Book "Hope Underground" by Carlos Parra Díaz

About the Book: "God has never left us down here"
Thirty–three miners – trapped beneath the Chilean desert. _their situation, at first, seemed hopeless. Yet instead of abandoning hope, the miners, their families, communities of faith, the Chilean government and rescue workers united in an effort to achieve the impossible. What drove these people to defy failure and persevere against all odds? How did a small, white butterfly, a wayward probe, and a '34th miner' all play a significant role in the unfolding of this incredible story? While most reports of this stirring drama focus on what human effort can achieve, Hope Underground reveals the spiritual nature of the miners' experience, highlighting amazing details of how God's providence turned a potential tragedy into the most successful mining rescue of all time.
RELIGION / Christian Life

About the Author: CARLOS PARRA DÍAZ was serving as an ordinary pastor in northern Chile when, on August 5, 2010, the San José Mine collapse occurred. Eager to serve wherever there is a need, Parra suddenly found himself becoming one of the most influential spiritual leaders in the most publicized and successful mine rescue in history. His active participation at Camp Hope, the temporary residence of the miners' families and rescuers, allows him to share unique insights into the miraculous chain of events which led to the triumphant liberation of the miners. This experience not only changed his life forever, but deeply touched the whole nation of Chile. Parra has since been invited to share this inspiring story in countries around the world. Today, Pastor Parra and his family live in Asunción, Paraguay, where he serves as a regional pastor and missionary.

My Review: This is a superb book, a very well written history about all the drama involved in the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners that got trapped inside the San José Mine, at 700 meters below the surface, in the Atacama Desert, Northern of Chile, for 69 days. The narrator is Pastor Carlos Parra Díaz, an Seventh-Day Adventist pastor who God placed at that site acting as the chaplain of Camp Hope, where the family of the trapped miners were waiting for their rescue.
His testimony is very touching. He starts telling about his life and how he ended up being at that place, at that time, when the mine collapsed trapping the miners inside. Then he goes over the roller-coaster of emotions on the news when the first drill missed the place where the miners could have been waiting, and when a second drill reached their place and first communication came from them stating they were all alive and well, after 17 days of the initial collapse of the mountain. And from there, he narrates all the combined efforts of the rescue group created by Chilean government, with the help of the entire world experts in mining accidents and other fields, as well as all prayers that his group and the entire world contributed as a decisive factor for the final result.
This is a story of true hope, and clearly shows that for God nothing is impossible. Like it is written in Mark 10:27, "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God"".


I recommend this book to the permanent library of any serious Christian reader who needs a boost on his/her faith through the powerful testimony of a God's person describing God in action.

This book was written by Pastor Carlos Parra Díaz and it was published by Imago Dei Books in September, 2011 and B&B Media Group were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their blogger book review program.

If you are reading this review, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.