🌄 Day Three: Serving in the Jungle and Beyond

🍵 A Quiet Morning and a Loaded Truck

This morning started peacefully. I sipped some tea and wandered around the base, snapping a few more pictures before we loaded up the truck with food bags.

We had a full day ahead, and I was excited to see where God would take us.

🌿 Deep Into the Jungle

Our first visit took us pretty far into the jungle. We drove as far as the truck could go and laughed with Juan, who speaks just a little English. Anytime the road got bumpy (which was basically all the time), he’d grin and say, “Safari, safari!” It became our inside joke for the rest of the day.

Eventually, we had to leave the truck and walk through the jungle to reach a sweet elderly woman’s home. I wish I could remember her name, but as I pray for her, I know God knows every hair on her head.

She lives there with her two daughters and some grandchildren. One of our team members, José, was an absolute hero—he carried a boxed wheelchair through the muddy jungle to get it to her. That’s love in action.

When we arrived, she was resting in her hammock. She’s going blind, mostly deaf, and has cancer on her nose. The wheelchair we brought is the only way she can get out of the jungle if she needs medical care. Along with the wheelchair, we brought food and a Bible. We asked the children to read to her—out loud, so she could hear it.

And then… the parrot showed up.

🦜 A Talkative Parrot and a Guava Gift

Out of nowhere, a parrot flew down from the rooftop—maybe it was because of the guava we were eating. They offered us guava (which was amazing!). These guavas aren’t like what we see in the U.S. They’re about 2–3 feet long, and you twist them to open them. The seeds aren’t edible, but the white fruit inside is light, not too sweet, and definitely unlike anything I’ve tasted before.

As we interacted with the parrot, Juan had to call us back to focus—it was time to pray for the woman. Later, when we were sharing funny stories, Juan said that was his funniest moment of the day. We just couldn’t resist that parrot!

Before we left, I paused and took it all in. Even in hardship, there was such peace. God’s presence was so real there. Just before heading out, I glanced down and spotted an old wooden crate that read: Made in China. I giggled, even in the Amazon jungle, you can’t get away from packages from China!

🧼 Mud Spa Mishap 

As we walked back, one of our team members slipped and fell into the mud. She bruised her knee pretty badly, but she was such a trooper. She laughed it off, called it a free “mud spa,” and kept going like a champ. I was a little worried about the bruise, but it didn’t slow her down one bit.

🏘️ Juan’s Namesake Community

Our next stop had a cool backstory. Years ago, a group of squatters—maybe 100 people—were receiving food and support from Juan and Kim. One day, they asked if they could name their community after Juan. He said, “Only if you legally buy the land you’re living on.” So they did. They came together, contacted the landowner, and bought it.

Now it’s legally theirs—and named after Juan.

Just this January, they got electricity for the first time. Juan had spent seven years working with the local government to make it happen. Now every lot has its own electric meter. Today, we came to bring food and hold a raffle with small appliances like toasters and blenders. They love raffles here! Ariel (Kim’s daughter) even baked a cake to help them celebrate 13 years of legally owning the land.

🚛 Sidebar: The Mud Mess

Getting there was its own adventure.

As we turned off the main road, the truck I was in slid a bit but made it through a large mud puddle. Kim, in the other truck, tried the other side—where there was grass for traction—but ended up stuck in a sewage pit. Yeah… not fun.

While we waited at the community center, Juan got a call and left to help. Meanwhile, we hung around awkwardly outside. No one spoke English, and we couldn’t speak Spanish, so we just smiled and waved.

We walked up the road to find Kim, and when we did, her truck was stuck deep.

A group from the community tried to help, but the truck was really wedged in. That’s when a dump truck happened to drive by. The driver stopped, tried once (and broke the chain), but came back with another one and finally pulled her out. Juan paid him the equivalent of two days’ wages to thank him. God provided, as always.

👵 Songs, Smiles, and Seniors

After lunch and a quick rest at base—plus a much-needed power-wash for the smelly truck—we headed to a senior community.

Two women welcomed us with songs. One sang in Spanish, and the other in Shipibo, their native language. One song was a welcome, and the other a worship song. It was beautiful.

Each senior received a food bag, and our team prayed and shared encouragement with them. Outside, I saw Nathan, our youngest team member, give a little boy a toy and get the biggest hug in return. It was one of those moments that sticks with you.

🙌 A Miracle Named Evangelina

Our final visit of the day was to Evangelina. The last time Juan and Kim saw her, they weren’t sure she’d survive. She had serious health issues and had just had her big toe amputated due to diabetes and other health issues. She couldn’t sit up, couldn’t breathe well, and was lying on the floor.

They had given her a wheelchair then so she could make it to her medical appointments.

This time? She was smiling. Laughing. Cooking.

She told us that the wheelchair changed everything—it gave her back her ability to live, to move, to serve her family. She said the doctors originally thought they’d have to remove her whole foot, but praise God, they didn’t.

We gave her food and prayed over her, thanking God for her healing and asking for continued strength and joy. She’s a living testimony to God’s power and provision.