Posted on 10/15/2010 7:36:31 AM PDT by wmfights
SANTIAGO, Chile (BP)--As 33 trapped miners in Chile stepped out of a rescue capsule to greet the world again Oct. 12-13, many wore a T-shirt with ¡Gracias Señor! (Thank you, Lord!) printed across the front.
Christian Maureira, national director of Campus Crusade for Christ in Chile, provided the T-shirts to the miners, who were trapped 2,300 feet underground when a partial collapse blocked the mine exit on Aug. 5. Rescuers worked more than two months to free them from beneath a half-mile of rock.
"When I saw the miners on TV [wearing the shirts], my heart was like this ... really fast," Christian Maureira said about watching the rescue. "I was really excited because a lot of people around the world were looking at that. They gave the glory to God -- wow!"
Maureira suggested his T-shirt idea to José Henríquez after meeting Henríquez's daughter, Hettez, at Camp Esperanza (Hope), where many of the miners' families were holding vigil. Henríquez, one of the trapped miners, became the spiritual leader of the group and conducted nightly Bible studies for the men. (Go to http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33855 to read a related story about Henríquez).
"[The miners] received the [T-shirt] idea with rejoicing," Maureira said. "They had decided to say thank you to God." They even gave input on the design of the shirt.
On the back of the shirts was a reference to Psalm 95:4 (NIV): "In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."
Maureira chose that Scripture verse after receiving a letter from Henríquez that included the reference. He wanted the T-shirts to help the miners express thanks to God in a way no one could miss.
"God allowed this situation, and the miners are alive by the grace of God," Maureira said. "I think the most important fact was the glory of God in this situation."
Along with the T-shirts, Maureira sent the miners 33 MP3 players containing audio versions of the Bible and the "JESUS" film.
To Maureira, the miners' decision to wear the shirts is evidence of how he hopes this event will affect Chile.
"Our society is really humanistic and secularist. They don't believe in God. But with this situation, the Chileans accept that we are a Christian community. The people express their faith in God freely," he said. "The people say, 'It is a miracle. Thank you, God.'"
Maureira said he has seen Chile go through many challenges -- changing governments, earthquakes -- but he hopes the rescue of the miners will be one that defines the country.
"With these T-shirts, we want to tell [Chileans] it is the plan of God and the glory of God. God is in this situation," Maureira said. "That was the mission, and we completed the mission."
On the back of the shirts was a reference to Psalm 95:4 (NIV): "In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."
Anyway we rejoice that all are safe and so many started to open their hearts to the Lord.
Well, this will PO the liberals in America...They’ll say, “The nerve of those miners !!!! Thanking God when everyone knows it was the power of Obama...”
Great article. God is ALWAYS in the details!
They sure don't want to report the facts.
It's such an awesome story. There were 3 Born Again Christians in the group of 33 at the start. 2 miners became Born Again Christians. They held Bible study that started with 5 miners and at the end 20 miners were in the Bible study. Believers on the surface sent them Bibles and MP3 players with sermons and the Jesus film on them.
They were so grateful to GOD that when they came up they wanted to make a statement to the world about who should receive the glory.
Had I been one of those guys, I think one of the first things I'd have done was to drop kick my hard hat as far as I could. No need for THIS dang thing anymore!
I think it really says something when they wore the tee shirts. It can't be ignored by the media.
If this was America, and they held up the Stars and Stripes underground, they would be told to stop.
If this was America, and they came out wearing t-shirts that said “Jesus” on them, the company would be sued.
If this was America, we would never had gotten them out, there would be too much finger pointing and backstabbing and diversity for it ever to happen.
The miners must stop.
NOW.
They strive to take God out of our daily lives & try to replace Him with a false leader who has boldily stated that "We are the ones that we have been waiting for', after which Obama arrogantly stated "I won" when he was challenged!
There is a war going on that America is determined to win, with the same belief in God expressed by the Chlean miners.
Call me an unoffended atheist. I’m glad that they all made it out alive.
And under the Psalm on the back it said “to Him be the honor and glory”!
ALL Muslims are offended.
It seems to be their first and only commandment.
Kill people who don’t agree with you.
***If this was America, ****
The ONE might say we need to build a mosque over the sight, to show diversity.
The old Jimmy Dean dong BIG JOHN just popped into my mind!
Then one day way down in the mine.
A timber cracked and men started crying.
Miners were praying and hearts beat fast,
Everybody knew it would be their last, except John...
I remember seeing on the DM, photos of Chileans singing the national anthem, praying, singing, etc. and it made me wonder why Americans aren’t this nationalistic and proud of our religion? Why can’t we express our feelings for our country like this?
My point exactly.
But it’s not just about religion. It’s a “can do” attitude. I remember seeing a few comments on threads when the guy who had a wife and a mistress came up, some pretty raw.
But the time to worry about whether or not the guy is a scoundrel is not when you’re trying to rescue him. And the time to turn the whole incident into something that you can use for political gain is not when they are still underground facing a miserable death.
We desperately need to focus on what made America great. We need to focus on our hard work. Our creativity. Our commitment to equal opportunity.
But we focus instead on what divides us. We focus on our differences. We end up focusing on what is the best for us each, individually, more of the I-I-I i-Pod i-Junk Have it MY WAY attitude.
If it happened in America, we would have made some progress. Then, the liberal faction would start disagreeing with the engineers. Soon, the lawyers would get involved. Then, there would be a strike, and people would argue over broadcast rights.
We went to the moon.
We need to go back.
And I say that only because I am talking about the collective “we”.
Americans.
The US has gone from a country that encourages all people who are starting out to a country that only wants to be around ‘established’ people. People no longer want to take risks, but want to be ‘in’ when there is a success happening. People want to be executives without being workers, they poohpooh the person starting out, but want to be the friend when the person succeeds.
I don’t think it’s too relevant ot reality, but according to many, the plot of “The Notebook” is where a poor man loves a rich girl, but the girl has to choose between love and the ‘expectations of her class.’ I mean, this is FREAKING AMERICA where money isn’t supposed to determine your worth, or social class. I mean, even in Europe it’s not money, but lineage, but they’re honest about it at least.
America, the biggest problem, is that so many want to basically be carried by people who are the can-do types, but instead choose to treat them like serfs, not like the valuable contributers they are. In Britain there is a strong dedication to their military in the upper classes, but you don’t see the new money trash appreciating it. Here in the US you don’t see too many people being proud of their military. Or bothering to care about learning actual skills.
As for the guy with the mistress, she was decent enough (mistress) to greet him when he came up while his wife flounced off instead of swallowing her anger and seeing her husband come up. I think infidelity is WRONG, but that’s a sort of rage that should be set aside and that problem worked on later.
{Chilean miners say ‘Thank you, Lord’ for their rescue...}
...and obama called and said you’re welcome.
Calling his mistress decent is a stretch!! The man has been married for 28 years. His wife said she wishes him well & is glad that he survived - but refused to participate in the rescue scenario because she has a sense of decency.
She had no previous knowledge of the mistress until they both showed up at a candlelight vigil with the picture & name of the missing loved one.
These miner's were allowed 3 people to be present at their rescue & he chose to add his wife, his mistress & his brother. He put his wife in a position to be shamed in front of the world. I would not have been there either, if I was in her position!!!
They will start being allowed to leave the hospital today. It makes one wonder where this guy is going to live after sneaking off from his home of 28 yrs for visits to his mistress.
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