Posted on 10/15/2010 7:28:26 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
As the last rescued Chilean miner came above ground -- after spending 69 days deep in the lower reaches of earth and surrounded by 700,000 tons of unstable rock -- the world watched in awe and tears. The men appeared remarkably healthy after their ordeal. Emotions were understandably high after the survivors completed their half-mile journey to the surface; predictably, the men's thoughts were on family and faith. Mario Sepulveda, an ebullient man and the second to emerge from the bullet-shaped rescue tube, said, "I was with God. I was with the Devil. God and the devil were fighting over me, and God won. I always knew they would get me out. I always had faith in the professionals here in Chile and in the Great Creator." At 56 years of age, Omar Reygadas, one of the older miners, became a great-grandfather for the fourth time while he was trapped underground, while Jimmy Sanchez, the youngest miner at age 19, has a four-month-old baby, and Richard Villarroel is due to become a father in November.
Chilean President Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique, Ph.D, declared that what "started as a possible tragedy" ended up "as a real blessing from God." Piñera, in contrast to American President Barack Obama's actions during the BP oil spill disaster in the United States, was intimately involved in the rescue operation. The Chilean president, his wife, and his top-level staff -- Mining Minister Laurence Golborne, Health Minister Jaime Manalich, and the engineer who coordinated the rescue, Andre Sougarret -- were visibly present and obviously competent throughout the crisis, informing and rallying the nation and declaring their commitment to the miners' rescue. Piñera said, "It will take time, but it doesn't matter how long it takes to have a happy ending." As "experts" from around the world began second-guessing the Chilean plans, Golborne showed his competence: "There is no need to try to start guessing what could go wrong. We have done that job, and we have hundreds of different contingencies." One of the miners' relatives summarized the determination of the nation: "This won't be a success," she said, "unless they all get out."
To grasp the significance of this mining rescue requires understanding that the miners were trapped underground longer than anyone in recorded history. Further, no one even knew whether they were alive for seventeen days after the August 5 cave-in. The world was stunned on August 22 when the bore hole reached the miners' refuge and a note was returned disclosing news of their survival. Luis Urzua, shift supervisor of the mine, was the driving force in keeping the men alive and relatively healthy; his leadership is credited for the plans that doled out 48 hours' worth of rations to hold the men until food could be sent down to them nearly three weeks into their ordeal. In addition, he drew the maps that enabled the rescuers to locate the men with the precision necessary for the successful rescue. When he emerged from the entrapment, Urzua proudly proclaimed, "We have done what the entire world was waiting for. We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing."
Also, it was impossible to escape the religious significance of the rescue. The first rescuer made the sign of the cross as he was lowered into the mine to begin evacuating the trapped miners. Some reports identified Mario Gomez, the oldest trapped miner at 62, as the spiritual leader of the men. Gomez credited the Vatican for providing a "literal and spiritual" lifeline for the miners when they sent down 33 mini-Bibles and 33 rosaries. But not all of the captured miners were Catholics; the presence of evangelical believers reveals significant religious changes that are sweeping through Latin America and South America.
The Baptist wire services told the story of a Baptist pastor, Marcelo Leiva, and one of the miners, Jose Henriquez, who collaborated on the Bible studies that Henriquez was conducting for fellow evangelical believers underground. Henriquez's brother distributed T-shirts to those at Camp Esperanza, the tent city called "Camp Hope" set up for those awaiting the miners. The shirts bore a Bible verse: "To Him be the glory and honor. Because in his hands are the depths of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His" (Psalm 95:4).
There is no question that the Chilean rescue involved expert planning, top-notch engineering, quality equipment, and the ingenious problem-solving of experts from a number of countries around the world. In addition, the miners give appropriate credit to their leaders, who kept them strong emotionally and physically. Villarroel said, "We had a boss ... every day he would tell us we had to be strong ... we didn't have hope. Strength comes from internal energy and prayer ... I never used to pray, [but] here I learned to pray. I got closer to God." In fact, Time Magazine reported that the miners often sang hymns and described the atmosphere underground as being like a church service. Jimmy Sanchez, one of the outspoken believers, said, "There are actually 34 of us, because God has never left us down here." Ultimately, Villarroel and the other rescued Chilean miners recognized -- as we must all learn to do -- that their fate rested not in human hands or expert plans alone, but in the providence of God. Villarroel surely spoke for the other miners -- many fell to their knees in prayer as they came out of the rescue capsule -- when he thanked God for a second chance at life. Omar Reygadas clutched his Bible as he exited the rescue capsule, and he knelt in prayer when his feet touched ground. His first words were "God Lives." From the first to the last rescued Chilean miner, these 33 men have learned much they can teach us about faith and what is real.
Here is a another great account!
Maria
Amen!
Good article... I joked with my wife... NASA does all this research on people and the mental hardships faced with deep space travel. I say problem solved, send Latin American Catholics. Tough as nails they are... We have grown weak and soulless.
I can imagine two scenarios in the U.S.
Barack Obama taking credit himself by declaring that he and his administration had pulled the miners out of the deepest hole since the depression.
Alternatively, any other U.S. president making a statement similar to the Chilean president's would have been met with calls for impeachment and lawsuits from the ACLU.
So amazing is our God...the idea they included God as 34 in that deep pit....just amazing....and how perfect the rescue went...not a hitch!.......
“There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still”.....(Corrie T.B.)
RE: “I was with God. I was with the Devil. God and the devil were fighting over me, and God won.”
ONE THING IS CERTAIN -— GOD ALWAYS WINS.
God got them out!
Some interesting background on the Religious Demographics of Chile...
From Wikipedia ( very well referenced. My Comments added in parenthesis )
In the most recent census (2002), 70 percent of the population over age 14 identified as Roman Catholic and 15.1 percent as evangelical.
In the census, the term “evangelical” referred to all non-Catholic Christian churches with the exception of the Orthodox Church (Greek, Persian, Serbian, Ukrainian, and Armenian), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Seventh-day Adventists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Approximately 90 percent of evangelicals are Pentecostal. Wesleyan, Lutheran, Reformed Evangelical, Presbyterian, Anglican, Episcopalian, Baptist and Methodist churches are also present.
Irreligious people, atheists and agnostics, account for around 8% of the population ( in the USA, we have a higher percentage of irreligious people, atheists and agnostics, close to 15% ).
The Chilean Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contribute to the generally free practice of religion. The law at all levels protects this right in full against abuse, either by governmental or private actors.
Church and state are officially separate in Chile. The 1999 law on religion prohibits religious discrimination. However, the Catholic Church enjoys a privileged status and occasionally receives preferential treatment.
Government officials attend Catholic events as well as major Protestant and Jewish ceremonies.
The Government-observed religious holidays include Christmas, Good Friday, the Feast of the Virgin of Carmen, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Feast of the Assumption, All Saints’ Day, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception as national holidays.
The government has recently declared October 31, Reformation Day, a public national holiday, in honor of the Protestant churches of the country ( I have been told by a Roman Catholic priest, a Jesuit, that evangelicals are the fastest growing religious group in the country ).
The word is slowly leaking out. Here is a great account from the American Spectator.
My question is why isn’t the “preacher” Glenn Beck talking about this?
Probably the latter!
Good news! Chileans do not have the concerns our nation does in fearing the mention of God might "offend" someone. They have more freedom in that respect then we do
Love Corries quote: "There is no pit so deep He is not deeper still"......these miners know the full truth of this.
The media has ignored this huge part of the story. It's like they think it will go away if they don't talk about it. It won't. We know the truth.
Good news! Chileans do not have the concerns our nation does in fearing the mention of God might "offend" someone. They have more freedom in that respect then we do
Love Corries quote: "There is no pit so deep He is not deeper still"......these miners know the full truth of this.
great article
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How refreshing and inspiring to read of the public expressions of dependence on and faith in God - from the President, to the rescuers, to the miners. Unashamed and unafraid to admit their dependence on God - examples for everyone - Who to turn to in times of trouble and danger, which we all will face one day at death, if not sooner.
I say problem solved, send Latin American Catholics. Tough as nails they are
So true. I have lived in Latin America for a while. They have a moral center that wipes the board with anything we have. I am a fairly religious person by CA standards but these miners put me to shame. God bless them.
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