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ORPHAN FROM COLOMBIA USES HER STORY TO SHARE ABOUT GOD'S LOVE

ORPHAN FROM COLOMBIA USES HER STORY TO SHARE ABOUT GOD'S LOVE

“I use my story to tell others that, for those who love God, all things work together for good. I try to make people understand that we do not have to turn away from God because of difficult circumstances.”

Sofia is from Colombia. She’s just 17, but she is wise beyond her years, and she doesn’t talk about God working through hardships lightly. When she was ten, both of her parents were murdered for their faith in Jesus.

Her father, Jose Rodriguez, and her mother, Emilse Maria del Carmen, had been members of the National Liberation Army, an illegal armed group. However, when they decided to follow Jesus and leave this violent group, this angered the militants.

A few years after leaving the National Liberation Army, when both of Sofia’s parents had become pastors, they were shot. Sofia’s father was shot six times, and her mother was shot eight times. They both died in hospital shortly after the attack.

At first, Sofia couldn’t understand why God had allowed this to happen. “Isn’t God supposed to listen to our prayers? Why didn’t He answer our prayers?” she asked.

Thanks to the long-term support and prayers of her global church family, Sofia was able to come and live in the Children’s Centre run by Open Doors, where she could receive an education, counselling and love.

She says, “In my first days at the centre, I felt a great emptiness in my heart and so much pain. But here, I felt free.

“This place had a huge impact in my life. It was a very special help. I know that if I had not come here, my life out there would be completely different.”

With time, Sofia was able to forgive the men who killed her parents, and understand that, despite everything she has been through, God still has a purpose for her life. “That purpose is that I could share with other people about God’s love amid the circumstances,” she says.

“That experience taught me to have more trust in God. Now I understand that many things can happen to me and that He is always with me. He is my Father. I’m so happy to say that I believe in Him!”

Source: Open Doors

Photo: Terezia Bašová