A New Calling: Anna’s Story
Before Anna came to the Mission, she couldn’t stop re-reading Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness. And rivers in the desert.”
Anna desperately wanted God to do something new with her life. Her body was worn down after a two-week stint in the hospital, and she hadn’t been able to make ends meet since she lost her job during COVID. When her friend’s house where Anna was staying sold, she had nowhere to go. Everything felt hopeless. “The word homeless scared me. I didn’t want to accept it,” she admits.
With no alternative, Anna reluctantly allowed her friend to drive her to the Mission for a tour, and to her surprise, Anna felt at peace. In September 2021, Anna returned with all her possessions packed in her car. “The moment I got in the parking lot, I broke down,” she admits. It had been a long journey of disappointments, but Anna believed now might finally be the time for which she hoped. As Isaiah 43:19 promised, something new was springing forth.
After working in the kitchen for three months as her job for the Discipleship program, Anna’s love for cooking was reignited, and she immediately enrolled in a culinary training course.
After graduation, Anna applied for a dream job — but didn’t get it. Instead, she accepted a position at Publix, working with the fryer.
It was a process for Anna to accept that her new life didn’t start with a launch into culinary greatness. But lessons from her Victorious Life Class and a weekend women’s retreat at the Mission reminded her not to rate her successes by the world’s standards. She believes God placed her at Publix for a reason and says serving Him is where true success comes from.
Her biggest success at the Mission: she’s ready to leave. In January, she will be moving out into an apartment of her very own. Your step of faith by giving to the Mission is what brought Anna to this new beginning, and she couldn’t be more thankful. “You are investing in people’s future…in people’s lives, in transformation,” Anna asserts.
To Anna, your support is life or death. Through you, Anna escaped the fears, uncertainties, and dangers of homelessness. And in its place, she found restoration and purpose through Christ at the Mission.
Lately, Anna hasn’t been reading Isaiah 43:19. Instead, she has felt God speaking through Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God worked through your gifts to bring goodness to Anna’s life. And now, with a new calling in her heart and strengthened trust in God, Anna is prepared for the days ahead. She knows in every season, through the good and the bad, He is guiding her toward His best.
