Subject: FW: Trapped Chilean miners find light of Word in ‘mini-Bibles’ – Adventist News Network
To Share…Adventist NEWS:
Original News Story located at:
http://news.adventist.org/2010/08/adventists-mini-bibl.htmlTrapped Chilean miners find light of Word in ‘mini-Bibles’
Adventist Church is ’spiritual reference’ for miners, families at site
31 Aug 2010, Brasilia, Brazil
Magdiel Pérez Schulz/Adventist Review staff/ANN staffThe arrival of miniature Bibles to 33 Chilean miners trapped some 2,300 feet
underground is bolstering their hope of rescue.Seventh-day Adventist pastor Carlos Parra Diaz (left), shows one of the
miniature Bibles sent down a supply shaft to the 33 trapped miners in the
Atacama desert. Parra is serving as chaplain at the rescue site, local
church leaders said. [photo courtesy South American Division]
“Give thanks to those who sent us the Bibles,” a miner identified as Renan
told a Brazilian weekly newsmagazine last week. The Bibles “gave me so much
faith that I will leave here,” Renan said.Seventh-day Adventist officials in Chile say the Bibles they provided the
miners are supplying spiritual light as the group awaits rescue. Local media
outlets have labeled the miners’ survival so far a miracle, and their
reports have highlighted the church’s initiative.The miners — who have been trapped since the August 5 collapse of a tunnel
at the San Jose mine in Chile’s Atacama desert — rationed what would have
been two days’ worth of food to stretch until they were discovered some 17
days later. Now, they await rescue, which mining experts say could take up
to four months.The Associated Press on August 31 reported that preliminary drilling has
begun to liberate the miners. While they wait, food, water, medical supplies
– and now, miniature Bibles — are arriving through a supply shaft.Carlos Parra Diaz, an Adventist pastor who oversees the northern Chilean
district of Copiapo, secured approval from Laurence Golborne, the country’s
mining minister, to send Bibles to the trapped miners. Each volume is
approximately three by five inches to fit into the device that is
transporting supplies to the miners. Each Bible was personalized with a
miner’s name and included specific scriptures to encourage them.“We have always been available to help our brothers who are suffering both
outside and inside of the mine,” Parra said. “Now we have prepared … these
mini Bibles so the miners, in their confinement, can read the Word of God.”A magnifying glass accompanied each of the mini Bibles to make reading
easier, the Brazilian newsmagazine reported. Each Bible is labeled with the
words, “We are praying for your return.” The magazine also said that Psalms
40 is highlighted in each Bible. The passage reads, in part, “I waited
patiently for the Lord; and he inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also
brought me up out of a horrible pit … and set my feet upon a rock, and
established my steps.”The church also gave a copy of the Bible to the ministers of health and
mining, as well as to each of the families at the rescue site. Parra is
acting as the camp’s chaplain, local Adventist leaders said.“If God has kept them alive, he will continue taking care of them,” Parra
told the Brazilian newsmagazine. “Before, the prayer was for our
[countrymen] to be alive. Now, we pray that the final rescue [will] be long
before they expect it to be. We are asking for another miracle,” he said.As a result of the Bible distribution, the church has established a presence
in the mine area and is now a “spiritual reference” for the camp, local
Adventist officials said.ANN World News Bulletin is a review of news issued by the Communication
department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters and
released as part of the service of Adventist News Network. For reproduction
requirements, click here. The opinions expressed by Commentary authors and
sources in ANN news stories do not necessarily reflect those of Adventist
News Network© and/or the Seventh-day Adventist© Church.
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Trapped Chilean miners find light of Word in ‘mini-Bibles’ – Adventist News Network
September 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffFriday Email
September 2nd, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffLyn White
August 24th, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffFriday email oops
August 20th, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffFriday email
August 20th, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffGood morning,
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago there were recently three weddings leading me to think that maybe June is no longer known for its brides. Well, what did I know! 62 years ago August was very popular. Viv and Ginny Shull celebrate their anniversary on Sunday. Congratulations!
Many thanks to Valerie Bellas and her crew that made Vacation Bible School such as success. She would also like to thank the following: “thanks to all the adults and young people who came out and supported VBS, also Mrs. Stephenson, she sent the music for the VBS, great help. Mrs. Brooks found us a piano player for the VBS. Thanks to Henna also.”
I received this thank you from Zo: “I just want to say a BIG thank you to our church family for being so generous in bringing those delicious dishes to the Special Potluck last Sabbath. Our visitors were more than happy, they actually came back for dinner and were able to finish off some leftovers! Please continue with that good spirit and be a blessing to others – your great reward is in heaven.”
Welcome Sabbath will be September 4. Please plan to attend and welcome all our visitors and students back to University Church. (It’s also the first home noon football game so plan to come early!)
We will be having a baptism this Sabbath afternoon of Kevin Murphy at 5pm at the University SDA Church. Join us as we celebrate his commitment to Christ!
Pastor Davids quote of the week:
“These are the things we are never to forget. The love of Jesus, with its constraining power, is to be kept fresh in our memory. Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in our behalf. There can be no union between our souls and God except through Christ. The union and love between brother and brother must be cemented and rendered eternal by the love of Jesus. And nothing less than the death of Christ could make His love efficacious for us. It is only because of His death that we can look with joy to His second coming. His sacrifice is the center of our hope.” Desire of Ages, 660.
We have the privilege of partaking in communion this Sabbath – remembering Christ’s sacrifice and anticipating our Lord’s return! Join us for worship and fellowship!
See you tomorrow,
Mary
Friday email
August 13th, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffSabbath potluck
August 11th, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffFriday email
August 6th, 2010 | Posted in Blog | Comments OffGood morning,
June used to be the month for weddings but here at the University Church it is the end of July – first of August. Ludeen McCartney and Ricardo Green were married on July 25, Ama Agyeman and Scott Larsen were married on July 27, and Rachel Simpson and Lindsay Huddleston were married on August 1, 2010. Our very best wishes to all.
We will be postponing board meeting this month. Our next board meeting will be on September 9th at 6pm.
ASF will be hosting a special concert on Saturday, August 14th at the University Church at 7:30. They will also be having a meeting on Friday evening (August 13th) after VBS. Everyone is invited They are expecting other students from Michigan to attend and support the event. If you are available to house students on Friday evening please contact Sadarra Fields at: 517-488-7017
Bible marking continues on Sabbath morning at 9am – 9:45 am in the board room. The dates for the class are August 7, 21, 28 and Sept 4. Come and join us as we prepare to be ready when asked about our Bible based beliefs.
We will be having VBS at the University Church from August 9th-13th at 6pm. There will also be having a special feature on Sabbath, August 14th before the sermon time. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer – please contact Valarie Bellas at: 517-507-2424. We are so lucky that Valerie is willing to lead out in this evangelistic effort for our children. Please support her with volunteering, bringing children and your prayers.
Be sure to visit our updated website: www.universitysda.com for our church calendar, ministry team schedules, sermon downloads, and links to our Sabbath School quarterly.
Quote of the Week:
Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, not a grief pierces the soul, but the throb vibrates to the Father’s heart. . . . God is bending from His throne to hear the cry of the oppressed. To every sincere prayer He answers, “Here am I.” He uplifts the distressed and downtrodden. In all our afflictions He is afflicted. In every temptation and every trial the Angel of His presence is near to deliver.–The Desire of Ages, p. 356.
Join us this Sabbath as Pastor David continues his series from the book of Philippians!
See you tomorrow,
Mary
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