33 Miners out of the shaft, “the last shall be first”

“As I have pulled miners out of a mine, so I will humble the world. ‘They are just miners’ you say, ‘sooty and greasy,’ you say, ‘below me,’ you say, yes I know you have said. I don’t even judge you but I know your thoughts.

“Look at the compassion of the Chileans. Look at the faith. Real faith in Me, I don’t care what church-y they go to. They said I am the 34th miner with them, God with them in the dungeon. They knew that they knew that they knew I was there. They knew that they knew that I love men, yes women are men so don’t trip and fall on words.

“And look at the President who muscled the troops, international expertise, and rolled out the red carpet, an incredible reception, for these men. Everything was thought of and attended to. He went over the top. Over the top!! What a commander in chief. Let’s get real! Can we talk? The last shall be first. Come on, now! In churchy lingo, ‘Come on, Now!’, you Pentecostal folk! The last shall be first. I love men. Come on now you churchy folk, men are men and women. The lowly are My beloved and just read My red words again and get real. Yes, Catherine’s [Sierra’s] getting a message here so she is humbled. Her eyeballs are popping out. [I, “Sierra”, can add, happily so.]

“And guess what? Come on, I can talk this way. I love YOU. Don’t get into condemnation now. Be down to earth because that is the true mean of humility, low to the ground. Get real! And you will find friends upon friends and love upon love and life overflowing and everlasting. Now I’m even [speaking] churchy. What goodness coming out of the shaft of a mine. Guess what, I love you. I really really do. And I really really love those 33 men. Isn’t it interesting that’s the age folks think I died? Different voice from Me. But you recognize Me all the same because I don’t change. Still healing people who are grabbing my robe or falling through roofs. Still healing people who sputter and spit before Me. My first miracle was wine and I’m not ashamed. Yes I hang out. Still eating heads of grains in the field. Yes I relax and live. Get real. Get low. And find my Zoe life. Because I’m coming soon and you all better be lovin’ one another because I love you. And don’t think I’m spanking and chastising about this, I’m not. Oh, your head spins. This is a simple little message. The last shall be first, the lowly shall be first, what you overlook shall be first. Because, ‘Surprise, Surprise!’ I love men. I love men.”

So, my friends, this is the most unusual and “crazy”, if you will, word I’ve received. It hit me with a “bam” and no-nonsense unction to post. He was real and not super-spiritual. I feel like yours-truly got roto-rooter’ed (my tongue in cheek for His Spirit further sanctifying me). I jest slightly because I’m honestly nervous this is so unusual a tone. It’s uncomfortable for me. But He is teaching me, please know He is really teaching me, as well.

Update as of October 14, 2010 11pm: This word has made an impact on me in that I continue to ponder all the Lord seemed to be saying. It was unusual in that He spoke in an extremely down-to-earth voice. And what a focus on His love for people: those 33 miners were resurrected from their dark grave below (many believe Jesus died and was resurrected at age 33), and the Chilean president and government went to incredible, compassionate and expert efforts to rescue not only down-to-earth but in-the-earth miners. The word and event are a reminder He greatly loves the often overlooked, those not in the limelight, such as miners going about their day to day work, “the last shall be first, the lowly shall be first, what you overlook shall be first.” The Lord was also gently and lovingly chiding charismatic “Pentecostal folk” who sometimes get too super-spiritual, “Come on now you churchy folk…. The lowly are My beloved… just read My red words again and get real.” Many of those miners had faith in Emmanuel, God with them there in that prison, and it pleased God. And the Chilean President as well as many people who made great efforts to rescue those men pleased God with their compassion. The Lord facilitated the miracle through everyone. The more I re-read this word, the more I see several threads of the simple truths of His teachings, the Bible’s “red words”, woven together in this event.

Update as of October 18, 2010 11pm: A friend, Eagle, let us know about this video. It validates the Lord's word about faith that pleases Him. “What did the miners in Chile say on their shirts?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONQBqOCApC4

Update as of October 19, 2010 9am: And I learned through the IWI website that Campus Crusade for Christ provided the tee-shirts.
http://www.ccci.org/ministries-and-locations/americas/chile/chlie-ministy-helps-trapped-miners.htm

Chile Ministry Helps Trapped Miners
The story of the 33 rescued miners has gripped the attention of the world, and Campus Crusade for Christ Chile has played an integral role.
15 October 2010

By now, most of you have probably seen the t-shirts the miners were wearing as they arose out of the mine that said "¡Gracias Señor!" (Thank You Lord!) and had the JESUS film logo on the sleeve. They were created by our Chile ministry and given to the miners to wear.

The national media has noticed the logo as well. CNN posted an article on their Belief Blog talking about the shirts.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/14/the-story-behind-the-chilean-miners-jesus-t-shirts/?hpt=C2

We also wanted to confirm that the miner mentioned by Christian in his letter is miner #24, Jose Samuel Henriquez. Some services list him as Jose Henriquez Gonzalez. By all accounts, he was the spiritual leader of the group.

Would you join us in continuing to praise God for their rescue and the part our fellow staff members played in caring for and serving their needs while trapped.

News From the Miners
By Christian Maureira, Chile National Director

Hello team and friends! I want to share with you about the last 2 very intense weeks as we have worked on the project to take the Word of God and the JESUS audio version to the mine, but it has really be worth the effort as it is food for the soul. This long history of the miners that is now passing 2 months has been without doubt the longest survival experience for people trapped underground.

This all started on the August 5, when the San Jose mine collapsed because of the exploration in the mine. The news was not good as it was only 6 months after we had experience the very large earthquake and tsunami. With a population less than other countries in the world, problems like this seem much closer to you and much more like it is part of your own family.

After 2 weeks without news from the miners we could only think the worst. The government had made every effort, but it was reasonable to think that the miners were lost, above all considering the distance where they were located, some 700 meters (2,000 feet) deep with a difficult future to be rescued. But God had other plans and 2 days later (the 17th day), contact with them was made. Obviously we were all very happy and we celebrated the miracle that all were alive.

As Campus Crusade, God guided us to think about how we could help these men and this was how we took the initiative to contact some churches in the north, leaders and authorities about sending the JESUS audio into the mine. It wasn't easy in the beginning because of some apathy in the Christian leadership and a lack of a sense of urgency, together with the restrictive control of the rescue team but, God in His sovereignty provided that we were able to gain contact with the daughter and the brother of 1 of the 3 Christians that were trapped there.

During several weeks, I was in contact with them and I explored the possibility of sending them audio material. Finally, I traveled to the mine with 33 MP3's containing the JESUS audio version and an ample portion of the Bible. I was there for 2 days and we sent the MP3's through each family members that were there.

Jose Samuel, my contact in the mine (father of Hettiz and brother of Gaston) is an extraordinary man who has really surprised me. The psychologists that are giving help from the surface have recognized that he has been a tremendous emotional and spiritual support for the rest of his co-workers.

He sent me a letter that grabbed my attention for his incredible clarity of thought. For example, some parts of the letter are:

- "I want to express my appreciation for this great blessing for me and my co-workers, it will be very good our edification" (He is talking about the MP3's)

- "I am well because Christ lives in me"

- "We have prayer services at 12 a.m. and 6 p.m."

- "I ask all of you for pray not only for us here, but for all the lost people in the world"

- At the end of the letter he signed off with Psalm 95:4, "In his hand are the depths of the earth, and mountain peaks belong to him."

This is a very motivating story, let's continue to pray for the salvation of these souls. Thanks for being part of this.

Update as of October 19, 2010 4pm: And one more update from Eagle who writes, “God had His own all over this operation.” I’m sure the testimonies about how God used and honored everyday people walking out their everyday lives of faith in His Son will go on and on regarding this event.
http://www.ewtnnews.com/new.php?id=1915
Cypress, Texas, Oct 14, 2010 / 05:56 am

On Wednesday, the world watched in anticipation as 33 Chilean miners finally began to emerge through a narrow shaft, drilled half a mile below the earth. The extraordinary man who helped save them, Drillers Supply International co-owner Greg Hall, is also training to become a deacon in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston next February.

EWTN News spoke to his wife Angelica Hall (with whom he runs Drillers Supply) on Wednesday, about her husband's service to the Church, and the role their Catholic faith had played in helping them plan the rescue.

While the trapped miners were surviving on food rations lowered into a shaft too small to pull them to safety, Greg Hall was working --and praying-- to determine how a larger opening could be drilled. “We're prayerful people,” Angelica Hall remarked. “Prayer is a part of our daily life … and part of our community at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church.”

Mrs. Hall explained that her husband's drilling supply company, which opened its Chilean branch in 1993, normally provided the supplies for gold, copper and silver mines. But in almost 25 years of business, she said, “this is the first time that we were involved in a mine rescue.”

“There was a crossover from Greg's expertise and drilling in Chile, (and) what our parts and our drill pipe could do,” she explained. Hall's engineering expertise “was able to cross over in making a shaft to get to the miners.”

The unprecedented rescue took months of planning, since even the smallest error or miscalculation could have caused rocks to slide or cave in-- trapping the miners forever. Mrs. Hall said her husband was grateful to play his part, having volunteered his expertise after initially hearing that a rescue was unlikely.

“He's kind of a take-action guy,” she told EWTN News. “We try to help if we have the skills and the talents to help.” Both faith and service to others, she said, “have been a part of our entire marriage.”

The same risk-taking spirit will lead Mr. Hall to become Deacon Hall, on February 12 next year. His wife recalled how her husband was first “an usher-greeter, then he was a lector,” before being asked “if he'd ever considered the diaconate.” She said that although her husband hadn't thought about it, “we just went forward in faith a step at a time.”

“Our formation has been six years and we're in the last semester. Hopefully, Greg will be ordained February 12th.”

With everything going on, she said, her family's life had been “quite an amazing ride.”

Noting the Biblical significance of 33 miners being pulled alive from their potential tomb after a 33 day drilling operation, Mrs. Hall told EWTN News that “the significance of that number” --the same number of years Jesus lived before his death and resurrection-- “has not been lost on us.”

She expressed amazement and gratitude that the opportunity to save dozens of lives had emerged in the ordinary course of “our everyday walk,” a fact that she said is proof that “God uses ordinary people in their ordinary lives.”