Sofia

I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. ::. Proverbs 8:12

I can’t say that I would normally describe any child as “wise” because the word seems more fitting for a person who’s had many years of life experience. When I found the meaning of Sofia’s name to be “wisdom” I couldn’t help but laugh because here at Casa Havilah, she truly is the definition of wisdom in comparison with the other girls. Sofia is six years old (seven in October) and she loves to learn. While the other girls are running rampantly throughout the house, you can usually find Sofia sitting alone reading a book. At age six, Sofia can read (she can even read some English!), write, do her times tables, addition and subtraction. Sofia is not the definition of wisdom because she likes to learn, but because she uses an incredible amount of discretion for a girl as young as she is. She understands, unlike most of the others, that if she has a bad attitude she will not be rewarded at the end of the week. She understands that education is important and works extremely hard in school to do well. This may not seem that profound if she were a kid in the US, but here in Nicaragua where laziness is the norm, Sofia shines.

I happen to know a little more about Sofia than the other girls and if I could only understand and speak Spanish better, I would know more. Last night she took my hand and brought me over to the couch where she proceeded to engage in what felt like a typical adult conversation. She was telling me all about her family and from what I could understand her house is very small, there is a lot of bad language and one time her grandmother threw a hot frying pan full of rice and beans at her mom. Her mom, I also know, is a prostitute.

Sofia is truly incredible. Every day she makes sure to give me the BIGGEST, LONGEST (I swear sometimes it lasts a full minute) kiss on my cheek. Her ability to love, learn, discern and laugh is almost heartbreaking here where opportunities are tough. I pray that through Casa Havilah and her surprisingly attuned thirst for knowledge Sofia will continue to shine and make her way out of the poverty and oppression that often hold people back here in Nicaragua.  Please pray for Sofia.