He who calls you is faithful.

Updated: Jun 23, 2019

First thoughts and reflections on life at Vida Sana Emmanuel

So here I am! Finally at the location I have occupied so much brain space thinking about. I spent time building hopes for what this experience would be like, how I would grow, and what things I would take away from my time here. Little did I know that much of my well-organized box of ideas would be shaken up...but reorganized in an even better way!

¡Llegamos!

After an overnight flight to Guatemala City and a 4+ hour bus ride to the mountains (oh, and a taxi ride, too!), I arrived with much anticipation at Vida Sana!

I'm not sure if 'overwhelmed' or 'underwhelmed' would be a better word to describe my original emotions upon opening the taxi door and glancing around the place where I was planning to spend the next month of my summer. The mission compound was smaller and much less developed than I had pictured. The sanatarium was supposedly under construction, which basically meant it was a collection of cement pillars and protruding rebar. The bakery was a set of two tables in the corner of the room that also served as the kitchen. Due to a recent water shortage, there was no running water. Also, there were very few students and staff...3 students and 4 staff (plus one other American short-term missionary) to be exact. I remember thinking, "Oh man, I don't know if I can stay sane here for an entire 4 weeks!" To make matters worse, after asking around, I still had not gotten any real answers about what I would be doing to help in the coming days. It seemed like all the bases had been covered. Everyone had their job and plenty of time to sit around and chat too. Since there weren't many people at Vida Sana, everyone had already formed close connections. I knew it would take a lot of effort for them to connect with a pseudo-Spanish speaker who was only going to be there for a handful of weeks--effort they might not want to make. And if I couldn't talk or practice Spanish that was a big item on the list that was going to be left unchecked.

As a "doer," the situation became discouraging pretty quickly. I mean, if I wasn't here to DO anything, why exactly had I come all this way and put myself in this situation. What about that list? I had things I planned to learn, skills I planned to practice, people I wanted to make an effort to connect with.

But before I could let my mind go down that thought path too far for too long I decided to take a walk. I knew before even starting the trip that I would feel this way, so I wasn't too surprised by my emotions. "You're gonna have to just wait it out for at least a week and settle in," I had told myself. I was not about to throw in the towel quite yet. I knew that experiencing so many unexpected things had upset my peace and that I had better get it back sooner than later. I took a stroll around the Adventist elementary school campus nearby and peered through some of the craft-covered windows. "Vacant. Hmmm...seems to be a trend around...Annalise! Ok wait, let's re-evaluate this situation. Just because things aren't going the way you wanted doesn't mean you have to write the whole thing off as a failure. Especially after barely an hour...."

That thought stopped me in my tracks. Wait...how I wanted? That wasn't really the goal in the first place, was it? Yes, sure, I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish during this time, but fundamentally this was a trip led by God's calling and dedicated to developing skills for service. I had prayed for God's leading and followed the doors He opened. Did I think a trustworthy and loving Father would open doors to failure?

Deuteronomy 31:8 flashed through my mind: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Several lines from the song Be Still My Soul also came to mind: "Leave to thy God to order and provide. In every change He faithful will remain...Be still my soul, thy God doth undertake to guide the future as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake."

This was my moment to choose. Was I going to take God at His word when He said that not only was He with me now, but that He also had gone before me and had a plan for my time here? Was I going to walk forward in gratitude and hopefulness or get bogged down by discouragement. There definitely seemed like a clear best option. I decided I’d move ahead one step at a time. That’s the way God had led me here and this was my chance to continue walking in faith. Why turn an adventure into a nightmare anyway?

¡Nunca te fallaré!

And now I could tell you honestly a dozen little (big) ways God showed me He was with me throughout the next 24 hours, but I'll just keep it to a couple of my favorites.

Later that afternoon I went with Vanessa (one of the Vida Sana staff members) and Joshua (the other American) to the outdoor market downtown. After a couple hours of walking along streets filled with produce, street food, and several vendors we hopped onto a bus to catch a ride back to Vida Sana. As I sat down, I glanced across the front of the bus and my eyes caught two stickers. I blinked. "Did I see that right?" The stickers had Bible verses that also happened to be about the only two I had memorized in Spanish. One was Deuteronomy 31:8 and the other Genesis 28:15, "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Thanks, God. I hear you.

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Gen. 28:15

The next morning I found myself cuddled on the bed with two of my roommates (Lesvia and Brenda) at 4 am. Before going to the kitchen each morning, we start the day having devotionals together. That morning we flipped through the Himnario Adventista and croaked out A Jesús Entrega Todo with our morning voices before studying the Sabbath School lesson together. We spent time talking about and thanking God for His blessings. We asked Him to continue to bless His work being done at Vida Sana through the food we would prepare that day. Recharged, we marched off to the kitchen. Brenda put on her favorite YouTube playlist and beautiful notes floated out the window as the sunlight was just about to filter in.

Upon arrival, I had been concerned about being able to connect with the few volunteers that were here, but that fear completely shattered in those early morning hours. In the short time since I had met Lesvia and Brenda I had felt 100% warmly welcomed and comfortable. Something told me connecting would not be anything I needed to worry about.

(Seeing the total shift in my perspective that morning also re-taught me the magical wonders of sleep. It's a game-changer for sure!)

A few hours later, I also received a text from a friend saying that they were praying for me and specifically asking that God's faithfulness would be evident. The text ended with this verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:24: "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."

Especially in the middle of a whirlwind of newness, there truly is power in prayer and encouragement. Don't let a day go by without sharing those gifts with someone. It may just be the still small voice they were needing to hear!

"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." 1 Thes. 5:24

It didn't take long for God to show me the purpose He has for me in the next few weeks. (I'll save that for the next post, since this one has already gotten pretty long!) Some of it involves things I expected, and some of it has exceeded my expectations. A lot of it has been humbling. But above all, I know that I don't have to know exactly what the next few weeks will hold but that when my prayer is "Make me a blessing," God is faithful to direct me to the next errand He has for me.

Entonces...

So here I am! This week (well, actually way longer than that!) I've been on the receiving end of so much of God's goodness that I can't help but share from the overflow of blessings. In response to God's faithfulness, it's my privilege to share my story. In a world where faith may seem radical, irrelevant, or foolish, I am here to say that God is calling you to seguir adelante--to keep walking. God is faithful to redefine your purpose no matter the situation. He is faithful to be beside you in every change. He’s just waiting to show you how good He is. And seriously, His adventures are 100% worth investing in!