Susanna Isaac: A Voice of Hope for Fernheim

“We never will know what will come of it when we help someone. Should we stop to think about it and see if it makes sense? We just need to help, because before God it is our duty and because people need our help.” – Susanna Isaac

When we talk about resilience, we often think of survival. But in the case of Susanna Isaac, resilience meant vision, tireless work, and an unwavering faith in God’s plan—even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

From Russia to Paraguay: The Call to Serve

In 1928, after completing her nurse training and two years of Bible school, Susanna stood at a crossroads. Stalin’s Five-Year Plan had begun, and the collectivization of farms spelled disaster for countless Mennonite families in Russia. Immigration quotas blocked access to North America. The door seemed to be closing.

But in the middle of global instability, a bold plan was forming: relocation to Paraguay. Two thousand Mennonites were sent to the wild, undeveloped Chaco—a place with no infrastructure, only dense bushland and blistering heat. Most saw hardship. Susanna saw purpose.

One of her first remarks upon stepping onto Paraguayan soil was: “Hia feelt to kultiviere”—"This place needs to be cultivated." Her words became prophetic. What followed was a lifetime of sacrificial service rooted in faith.

Faith in Action: Healing, Building, Enduring

Susanna arrived to find settlers already defeated by the harsh Chaco conditions. Faces weathered by sun and setbacks greeted her. Some were already turning back. But Susanna pressed on—resolute in her calling.

With her father advocating for healthcare in the new colony, Susanna threw herself into medical service. A hospital was eventually built, but just as it opened, the Chaco War broke out between Paraguay and Bolivia. Instead of fleeing, Susanna adapted. She transformed the new facility into a war hospital, treating not just her people but wounded soldiers as well.

During one attack, she refused to evacuate, choosing instead to stay by her patients’ bedsides.

Later, in Germany, Susanna would meet the very pilots who had flown the warplanes overhead. She had survived their bullets—only to turn her survival into a legacy of service.

The Nurse Who Did Everything

There are too many stories to tell. The time she disinfected a dirt floor with carbolic acid to perform an emergency leg amputation. Or how she grew papayas and shared her banana harvest to promote healthy living. She taught settlers to grind chicken eggshells for calcium when resources were scarce.

One particularly touching story involved an abandoned Indigenous baby. Susanna was told not to waste her energy. But she stayed—praying, nursing, and eventually saving the child’s life. That child grew up to become a leader in his community.

Beyond Medicine: A Library, Ice Cream, and Harmonicas

When modern medical services replaced her work, Susanna didn’t slow down. She built a library, starting with 500 books and growing it to over 7,000. To fund it, she churned homemade ice cream and sold it in a small parlor. She even arranged for harmonicas to be imported from Germany—a musical thread connecting the settlers to their roots.

When the shipment was delayed for months, she asked her prayer group to intercede. The next day, the harmonicas arrived.

A Life Poured Out

Susanna nearly reached her dream of turning 100. Just before her passing, she looked around and asked, “This all around me is Fernheim, right?”

Resource: Frauenschicksale by Peter P. Klassen