One of the biggest stories here in Thailand as soon as we got here from Malaysia, was the amazing rescue of the soccer team that were trapped in the cave during monsoon season here in Thailand. It was kind of hard to follow what was going on since the news were in Thai. We usually got our information through articles and received bits and pieces of information here and there. We were kind of unaware of the gravity of the situation until we read the harsh conditions that these kids and their coach was suffering as they spent their days stuck in a cave, that could collapse or run out of air. I don’t know how big of a story this was back in the states but it was all over the news here!
I recently read an article listing the miraculous-ness of the process that occurred during the rescue mission. If you haven’t read the story of these boys yet, I suggest you do!! You’ll get a better perspective on the gravity of the situation and really see how God’s hands were with the boys and the rescue teams the whole time!!
1. The boys and their football coach were found and rescued in the most impossible of situations.
2. The rope the British diver was using to guide them into the cave ended, so he went up to catch air and at that moment he found the boys sitting in front of him! He said that if the rope was longer, it would have continued underwater and he would not have found the boys and their coach!
3. Only one of the boys knew English and could communicate with the British diver. He is the only Christian in the group and he learned the language through a missionary project that takes place in his small church.
4. The monsoon rains held off during the rescue mission for three days and did not hamper the operation, although it rained in surrounding areas.
5. As soon as the last diver left the cave (after all the boys were safe) the pump that was pumping out water from the cave broke (It would have been a disaster if this had happened before the rescue was complete!!!)
6. It rained all morning following the rescue and the cave is now completely flooded.
7. All the boys were rescued and are in surprising health, which has baffled the Buddhist doctors. “We do not know how to explain this” they said.
8. The rescue action required people working together through linguistic and cultural barriers. Important decisions were made in consensus to see the plans were implemented. The rescue is a credit to the excellent work and determination of a team made up of so many different people and nationalities. The only Brazilian volunteer in the operation was the missionary, Tati Araujo, who translated conversations between the English and Thai divers, authorities and foreign military.
9. The Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world, united to cry to God for His intervention in the impossible plight of these young men. Disciples from every corner of the earth prayed, hoping that the Lord could make the impossible happen… and it did!
