33 Chilean Miners+Mass Media Coverage+The Jesus Film = AMAZING!

Here is a story about the Chilean miners being about to hear about Jesus Christ through technology. This story leads me to wonder, "How many others heard about Jesus through this tradgedy and the media coverage?" 

Upon hearing the news that all 33 trapped miners were alive, Chile's Campus Crusade for Christ Director Christian Maureira contacted church leaders and government authorities in the region. With their cooperation, Christian soon established contact with Jose Samuel Henriquez, a committed Christian who now is known throughout the world as miner #24.

Christian Maureira and Jose Henriquez wrote letters to each other and as a result Campus Crusade arranged to provide personal MP3 players with the audio adaptation of the "JESUS" film ("The Story of Jesus") and the New Testament. Each of the trapped miners received the MP3 players more than a week prior to their rescue.

Throughout their ordeal, Jose encouraged the other miners both spiritually and emotionally. He reported that many of the miners met for prayer services twice each day. After learning of the plan to provide the MP3 audio adaptations of "JESUS," Jose wrote: "Thank you for this tremendous blessing for me and my coworkers. It will be good for our spiritual edification.... I am fine because Christ lives in me." He closed by quoting Psalm 95:4, "In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him."

Jose asked Christian to assist the miners by making special T-shirts they could wear on the day of rescue. Christian said, "The idea was to glorify our Lord with all this and also to express our love and concern for them by giving them the 'JESUS' film and the Bible in audio through the MP3s."

On October 12 and 13, 2010, the eyes of the world watched as the majority of the miners stepped out of the rescue capsule wearing their "Gracias Señor" T-shirts! The Lord was indeed glorified!

Please continue to pray for each of these miners as they process their experience.

ABOUT THE MINERS' T-SHIRTS:
Campus Crusade for Christ presented the now famous T-shirts as gifts to each miner. With the Campus Crusade and The JESUS Film Project^® logos on the sleeves, the words "Gracias Señor, Thank you Lord" stood out on the Chilean flag on the front of the shirts. Psalm 95:4 appears on the back: "Porque en su mano están las profundidades de la tierra, y las Alturas de los montes son suyas."

Social Evangelism - Tweeting Unitl the Whole World Hears!

I think one of the things God has really been showing me a lot lately is the fact that He has given me a passion for social media along with my passion for communicating the Good News to others. I love that in my job I get to use this! and I love seeing how God is using things like Facebook and Twitter to bring others to Him! I think I always knew this but over the past two weeks I have really been able to see the connection in my own life and ministry. When I was in college I took a liking to mixing Public Relations and Social Media, it was a realm of communication that always fascinated me. One week ago, during our Worldwide Day of Prayer God began to reveal to me the realization that people are coming to know God through social media. One of the applications Campus Crusade for Christ has started is an Everystudent.com application tab for Facebook, not only am I completely geeked out that we are using social media in ministry but I am more so in awe of how God is using it to completely knock me off my own pedestal. God has given us the technology, we just need to learn how use it to fulfill the Great Commission and He will do the rest! 9 times out of 10 when people are searching for something they "Google it". You need to find a remedy to get grease out, google it. You need to find a new restaurant and you want to see the Menu before you go, you punch it in on your iPhone or Blackberry. We all want answers readily available to us and the internet provides that.

God began to speak this revelation of how social media can be used in reaching college students (and the world) for Christ into my heart over the course of this past week. Through a series of job duties, findings online, stories of how facebook or an online conversation led someone to receive Christ and a sermon on Sunday (that talked about the book by Malcom Gladwell titled "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted") I began to see more and more clearly that God has designed me as a "social media geek" so that I can play a part in His plans! God is soo good! and I am very humbled everyday that I get to be used for His Glory! I can't wait to see how else God wants to use me in the weeks, months and years to come! So that eventually everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus.