Hope Underground - The 34 Chilean Miners: A Book Review

Hope Underground - The 34 Chilean Fan Miners: A Book Review

By T Letseli

I have just read this faith-building, thought-provoking story as related by Pastor Carlos Parra Diaz. I received a copy as a birthday gift from my friend, Russel Nel. I recommend this book to a person who doubts the existence of God, and also to those who are looking for more and further reasons to trust God.

The plot unfolds within the structure of 18 chapters serving as a guide to provide logic and chronologic account of events. The account is not a theological treatise or debate aimed at proving the existence of God or an argument in favor of validity of miracles. It is a simple story of faith and trust in God.

The story flows from the experience of Pastor Diaz, his role as a Chaplain of what would be termed "Camp Hope." The author introduces the reader to several characters ranging from the mayor of Camp Hope, comidian, families & children of miners, government officials, mining lords, journalists, police, several church leaders and members - each playing their roles in helping the minors.

There are other stories linked to the experiences of minors, but accounts which are not necessarily linked to the main plot. For example, the role of government in granting mining rights without follwing safety protocols, the unpaid salaries of miners, local government structures, and etc. Then reader is sidetracked from those stories which are important, but not relevant to the main story.

The plot takes several turns - turns hard to understand, defying any human or scientific explanations - except understood within the context of Christian faith. The appearance of a butterfly 700 meters underground, the sense of divine presence, the role of prayer among miners underground and that of their relatives above-ground & and the Christian world at large, the experiences of mining engineers, the role of the Bible in encouraging miners underground, and sustaining their families above-ground.

The story has several climaxes leading to an ultimate one. The discovery of the minors brought joy to both miners, families, government, and the world. This was the first highlight paving the way to establishing contact with miners, providing resources to care for the sick.

The ultimate climax was the rescue of the last miner. Between the two climaxes are stories of discouragement and disappointment, and also much prayer from both minors and their relatives. The lives of both miners and their families were altered, and many found more and better reasons to trust God, and those who were atheists prior to the event, found reasons to accept the fact of the existence of God and then sustaining power of the Word of God (Bible).