Sonia's Story

The morning of the mega event, I was helping with consolidation at the women’s conference. Tammy Trent sang and gave her testimony, and then Lonna Vopat spoke. She gave the call for the women to accept Christ. The other consolidators and I prayed with the women, and led them out to another room to take their information.

I was the first one out there, so I was immediately surround. I was able to tell them welcome to the family of God, and that we wanted to take down their names and be able to contact them. So I passed out all of my information cards, and then some extra papers too. That’s how many women there were. But I didn’t get to actually talk to a single one of them. I had more names than any other female consolidator, but hadn’t gotten to talk to or pray with a single person. So I prayed that the next time, I would be able to have a conversation the next time.

After Nick’s talk, we had a crowd of women come for consolidation. So we had them all sit, and one of the 40/40s gave her testimony. We then went around to take information.

I began with a woman named Sonia. She shared with me that she had left her life of drinking and partying because he realized it was bad, but still felt an emptiness inside of her. She told me that she really wanted to change her life. She told me that she really wanted to learn about the Bible, and really just wanted to learn. I mentioned to her about the spiritual retreat, not expecting much, and she said, “I’m going,” and paid that bight. She told me she wanted her whole family to go, too, so that they could hear about Jesus.

I prayed with her, and after we had finished talking, there was hardly anyone left in the room. Her’s was the only name I got that night, but it was worth it!

Sonia went to the spiritual retreat, and was one of the people who got baptized. She also signed up for discipleship school, and told me the night of Love Extreme that she was saving money for a house, and when she had one, she wanted to have a cell group there. She also is going to bring her family to the next spiritual retreat. I firmly believe that she is a future leader for the church in Arequipa.

Another cool thing about this contact of mine is that she lives in one of the districts where my church is working, so I can be one of the people who continues to follow up with her. And, incidentally, she sells our fruit to us that we eat everyday!

So please pray for Sonia as she grows in her faith and witnesses to her friends and family.