Sofia's Story
“Sofia’s first experience with war was back in 2014, when her family was forced to evacuate from their native city of Kramatorsk in the Donbas region. Back then, they never believed that they’d have to run for safety from Russian aggression a second time.
Yet the war didn’t break the spirit of the brown-eyed, cheerful 16-year-old girl. As soon as her family returned from Poland to Ukraine, Sofia joined the team of volunteers working in Nemishayeve, a city that had been under Russian occupation. Seeing that the needs were great, she felt that God was leading her to help fill at least part of those needs. Sofia travelled there about four times a week to work with teens and children that had lived through the unimaginable. Her bright smile filled the dark volunteer center building as she put in her time and heart to help with whatever she could: leading games, making sandwiches, reading Bible stories, singing songs, and passing out humanitarian aid.
As summertime came around and preparation for camp began, Sofia knew that she wanted to participate in the camp that was being held for teens from volunteer centers in Bucha region. Having come to the Lord herself at thirteen during a teen camp, she understood that it was a special time with God and that it was a privilege to now be a part of one. Many meetings, prayers, and conversations later, Sofia was able to serve as one of the staff. The main theme of the camp, “You’re a Part of God’s Plan”, was talked about in detail through sermons, discussions, and testimonies. Throughout the week, God truly opened hearts for prayer and lit a desire of reading the Word in the hearts of teens who’d never even opened a Bible before. One of Sofia’s teen girls said the following, “Before camp, I didn’t believe in God, but now I know that God is real!” After camp, parents wrote words of heartfelt thanks for giving their children the experience at the amazing camp.
We know without a doubt that God works through camps: times of close conversations, a vibrant and loving atmosphere, songs by the campfire and unforgettable experiences. May these days of ‘sowing the Word’ bring fruits of repentance- so that in a number of years, members of youth groups in ministry can recall the days spent in a camp where they gave their hearts to the Lord, just like Sofia…”
From Angela
Ukraine
Storytelling Ministry
