CMS Mission Update Online

Mission partner's Obama moment

It's not every day you're greeted with hugs and smiles by the President of the USA. Alf Cooper, CMS mission partner in Chile, was surprised to be pulled out of a lineup by President Obama on a recent visit to the country.

Alf was among those being presented to President Obama in late March because of his other role as Protestant chaplain to Chile's President Pinera.

Soyanne Muzard, head of communications at Alf's large city-centre church La Trinidad, takes up the story:

"According to what was reported President Obama broke into the line when he came across the Chaplain of the House of Government, our beloved Pastor Alfred Cooper.  He gave him a warm hug and allowed pictures to be taken which surprised President Pinera."

Although President Pinera began introducing Alf as the person who "took care of the souls of those who constitute the House of Government" besides his other responsibilities, it was clear that President Obama remembered Alf from his visit to Washington in February along with recued miner Jose Henriquez.

"The President of the United States reminded him that they had already met at the Hotel Hilton in Washington DC at the National Prayer Breakfast which was held at the beginning of February this year, where our Pastor was the interpreter of Jose the miner, who gave testimony of how he lived when he and his fellow miners were trapped underground in the San José mine and how God rescued them.

"The presentation was made before 3,000 people including members of congress and other important people from all over the world."

Alf continued the evening sharing the gospel at his dinner table alongside a prominent TV current affairs presenter, a senator, and other notables of Chilean society.

 

Thousands hear gospel from Chilean miner and mission partner during UK tour

More than 16,000 people packed into churches, town halls and conference centres across the UK to hear Chilean miner Jose Henriquez and mission partner Alf Cooper share a powerful story of rescue and redemption through Jesus.

Widespread media coverage, from the BBC, the Times, Sky News and several other outlets brought the message of God’s love to thousands more.

“We were encouraged that the BBC, by putting Jose’s testimony up prominently on their site, actually shared the gospel with thousands,” said John Martin, who coordinated press and media for the two-week UK tour, which was called “The 34th Man” as the 33 rescued miners had previously testified to the presence of a “34th man” – Jesus – being with them through their 69-day ordeal.

Whilst Jose andhis wife Blanca moved audiences to tears with their account, mission partner Alf Cooper, who also serves as Protestant chaplain to President Pinera of Chile, issued a powerful call to prayer to UK Christians. “In Chile, I was tasked with calling the nation to prayer, and the whole world saw the power of prayer. Imagine what could happen here if everyone in the UK rededicated themselves to prayer!” As a result, hundreds of people have agreed to commit to regular prayer for mission through CMS.

Other outcomes from the “34th Man” tour included hundreds of people declaring that they wanted to follow Jesus. Alf told the story of a taxi driver who drove him and Jose to Heathrow and ended up praying that Jesus would enter his life.

Alf and Jose also visited mining areas in north-east England, which are still struggling following strikes and closures. When they shared their story at Kirkby Miners’ Welfare,
it was standing room only with hardly a dry eye in the place.

“The local minister has since rededicated his life to mission in that community,” said CMSstaff member Gaenor Hall, who arranged the meeting. “He will be giving a DVD of the event to every church in the area.”

Summing up the tour, Alf said, “Jose would only tour under the condition that our speaking would permit calling people to Jesus. We felt that this was a realistic approach to missiontoday, mission sponsored by CMS from Chile to Europe, the other way around to traditional mission enterprise. We could see that the UK is hungering for spiritual reality.”

The tour was briefly interrupted by a request from US President Barack Obama for
Jose and Alf to attend the annual US National Prayer Breakfast. “He was visibly moved by Jose’s story and later commented to us how he admired Jose’s leadership skills,” said Alf.

Spring clean for Audiomission podcast

This month we re-launch our Audiomission podcast as a monthly 20-minute programme, produced and presented by Mike Stranks.

This month: rescued Chilean miner Jose Henriquez, environmental activist James Pender, community development worker Christine Salaman, Bible translation in South America and take up a sponsored challenge with CMS.

CMS Audiomission March 2011

[ Format: mp3 | File size: 16MB | Length: 20 mins ]

 

Miner Jose returns to Chile's enthusiastic press

It seems rescued Chilean miner Jose Henriquez is as popular with the press there as he was here.

El Mercurio covered his arrival back in Chile with the headline quote "Obama was impressed by my story about the mine".

He has been to a diverse selection of churches across England, Ireland and the US to give talks about his experience in the mine and testimony to his faith, El Mercurio reported.

Jose's verdict on Obama, whom he met at the National Prayer Breakfast? "'The President is a warm, friendly man,' said the miner who adopted the role of spiritual guide during their 70 days in the mine."

The paper says he spoke to  over 1,000 people at the Prayer Breakfast, although he only had a few minutes. He found it significant that participants came from many countries and religions.

"'Everyone wanted to praise God and tell about their experiences. Most of them were Christian.' In England he visited churches across the country."

34th Man Tour - Moved to tears in Kirkby

"I want to share two stories from the event that really touched me," says Gaenor Hall of CMS, who was instrumental in organising the tour of rescued Chilean miner Jose Henriquez and CMS mission partner Alf Cooper, chaplain to the president of Chile.

FRIDAY 31 JAN, KIRKBY IN ASHFIELD – "Kirkby was a community that had been economically destroyed by the miners strikes and pit closures of the 1980s.

"As a result church work in the community became difficult. People were bitter and up to seven years ago murders were still taking place within the mining network out of bitterness and resentment of the miners’ strike.

"The first meeting with Jose and Alf that day was at Kirkby Miners' Welfare... the mining community would not come to the church – so the church went to them.

"It was standing room only.

"I found myself sitting in a corridor talking to the local minster of the area. He was in tears. Unable to believe that CMS would send the tour to Kirkby – an out-of-the-way insignificant nothing of a place – as a result of the meeting this minister rededicated his life to mission in his community.

"As the meeting came to an end – I was stopped by a lady who wanted to make a donation to CMS. She took out her purse and emptied its contents into the bag I was holding. Her friend asked what she was going to do as that was all the money she had until her pension was paid again.

"The lady replied, 'God will supply – I know it is right to give.'

"Please continue to pray for what God has started. I am in contact with one of the ministers who is producing a DVD of the event – and giving it as a gift to every church in the whole area of Kirkby, Sutton and Skegby."

34th Man Tour: Next stop, breakfast with Obama

The sanctuary of St Matthew's Church Cheltenham holds 400+ and I'd venture to say there wasn't an empty chair or a dry eye in the house as Alf and Jose wrapped up their England tour with a retelling of their unforgettable story.

We really should mention what it's meant to have Blanca, Jose's wife, on this tour.

As she has recounted her perspective on the events that began unfolding on 5 August — from her initial disbelief that such a thing could be happening to her unwavering faith throughout the 69-day ordeal — her warm and humble spirit have no doubt encouraged thousands of people.

Currently winging their way to Washington, DC, our beloved Chileans are scheduled to attend President Barack Obama's Prayer Breakfast and then come back to Ireland to continue sharing the message that God is good and prayer is powerful.

Were you at Cheltenham? Leave us a comment to fill in the picture...

Audiomission special: Chilean miner Jose Henriquez

It was ordinary day in August when a sudden rockfall trapped 33 Chilean miners deep underground. Among them was a deeply committed Christian who was to guide the group in prayers and offer them spiritual support.

Jose Henriquez was that man and now he has come to the UK with CMS to tell the remarkable story of how his faith sustained him during the 69 days the group were trapped underground - and how the rescue he sees as a miracle has driven him to become a missionary.

With him (and translating in this podcast) is his new friend the Rev Alf Cooper, CMS mission partner and Protestant chaplain to the President of Chile.

Listen: Chilean miner Jose Henriquez

Produced and presented by Mike Stranks. More on the "34th Man" Tour with Jose and Alf.

[ Format: mp3 | File size: 7.67MB | Length: 9m35s ]

 

Oxford: Miner inspires in the city of dreaming spires

CMS community leader Tim Dakin interviewed Jose Henriquez, his wife Blanca and Alf Cooper last night in the Oxford Town Hall, in front of a crowd that included the city’s mayor. At the conclusion of Jose’s stirring story, Alf, a CMS mission partner and Protestant chaplain to the President of Chile, boldly issued a call to prayer:

“We’ve seen what happens when a nation prays. Think what could happen here in England if you all joined together in prayer!”

One of the night’s most poignant moments came when Tim asked Jose about the recent disaster in the Columbian mines: “Why would God save you and not others?” Visibly emotional, Jose replied: “I don’t know all the circumstances of this disaster. We know that accidents happen every day and people die because of humans’ avarice or lack of concern for workers’ welfare. Many want to blame God when these things happen, but I know God is a God of love.”

As we consider Alf’s call to prayer, we might start with praying for some members of the audience who seemed sceptical or hostile to the message, including one guy who entered the Town Hall wearing a shirt that proclaimed: “The gospel of Jesus Christ is hypocrisy.”

BBC's Robert Piggott on miner turned missionary

A nice piece on BBC News today from religion correspondent Robert Piggott on how Chilean miner Jose Henriquez became a missionary through his ordeal.

"When we thought we had lost everything, I was able to say to them, 'We haven't lost prayer,'" Jose told the BBC.

There's a great video clip on the BBC site.

34th Man Tour - Solihull

While half the nation were watching in disbelief as one of the rescued Chilean miners was brought on to present a National Television Award to the school drama Waterloo Road, others got to see another miner, Jose Henriquez, telling his story in the flesh at Solihull's Renewal Christian Centre.

We hope to have some pictures from the day in Solihull soon. Maybe some of you saw it on your local news? Or you were at Renewal Christian Centre tonight? Tell us what you thought of Jose and Alf Cooper's story by leaving a commment below.