1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Joshua's heart sank. He realized he was lost. The darkness 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,759 in the mind wasn't just an absence of light, it 3 00:00:10,839 --> 00:00:11,560 felt alive. 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,279 Speaker 2: I'm stumbling, just walking in the dark, as if I 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,079 were blind, and at this point I realized that I 6 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:20,640 had gone a wrong way. 7 00:00:21,399 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: Joshua's father waited outside the mine. After a while, leaders 8 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,280 and scouts began exiting, but boy after boy appeared and 9 00:00:30,399 --> 00:00:31,280 no Joshua. 10 00:00:31,879 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 2: My father was feeling this horrible feeling. Where's my son. 11 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:44,679 Speaker 1: This is the Miracle Files. 12 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,359 Speaker 3: I'm Emily Jones and I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters 13 00:00:49,399 --> 00:00:52,960 who love a captivating true story, but we're also seeking 14 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:54,159 more light in our lives. 15 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, 16 00:00:58,079 --> 00:01:02,560 uplifting stories of God's meals. We hope you'll join us 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,000 on this journey. 18 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,159 Speaker 3: Welcome back to the Miracle Files. We have a remastered 19 00:01:09,239 --> 00:01:11,560 episode for you today. And if you're wondering why we're 20 00:01:11,599 --> 00:01:14,920 remastering some of our early episodes, it's because. 21 00:01:14,519 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: We've come a long way, baby, a long way. 22 00:01:17,799 --> 00:01:20,799 Speaker 3: Yes, we've learned so much over the years, and yeah, 23 00:01:21,159 --> 00:01:23,319 a lot of our new listeners haven't even heard our 24 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,319 earliest episodes. So yeah. 25 00:01:25,359 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: I actually just met a woman the other day and 26 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,000 she was telling me that she had binge listened to 27 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,719 all of our episodes, and she pointed that out. She 28 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,239 was like, yeah, listening to your episodes now feels a 29 00:01:34,239 --> 00:01:36,760 little different than your early episodes. So yeah, it was 30 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,760 kind of fun revisiting it is some of our early episodes. 31 00:01:39,799 --> 00:01:40,959 Give them a little TLC. 32 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, and this episode originally aired on the first anniversary 33 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,920 of our podcast, and now we're about three years into 34 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,920 this thing, so it feels crazy to say that, but 35 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,200 this is a really good episode and it still gives 36 00:01:54,239 --> 00:01:57,239 me chills when I hear the ending, So please enjoy 37 00:01:57,439 --> 00:01:58,359 The Boy and the Mind. 38 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,799 Speaker 1: Someone was coming down the mine shaft. Joshua's group turned 39 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:12,080 their flashlights off and listened to the approaching footsteps. The 40 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,960 darkness permeated everything. It was the type of darkness where 41 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,840 even a sense of up and down gets lost in 42 00:02:19,879 --> 00:02:25,280 the black void. This boy Scout camping trip was one 43 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,840 ten year old Joshua Dennis had been anticipating along with 44 00:02:29,879 --> 00:02:33,800 his father. He'd traveled to Jacob City, an old, ghostly 45 00:02:33,879 --> 00:02:37,960 mining town tucked away in the rugged wilderness. But the 46 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:40,960 real lur of the trip, the one that made Joshua's 47 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:45,599 heart race, was the Hidden Treasure Mine. This mine wasn't 48 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,520 just a dark hole in the earth. It was a 49 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:53,599 vast labyrinth of tunnels, spanning over twenty miles and six 50 00:02:53,719 --> 00:02:58,759 levels deep. The mine steps were a mystery, an invitation 51 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,479 to adventure, but as with all adventure, there was a 52 00:03:02,479 --> 00:03:06,080 shadow of danger, a sense that once you climbed into 53 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:12,800 its opening, the mine could swallow you whole. On this 54 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,319 cool Friday night in September, Joshua and his father had 55 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,000 joined the other scouts to explore the mine. They soon 56 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,479 split into smaller groups to begin the journey inside. Two 57 00:03:24,479 --> 00:03:28,639 groups went ahead of Joshua's own party, which consisted of Joshua, 58 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:31,560 his dad, and three other scouts. 59 00:03:32,479 --> 00:03:37,319 Speaker 2: Here's Joshua, and between the five of us, we had 60 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,000 two flashlights, so I was holding my dad's flashlight, and 61 00:03:41,039 --> 00:03:44,039 then another boy had a flashlight, and we were going 62 00:03:44,039 --> 00:03:47,879 down the tunnel together, and we stopped to look around 63 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:51,120 a bit, and we decided to turn off our flashlights 64 00:03:51,159 --> 00:03:54,120 just to get that feeling of the darkness, just to 65 00:03:54,159 --> 00:03:59,000 see how dark it was inside of mine. And we 66 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,319 put our hands in front of our faces, and it's 67 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,639 just like how you imagine. You can't see anything and 68 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:05,919 your eyes can't adjust to anything because there's no light 69 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,840 that can penetrates. Just the darkest that you could ever experience. 70 00:04:09,759 --> 00:04:12,719 As So, as we continue down the main tunnel that 71 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,680 we hear some noise coming from the distance. Realized that 72 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,480 it's probably one of the other adult leaders coming down. 73 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:23,680 So we decided to turn off our lights again and hide, 74 00:04:23,759 --> 00:04:25,399 and we're going to scare this person. 75 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,639 Speaker 1: Joshua blinked at the black abyss in front of him. 76 00:04:31,079 --> 00:04:35,000 He could only hear the sound of his breath. Finally, 77 00:04:35,519 --> 00:04:41,399 he turned his flashlight back on when his scout master 78 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,560 jumped out and scared the living daylights out of Joshua 79 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:50,720 and his group. After everyone had a good laugh, the 80 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,519 scout master told Joshua's dad that his own group was 81 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,639 just up ahead if they wanted to join them. The 82 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,160 scout master had heard Joshua's group talk and had come 83 00:05:01,199 --> 00:05:04,240 to invite them to explore the mind together, but he 84 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,279 left his own party momentarily without a leader and needed 85 00:05:08,319 --> 00:05:12,399 to hurry back to them. Unfortunately, it was at this 86 00:05:12,879 --> 00:05:16,079 moment that one of the boys in Joshua's father's group 87 00:05:16,639 --> 00:05:20,240 asked if he could go back outside. The boy was 88 00:05:20,319 --> 00:05:23,680 visually impaired and found it difficult enough to see in 89 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,959 the daylight, let alone in a pitch black mine. Joshua's 90 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,360 dad agreed to take the boy back. The scout master 91 00:05:31,639 --> 00:05:34,639 and two other boys hurried away to catch up with 92 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:38,439 the other group. Joshua handed the flashlight to his dad, 93 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,839 who told Joshua to come with him, but Joshua wanted 94 00:05:42,879 --> 00:05:46,480 to stay. He begged his father to let him turn 95 00:05:46,519 --> 00:05:52,120 around and join the other boys. Joshua's father relented as 96 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,800 he reluctantly turned to go, He told Joshua to hurry 97 00:05:56,199 --> 00:05:58,600 and catch up with the rest of the group before 98 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,720 their light got too far away. The scout master led 99 00:06:02,759 --> 00:06:07,240 the other two boys further into the mind. Joshua struggled 100 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,319 to catch up with them. Without a flashflight. His only 101 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,920 light came from the scout master and boys ahead, who 102 00:06:14,959 --> 00:06:19,120 moved too quickly for him to reach them. Soon, they 103 00:06:19,199 --> 00:06:24,160 turned a distant corner, leaving Joshua alone in complete and 104 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:30,360 utter blackness. As he felt his way along, Joshua's heart sank. 105 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:36,319 He realized he was lost. The darkness in the mind 106 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,560 wasn't just an absence of light. It felt alive pressing 107 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,240 in on him from every side. He called out, but 108 00:06:46,319 --> 00:06:47,839 no one answered. 109 00:06:48,879 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 2: And I stop. I don't continue going forward, and I 110 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:57,600 look behind me. Dad's gone, can't see anything. And my 111 00:06:57,759 --> 00:07:02,800 immediate reaction was to say a prayer. That was something 112 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,360 that I'd always learned ever since. I can remember parents 113 00:07:06,399 --> 00:07:09,720 teaching us as kids that we could pray, remember where 114 00:07:09,759 --> 00:07:13,240 we are, that God knows you, and he knows where 115 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:16,120 you are, and he's always listening. And that was a 116 00:07:16,279 --> 00:07:21,120 very comforting feeling for me. And so I say a prayer, 117 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,439 and even though I'm already in the dark, I close 118 00:07:24,519 --> 00:07:27,399 my eyes like a little boy would, and I say 119 00:07:27,399 --> 00:07:30,079 a prayer, and I asked God to help me to 120 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,759 be able to find my way out. We hadn't gone 121 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,800 too far into the mind, so I thought maybe I 122 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,800 could feel alongside the wall and I could find my 123 00:07:41,879 --> 00:07:45,879 way out. And as I'm doing so, I'm stumbling, just 124 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,920 walking in the dark as if I were blind, feeling around, 125 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:56,279 and I start going upward. And this particular mind, the 126 00:07:56,439 --> 00:07:58,720 entrance at the time when we went in was basically 127 00:07:58,759 --> 00:08:00,680 just a hole in the ground and have to lower 128 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,920 yourself in until it opens up into the main tunnel, 129 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,800 and so at first I thought that I was getting closer, 130 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,279 so I keep going up, and I realized that I'm 131 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,839 climbing higher and higher and higher, and I'm slipping a 132 00:08:13,839 --> 00:08:16,560 little bit down, and I keep going until it levels 133 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,839 off a bit. And at this point I realized, in 134 00:08:19,959 --> 00:08:22,040 the dark, as I'm trying to imagine where I was, 135 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,680 that I had gone a wrong way. And at that moment, 136 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,959 I decided to do something that my mother also taught 137 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,480 us as children. She says, if you're ever lost, stay 138 00:08:33,519 --> 00:08:34,080 where you are. 139 00:08:35,159 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: So that's what Joshua did. He stayed where he was. 140 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,360 As the hours ticked past, Joshua grew cold and tired, 141 00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:46,879 he sat on the ground. He napped, and would awaken 142 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,879 opening his eyes, finding that his eyes did him no good. 143 00:08:51,919 --> 00:08:55,639 He frequently called out into the darkness, but only silence 144 00:08:55,639 --> 00:09:00,759 would answer him. Joshua's father waited outside thee with the 145 00:09:00,799 --> 00:09:04,679 boy who had wanted to leave. After a while, leaders 146 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:09,360 and scouts began exiting. Joshua's dad watched anxiously to see 147 00:09:09,399 --> 00:09:11,799 his son's head pop out of the dark mouth of 148 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:16,600 the mine, but boy after boy appeared and no Joshua. 149 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,240 When the last of the group came out. 150 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:26,039 Speaker 4: Worry immediately set in, and it was just this horrible 151 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,759 feeling when no one else was coming out, and where's 152 00:09:29,879 --> 00:09:30,320 my son? 153 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: Joshua's father and the others spent the next agonizing hours 154 00:09:39,279 --> 00:09:43,000 looking throughout the mind for Joshua, calling out his name, 155 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,720 hoping that at any moment his young voice would respond, 156 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,559 but no one could find a trace of him. The 157 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,559 search went late into the night. By morning it turned 158 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:59,039 into a more organized effort. However, time and again it 159 00:09:59,159 --> 00:10:03,720 seemed as if Joshua had just disappeared. Joshua's dad felt 160 00:10:03,759 --> 00:10:08,840 absolutely sick. Where could his son be? How could he 161 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,919 possibly call his wife and tell her that he had 162 00:10:11,919 --> 00:10:16,559 lost their son, that their son was somehow alone in 163 00:10:16,639 --> 00:10:21,279 the dark, cold belly of a maze like mine. He 164 00:10:21,399 --> 00:10:24,799 kept hoping that at any moment Joshua would be found, 165 00:10:25,519 --> 00:10:28,519 that he would see his son's bright smile, that they 166 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,360 would return home together. What a story they would have 167 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:36,799 to tell. But as the day wore on, Joshua was 168 00:10:36,799 --> 00:10:41,240 still missing. The sheriff and his deputies took over the search, 169 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:46,480 limiting who could enter the mine. Even Joshua's father wasn't 170 00:10:46,519 --> 00:10:51,320 allowed inside anymore. He felt sick knowing he would need 171 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,720 to call his wife and tell her. He wanted to 172 00:10:54,799 --> 00:10:57,960 keep searching, but the sheriff and search and rescue team 173 00:10:58,279 --> 00:11:02,200 didn't want to risk any more life. Joshua's father knew 174 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,279 he had to face the inevitable. 175 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 2: That time long passed and he realized that he needed 176 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:13,039 to tell my mother and he was afraid, feeling tremendously guilty, 177 00:11:13,279 --> 00:11:14,879 thinking how am I going to tell her that I 178 00:11:14,919 --> 00:11:15,559 lost our son. 179 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: Joshua's mother was devastated at the news, but to her 180 00:11:20,399 --> 00:11:25,519 husband's surprise, she didn't blame him. Instead, she immediately began 181 00:11:25,639 --> 00:11:30,320 praying that someone would find her son. Family and friends 182 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,200 soon learned of the missing boy and offered to help 183 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,519 in the search, but the sheriff felt responsible for the 184 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:40,399 searcher's safety. He had buttoned up the search tightly so 185 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,200 that no one would get in without his permission. 186 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 2: Even though they can be very interesting and exciting to explore, 187 00:11:47,519 --> 00:11:51,200 they're very dangerous. There's mind shafts, so you can be 188 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,720 walking down a tunnel and then there's a vertical shaft 189 00:11:53,759 --> 00:11:57,320 that goes straight down hundreds of feet. They're very unstable, 190 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,080 so they're caving in at different time. You know, timbers 191 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:03,759 that are support beams that are holding up the structure 192 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,399 rot and eventually give way and they cave in. So 193 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,639 there's just parts of the tunnels that just collapse. There's 194 00:12:10,639 --> 00:12:13,840 also dynamite that have been left in there after they 195 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,240 were done working and they stop production. They wouldn't go 196 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:20,399 and remove everything out of them. They would just leave everything, 197 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:25,000 leave equipment, leave tools, clothing, sometimes even boots and helmets, 198 00:12:25,039 --> 00:12:29,200 and dynamite. And in this mine there was dynamite and 199 00:12:29,279 --> 00:12:30,840 they found as they were searching for me. They found 200 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,440 it in a couple of different spots, and it's very volatile. 201 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,320 You could be walking and just kick it and it 202 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,639 would explode because it's so volatile. 203 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:45,279 Speaker 1: Far away, John Skinner, a historian who lived near the area, 204 00:12:45,519 --> 00:12:49,039 was on a research trip in Montana investigating the history 205 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:53,000 of mining. His mining expertise ran deep, and he had 206 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:57,200 spent years exploring the hidden treasure mine out of the Blue. 207 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,679 John felt a strong, unexplainable premeni to return home early, 208 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:06,000 even though his trip was far from over. Trusting the feeling, 209 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:09,720 he cut his trip short and headed back home. When 210 00:13:09,759 --> 00:13:12,840 John arrived on Saturday morning, his wife greeted him with 211 00:13:12,919 --> 00:13:17,399 surprise and some heartbreaking news. A young boy had gone 212 00:13:17,399 --> 00:13:20,720 missing in the Hidden Treasure Mine, and the Sheriff's office 213 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,919 had been searching for him. They had stopped by John's 214 00:13:23,919 --> 00:13:26,799 house earlier, hoping to get maps of the mine to 215 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,960 aid in the search. Without hesitation, John offered to help. 216 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:34,720 Given his extensive knowledge of the mine, passed down from 217 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:38,600 his grandfather, who had been its superintendent, he felt certain 218 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,840 he could assist the rescue effort. However, when John reached 219 00:13:42,879 --> 00:13:46,399 out to the Sheriff's office, they declined his offer, confident 220 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,960 that they had everything under control. John's heart raced. His 221 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,080 extensive knowledge of the mine's layout felt like a key. 222 00:13:54,639 --> 00:13:57,919 But it was more than just that, the unshakable feeling 223 00:13:58,159 --> 00:14:01,960 that he was supposed to help pursue. John knew he 224 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:08,159 had to act. Three days past with Joshua sitting alone 225 00:14:08,279 --> 00:14:11,960 in the cold, dark mind, three days of searching with 226 00:14:12,039 --> 00:14:18,360 no luck, Three days of his parents' hearts desperately waiting, hoping, praying, 227 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:23,120 worrying about the kind of suffering their child was going through. 228 00:14:25,279 --> 00:14:29,559 Speaker 2: Minds are interesting. They keep a constant temperature that's always 229 00:14:29,799 --> 00:14:32,559 pretty chilly, and so this mine was about fifty five 230 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:37,799 degrees fahrenheit. So I felt cold. I put my arms 231 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,639 inside my coat, zipped up and trying to preserve my 232 00:14:40,679 --> 00:14:43,720 body heat. Before I went into the mine, I had 233 00:14:43,799 --> 00:14:47,919 grabbed a handful of licorice nibs and I had stuffed 234 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,679 them out of my pocket, and so as I started 235 00:14:50,679 --> 00:14:53,519 feeling hungry, I hate those and kind of sucked on 236 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,799 them to make them last so longer. But I started 237 00:14:56,799 --> 00:14:59,639 feeling really hungry, started feeling very thirsty. 238 00:15:00,799 --> 00:15:03,679 Speaker 1: As the days and nights were on, Joshua began to 239 00:15:03,759 --> 00:15:05,840 experience serious dehydration. 240 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 2: My mouth was extremely dry, became kind of sticky, kind 241 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:15,000 of felt like I had cotton in my mouth, just 242 00:15:15,279 --> 00:15:17,720 so so dry and no saliva, just very thick and 243 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:18,679 foul tasting. 244 00:15:19,679 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: His desperate hunger caused him to dream of food. 245 00:15:23,919 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 2: I had a dream that was very strange. I had 246 00:15:27,919 --> 00:15:30,480 dreamt that I was at school in the cafeteria and 247 00:15:30,559 --> 00:15:33,200 it was lunchtime and I was waiting in a long 248 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,159 line to get lunch, and it was dark in there. 249 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,960 It was like unusually dark, so like the darkness of 250 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,159 the mine was like just kind of seeping into my 251 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,919 subconscious and I was really excited because we were going 252 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:49,200 to have hamburgers and fries for school lunch, and I 253 00:15:49,279 --> 00:15:52,840 was so hungry, and I take my tray to go 254 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,799 sit down, and I'd glanced away just for a moment, 255 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:59,240 and I look and my food it disappeared. So it 256 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,320 was just this weird dream of feeling so hungry but 257 00:16:02,399 --> 00:16:05,360 there's nothing to eat. And I wake up and I 258 00:16:05,399 --> 00:16:08,200 had a rock in my hand and I had pressed 259 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,200 it to my mouth like I was trying to eat something. 260 00:16:13,639 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, staying at a nearby motel, Joshua's parents prayed with 261 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,879 all their hearts. Word had spread throughout the country of 262 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:26,519 Joshua's disappearance and countless prayers were being offered on his behalf. 263 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:31,240 Still as they approached the fifth day, his parents couldn't 264 00:16:31,279 --> 00:16:33,240 help but fear the worst. 265 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,879 Speaker 2: So at this time, of course, my parents were suffering, 266 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:40,200 feeling that I would never be found, that they had 267 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:44,720 lost their son. My father was feeling extremely guilty. Why 268 00:16:44,759 --> 00:16:47,360 did I take my son to this camp, Why did 269 00:16:47,399 --> 00:16:50,759 I let him go with the other boys, and why 270 00:16:50,799 --> 00:16:52,279 didn't I keep them with me? And it was just 271 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,759 extremely painful for my parents. 272 00:16:55,639 --> 00:16:58,759 Speaker 1: Also waiting and hoping the boy would be found was 273 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,600 historian John Skin, who continued to get a nagging feeling 274 00:17:03,519 --> 00:17:06,720 again and again, he ventured to the mine and asked 275 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,720 the sheriff if he could help. Each time the sheriff 276 00:17:09,759 --> 00:17:12,759 would turn him away, and John Skinner would return home 277 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:16,880 wondering what more he could do. On the fifth day, 278 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:21,119 the sheriff had very bad news for Joshua's parents. The 279 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:25,640 search and rescue crew had combed the mine thoroughly. The 280 00:17:25,759 --> 00:17:29,799 chance of Joshua still being alive was impossibly low. 281 00:17:30,319 --> 00:17:33,799 Speaker 2: And so as time went on, the sheriff realized that 282 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,880 they could not continue the search indefinitely, that at some 283 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,559 point they would need to call off the search and 284 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,480 accept the inevitable. And my parents were suffering with that, 285 00:17:45,039 --> 00:17:48,519 grappling with maybe never knowing what happened to their son 286 00:17:48,519 --> 00:17:51,160 and accepting that I had died and that they would 287 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,640 never know and would never even recover my body. 288 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: As the search was winding down, once again, John Skinner 289 00:17:58,759 --> 00:18:01,480 drove to the mine, approached the sheriff. 290 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,559 Speaker 2: And he makes it up to the mind's sight and 291 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,720 he talks to the sheriff and he says, I think 292 00:18:08,799 --> 00:18:13,000 I might know a couple of places where he could be. 293 00:18:13,279 --> 00:18:16,119 He just had a feeling, That's that's how he described it, 294 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,160 just a feeling that he knew where I was, and 295 00:18:19,279 --> 00:18:22,319 two of the men on the mine rescue team overheard 296 00:18:22,319 --> 00:18:23,119 this conversation. 297 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,519 Speaker 1: The two men told the sheriff they wanted to take 298 00:18:26,599 --> 00:18:29,160 John Skinner into the mine with them and have him 299 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,799 show them the spots he was thinking of. But the 300 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,359 sheriff was ultimately responsible for everyone's safety, so once again 301 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,319 he said no, But this time John had allies. The 302 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,920 two men insisted the sheriff allowed them to take John 303 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,920 with them. The sheriff analyzed the faces of the three men. 304 00:18:49,839 --> 00:18:53,079 John had tried so many times to help and this 305 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:57,200 was a last ditch effort. The sheriff finally agreed to 306 00:18:57,319 --> 00:19:00,440 let them go in. It was about two o'clock in 307 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:01,880 the afternoon. 308 00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 2: And this basically was officially the last attempt. In fact, 309 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:11,480 they were kind of calling people back the search and 310 00:19:11,519 --> 00:19:14,079 rescue and making sure that no one else was in 311 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,680 the mine. You were asking him to exit. So these 312 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,160 three men go in and John Skinner leads. 313 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,279 Speaker 1: Them deep into the belly of the mine. John led 314 00:19:24,319 --> 00:19:27,200 the men to the first location he'd felt Joshua might 315 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,720 be in. The men shined their lights into the darkness, 316 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,400 hoping to finally see a small ten year old body 317 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,240 dead or alive. They desperately wanted to bring him home 318 00:19:38,279 --> 00:19:42,640 to his parents. As they neared the location, the three 319 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:47,359 men went silent. Nothing no sign of a ten year 320 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:51,799 old boy. They headed to the next location, still hopeful 321 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:57,759 that John's feelings had been correct. Again, nothing, no Joshua, 322 00:19:58,559 --> 00:20:03,839 no sign of anyone. At this exact moment, Joshua's mother 323 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,599 was kneeling and praying. She felt the warmth of peace 324 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,640 and God's embrace around her. She felt maybe her son 325 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:15,079 had passed on now. She couldn't be certain, but she 326 00:20:15,279 --> 00:20:18,640 accepted that whatever God had in store for her, it 327 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,119 would be okay. She climbed into bed, exhausted and closed 328 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:28,559 her eyes, ready to take a nap. Meanwhile, rescue crews 329 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,759 exited the mine. The rescue operation was being called off. 330 00:20:33,759 --> 00:20:36,480 John told the two men that accompanied him that he 331 00:20:36,559 --> 00:20:40,480 wanted to just check one more place, with hope dimming, 332 00:20:40,839 --> 00:20:44,640 The two men followed. When they reached the third location, 333 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,559 they shined their lights into every nook and cranny, but 334 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:53,000 again there was no sign of the boy. This was 335 00:20:53,039 --> 00:20:56,440 the last possible place John Skinner could think to look. 336 00:20:57,519 --> 00:21:01,119 He had been certain that his feelings were correct, but 337 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,480 in this third location, all the three men could see 338 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:12,160 was the dark, cavernous mind empty once again. Then something 339 00:21:12,279 --> 00:21:13,640 inexplainable happened. 340 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,440 Speaker 2: And as they're in this spot, one of the mine 341 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:23,960 rescue volunteers ears a very faint sound and it was 342 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,920 peculiar that he heard it. His name is ray Eamond, 343 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,279 because he actually is hard of hearing, and in fact, 344 00:21:31,319 --> 00:21:34,119 he would joke around saying that to maintain his position 345 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,680 on the mine rescue team, he would have to take 346 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,279 a physical and he would always fail the hearing test 347 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,799 and he would have to kind of cheat to squeak 348 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,400 through so he could maintain his status on the team. 349 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:48,920 But he hears a sound and he's kind of doubting, 350 00:21:49,079 --> 00:21:52,039 maybe for a second, that he's hearing something, and he 351 00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:54,759 asked the other two if they heard something, and they hadn't, 352 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,440 and he asked them to be quiet. And he describes 353 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:02,039 it as hearing a fake sound but also feeling something, 354 00:22:02,799 --> 00:22:08,039 feeling something to tell him, pay attention, listen, and so 355 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,279 in complete silence, they're listening and they all hear a 356 00:22:12,319 --> 00:22:17,079 faint cry for help and they yell out and it 357 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:18,240 was it was me. 358 00:22:23,319 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 1: Joshua had been sleeping when he'd heard some distant sounds 359 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:31,839 that awoke him. Finally, after days in the mind, hope 360 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:36,359 was near. But even then, Joshua's location was so difficult 361 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,240 to find that the three men couldn't determine where his 362 00:22:39,319 --> 00:22:42,079 cries were coming from. They called out to him to 363 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,599 keep yelling, and the. 364 00:22:44,559 --> 00:22:47,599 Speaker 2: Three scatter looking all around, just seeing if he was 365 00:22:47,599 --> 00:22:49,079 coming from below from above. 366 00:22:50,319 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: The three men encouraged Joshua to keep making noise. It 367 00:22:54,559 --> 00:22:58,880 seemed they had to be getting close. And then, at last, 368 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:03,640 after five days of darkness, Joshua's eyes saw the most 369 00:23:03,799 --> 00:23:06,160 beautiful thing light. 370 00:23:07,799 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 2: And finally I see a light illuminate this little narrow 371 00:23:12,279 --> 00:23:15,279 tunnel that I had crawled into, a little ore cavity, 372 00:23:16,279 --> 00:23:19,240 and I hear someone yelling up to me and saying 373 00:23:19,279 --> 00:23:21,240 to make my way down to him. And then he 374 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,839 scoops me up and starts carrying me down. I had 375 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:29,519 climbed up into this little pocket, and all I can 376 00:23:30,079 --> 00:23:34,960 hear is these men saying, thank God, we found him. 377 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: But here's where the story gets really strange and quite 378 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:44,160 frankly wonderful, because for Joshua, it felt as if only 379 00:23:44,279 --> 00:23:46,240 one day had passed. 380 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 2: And I'm very confused. I don't know who these men are. 381 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,559 I was expecting my dad or one of the other 382 00:23:56,839 --> 00:23:59,640 leaders from our group to find me, and one of 383 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,200 the men says, we're going to take you to your 384 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,759 mom and dad. I think he was trying to comfort 385 00:24:04,799 --> 00:24:06,680 me or help me feel it was okay that I 386 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,240 was safe with them, and I said something that was 387 00:24:09,319 --> 00:24:13,119 very peculiar to him. I told him that my dad 388 00:24:13,519 --> 00:24:18,160 was outside, but my mom was at home. Just in 389 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,000 my mind, I was thinking I was on a camping 390 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,400 trip and that it was the next day. 391 00:24:24,839 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 1: The three men, perplexed, explained to Joshua that he had 392 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,839 been down in the mine for five days and that 393 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:37,000 it was now Wednesday. Joshua couldn't wrap his brain around 394 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,920 that thought at all. While he'd been alone in the 395 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:46,000 mind for five days, he experienced something completely miraculous. Time 396 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,440 didn't pass for Joshua like it had for everyone else, 397 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:54,559 and as incredible as it sounds, he hadn't once felt 398 00:24:54,599 --> 00:24:57,480 scared or alone. 399 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,519 Speaker 2: But I felt okay. I had been very hungry, very thirsty, 400 00:25:02,039 --> 00:25:05,799 that apparently had been severely dehydrated, and my feet were swollen. 401 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,640 I'd got frostbited on my feet. But other than that, 402 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,599 I felt good. I felt fine. But one thing that 403 00:25:12,799 --> 00:25:17,279 I definitely felt, and it's difficult when I've shared this 404 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:22,319 experience for others to believe, is that I didn't feel afraid, 405 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,279 and I also didn't feel alone. And as I was 406 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:30,160 in the emergency room, lying on a gurney being treated, 407 00:25:30,559 --> 00:25:34,640 my mom and dad were just beside themselves, moments before 408 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,440 they were accepting the loss of their son, that I 409 00:25:37,559 --> 00:25:40,319 was dead and gone and they would never know what happened. 410 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:43,559 It would be a complete mystery to me being alive 411 00:25:43,839 --> 00:25:47,440 and well and right in front of them. And I 412 00:25:47,519 --> 00:25:52,640 told my mom angels were with me, And for my 413 00:25:52,759 --> 00:25:56,519 mother that moment was just so comforting for her to 414 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:02,240 feel that her son was protected and he was watched 415 00:26:02,279 --> 00:26:05,680 over and then he didn't suffer. And that's really the 416 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,680 only way that I know how to describe what I felt. 417 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,559 It was like it's described in the New Testament. The 418 00:26:13,599 --> 00:26:18,720 Apostle Paul talks about a piece, a piece that passes understanding, 419 00:26:20,079 --> 00:26:23,759 and it was what I felt. It was something that's undescribable, 420 00:26:23,839 --> 00:26:28,039 something that doesn't logically make sense, something that you don't 421 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:33,240 think is possible, but is what I experienced. God knew 422 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,519 where I was, even though I was in the dark. 423 00:26:36,599 --> 00:26:40,400 Speaker 1: God had been with Joshua, and his angels had comforted him, 424 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,680 and a kind man had listened to God's voice tell 425 00:26:44,799 --> 00:26:48,119 him where to find a ten year old stranger lost 426 00:26:48,279 --> 00:26:53,400 in a dark, dangerous place. Joshua says he doesn't know 427 00:26:53,559 --> 00:26:57,240 why he received a miracle when others haven't, but he 428 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:01,279 does know his experience was a manifestation of divine power. 429 00:27:02,279 --> 00:27:05,480 As life has gone on for Joshua, he has leaned 430 00:27:05,519 --> 00:27:09,400 on this experience himself to help him always remember that 431 00:27:09,519 --> 00:27:12,079 God is real and he loves each of us. 432 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,559 Speaker 2: My dad said something to me shortly after it happened 433 00:27:17,079 --> 00:27:21,799 that's resonated with me ever since. He said, someday you 434 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,599 will need to rely on the faith you had when 435 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:28,079 you were lost on the mind. And that's been true 436 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,279 for me over and over again, because if we get older, 437 00:27:30,319 --> 00:27:33,720 we might have bad experiences, or we get a little 438 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,960 more cynical, or it's not as easy to believe and 439 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,799 to trust. And so I've reflected back on the faith 440 00:27:40,839 --> 00:27:44,400 that I had as a child, and you start to 441 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:49,519 understand a little bit more why Jesus uses children as 442 00:27:49,559 --> 00:27:53,480 examples of faith, and it's because they have this trust 443 00:27:53,519 --> 00:27:56,440 in God as a child to trust their parents, and 444 00:27:56,519 --> 00:27:59,079 so it doesn't matter how old you are, you know, 445 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,480 it's never too late to have faith as a child 446 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,519 and to believe in miracles. 447 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 1: The rescue of Joshua Dennis wasn't profound only to him, 448 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,720 but to all involved in his rescue and to us. 449 00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:17,640 It's a reminder of the power of faith, prayer, and 450 00:28:17,759 --> 00:28:21,599 listening to those quiet premonitions that come when least expected. 451 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:27,000 In a mind where darkness seemed all consuming, God's love 452 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:28,759 still found a way to shine through. 453 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,799 Speaker 3: Listening to this episode again really reminded me how important 454 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,000 it is to teach your children that God is there 455 00:28:41,039 --> 00:28:44,720 for them. Like I can't imagine how frightening and alone 456 00:28:44,799 --> 00:28:47,119 Joshu would have felt if he didn't know that he 457 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,839 could pray and receive that help and comfort. 458 00:28:50,519 --> 00:28:52,279 Speaker 1: I know I'm an adult and I would have been 459 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,559 terrified in that situation, But I think about my own 460 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:57,480 kids when they're scared at night and they come and 461 00:28:57,519 --> 00:29:00,279 talk to me. My answer is always the same, Have 462 00:29:00,319 --> 00:29:04,039 you prayed because God can comfort you, God can protect you. 463 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,680 And I'm just so grateful for that presence of peace when. 464 00:29:07,559 --> 00:29:10,799 Speaker 3: You need it. Yeah, and my kids did the same thing. 465 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,200 They would come in, they'd be scared, and we would 466 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,640 pray with them, and it seemed like it really just 467 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,960 brought them so much comfort and peace at those moments, right, 468 00:29:20,359 --> 00:29:24,279 And I absolutely believe that angels attended to Joshua in 469 00:29:24,319 --> 00:29:28,680 that mind. It was such a beautiful, powerful gift from above, 470 00:29:29,119 --> 00:29:29,480 I know. 471 00:29:29,799 --> 00:29:32,599 Speaker 1: And the thing that really stood out to me is 472 00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:37,400 how he experienced time different, Oh yeah, and how for 473 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,839 everyone else it was days Like I would assume that 474 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,279 you would feel like the hours just feel endless when 475 00:29:43,319 --> 00:29:45,039 you're alone in the dark. I know, you think it 476 00:29:45,079 --> 00:29:48,359 would go by so slow. Yeah, and it didn't. And 477 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,119 that's such a mercy from God, such a mercy. And 478 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,160 I think that happens a lot like God doesn't always 479 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,599 just take away our trials, our challenges, but he helps 480 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:57,359 us through them. 481 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 3: Yes, he carries us through them. How often do we 482 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,519 hear people say that when they were going through these 483 00:30:03,559 --> 00:30:06,839 horrible experiences, they didn't experience pain like they thought they 484 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,279 would because their bodies go into shock. 485 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,799 Speaker 1: Yeah. God is so merciful, he is. And you know, 486 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:16,480 one thing that I kept wondering about was should Joshua 487 00:30:16,599 --> 00:30:19,880 had followed his mom's advice to stay put? Oh yeah, 488 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:21,920 because like, that's what I tell my kids, Like, if 489 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,119 you get lost, huge tree, stay where you're at. And 490 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:27,640 yet like he stayed in this little hiding spot where 491 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:29,200 they couldn't find him, And so I thought, was that 492 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:30,680 good advice? Should he have followed it? 493 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:31,839 Speaker 3: Uh? Huh? 494 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: But here's what Joshua said about it. If I would 495 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,279 have stayed where I was at the point of separation, 496 00:30:37,559 --> 00:30:40,680 I wouldn't have gotten lost. As the scout master and 497 00:30:40,799 --> 00:30:43,200 other boys were leaving the mine, they would have found me. 498 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:45,920 But once I realized I couldn't find my way out 499 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,319 of the mind, I decided to stay where I was. 500 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,880 This was important because wandering in the dark increased my 501 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,000 chances of falling down a mind shaft or running into 502 00:30:55,039 --> 00:30:58,079 volatile dynamite, which was found in the mine in multiple 503 00:30:58,079 --> 00:31:01,720 places during the rescue. The lesson is wandering in the 504 00:31:01,799 --> 00:31:04,799 dark is dangerous both physically and spiritually. 505 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,039 Speaker 3: I love that wandering in the dark is dangerous both 506 00:31:09,079 --> 00:31:10,359 physically and spiritually. 507 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,319 Speaker 1: So true well, and it gave me a new perspective 508 00:31:13,359 --> 00:31:15,960 because you know, obviously it would have been better if 509 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,920 he just stayed put right when he got lost, But 510 00:31:19,599 --> 00:31:22,000 when he realized that he was lost, he could have 511 00:31:22,039 --> 00:31:24,480 wandered deeper into the mine, he could have gotten hurt, 512 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,319 he could have died. And instead, he stayed put and 513 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,319 he chose to have faith that he would be found. 514 00:31:31,599 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, and he was. 515 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. And another really cool. 516 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,279 Speaker 3: Thing that Joshua shared with us is that after this happened, 517 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,440 he received a letter from President Bush Senior at the time. 518 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. So cool, and I love this letter. 519 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 3: Will you read this for us, Emily. 520 00:31:45,519 --> 00:31:49,839 Speaker 1: Yes, all right. It says, dear Joshua, I have just 521 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,680 learned of your miraculous rescue from the mine, and I 522 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,799 am so happy to hear that you were found to 523 00:31:54,839 --> 00:31:58,680 be safe and unharmed. Your determination and faith are to 524 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,640 be commended. The rescue workers and volunteers who work together 525 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:07,319 to find you are important examples of all Americans. America 526 00:32:07,359 --> 00:32:10,960 is great because of such instances of neighbor helping neighbor 527 00:32:11,039 --> 00:32:14,039 in time of need. Your community shown as one of 528 00:32:14,079 --> 00:32:17,160 the thousand points of light in helping with your rescue mission, 529 00:32:17,599 --> 00:32:20,279 and you should be proud to have such an admirable 530 00:32:20,319 --> 00:32:24,400 community standing behind you as parents. Barbara and I share 531 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,559 the joy and excitement of your parents in your safe 532 00:32:27,599 --> 00:32:32,680 return home. Joshua, your experience serves as a testimony that 533 00:32:32,839 --> 00:32:37,000 miracles do happen. You are a very special and fortunate 534 00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:40,519 young man. Best wishes for the future, and make God 535 00:32:40,559 --> 00:32:43,720 bless you. Sincerely, George Bush. 536 00:32:44,039 --> 00:32:48,359 Speaker 3: Oh, that is such a beautiful letter. Yes, and I 537 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,519 love that he says a thousand points of light. It 538 00:32:50,599 --> 00:32:52,920 just makes me think of all those people searching in 539 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,839 the dark for this little boy. Yeah, and it just 540 00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:59,559 makes me think like, sometimes our world can seem so 541 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:03,079 negus and dark and awful, but there are so many 542 00:33:03,119 --> 00:33:04,519 people who are points of light. 543 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:09,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, we just have to look around us to see it. Yeah, absolutely, 544 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,039 all right, Well, we want to thank Joshua again for 545 00:33:13,119 --> 00:33:15,640 sharing this story with us. I just love that this 546 00:33:15,759 --> 00:33:18,039 is such a great example to try to have faith 547 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:21,319 like a little child like Joshua did in that mind. 548 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,559 So thank you, Joshua. If you guys haven't already subscribed 549 00:33:24,559 --> 00:33:27,680 to our podcast, make sure you subscribe, leave us a review. 550 00:33:28,039 --> 00:33:28,960 We'll see you next time. 551 00:33:29,039 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 2: We'll see you then.