Commit your way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will act.
Psalm 37:5
Hello, my name is Valerie Töws and I have been in Bolivia since September 2022 to serve my Lord here with what He has given me!
But how did I get here? For as long as I can remember, my mother always took my siblings and me to church services, so I was ‘integrated’ into church life almost from birth. One evening, after an evangelistic children’s service, I was able to come to faith at the age of about four, with my mother’s help. I can still remember today how free and joyful I felt afterwards! But as I grew older, I neglected my fellowship with God; our relationship suffered, and I began to lead a ‘double life’. For a long time, I was tormented by the thought that the way I presented myself in the church did not reflect my inner state. Yet one day, God’s Word struck me particularly deeply. It was a week before Easter in 2018. The sermon during the service was about Jesus’ suffering, and I couldn’t get it out of my mind that the holy God had given Himself up for me, a sinful person, out of love. That evening, I simply couldn’t help but surrender myself to Him anew!
Professionally, I had similar goals to most people: to finish school, complete a good apprenticeship and then start working. I kept the possibility of serving in Bolivia in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t on the cards for me just yet. At first, everything went according to plan and I was already in the middle of an apprenticeship when the pandemic threw a spanner in the works. I stopped my training and started looking around for a new opportunity. I had to discard one idea after another; I became increasingly disheartened and even began to doubt whether I’d made the right choice with the training back then. I asked God why all this had to happen, and simply didn’t know what to do next. During this time, it was announced in our church that workers were urgently needed in Bolivia and that we should look into this opportunity. Gradually, my thoughts began to turn towards Bolivia, but I was still unsure. Yet God showed me, through reports and through fellow believers who spoke to me about it, that I was meant to work for Him right here. As soon as I had that clarity, it wasn’t long before the journey began.
Now I am privileged to live here in the Paurito Old Colony, where I teach at the ‘New School’, sing in the choir at the ‘Sommerfeld’ congregation, and do whatever God places before me.
God has wisely guided my life, and it is exactly right that I am in this very place at this very moment to serve Him. Man plans, but God directs! To Him alone be the glory!
