My name is Heather McAdams, and I am a sister in Christ to Armande Rhea. When I first met Armande at the gym, I could tell she was going to take things to the next level. She came into a fitness class I was coaching, and when I asked her how it was, she said, “Okay.” She wanted more! I told her, “Next time you come in, I’ll push you.” She smiled, came back, and the story begins.

 

Armande had my heart from the very beginning. She came into class every day ready to give it everything she had. I could also see there was something deeper within her. I could discern she had a story. There was something within her that made her special.

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I asked her to come over sometime so we could share our stories. I cried hearing about her journey to America. I have a story too, and I thought, mine is nothing compared to hers. Then I told her my story, and she cried. It doesn’t matter whose story seems more intense or who had the “worst” situations, we all have a story, and it impacts others. Hers impacted me, and mine impacted her.

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The main component to how she got here and how she was able to go through what she went through was her faith. She knows the Word of God. She knows Jesus is real, and she has experienced and encountered Him.

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I began inviting her to everything. She started going to church events with me. We talked about Jesus daily. We prayed together, laughed together, cried together, we did life together. She’s my sister in Christ. Our friendship is based on Jesus and Jesus alone.

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The spark inside her ignited again, and it was something new. I bought her a new Bible and fun accessories for Christmas, and it catapulted her to a new level. She began to seek Him more. I challenged her, and she accepted those challenges and conquered them. As I challenged her growth, she grew so much deeper with the Lord. She soaked it all in and gave Him her all.

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She is dedicated in everything she does. Armande has a joy and a laugh that is infectious. Her heart is huge, and her faith is even bigger. I look at her like my younger sister, but a sister who is wise, faithful, loving, disciplined, humble, and real.

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I have seen Armande grow in so many ways. This is part of her story: His-story. She’s living on purpose and for His purpose, even while detained. She has brought other women to the Lord. She is leading workouts. She is praying with them, and they are praying for her on the hard days.

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Her ministry right now is within four concrete walls, like a modern-day Paul; but her calling and assignments are much bigger on the outside.

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I want my sister home.

 

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