is excited to see what God has in mind.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declared the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Denitta desires to walk with God and be where God wants her, doing what God wants.
Psalm 86:11 “Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honour You.”