Sophia Clarke came to know the LORD Jesus Christ over four years ago. Since then, her life has never been the same. The joy, the peace, and the laughter she experiences now are proof of what’s stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new…
“There are challenges, struggles, yes, but even through it all, I see GOD’s hand at work,” she exclaims. “Just trust GOD, because I have tried everything, and only GOD worked!”
TUNA AND COCONUT WATER
Now, age 57, she grew up like the average Jamaican of her time, in church. She recalls one of her first experiences of what she considers a miracle. “I started menstruating in Grade 9, and after a year, I began having excruciating pain when my period came. I had to constantly be at the hospital even though I was seeing my period only three to four times per year,” she relayed. “The doctors told my mother that my tubes were partially blocked and I wouldn’t be able to have children. But my brother’s friend, who was a Rastafarian, advised me to drink coconut water and tuna, and it would help to regulate my period and reduce the pain.
“This was now my fifth year in misery and I was only too happy to try something that at least didn’t taste like medicine!” she exclaimed. “I’d keep my bottle of coconut water in the fridge with slices of tuna in it, and little by little, I began to see a change. My period started coming more regularly, and later in life, I ended up having three children!” Oshane, Makeda, and Kahyah are the joy of this single mother’s heart.
A dressmaker by profession, Sister Sophia’s clients will tell you that she’s excellent at what she does, although she will modestly inform you that she can’t sew everything. Some of her customers have been with her for over 30 years now, supporting her business that has been the main source of income for her children.
Usher ministry keeps Sister Sophia busy on a Sunday, as she is also passionate about helping people, especially needy children. “My heart breaks to see children suffering,” she shared. “As a single mother, I know what it is like to have hungry children staring back at me, so once I see a child in need of assistance, I have to find a way to help.”
Whether it is making their uniforms for free, taking snacks and juice to their house to give to their parents, or buying a pair of footwear for any child she knows, Sister Sophia is always willing to help. She will also spend time praying for the neighbourhood youths whose parents have given up on them.
