Martha grew up in a small community 1 hour from San Borja’s City, Beni’s Deparment in Bolivia; This town, “La Embocada”, is on the banks of the Maniqui River. She lives with her parents and two other younger siblings; her father, 3 months ago had an accident while he was working with trees for a wood company, one of these fell on him and as a result, he had a broken femur bone, had a surgery and had been using the cast during these 3 months and needs to continue using it for 4 more months.
The situation made Martha and her mother start selling food to the community workers, this is the only income this family has at this time.
In January, this year, Martha began to feel some pain in her lower abdominal area, the pain continued and finally, after a month, with her mother she visited the nearest Health Post where Dr Romulo Urquiza was attending. After reviewing the area, Dr. Romulo ordered an ultrasound, which showed that Martha had a cyst on her right ovary, it continued to grow as the months went by.
The biggest problem was that the family didn’t have the resources for Martha’s surgery.
The cyst was growing each month, and the family could not find a solution. On July 27, Dr. Romulo sent us this message:
“There is a poor girl who has a fairly large cyst in an ovary. What chance do you have to help her? It causes her a lot of pain.”
What could we do for Martha?
ASDEIH – Bolivia works helping with medical mission trips and emergencies, but does not have funds for hospital bills. All we have done was trough Foundations of Humanitarian Aid that support poor people with free treatment, but not this case.
I proposed to the Dr. Urquiza to pray for her because we didn’t have the answer and resources. But the days went by and Dr. Romulo again sent us messages saying that Martha had more pain and that the family could not do anything. So at this point, by the God’s grace, we started to work by faith, bringing the her by bus was impossible, the doctors did not recommend it, 25 hours of traveling on roads with many potholes would bring an emergency situation.
We started searching for a plane that could transport Martha and a relative to Santa Cruz, we got in touch with “South American Mission” organization, Greg Dahl is the head of SAMAIR in Bolivia who was willing to make the emergency trip charging only the gas. Praise God!!
Miguel and the pilot John Bremer made the flight, it took two hours from San Borja airport to Santa Cruz. Martha arrived with pain and intermediately we took Martha to the “Cristiana Clinic’, Dr. Maria del Rosario Mendieta checked Martha and the ultrasound and said that if the laboratory and cardiovascular tests showed that everything was fine, Martha could undergo surgery the next day.
God is so good that that day, He touched the heart of different people who sent donations for the surgery, whole bill for surgery and exams were paid that day. On August 22, Martha at 4:30pm entered the operating room.
Thanks God, Martha surgery was successful and her recovery was fast. The cyst was big , it was more the 10 cm long and weight 600 grams. after 12 days in observation the doctors gave her the permission to return to her house. We had the opportunity to give to Martha and her father a Bible and a “Step of Christ” book for each one of them.
Now Martha is back in her home. Thanks to all the people that participate in this journey helping her, Dr Romulo Urquiza, Dr. Eliezer Perez (who recommended the clinic), Dr. Maria del Rosario Mendieta, “South American Mission”, the pilots Greg Dahl and John Bremer, ASDEIH (who provided the trip funds) and others donors that provided for the surgery. Thank you all very much!
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever..” Psalm 136:1
Miguel & Mirta D. Farias
“The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy intelligences, all waiting to do His will. Through channels which we cannot discern He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. But it is in this speck of a world, in the souls that He gave His only-begotten Son to save, that His interest and the interest of all heaven is centered. God is bending from His throne to hear the cry of the oppressed. To every sincere prayer He answers, “Here am I.” He uplifts the distressed and downtrodden. In all our afflictions He is afflicted. In every temptation and every trial the angel of His presence is near to deliver.”
Desire of Ages 356 3
