The Blue Nun and the Disappearing Dutch Women

"Cults, Cryptids, and Conspiracies is a new podcast about all the weird crap that's happened throughout history and up to today hosted by Cristina Van Epps and Chelsea Reed Miller. In the first episode we talk about the nun who traveled from Spain to the Americas by way of Angels and two Dutch students who went missing while hiking in Panama."

Presented by: Cristina
Category: Religious Mystery

María Jesus de Ágreda- or Mary of Jesus-was born in Spain in 1602. Even as a young child, she was said to talk with god. She was confirmed at 4 and became a nun at 12.

When she was around 18, she began to become faint and weak, which continues to her mother's death.

Her visions continued throughout her, which intensified to levitation. During her sickness, she got visions of angels taking her across the sea to New Spain, in the vicinity of modern-day Texas and New Mexico. There, she met a native people called the Jumanos. She would speak to them in their own language, preaching to them and healing the sick and encourage them to get baptized. Mary estimated that this happened more than 500 times un her life over several years.

Spanish missionaries in the area encountered the Jumanos, who approached them and asked to be baptized. Father Alonso de Benavides agreed to send friars as soon as he could but delayed, leading the Jumanos asking repeatedly. When finally asked why they wanted to be baptized, the Jumanos reported that a lady in blue had come to them and told them to get baptized.

Around the same time, Father de Benavides got a letter from someone investigating Mary's story. Mary claimed to know about the missionaries and the tribe. It's unknown how she could have specific knowledge of these people when she never left her homeland.

Her activities attracted the attention of the Spanish Inquisition, but possibly due to her correspondence with the king of Spain, she wasn't investigated to closely.

She died in 1663. She was 63 years old.

In 1909, she was exhumed for research. In 1989, her body was found to be unchanged in the 80 years when she was exhumed again.

Cristina theorized that seizure may have been the cause of her visions and the Jumanos wanted protection from the Apache. Chelsea suggested that Mary had a partner in crime and pulled it as a con to convert people.

Takeaway
Be friends with Spanish kings so the Inquisition can't touch you.

Presented by: Chelsea
Category: Disappearance

Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon were two Dutch students vacation and volunteering in Panama in 2014 while staying with a host family. On April 1, the two went out hiking with their host's dog.

When the dog returned home without them, their hosts became scared. The women had been set to meet up with a guide at 8 am. When they hadn't returned by 7:30, the police were notified.

An aerial search began two days later, with their parents offering a reward for any information. 10 weeks later, a hiker found a backpack belonging to Lisanne and turned it over the authorities. Having found it near her property, the woman stated that the backpack and not been there day before. Among the items found in the back, which seem to be taken over, the police found a camera and both women's phones. Call logs showed 77 attempts to call for help over 6 days. The phone was turned off on the 6th. The last activity on either phone was on April 11, before being turned off.

After the requisite vacation photos, there were pictures- all taken after the first search and well after they went missing-of darkness every two minutes. Other photos showed debris and items on the trail, as well of picture of the back Kris' head. Some have claimed to see blood on her.

And second search was conducted. Searchers found Kris' shorts folded up on a rock on the bank of a river near where Lisanne's backpack was found. Two months later, a severed foot in a boot and a pelvic bone were found in the same area. Further remains were soon found. DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Kris and Lisanne. Kris' bones had been bleached.

Cristina believes that they got lost and something happened to them when they stopped bathe. Chelsea believes that the pictures were attempts to signal for help or use the flash to light their way. It's possible they were trying to signal a plane or helicopter. Neither believe that either of the women turned the phone on the 11th.

Takeaway
Get a satellite phone, don't leave the trail and hike in groups. Don't go near rivers.

Trivia

 * The first episode of the podcast.
 * Cristina describes the podcast as being about "weird ass crap", making this the first time she swears on the podcast.
 * Both takeaways were given at the end.