08/28/2026
FOR NEARLY FOUR DAYS, SHE WAS TRAPPED BENEATH THE RUBBLE. IN THE DARKNESS, SHE REACHED FOR SOMETHING TO HOLD ONTO...AND FOUND HER BIBLE.
After a powerful earthquake caused her apartment building to collapse, 60-year-old Belkys Josefina Barreto Garcia was buried beneath the debris.
Alone in the darkness and unsure whether rescuers would reach her, Belkys stretched out her hand searching for something nearby.
She found her Bible.
Belkys said the Bible had been in her living room before the earthquake, yet amid the collapsed debris, it ended up within her reach.
For the next several days, she held onto it.
As the hours passed, she says Scripture became a source of comfort, strength, and hope as she prayed and waited for rescue.
Then, after approximately 86 hours trapped beneath the rubble, rescuers finally reached her and pulled her out alive.
And when Belkys emerged, she was reportedly still holding the Bible that had been beside her throughout the ordeal.
Reflecting on her survival, she shared these powerful words:
“I held on to God and never let Him go. And He never let go of me.”
Her story is a reminder that when everything around us seems to be falling apart, we can still cling to the One who remains our refuge.
And while we honor the courageous rescue workers who searched through the destruction and ultimately brought her to safety, Belkys gives God the glory for sustaining her through those long hours.
📖 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1 NKJV
Please continue praying for everyone affected by the earthquake—for those grieving, families rebuilding, people still recovering, and the rescue workers serving in the midst of devastation.
When everything else was buried beneath the rubble, she still had something to hold onto: her faith.
