----- Original Message -----
From: judith Cole
To: Betty Lasota ; sam kegley ; margaret farley
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2010 20:39
Subject: Christian Alliance Devotional-have you noticed the miners' t-shirts?
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This was the huge photograph on the front page of today’s edition of The Telegraph, showing rescued miner Mario Sepulveda. As I glanced at it, something looked very familiar... not just the word “Jesus” on the sleeve of his t-shirt but the font. Upon looking closer I saw all the words “The Jesus Film Project”.
It seems the national ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ in Chile provided each of the miners with a pale yellow t-shirt to wear for their appearance on the surface. And that wasn’t all. In the early days of the rescue drilling, 33 MP3 players were sent down to the miners, containing the audio version of the JESUS film and an ample portion of the Bible.
One of the miners, Jose Samuel, sent a letter up the Dove (long, narrow metal canister that shuttled supplies and correspondence) to the CCC national director. Here is a portion of his words:
"I want to express my appreciation for this great blessing for me and my co-workers, it will be very good for our edification" (He is talking about the MP3's of the Bible & Jesus film)
"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"
This has been a remarkable story with God getting much more than an occasional mention! Three of those miners were evangelical Christians and I’m sure many others were God-fearers and may well have given their lives to Christ during their ordeal through the witness of these three brothers in Christ.
Back to the t-shirts... Printed on the front was the Chilean national flag and the words Thank you Lord in English and Spanish. On the other sleeve was the CCC Int’l logo and the name of our ministry in Chile. (Here is a picture of the oldest miner, Mario Gomez, praying upon his exit from the capsule.)
Our national director has asked us to pray for the salvation of all the miners, that they might acknowledge the one who has rescued them from sin and judgment, even as they continue to be so thankful for their deliverance from certain physical death.
It is such a privilege for Donna and me to serve alongside our 25,000 missionary colleagues – creative people like our national director in Chile who found a way to bring the JESUS film and the Bible to the ears of the trapped miners. Share this email with friends to encourage them with the fact God is able to get his Good News anywhere on earth and under it, as well!
I’ll conclude with the Bible verse Jose Samuel sent up the tube during his ordeal underground:
"In his hand are the depths of the earth, and mountain peaks belong to him." (Psalm 95:4)
The CNN blogspot on the story
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/14/the-story-behind-the-chilean-miners-jesus-t-shirts/?hpt=C2
The CCCI website version
http://www.ccci.org/ministries-and-locations/americas/chile/chlie-ministy-helps-trapped-miners.htm
Thanks Judi!.
Value in emails from friends? Yes!
I needed this powerful message in my life right now. I haven't faced the horrible death these miners might well have suffered without the ingenuity, faithfulness and prayers of all who earnestly gave their best to rescue them through the 'dove' and the eventual safety tunnel.
A close friend told me recently that I used to be a wonderful man, but I have recently, in my old age, became a grouch. That friend also said that perhaps she has become a bitch in her old age. That struck me right in the psyche (as a kick in the groin might have). I have considered myself a Christian Conservative and that is what I want to portray with my life and in my blog.
I anticipated a weekend of gratefulness as I toured the construction to replace the World Trade Center in NYC Friday. My day in the city was not all enjoyable, except for a new friend and a bona fide New Yorker just made in recent years, Jim Agostine. He took me on a walking tour through the area. I earnestly prayed for our world's people, as I looked over the scenes. Otherwise the walk later down Broadway, past Wall Street's Bull, to the Staten Island Fairy with my long lasting planar faciatis in my left foot; the windy cold ride over and back from Staten Island; and getting utterly lost on the NYC subway system drained much of my anticipated joy. This soon to be 78 year old man was very exhausted. I found a seat in the basement floor of Rockefeller and watched ice skaters out the large windows while in a frustrated state of mind. The Fun Bus back home picked us up at the Center a few hours later.
Some 'tough looking, jive talking" black subway dwellers showed me some mercy and a black lady of around fifty took me across the street to a different subway and sent me on my way to a seven stop ride to Rockefeller Center in Manhattan from the Brooklyn suburb I had found myself in. I weakly thanked them and gave the young lady a dollar, she reluctantly took. I had been through twenty or more stops in my confusion, but I was also grateful for the $8.25 day pass I bought from our Fun Bus tour guide Rebecca, which allowed me to exit and enter the subway so many times.
I, as all Christians do, want to portray Christ in my life. I fervently believe that Jesus would have not become a grouch if he had spent more than his 33 years on earth. His stories gave us only one instance of anger as he chased the money changers from the Temple grounds. He was a consistently wise and gentle human being who happened to be Son of our Holy Father and who genuinely showed His wonderful love to all people.
I thank all of the miners and their faithfulness and the faithfulness of those who moved to achieving their physical and spiritual salvation. Would that all people of different faiths could appreciate the miners' story at this time. Christian- 'like Christ'? I wonder about me but I want to be more like Him.
Thanks again, friend.
Sam
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