Ana’s Testimony

My name is Ana. I’m 37 years old and a single mom to a 10-year-old daughter named Ana Valentina. I call her Valentina, but she wants everyone to call her Ana—just like her mom—which, of course, makes me very happy! I currently lead our Ambassador’s program, where I walk with teenagers in their final three years of secondary school and continue with them into their young adult years.

The past few months have been difficult as both my daughter and I have faced health problems. We have each been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. This has been frustrating, and I find myself wrestling with the irony of it: How can our own bodies—created perfectly by a perfect God—turn against us?

In the middle of this season, as my daughter and I adjust to changes in our health, establish new routines, and learn to care for ourselves differently, I feel that God is showing me how He cares for families through the people He has placed around me in our Community at Esperanza de Ana. I see grandparents delighting in their grandchildren, young people sharing their faith with confidence, parents and children serving together in ministry, and husbands standing beside their wives as they serve—even when they may not fully understand what ministry involves, they are there.

These glimpses of people loving, supporting, and serving alongside one another give me hope. When I see how God cares for those who serve Him and for their families, I am reminded that He is also at work within my own family—my first ministry. I have had fears about my future and my daughter’s future, but these examples fill me with joy, hope, and confidence that God is at work in both of our lives. I know He has not forgotten my dreams, plans, and desires.

I am still learning to trust God, even when I do not understand. Please pray that He will guard my mind from oppressive thoughts and give me the peace, strength, and grace I need to trust Him. Please also pray for my daughter’s physical health and my own as we walk through this together.