Journey to Salvation is a new department featuring stories of newcomers to Canada and their paths to becoming Salvationists in our territory.

In the midst of the pandemic in 2021, Ana Lavie and her husband, Santiago Vaca, moved from Ecuador to Canada with their son, Matias. At the time, Matias was reaching school age, and Ana wanted better educational opportunities for him.

“I couldn’t afford to pay for school back home,” says Ana, who worked in human resources at the time, but struggled to make ends meet. Santiago worked as a salesperson with better pay, but his job required him to work 12 hours a day. “Even with that, it was hard to survive. We needed more stability. So, we made the difficult decision to come to Canada.”

Upon settling in Winnipeg, Ana enrolled at the University of Manitoba to study human resource management. Meanwhile, Santiago secured a construction job so that they could meet the requirements for their provincial nominee application. “We came here without knowing anybody, and my husband didn’t even know much English,” says Ana.

Today, Ana works as an administrative assistant at the Winnipeg Centre of Hope and her family attends Southlands Community Church. “God always has a better plan,” she says. “We have grown from this—as individuals, but also as a family.”

The Best Decision

Despite her extensive experience and qualifications back home, Ana found herself starting anew in Winnipeg. After she graduated from her program in 2022, a neighbour introduced Ana to the Centre of Hope, where she applied for an administrative assistant position.

“In the interview, they knew that I was overqualified for the position, having five years in HR and two degrees. But I explained that I was starting out in this new country, still learning the culture, the rules, and how businesses are run here,” says Ana, who asked that they allow her to start in this position so that she could learn from it and have an opportunity to grow within The Salvation Army. “It was the best decision I could have made.”

For Ana, The Salvation Army provided more than just employment; it offered a sense of community and belonging, and slowly introduced her to life as a Christian.

“Being in an environment where people were talking about God made me become more curious about Christianity,” says Ana, who often sought answers from her colleagues at the Centre of Hope. “I would say, ‘I know it’s not work-related, but can you answer this question about God for me?’ And everyone would stop what they were doing to openly give the answer.”

After a year, Ana and her family began attending church services at Southlands Community Church. Matias was amazed at the things he learned in Sunday school and quickly became a junior soldier. Ana became a volunteer, helping newcomers navigate the same complex immigration process she had experienced herself, and inviting others to attend church as she had.

“I understand the system and how hard it can be to come here without anybody to help guide you through it,” she says. Now, Ana and Santiago are senior soldiers at the corps and plan to attend the Explore Your Call weekend in October to learn more about full-time ministry in The Salvation Army.

A Growing Kingdom

According to Captain Norm Porter, who was the corps officer at Southlands Community Church until June 2024, the corps is an exciting place to serve because of its rich diversity and an eagerness among the congregants to serve Jesus.

“It has been amazing to see God at work in the life of the corps, especially through newcomers,” he says. Recently, he was reminded that the new growth within the church is the work of God when a woman who could not speak English shared a message with him through a translation app. “I don’t understand what is being said, but I come because I feel God’s presence close to me here; it makes me feel happy,” she told Captain Porter.

As a newcomer herself, Ana helped Captain Porter have a better understanding of the needs of people new to Canada. “Her family became a vital part of the Southlands community,” says Captain Porter. “Ana and Santiago will jump in where needed and always with a spirit of joy.”

What Life Should Be

Back home in Ecuador, Ana never attended church. Though her mother is Catholic, she found it difficult to believe in following a religious lifestyle when the church environment was often corrupt.

“It is hard to give to the church when you are struggling to pay your rent, and you don’t know what they are doing with that money,” she explains. “So, when we came to Canada, we realized that there are churches like The Salvation Army that provide help without asking for money back. They share the love of Christ just by giving to and helping others.”

In only a few years, God has become the pillar of Ana’s family. Now, their bedtime routine consists of the three of them sitting together, reading their Bibles and getting to know the Word of God.

“It wasn’t like that before,” says Ana. “I’m really happy about what is happening in our lives and our spiritual development. Knowing that my son understands right and wrong, and that God is with him, I know that I am providing him with a foundation of what life should be.”

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