“Channi's notes were so loving and encouraging. As I read them, I felt like the most important woman in the world!”
If you met Ana Maria today, you might have a hard time believing that not long ago, this vibrant woman was so stressed and depressed that she spent most of her time in bed.
Before Ana Maria became ill, she had joined a class to learn healthy cooking at a Life Hope Center, or urban center of influence, in Santiago, Chile. The class was taught by a One Year in Mission volunteer named Channi. The two women became friends, and when Channi moved to a new Life Hope Center to teach, she invited Ana Maria to attend the class there. But Ana Maria didn’t come.
Channi was concerned about Ana Maria and often called her to see how she was doing. Although Ana Maria never answered her phone, Channi didn’t give up. She prayed earnestly for Ana Maria and sent her many messages.
One day, when Ana Maria was feeling a little better, she decided to look at her messages. “I couldn’t believe how many I had from Channi,” she said. “They were so loving and encouraging. As I read them, I felt like the most important woman in the world!”
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Channi’s persistent care deeply touched Ana Maria. The next time Channi called her, she answered her phone. She decided to go to a cooking class and enjoyed her experience at the center so much that she signed up for two language classes and a Bible class!
One day, Ana Maria shared with Channi that she hadn’t been sleeping well because of her depression and stress. Channi prayed with Ana Maria about the problem and invited her to start praying too. Ana Maria prays every day now, sharing her struggles with Jesus and seeking His help. She says she not only sleeps well now but feels a peace that she’s never known.
Ana Maria is grateful for the ministry of the Life Hope Center and the One Year in Mission volunteers who serve there. And she no longer spends her days sleeping. “I feel like a different person,” she says. “I’ve learned that God is with me and that He’s guiding my life. I’m so happy now!”
The Lo Prado Life Hope Center is located in Santiago, the capital city of Chile. Its ministry, overseen by Pastor Abraham Cabezas, is supported by several One Year in Mission volunteers and the members and staff of the local Seventh-day Adventist church and school.
Life Hope Centers
Adventist Mission supports wholistic mission to the cities. This includes a rapidly growing number of Life Hope Centers or urban centers of influence, that serve as platforms for putting Christ’s method of ministry into practice. The centers provide an ideal opportunity for Total Member Involvement in outreach that suits each person’s spiritual gifts and passions. To learn more about Life Hope Centers, please visit MissionToTheCities.org.