She stood before me, tall and stately, with raven black hair and beautiful white teeth framed by her warm smile.Wide innocent eyes overflowed with the purity that comes from inner joy.

I felt welcomed and somehow less awkward as I arrived at the strange meeting place of the house church. It was an American Legion Hall. Pictures of veterans lined the walls. A piano was in the corner and stackable chairs were arranged in several rows in the center of the room.

Discomfort
The barrenness reinforced my discomfort at visiting that strange new church. She had approached us with the grace of a deer—head held high—and a hug just waiting to happen.

Her own past feelings of cultural rejection were her driving force to prevent anyone else from every being a cultural misfit in her sphere of influence.

Her arrival to Iowa
Ana often thinks back to those former days when she first arrived in Iowa. She spoke little English and was self-conscious about her pronunciation. Her husband, Steve, said “Either speak English or not at all,” in the hopes of helping her with a quicker transition. Silence ruled for a season, until he realized his mistake. She would “come around” in her own time. She could not be forced. There were just too many changes all at once. He understood and was compassionate.

Different expectations
Brought up in a Christian home in Latin America, Ana came to the United States as a young bride of a North American Iowan. She had met Steve a few years earlier while he was on a singing tour in Mexico. She arrived in the U.S. expecting the warmth of Latin America. Instead, she found Americans who pride themselves in being goal-oriented and driven – in a place where the pace is fast, where much is accomplished and often people and relationships are left in the dust. Peace is often only a word associated with the ‘60’s revolution.

People tried to help
At church, people tried to help. They befriended Ana, but they had never had to deal with adapting to another language and culture and a new marriage all at the same time. They wanted to understand. They wanted to help. One woman took her on errands and spoke very loudly, as though Ana were deaf, not just unable to understand some of the idiosyncrasies of the English language. Happily, they can both laugh about that now, but it was a difficult time of adjustment for Ana. She missed her family and the lifestyle that had been comfortable because it was familiar.

Ambassador for Christ
How far she had come. Rather than making her bitter, these challenges have made Ana a wonderful ambassador for Christ in Iowa. Last summer, Ana and Steve taught VBS Spanish classes at a large neighboring church. Ana teaches Spanish in her basement classroom to children and adults, and was recently commissioned to teach ESL classes for the local college. She has “come around” in her time, and with the help of the Lord, just as her husband had believed. She is courageous.

A brave overcomer
Ana is a radiant Christian, very in tune with the “underdog”, and kind to the quiet wallflowers. Lonely people are drawn to her like a magnet. She loves those who feel awkward and out of place. Those who feel left out don’t feel that way for long with Ana around. She has “overcome” and is an instrument of God to help others overcome, too.

Our world needs more Anas.

—First published in Latin American Evangelist, January-March, 1999

God bless you bunches!
Thank you for all you do!
Awaiting His shout,


The MomCourager™