A Rescue from the Depths of the Amazon

Amazonian Wednesdays 🌴

As I revisit this memory from just a few months into the pandemic, I am gripped all over again by the drama. This was July 2020:
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“Pastora, I feel like I’m dying.”

My heart leapt in alarm as I read this message several weeks ago. It was from Emilia. Emilia is a twenty-six year-old who barely survived a diabetic coma two years ago. She has two small children that she almost left behind. Their father abandoned them while she was in coma.

We found her eight months later on a missions trip in the jungle. We were upriver doing a medical outreach. She came into our makeshift clinic, pale and weak. Her glucose was at a life-threatening level. Out there in the remote rainforest villages, insulin shots are unheard of. If God had not sent us that day, she would probably have died soon after that.

We brought her back to Iquitos with us. We took care of her until she got strong enough to return home to her village – this time with a supply of insulin. The plan was that she would travel to Iquitos once a month for more insulin supplies, provided through our ministry. It was an effective plan, until…COVID hit Peru. Nationwide, travel was frozen without warning. (At this writing, for that reason, Israel and Ester have still not been able to get home, four months later.) This included all boat travel on the rivers of the Amazon. There was no way for Emilia to come get her insulin supplies, nor for us to send them to her. Once again, she became dangerously ill.

The days passed, and then the weeks. Emilia wasn’t sure she could make it. She messaged me that death felt near. Then, suddenly, the grace of God opened another door for her.

The very day that she messaged me, He had her answer ready. Roland, one of our Missions School students, had just managed to get a pass for access to the Iquitos- Nauta highway… after two months of trying. That road was the first segment of the way to Emilia’s village. Roland offered to make the four-hour trip to drive Emilia’s medicine to the end of it.

He delivered the insulin by motorcycle. At the end of the road, another Missions School graduate, Manuel, was waiting. He was ready with a boat. He had also somehow secured permission to travel. Putting in 16 hours of river travel, he made it to Emilia’s village, San Regis… just in time. With what gratitude did she receive the precious cargo from his hands!

On top of it all, Emilia got sick with COVID after that. Her elderly parents did too. As you can imagine, we were very concerned. However, God intervened for her once again, and all of them have made a full recovery!

Obviously, the Lord has big plans for this precious young lady’s life. He has big plans for yours as well! I am hearing this promise in my spirit for you: “Before they call, I will answer…” (Is. 65:24). He had an answer for Emilia waiting when she messaged me that day… and He has your answer too. Call out to Him even now! He is listening!