A review of Miracle in the Mine, José Henriquez.
On Thursday, August 5, 2010, a mine collapsed in Chile, trapping 33 miners 700 metres underground. For 17 days no one knew if there were any survivors.
Then on August 22, a drilling probe broke through and the miners were able to signal that they were alive. From the moment that they were found, it took another 7 ½ weeks until they were rescued, and the whole world was looking on.
The rescue was widely described a as miracle, however, the extent of that miracle, and how closely many of the miners were walking with God, has not been known until the publication of this book.
José Henriquez was one of those miners, and he became a pastor to the miners following the collapse of the mine. He describes Jesus as the 34th miner, present with them throughout their ordeal.
The first 17 days of their entombment were the most distressing, they were in darkness, with little food and water; and a growing concern that they would no be found. José knew that they needed hope, and the comfort of God’s presence and blessings.
He gathered the miners together, and won a commitment to pray twice daily. Practically, this helped build community. Spiritually this nurtured the believers; but more importantly, their prayers were being answered.
They prayed over their meagre food rations, and were wonderfully sustained.
They prayed for protection from their water supplies that were being sourced from inside mining machines. They stayed healthy and in good spirits. They of course prayed they would be discovered, and they were!
As José writes, “The times of prayer in our underground refuge kept us united and confident. But God deserves all the credit for saving us. He kept us well in the refuge.”
In fact, when they were discovered the rescuers immediately connected them with psychologists who expected to find men who were traumatised or depressed. José quickly reassured them that the men were healthy in mind as well as body. Soon it was realised that psychological counselling was not required. (Ironically, a New York Times article reports that in the aftermath of the rescue many of the miners are struggling with most unemployed, unable to return to the mines, and many having difficulty coping with the loss of the celebrity status they received after the rescue.)
During the long wait for a shaft to be drilled to rescue them out of the mine, the trapped miners continued with their prayer meetings and worship times, and José continued in his role as pastor. He even challenged those underground to make a commitment to Christ, and led several miners in a discipleship process. 22 men accepted Christ as their personal saviour.
When it came time to be rescued, the miners agreed to wear a T-shirt emblazoned “thank you Lord!” with a quote from Psalm 95.4 on the reverse: “In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.”
José was reunited with his wife and family, and thought that his life would return to normal.
However, the story of his role as pastor to the miners had spread, and he was invited by US President Barack Obama to share his story at the President’s National Prayer Breakfast. José has also shared his testimony throughout Chile, Israel, England and Ireland.
In his final chapter, José lists what he has learned:
- Become persons of prayer
- Become persons who treasure the Word of God
- Become persons who dare to build churches without buildings.
This book is an inspiration for Christians, and could be a useful book for anyone associated with mining or interested in the story of the Chilean miners.
José is frank about the way he had wandered from his faith in his 20s and 30s; and about the sadness and struggle at times underground. However, his infectious faith and love for God shine through this book.
The story jumps around a little, and is written in a quirky style, but José is engaging and passionate, and knows how to reel the reader back into the story. The book includes some lovely colour photos of the rescue.
This confirmation of God’s sustaining presence in every circumstance is a message we all need to hear. My response after reading the book was to thank God for glorifying himself in the miraculous rescue of those miners.
