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October 12, 2010
Chilean Miner: 'God Has Never Left Us'
Trapped miners owe a lot of their sanity to the 34th person in the tiny underground community.
Jimmy Sanchez, one of the 33 Chilean miners who have been trapped for over two months in the San Jose copper-gold mine in the Atacama Desert, would like to make one small correction to all the stories about life in the mine:
“There are actually 34 of us,” the nineteen-year-old miner wrote in a letter sent up from the mine on Tuesday, "because God has never left us down here."
Amid reports of squabbling on the surface among families of the trapped miners, some say things are much calmer underground as everyone prepares for this week’s attempt to bring them back up. The men have worked hard to keep their spirits buoyant during the ordeal, organizing themselves into a community and dividing up their living-room-sized space. Early on, they set aside a space to pray daily, and religious groups have converged on the mine to serve the miners' spiritual needs. Once a supply line was established, Seventh-Day Adventists sent down mini-Bibles with magnifying glasses; the Jesus Film Project loaded 33 MP3 players with an audio adaptation of the famous JESUS film. A crucifix was sent down in August, and it's said that miners also requested statues of Mary and the saints. The miners signed a flag which was presented to Pope Benedict this weekend.
Christian leaders of various denominations have come to the San Jose mine; the Guardian is rather bemused by all the activity, describing a “surge in religious fervor” as the rescue operation takes shape.
Baptist Press reports that two miners have “made professions of faith” since their entombment started. Pastors are also ministering to the families of the miners, who have camped out nearby.
“In the midst of this catastrophe, God is in control, and it is the Lord who has kept their family members alive," says Marcelo Leiva, pastor of Vallenar Baptist Church in Vallenar, Chile.
The miners are also thinking a lot about their family lives. Esteban Rojas, who never had a church wedding with his wife Jessica Yanez, has proposed again after 25 years. Others have decided to end their “empty” marriages. Miner Johnny Barrios has two women waiting for him topside, both of whom came to the San Jose mine to pray for his return. "Johnny doesn't want to come up," a psychologist working with the miners quipped in the Guardian.
As the hours tick away toward the expected rescue, the families holding vigil at San Jose are far from the only ones praying for the safe and speedy rescue of the 33 men. Spirits are so high that the miners are fighting among themselves about who will be the last to ascend—too many men are volunteering to stay down till the end. They’ve also contacted a lawyer to work out a deal by which they can share profits equally from the story.
Whatever happens when he and his compatriots stand in sunlight once again, Jimmy Sanchez wants to hold on to the lessons he’s learned in the past few months.
“God wanted me to stay here, I don't know, maybe so I change from now on,” Sanchez wrote.”I have thought and I'll change a lot. I have suffered too much and don't want to suffer any more. In the hard moments I was thankful of God because I got a daughter. I expect than when my turn arrives everything will be OK. Hugs for everyone."
Comments
What a quote! "...because God has never left us down here." What an inspiration this man is! May God continue to bring them out safely and keep them as they face the challenges ahead of them.
Posted By: Charely | October 13, 2010 9:20 AM
"If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." Psalm 139:8 How true !!!
Posted By: sagar | October 13, 2010 12:26 PM
Thanks KLove for posting this link on your website. God is so good and faithful and ever present and unchanging. Having a relationship with God is like experiencing Heaven on Earth. God always gives us glimpses of His glory and mercy, we don't have to look far but we do have to look up, beyond ourselves.
Posted By: Lisa | October 13, 2010 3:09 PM
The comment reminded me of a great sermon I heard many years ago about the three Hebrew Children in the fiery furnace. It was one of Oral Roberts most famous messages. He entitled it "WHO IS THE FOURTH MAN."
Posted By: Jim Swanson | October 13, 2010 4:50 PM
A new scripture verse for the Chilean Miners: Psalm 71:20: Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the dephts of the earth.
Posted By: Clement Birkelbach | October 13, 2010 5:21 PM
how wonderful to watch as the rescue contines the love and affection the chilean people so beautifully express for each other ,you will know them by their love I am so encouraged by them
Posted By: marie | October 13, 2010 6:00 PM
"For as Iron Sharpens Iron, so shall one man sharpen another."
Proverbs 27:17
Posted By: Michael | October 13, 2010 6:40 PM
Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Isaiah 59:1
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Thessalonians 5: 16 - 18
Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Jeremiah 32: 17
Those men knew who to thank - the 34th Man in the mine with them for 69/70 days.
Glory to God
Posted By: Linda | October 14, 2010 1:22 AM
Isn't God good! I have just been praying that these men will have an encounter with the Lord out there and come out to share their testimonies so that one more soul will be drawn to the Lord.
This testimony is just awesome.
Let's continue to pray for these miners and their families, that they will continue to experience the True God through His Son Jesus Christ daily.
Glory to God
Posted By: Paulina Kumah | October 14, 2010 3:19 AM
I was wondering if anyone could explain to me what exactly this god did, and if possible, how you know it. To me, it seems like a wonderful effort by both the people who labored to rescue them and the miners themselves who held on and endured. I don't see any role for an additional entity here, nor evidence of one.
Please note that belief in this god is not an answer. Sure, believing in a god might have made them feel good, but that's not answering my request. I could probably feel better if I believed I had more hair, but that sadly doesn't make me less bald.
Posted By: Dave | October 14, 2010 10:14 AM
This is a answer for the one that is requesting a explanation of what God did for these miners. It looks like to me that God had this situation happen in order to quite these men so they can hear from him. I know that there is a God because the day I asked God in my heart my hole life changed. I challenge you to try it. If you ask God to proof that he exist then I promise that he will. God had work to do in these men and he had their attention down there. That is how God works John 3:3 says you must be born again in order to enter into heaven. If you ask God in your heart and mean it, he will. Weather you believe ever in God or not, he still exist. He says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Posted By: Jean Breazeale | October 14, 2010 11:39 AM
Psa 14:1 The FOOL hath said in his heart, There is no GOD. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Sad thing is, Dave does not believe there is a GOD so he can't accept HIM in his life! God can't do enough for people like that, that don't believe. Do you believe in AIR David? Do you believe that there is air on the earth even though YOU can't see it? I'm sorry to say that Jean has a wonderful point but David will not ever see it if he denies GOD! God's already done enough!! Dave has just missed all the signs. Hell is a horrible place to spend an eternity in!!
Posted By: MRogers | October 14, 2010 11:56 AM
i like the way this happened - once in awhile, when the world just seems so selfish and cynical - God steps in silently and enters our affairs - we never know how He will do it but in the case of the miners He was there every day with them AND THEY KNEW IT! The other story that came out is that of the white butterfly seen by two of the miners when they were driving a truck in the mine - they had never seen a butterfly that far down in the mine and stopped to look at it - at that point the wall in front of them collasped - if they had not stopped they would have been killed - one so called scientist said it was impossible for a butterfly to be at that depth - the butterflies are outside the mine among the flowers on the hills around the mine - but if God wanted to send a butterfly to warn the men - it seems perfectly normal to me - that the small butterfly was God's angel for the men
Posted By: jan | October 14, 2010 12:42 PM
1 Corinthians 13:11 - When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
I don't see anything more childish than playing make believe. How ironic that this passage is in your bible, but then it's full of contradicting things. Good thing none of you actually read it other than the selective passages that make you feel good.
Anyway, I find it troubling that some of you see this entire thing orchestrated by your god, and frankly I hear that a lot. A mine has to collapse in order to make a point. A plane has to crash so that one survivor becomes a believer. Quite a cost to make a point, not to mention that according to the Free Will argument, your god's not supposed to be intervening anyway or else he's on the hook for evil. Of course in your bible your god takes credit for evil, but then none of you read it so no worries, right?
MRogers: Sight is but one way to "see". Air can be detected quite easily. Your god, apparently not so easily. I think for something more analogous to your god than air, pick anything which doesn't exist.
For everyone else, I said belief doesn't equal existence so you can stop offering your belief or the miners' belief as evidence of existence. I can believe I've won the lottery, I can even claim to KNOW IT, but that doesn't make my net worth any higher, capiche?
Posted By: Dave | October 14, 2010 1:08 PM
Like I said before, every knee will bow. You can do it willingly or God will. I will also pray for all the people that dont believe in God. When you die you will. Even Darwin believes now.
Posted By: Jean | October 14, 2010 1:41 PM
I know the FOURTH Man very well and 34th Man too. I am thanking God they lived through this fiery trial and pray they will grow from it spiritually and any other way too. I have been through something simular and will rise above it all. Thanks Jesus, for all you have done for the 33 while you comforted them. Sent the Comforter too.!
Posted By: Cathy | October 14, 2010 1:56 PM
Sadly, there are too many people like Dave all over the world. Speaking of 'Free Will' God gave us Free Will to either accept Him by Faith, or reject Him. Dave has chosen the latter. But his rejection of God does not alter the truth of God's Word. God loves you Dave, more than you can ever know - more than any living, breathing thing on this earth can. And that's a fact. The issue here is FAITH. God bless you.
Posted By: Marian | October 14, 2010 2:14 PM
Bravo miners! God is alive! God is alive! Let the earth cry out, God is alive! O Lord, O Lord, how magestic is Your Name in all the earth!
Posted By: Mary J | October 14, 2010 2:45 PM
Once a supply line was established, Seventh-Day Adventists sent down mini-Bibles with magnifying glasses.Thank you for sharing.
Posted By: 310-9438 | October 14, 2010 10:11 PM
Where can we buy those ¡Gracias Señor! (Thank you, Lord!) T-Shirts! Very Cool!
Posted By: Todd | October 14, 2010 10:41 PM
Just wondering where God was when the earthquake in Chile killed over 500 earlier this year.
Just wondering where God was in the Haiti disaster or in New Orleans or in the tsunami.
These 33 grown men must be something special for God to have stepped in and saved them while he has sat by and watched millions of little girls over the past several thousand years get held down and have their genitals cut off and their holes sewn shut.
Oh yeah, we don't give God the credit for that stuff...we need to ignore what the Bible says in Isaiah 45:
Isaiah 45
5-I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6-That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
7-I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Posted By: Gina | October 15, 2010 2:20 AM
If God was responsible for getting these men out of the ground - then he was also responsible for trapping them down there in the first place. Strange that so many theists rush to praise their God when good things happen - but never damn their God when bad things happen. If the rescue had failed - and the miners had died underground - would the theists be blaming their Gods for causing the deaths? Did they blame their Gods for causing the deaths of thousands in the Asian Tsunami? If not - why not? You cannot have it just one way - if your God is responsible for the good things that happen - he is also responsible for the bad things that happen. What does that say about an omni-benevolent being?
Posted By: Kev | October 15, 2010 2:22 AM
i was wondering why my post was taken off of here i`m not dave the man posting negative posts i have said the truth about how real jesus is and still is in my life and asked folks if they needed proof i`d gladly send proof of this not just in photos but also video i`m also living proof that jesus christ is so very real and it was jesus that had his hand in this forsure forsure and all of a sudden my post is gone please feel free thats anybody in the world to contact me at my email address which is m drl44 at msn dot com
thanks
Dave in halifax canada
i strongly believe in jesus i`m not judging the other dave and never will judge a soul because jesus would then judge me
god bless all of you real men in the mine that have jesus on your side
Posted By: Dave Lahn | October 15, 2010 2:59 AM
What did god do for the chilean miners?? He gave them the spiritual and psychological strength to come through their ordeal with flying colours, to set an example to the world of what true spiritual power can do for people in distress.True, all the physical rescue work was done by humans, but as the tame psychologists on site quickly found out, they were just an annoying irrelevance when faced with real religious faith....atheists at the mining site??...what a joke.
Posted By: kris dee | October 15, 2010 7:17 AM
''God is the 34th person that was down under with the Miners''. That touched me dearly when I heard that. What a blessing for them to realize that.. Oh my,this young man has made a statement that will change the world and make people think....God bless you brother.
Posted By: Bobbie | October 15, 2010 7:17 AM
Kev makes a keen observation, even though his conclustion is wrong. Most Christians are quick to praise God when people are spared in disasters but silent about the times He chooses not to spare people.
The same God who saved the Israelites killed the Egyptians with His plagues. Christians will say "God is good" when things turn out the way we think is good. Agnostics and Athiests will say "God is evil if He exists at all" when things turn out bad.
The reality is that God is good and holy, merciful and just. The sad thing is that humans think they are more just than God and more benevolent than God. In reality, it's a mercy that God spares any of us self-worshipping rebels to His will.
But let us as true believers join with Job, saying, "Though He slay me yet will I trust Him."
God can be trusted, even if not understood and certainly not controlled by sinful men.
Posted By: Dane Gressett | October 15, 2010 2:48 PM
We do not blame God when bad things happen because usually these are caused by man's ineptitude, greed, corruption, etc. And when they are not caused by what man does, God allows evil to teach us, to bring about some good, to expose the diamond in the coal. We will never understand God's way and thoughts for they are far above ours, but God is good. He is faithful and merciful, and He is also just.s
Posted By: patsy | October 16, 2010 3:09 AM
This is so remarkable.
Posted By: Adri Mellet | October 19, 2010 12:33 PM
Only a fool will not see God in this situation, but the God fearing man will say yes God is there. May God bless the families of 33 Chilean Miners, and it is my prayer that their testmony is spread all over the world to sham the devil.
Posted By: Andrew Mukembe | October 20, 2010 8:15 AM
It is now four months since the Chilean Miners were rescued. I hope they remember that the 34th man who was with them in that mine is still with them after they reached the surface and went home. If you watched the segment on 60 minutes, you know that they are not doing well. Victor Zamora wishes he were dead, Alex Vega is building a cinder block wall around his house and can't tell you why, Mario Gomez, the oldest miner rescued can't sleep; and, almost all of them are on heavy medication such as Mario Sepulveda. Today is February 18, 2011, March will be five months that they have been rescued and at home with their families. Five months I have been praying that they will heal from their ordeal. I will keep praying for them and their families. To God Be The Glory!! Amen.
Posted By: Carol | February 19, 2011 1:53 AM