Miner Tells Pastor Rick Warren God Gave Him Hope During Terrifying Ordeal

Jose Henriquez decided to turn to God for redemption as he began to feel helpless  while stuck deep in a Chilean mine for 52 days.

 “I opened my heart to God and just prayed,” Henriquez said at Pastor Rick Warren’s Easter service  Saturday at Warren, who is calling his message for Easter “The Greatest Rescue.”

CLICK HERE to watch today's service.

 “Every story in the Bible is a rescue story,” he said to the more than 20,000 people in his congregation. “God rescued Moses, he rescued Joseph, he rescued Jacob, and the children of Israel over and over.”

 With that message in mind, Warren invited Henriquez to speak at the mega-church.

 “Henriquez’s story is one of the most dramatic and expensive rescue stories of all times,” Warren said.

 Henriquez made headlines last August after an explosion of rock trapped him and 32 other miners in a Chilean mine 2,000 feet underground. For 17 days, the miners had no communication or contact with anyone on the ground and relied on each other for survival.

 “We only had three or four days' worth of food and water so we had to ration our food,” said the 56-year-old. “Each miner got only half a teaspoon of canned tuna.”

 The miners began to build a mini-democracy and assign each other tasks. Henriquez became the group’s “pastor,” since he was the only miner who was religious at the time.

 “We had a full worship service, and prayed twice a day from the Bible stories I remembered from Sunday school,” he said.  “I taught 22 other miners how to pray and put their faith in Jesus. We learned to humble ourselves.”

 Warren said everyone can learn from the miners' plight—especially those who have not let God in.

 “You have to admit you need rescuing and admit you need to be saved,” he said. “Those who don’t commit their life to God are rejecting their true life.”

 This rang true for Paula Clay.

 “I thought it was a wonderful correlation and I never thought of it that way,” said the Wisconsin native, who was visiting relatives for Easter.

 “I have been coming to Saddleback Church for at least six years because Rick Warren is able to really connect with his members,” said Brenda Jensen.

 Warren also said we need to share the “good news” with other people even while we may be suffering, just like Henriquez did.

 “God is alive and real. Let God into your life before it is too late,” Henriquez said.