The Chilean Rescue: 'Bienvenido a la vida!'

As the 15th miner was rescued, the Chilean President Sebastian Pinera welcomed him with these words: "Bienvenido a la vida!", which in English means "Welcome to life!"

I just took a coffee break and in the break room was a TV showing live footage of the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners in San Jose Mine.  At the bottom of the screen was a ticker that read "21 of 33 Rescued".  I was mesmerized. If you haven't tuned in yet, don't miss this amazing moment...

Since August 5th, 33 men have been trapped beneath the rock, uncertain of whether they would see their families, friends, or the light of day ever again. 

With precious lives at stake, the world has rallied to save them.  No expense has been too large - rescue planners, medical authorities, mining executives and even NASA engineers, have provided support, guidance, and resources to sustain their lives and retrieve them out from under the dirt.

I cried watching this raw footage of the first man that was rescued, Florencio Avalos. The camera pans back and forth from the deep, dark hole to the family members - Florencio's wife, son, and family - all anxiously hoping to see the face of a husband, a dad, a son, a brother, once again. As soon as the rescue capsule emerges, the family is overcome with emotion.

Watch this three minute video just to be reminded about the preciousness of life and the tremendous effort we make in order to save lives. When a child is sick, we will search the nation to find the right doctor and raise expenses to cover medical bills.  When a friend is destitute, we will open our homes and provide food and shelter for months on end.  And when a woman is faced with an unplanned pregnancy, we will go the extra mile to provide support and love so that her baby is welcomed with open arms and into a culture that says, "Bienvenido a la vida!"

The Chilean Rescue reminds me of the work of pregnancy centers and the time, resources, energy, and love that is poured into the ministry of saving unborn lives and loving women faced with unplanned pregnancies. Pregnancy centers provide such a wide variety of free services.  We strive to remove every barrier that would prevent a woman from having the resources and support she needs to carry her child to term.  From parenting and childbirth classes to referrals to community and government agencies for medical care, counseling, job training, and housing.  If it's not a program or service we provide, we will search high and low to help you get connected to that help.  In many cases, the best service we provide is simply a loving, listening ear and the ongoing emotional support to walk someone through an extremely challenging time. 

The lives of 33 Chilean miners are precious. So is yours. And so is every unborn life. Inspire Life.