sophia church of God

we had visited congregations in need -- i had heard that the Sophia congregation was the church with the most challenges, the one we could help immediately. i don't know what i expected, but what i saw was not what my mind had imagined

we had followed the paved roads until they ended, but the houses continued. we continued down little dirt roads even though it was obvious the sewage ditches had ceased--the houses still continued, with matching little outhouses. we continued down ever narrowing dirt roads into a larger community missing the array of utility wires we had grown accustomed to seeing in Georgetown. we were in Sophia, a new community scheduled to receive water, sewage, and power lines soon.

our guiding pastor told the driver to stop. even he was confused, "here?" he asked. "right here," pastor Ronda Abrams said with a laugh. (she said before the dirt roads came she would have to walk from the city into this community, and usually ended up quite muddy before she arrived to lead the new congregation there.)

we got out to cross a little make shift bridge to walk through a pasture that was in the middle of this community. this pasture was to be a roadway soon. we went to the end of the pasture road and turned right down a similar pasture road. then we came to the church building...thankfully the Church is the people, not the structure -- because the structure was in need

the church house had to be moved because it was too close to the coming progress. in the moving, it suffered additional structural damage. the walls were separating from the floors, there were increasing gaps in the walls. once inside, there were little ants scurrying along the floor also trying to avoid the holes. a strange little nest of strange tiny wasps was being constructed in the middle of the roof. two long benches lined the back wall, while a short bench lined the adjoining wall next to the doorway. a table and pulpit were at the front, and we were in the church house

in our amazement, Pastor Ronda went down the pasture road without our notice. she returned with church members from the community who came in with crystal glasses, sandwiches, and homemade passion fruit and mango juice. they came with smiles and served us in the heat--humbling our hearts. we were the ones that had so much to give, yet we were the ones receiving.

we're planning to return to Sophia -- we're planning to give toward purchasing their lot and another (what will form one corner of a main intersection in this community); and to give toward the materials needed to build a new multi-purpose community centered church. we're planning to return and help supply some of the labor.

would you like to join us? we can be partners in something great for the Kingdom of Light to dispel the darkness in this new community