Sophie sees her faith and confidence start to soar

*Note: Sophie’s name has been changed for her privacy.

The swing that sits in the yard at Laura’s Home is a spot for the children to play, laugh, and simply have a good time. For 12-year-old Sophie*, the swing has an altogether different purpose.

She finds a moment alone when the swing is unoccupied and the sounds of playtime have faded. Sophie rests herself in its familiar seat, pushes her feet against the ground beneath her, and starts swinging.

To her, the swing means safety, calmness, and an opportunity for some quiet time. At Laura’s Home, which is comprised of two residential cottages at Baptist Children’s Homes’ (BCH) Shelby-based ministries, that sense of motion reflects something bigger—a momentum that is carrying her forward with purpose, hope, and joy.

“We’re very proud of her. Sophie is still working through things, but she’s doing great,” says Lori, one of Sophie’s houseparents. “She’s in this setting (at Laura’s Home) and has been able to thrive. She’s exceptional and she is absolutely worth it.”

Sophie is in the custody of the state’s foster care system and was placed with BCH a year ago. She lives in the cottage with her houseparents, Christian men and women who provide daily care and support as they model the love of Jesus.

A important goal for her cottage parents has been helping Sophie learn that it is okay for her to simply enjoy being a child. This has taken some time because of the delicate circumstances of her home life.

Sophie has a younger brother, who has been safely placed in a different care situation. Back home, she often found herself in the role of caregiver to her brother. Daily necessities were often scarce. The dynamics inadvertently created a need for the 12-year-old to carry extra responsibilities in the home.

“It is something we are walking through with her,” Lori shares. “We are teaching her that her job here is to be a kid.”

Bryan, alongside his wife, Jill, also serves as Sophie’s houseparents. He recalls a particular day when he stopped at the store to purchase snacks for the children.

“We were getting Sophie something and she said, ‘that’s too expensive. I don’t want you to spend that kind of money,’” Bryan remembers. “I told her, ‘no, we’re going to get this.’ She’s always looking out for not wanting to spend too much money. It comes out of her concern for others and what they need.”

That care and consideration for others also includes the students at her school. Sophie, who is a straight-A student, is very conscientious of her classmates.

“She will tell us about standing up for a kid who somebody else was picking on,” Lori says. “Her heart is for the underdog.”

As time has passed, the houseparents have watched the sixth grader become more settled and comfortable with life in the cottage. As those bonds with her caregivers have become stronger, they have watched Sophie start to blossom.

“We’ve seen her open up. She’ll just sit and share her heart as she’s learned to trust us,” Jill says. “Now, she loves to give hugs—she just comes up randomly and gives them. And also for us to see her grow spiritually, too.”

Houseparents are more than BCH employees—they are local missionaries. Living out their faith in front of the children they serve and introducing them to Jesus is the most rewarding aspect of doing life with them.

The cottage attends a local church and is regularly involved in its services and activities. In addition, houseparents lead devotional times in the cottage which can lead the children to wanting to learn even more about the gospel.

“They’re usually good discussions which lead to a lot of deeper questions,” Jill explains. “When we ask them what we’ve read about, Sophie can spit it out verbatim.”

In addition, the children attend spiritual activities, retreats, and events. These include Bridge Camp, hosted by a foster care–focused nonprofit, as well as Mountain Camp, a week-long retreat for all BCH children in care, organized by a church in eastern North Carolina.

The Christ-centered care and discipleship Sophie was receiving led to a pivotal moment when she attended Vacation Bible School (VBS) last summer. Her BCH case manager, Hannah Hord, and her houseparents received a form Sophie filled out at the end of VBS. It was a bright indicator that the Lord was indeed at work in the 12-year-old’s heart.

“It said she was interested in being saved,” Hannah reveals. “All of these things and the camps she was able to go to had fueled her fire.”

Sophie met with the family pastor at there church. Their time together affirmed that Sophie wanted to follow Jesus.

“He told us, ‘she’s ready,’” Hannah says. “And the very next Sunday, she was baptized at the church.”

Youth leaders at church have seen Sophie’s faith in Jesus and knowledge of the bible blossom. Makayla, a church member and volunteer, remembers one Wednesday night in particular.

“At youth, they were playing a game on stage. When it was her turn to respond, her answer was straight from the bible,” Makaya shares. “It warms my heart to know that they are getting spiritual support both at Laura’s Home and the church. We want to come alongside it and encourage it.”

Sophie enjoys worshiping when the cottage attends Sunday services. As the worship team leads the songs from the stage, it’s not unusual to see Sophie raise her hand in praise.

“When she’s in the service, she is praising,” Jill says. “You can tell with her it’s from the heart and very real.”

That change is evident in the cottage. Her faith shines through her desire to pray for the other children she lives with at Laura’s Home.

“To hear her pray, oh my goodness, she is in the throne room. I mean, she is talking to her Savior and is evident her heart is in it,” Jill shares. “When we pray over kids who are leaving our care, Sophie is right there. She’ll drop to her knees as we come around somebody and pray for them.”

Sophie’s spiritual growth has also given her a newfound confidence in who she is and in discovering her own talents and interests which includes performing in a local theater.

Hannah discovered that the theater was holding auditions for “Alice in Wonderland.” Despite having no experience, Sophie was eager to participate. She prepared for her audition by learning a monologue for the role of the pigeon.

“She was nervous so we prayed on the way to the audition. Her prayer was, ‘Lord, I know this is a very small thing if this is the path you have for me,’” Lori says. “There was just this incredible humbleness in her prayer and in leaning on God to direct her steps.”

The news of her successful casting came on the day the cottage was arriving for a snow tubing trip.

“I was able to go tell her and this huge smile just lit up her face,” Hannah says. “She immediately said, ‘I’ve got to go tell Ms. Jill! She ran over to Jill and Bryan and told them. I mean, she was so excited.”

Theater has been another avenue that has helped Sophie be a normal child who is developing her interests and discovering who she is and who she is becoming. They have seen her self-esteem continue to rise.

“She’s just had a real confidence these past few months. She is growing,” Hannah says. “And she has just really taken her walk with Christ seriously. I think that’s a lot of where she’s gotten her confidence.”

Sophie, her family, Laura’s Home staff, and her state social worker are all working together for Sophie’s immediate care as well as her future. Her family is working on goals to help them navigate the challenges that are keeping them apart. She does have visits with her grandparents, parents and her little brother.

Laura’s Home is here for Sophie as long as she needs a caring place to live and thrive while the team around her helps with future plans that are in everybody’s best interests.

In the meantime, all of her caregivers at Laura’s Home have been overjoyed at watching Sophie flourish.

“Sophie has gone through everything as gracefully as any child I’ve seen,” Lori concludes. “I mean, what an honor we have to see the journey and the growth as these experiences shape and mold her and all of our kids.

“There are obstacles and there are challenges, but overall all of this will be a huge part of her whole story—her whole God story.”

Written by Blake Ragsdale, Editor-in-Chief  of Charity & Children