Faith around a miracle

in the north of Chile

By Javier García. Communications officerChilean Bible Society

18th October 2010

5th august - miners trapped

A cave-in leaves 33 miners trapped nearly half a mile underground in a small copper and-gold mine near the Chilean city of Copiapo, 500 miles north of Santiago.

22th August - Good News

Aug 22 – Rescue workers hear tapping on the drill at a depth of 2,260 feet. When the drill is pulled out, there is a note attached. It reads "Estamos bien

en el refugio, los 33" – "We are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us." The miners have access to about 1km of tunnel and have split into three groups

to eat and sleep

Day of rescue, 12th October

Austrian mine workers install the final platform where the crane is being installed, hours before the rescue operation to lift the

trapped workers out of the San Jose mine on 12th October 2010 Photo: *** HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE ***

T-Shirt & Faith

Campus Crusade for Christ Chile, gave this T-shirt

Photo: HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

T-shirt: Gracias Señor

Thank you Lord!

Laurence Golborne

President Sebastian Piñera and Mining Minister Laurence Golborne shake hands after Roberto Rios, a technical expert arrives at the bottom of the hole where the 33 trapped miners wait for their exit at the, October 12, 2010.Photo HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

Sebastian Piñera

"What started as a tragedy is ending as a real blessing“

"It was a miracle, because on the first day the odds were against us," Piñera said. "At the end of the day, the miners were in the hands of God."

Chilean president Sebastian Piñera waits with the family of Victor Zamora, 33, the fourteenth trapped miner to be rescued on October 13, 2010.

Juan Carlos Aguilar

Juan Carlos Aguilar is the twenty-ninth miner to leave the San Jose mine

on October 13.Photo: HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

T-Shirt: In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

(Psalm 95.4)

Carlos Barriosin his first letter to his cousin, acknowledged that he never considered himself religious. "He told me, 'Cousin, now I believe in God, I believe completely,'" his cousin Alonso Contreras recounted.

Carlos Barrios, 24, is the thirteenth trapped miner to be rescued.

Photo: INFANTE/ GOVERNMENT OF CHILE.

Logo on the T-shirt's left sleeve for the Jesus Film Project.

Alex Vega

Thirty-one year old Alex Vega holds a Bible while being carried into the triage medical site. Vega became the tenth miner rescued after 69 days underground.

Photo: HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

Chaplain Alfredo Cooper

“When they first vanished, we didn’t know whether they were alive or dead. So outside of the mine the role of faith and prayer was central. The President called for an emergency prayer meeting. We prayed in the presidential palace”

Photo: Reverend Alfredo Cooper, the Protestant chaplain to the President of Chile and Ximena Matas, Atacama's region Governor

Francisco Viguera, Chilean Bible Society

Francisco Viguera, General Secretary of Chilean Bible Society, presents New Testaments to miners' families

(several weeks before the rescue)

Florencio Avalos, 31, becomes the first miner to exit the Phoenix rescue capsule on the night of October 12, 2010.

Photo: HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE *** NO SALES. EDITORIAL USE ONLY.

Florencio Avalos

Luis Urzua. Last miner rescued

Chilean president Sebastian Piñera hugs Luis Urzua, the last miner out of the rescue hole.

Photo : HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

José Henríquez, the preacher

Jose Henriquez 54, embraces Andres Sougarret, head of the rescue operation, and becomes the twenty-fourth worker to be saved.

Photo: GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

“The moment of prayer, of his readings of the Bible, was the most special moment for the miners because it was the only moment that they all came together, at twelve in the day and at six in the evening they came together in this moment of unity

We were singing to the Lord, we were doing what pleases the Lord. So everyone accepted Him, many of them reconciled themselves with the Lord, some of them made promises to Him

Mario Sepúlveda

Mario Sepulveda, 39, is the second miner to leave the San Jose mine with the Phoenix rescue capsule.

PHOTO: HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

“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”.

"I always knew God would get us out of there."

We 33 miners are walking hand in hand with God," miner Mario Sepulveda reported on August 31.

Esteban Rojas

Esteban Rojas, 44, kneels to pray after stepping out from the rescue capsule and becomes the eighteenth trapped miner to be rescued.

Photo: HUGO INFANTE /GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

Omar Reygadas

Omar Reygadas, 56, kneels down with a Bible in hand while becoming the seventeenth trapped miner to be rescued.

Photo: HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

"I don't belong to the church," he says. "My church is at the corner of my bedroom, or on my patio. But now I feel much closer to God."

Jimmy Sanchez

In a letter he sent to the surface earlier this week, he said he wished to correct reports that there were 33 miners trapped below.

"There are actually 34 of us," he said, "because God has never left us down here."

Photo: Jimmy Sanchez, 19, is the fifth miner to leave the San Jose mine with the “Pheonix" rescue capsule the night of October 12, 2010.

Photo HUGO INFANTE/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE