Rescued Chilean Miners Tour Israel; Give Joyful Shout at Western Wall

Teresa Neumann : Mar 1, 2011
Elad Benari & Yoni Kempinski - Israel National News

"If there's anything I can identify with it's the idea of not losing faith, just like the Jewish people. I feel grateful that I can give back in return for everything that was done for me through all the prayers that were said for me and for the rest of the miners." -Samuel Avalos

(Jerusalem, Israel)—The 24 Chilean miners rescued last year from a collapsed mine deep in the earth are enjoying a week-long tour of Israel with their families as guests of the Israeli government.

As reported in Israel National News, on Friday, February 25, just before noon, "visitors to the Western Wall heard a loud sound of joy, which is quite unusual for the holy place of prayer."

The "jubilant cries" were the miners' emotional response to their experience. Interviewed later by INN, the miners were quoted as saying their own rescue reminds them of "the difficult periods in which the Jews were saved from harsh decrees throughout the ages."

"It's something that's very similar," said Samuel Avalos. "If there's anything I can identify with it's the idea of not losing faith, just like the Jewish people. I feel grateful that I can give back in return for everything that was done for me through all the prayers that were said for me and for the rest of the miners."

According to the report, during their visit to the Western Wall, the miners said a prayer in which they thanked the Creator for the miracle that had befallen them in returning them from the depths of the earth to the open air. The miners approached the stones of the Western Wall with great excitement, placed notes, and prayed silently for a long period of time."