The young missionaries were often ill with dysentery caused by the polluted water. Although their bodies began to feel and to show the strain of their living conditions, the Lord graciously gave them the needed strength for each day as He had promised in Deut. 33:2525Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. (Deuteronomy 33:25), "As thy days, so shall thy strength be." They carefully boiled every drop of water, but it was too polluted to do much good.
They had settled in the midst of a tribe of Indians called "The Red Belt Indians," whose huts occupied both sides of the river for some thirty miles. All manner of filth and waste was thrown into the river; everyone did their laundry in it; and they all bathed in it. But this was also the only water available for the Indians and the missionaries to drink. For long years the Indians had suffered because of it, and many of their children died.
The missionary had tried to dig a well a number of times but in vain. This drove them to their knees often as they asked the Lord to undertake for them and give them pure water to drink.
In the winter the river was dry and water was scarce. In contrast, summertime brought the rainy season when the river often overflowed its banks, causing great loss of crops.
It was just such a typical summer season when the missionaries completed and settled into their little one-room dwelling. The heavy rains had started, and that season were heavier than ever. The main dam defending the Indians' properties on their side of the river broke, causing the heavy deluge of flood water to come straight toward the missionaries' little property.
About three o'clock in the morning they could hear the waters rushing right for their little home. Dressing hurriedly, they got on their knees and prayed that the Lord would turn that mighty flood to the other side of the river for the sake of the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. While they prayed, the water roared out in front of the property, then turned away to the other side of the river. Suddenly, all was silent. After thanking the Lord, they lay down and slept peacefully for the few remaining hours before starting their day.
In the morning they went out to see what had happened during the storm. Together they went all around their property. To their joy they found the flood had dug out a deep hole behind the property, from which a lovely clear spring of water flowed. With thanksgiving they knelt down and scooped up a handful of the cold water. It tasted so good! They had not tasted deliciously cold and pure water since coming to live amongst the Inca Indians.
Later that morning some of the Indians came to see how they had gotten along during the storm. When they saw the spring of water, they cried, "Caika!" That means "Behold it!" And it was certainly something to behold what God can do! This was a direct answer to prayer. The Indians began to believe these missionaries were indeed sent of "AMI"-"The One True God." They warned the missionaries not to drink the water, however, because they thought it came from the mountains from a place where witches lived. Later the missionary was able to persuade some of them to go with him to find the source of the water, and to prove to them there were no witches there.
The river has never returned to that spot during the past fifty years, and all have clear, clean water to drink. The spring still flows and irrigates quite a large portion of the Indian property when everything is dry. The Lord lives! He is still "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:88Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)). And He still says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me" (Psa. 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15)).