Valerie (of Calvary Chapel Boston) spent the past five months serving in Guatemala with the Potter’s Field IGNITE Program. Over that course of time, she has gotten to closely know many of the children who attend Kids Club in Antigua. One of these girls is sweet, eight-year-old Sofia.
“To those who pray for her all over the world, Sofia wanted to say thank you. She truly has a heart of gratitude for what you may be sacrificing, whether that is your time in prayer or helping financially. From the bottom of her heart, she wants to thank you for your prayers, for helping her learn more about Jesus, and for the wonderful opportunity to be able to come to a place to partake in fellowship with other Christians.”
Sofia Armas is the kind of girl you just can’t miss at Kids Club. She is beautiful both inside and out and the passion in her heart for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, beams from her face. Although she is quiet, her personality cannot be missed. Every week Sofia attends Kids Club with her mother and grandmother. She is always one of the first to volunteer to pray or to help with other activities. She can always be found dancing in the front row with her whole heart. Her mother and grandmother enjoy dancing with her from the back of the room. The joy of the Lord fills not only her life but her family’s life as well. All three of them attend church at Calvary Chapel Antigua which allows for the incredible opportunity and privilege to see them on Sundays.
Through growing in a relationship with not only Sofia but also her family over the past eight months, I have learned more about what love is. Every time I see them, Sofia, her mother, and grandmother go out of their way to see how I am doing because they genuinely care. Early in my field time I fell and ended up in a cast. The love that they showed me at that time was in abundance. All of them continue to check up on me every week to see how the healing process is going. Their love encourages me to go deeper with the people around me. I am more on the quiet, reserved side and I tend to avoid conversation; but because of their love and their willingness to always talk I am encouraged to step more out of my comfort zone.
Outside of Kids Club, Sofia is a very busy eight-year-old. Just to name a few of her hobbies, she has a love for art, hip-hop dancing, and learning the piano. Despite being busy with all of her extra activities she also keeps her grades in school very high; she even loves to study in her free time.
Sofia has a passion for the Lord and doesn’t know exactly when the Lord came into her heart, but she knows that He is dwelling within her. God is her Father, and she realizes her deep need for Him in her life. Genesis is her favorite Bible book. She loves to read and continuously learn what the Lord has for her in His word. Learning about how the Lord is the Creator of all is something that fascinates her and strengthens her walk with Him.
Two years ago, Sofia’s mother heard of Kids Club through a few of her friends. Since then she has been coming almost every Wednesday. Sofia’s life has been impacted by the works of the Lord through Kids Club. She has been changed by the relationship with the Lord that she has learned to have at Kids Club with the help of the God-driven teachers of the Word. Learning how to speak the Word is also an amazing thing that she is learning how to do more of.