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The Truth:
 This
story is true and the
T-Shirts were given to 33 trapped Chilean miners by the local branch
of the International Campus Crusade for Christ, according to a statement
on the
ministry web site.
As well as the bilingual display of gratitude saying, "Thank You Lord",
the tee shirts included an Old Testament quotation from Psalm
95:4, "In his hand are the depths of the earth, and mountain peaks
belong to him."
The Campus Crusade For
Christ ministry also provided each miner with an MP3 player with an
audio version of the story of Jesus and audio Bible.
After being trapped 2,300 below the Earth's surface for 69 days all 33
miners were rescued.
Background
On August 5, 2010 a
gold and copper mine in San Juan, Chile collapsed, sealing 33
miners from the outside world. The mine is located approximately 500
miles North of the Chilean capital, Santiago.
After the cave in, drilling efforts began in an attempt to locate the lost minors and
continued day and night. On August 27, the 17th day of the rescue
attempt, tapping on the drill was heard by the rescue team on the
surface. The trapped men had managed to escape to the safety of a refuge area in
the mine about 2,300 feet below the surface. When the drill was pulled back to the surface
rescuers found a note attached that said, "Estamos bien en el refugio,
los 33" – "We are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us."
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera
shows note from trapped miners
The minors were
trapped underground for a record breaking 69 days and spent much of
their time in prayer to keep their spirits up as they waited on their
rescue. . At first, the
33 men were surviving from rationed food and water in the refuge
area. Later a relief tube was sent down to them to replenish
supplies and bring fresh air into the cramped living space which would be
their home for more than two months.
Computer Image of Rescue Pod
Meanwhile on the
surface, as the world hoped and prayed for the trapped miners, a team of
engineers worked vigorously on a rescue plan to get the men safely
recovered. The Chilean engineers consulted the National Aeronautical Space
Administration' (NASA) Engineering and Safety Center based at
Huntsville's Marshall Space flight Center to ensure every safety
consideration would be covered in the rescue operation. Every "what if"
scenario had to be examined and evaluated. The Chilean engineers sent
Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings to the NASA team for review for
their suggestion of procedure and design modifications of the rescue
pod. The Chileans also consulted the Space Agency for nutritional
guidelines and advice in maintaining a healthy mental attitude for the
men who were trapped in a confined area for so long.
Chief of rescue operations Andres
Sougarret welcomes rescued miner Juan Illanes topside.
When the news first
broke that the miners were found alive the estimated time of the rescue
operation was four months. On October 12th, one by one, every miner was
raised to the surface. After medical evaluation of the now freed
minors and some time to be with their loved ones, many involved returned
on October 17th to the scene dubbed "Campo Esperanza"- "Camp Hope" to
celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass.
T-shirt
updated 10/18/10 |
