Angels in the Mine | REMASTERED

Summary

The Miracle Files – True Miracle Stories

Episode Summary: "Angels in the Mine | REMASTERED"

Date: May 25, 2026
Hosts: Emily Jones & Holly Worthington
Main Story Guest: Joshua Dennis

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Episode Overview

This remastered episode of The Miracle Files recounts the harrowing and faith-filled true story of Joshua Dennis, a 10-year-old Boy Scout who became trapped and lost in a vast, dangerous mine for five days. Through Joshua's firsthand account and reflections from his family and rescuers, the episode explores the profound themes of divine intervention, faith in adversity, the power of prayer, and miracles found even amidst darkness and despair. With evocative narration and emotional interviews, the hosts aim to uplift listeners and showcase a real-life miracle that continues to inspire decades later.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Haunted Mine Adventure

• Joshua's Anticipation: Joshua eagerly joins a Boy Scout trip to explore the "hidden treasure mine" in Jacob City, Utah, famed for its labyrinthine tunnels (02:09).
• Descent into Darkness: The mine is described as 20 miles long and six levels deep, with utter darkness that distorts all sense of direction (03:42).
• Separation: Groups split up inside; Joshua decides to switch groups, loses his light source, and quickly becomes completely lost—“the darkness in the mine wasn't just an absence of light. It felt alive, pressing in on him from every side.” (04:34–06:56)

2. Joshua’s Ordeal: Faith Versus Fear

• Immediate Reaction: Joshua reacts instinctively with prayer, closing his eyes in the darkness:

  “My immediate reaction was to say a prayer... I ask God to help me to be able to find my way out.” (06:56, Joshua Dennis)

• Attempts to Escape: He physically attempts to retrace his steps but realizes he’s hopelessly lost, recalling his mother's advice: “If you’re ever lost, stay where you are.” (08:42, Joshua Dennis)
• Survival: For five days, Joshua endures cold (55°F), hunger (surviving on a handful of licorice nibs), and severe dehydration. He experiences vivid hunger dreams and moments of near hypnosis (16:46, 17:03).
• Remarkable Calm: Despite the dire situation, Joshua feels inexplicably unafraid and not alone—later attributing his peacefulness to angelic companionship (27:22).

3. The Family’s Despair & Mobilization of Search Efforts

• Outside the Mine: Joshua’s father panics as one by one, all other children exit the mine except Joshua; his mother reacts with prayer and support rather than blame (08:42, 12:56).
• Dangerous Terrain: Joshua describes the dangers within the mine: vertical shafts, collapsing tunnels, leftover dynamite—“wandering in the dark increased my chances of falling down a mine shaft or running into volatile dynamite” (13:23, 33:20).
• Search Grows Desperate: After exhaustive searching and high risks, the sheriff is forced to consider calling off the search (19:09).

4. The Role of Intuition: John Skinner’s Premonition

• The Historian: John Skinner, a mining historian with family ties to the mine, cuts his Montana trip short after a “strong, unexplainable premonition” (14:20).
• Persistence: Rebuffed several times by authorities, John persists, convinced he ‘knows’ where to look. On the fifth day, two rescue workers vouch for him; the sheriff relents for “one last attempt” (19:41–20:42).

5. The Miraculous Rescue

• The Breakthrough: In the third spot John feels drawn to, mine rescuer Ray Guymond—a man hard of hearing—perceives (and feels) a faint call for help:

  “He hears a sound and he’s kind of doubting maybe for a second that he’s hearing something... He asked the other two if they heard something and they hadn’t... He describes it as hearing a faint sound but also feeling something. Feeling something tell him, pay attention. Listen.” (22:54, Joshua Dennis)

• Light in the Darkness: The rescuers hunt for the source of Joshua’s cries; Joshua at last glimpses light in the tunnel and is carried to safety after five days (25:32).
• A Miracle of Time:

  “For Joshua, it felt as if only one day had passed... Time didn’t pass for Joshua like it had for everyone else.” (26:00, 26:49, Narrator)

6. Aftermath and Reflections

• Angelic Company: Joshua tells his mother in the hospital, “Angels were with me. And for my mother, that moment was just so comforting for her to feel that her son was protected and he was watched over and that he didn't suffer.” (27:22, Joshua Dennis)
• Faith Like a Child:

  “Someday you will need to rely on the faith you had when you were lost on the mine. That’s been true for me over and over again.” (29:38, Joshua Dennis)

• Broader Impact: The community’s efforts are lauded and Joshua receives a congratulatory and heartfelt letter from President George Bush Sr. (34:10).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Faith in the Darkness:

  “That was something that I’d always learned ever since I can remember parents teaching us as kids that we could pray no matter where we are, that God knows you and he knows where you are, and he’s always listening.”
  (06:56, Joshua Dennis)

• On Parental Guilt:

  “He realized that he needed to tell my mother. And he was afraid, feeling tremendously guilty, thinking, how am I going to tell her that I lost our son?”
  (12:45, Joshua Dennis)

• On Physical Dangers:

  “You can be walking in a tunnel, and then there’s a vertical shaft that goes straight down hundreds of feet. They’re very unstable... there was dynamite... very volatile. You could be walking and just kick it and it would explode...”
  (13:23, Joshua Dennis)

• On the Role of Angels:

  “I didn’t feel afraid. And I also didn’t feel alone... Angels were with me... I had peace, a peace that passes understanding.”
  (27:22, Joshua Dennis)

• On Spiritual Lessons:

  “Wandering in the dark is dangerous, both physically and spiritually.”
  (33:30, Holly Worthington/Emily Jones quoting Joshua Dennis)

• From President Bush’s Letter:

  “Your community shone as one of the thousand points of light in helping with your rescue mission... Your experience serves as a testimony that miracles do happen.”
  (34:11, Emily Jones reading)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:09 – Joshua joins the Boy Scout mine trip
• 03:42 – Entering the tunnel: two flashlights for five boys
• 06:56 – Joshua prays after becoming lost
• 08:42 – Joshua’s strategy: stay where you are
• 12:45–13:23 – Family reactions and mine dangers
• 14:20 – John Skinner’s premonition
• 19:41–20:42 – The final rescue attempt begins
• 22:54 – Ray Guymond hears Joshua’s cry
• 25:32 – Joshua rescued, sees light for first time in five days
• 27:22 – Joshua’s inexplicable peace and belief in angels
• 29:38 – Reflecting on faith and miracles as an adult
• 33:00–33:56 – Lessons on wandering, both physical and spiritual
• 34:10 – President Bush’s letter is read
• 35:42 – Final gratitude and encouragement to have faith like a child

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Host Reflections & Takeaways

• Teach prayer and faith: “It really reminded me how important it is to teach your children that God is there for them.” (30:58, Holly Worthington)
• Time as mercy: The hosts reflect on time passing differently for Joshua, calling it “such a mercy from God.” (32:14, Holly Worthington)
• Spiritual application: “God doesn’t always just take away our trials... He carries us through them.” (32:15–32:22, Emily Jones & Holly Worthington)
• Community as ‘points of light’: The rescue effort is seen as a metaphor for people being beacons of hope. (35:11, Holly Worthington)

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Closing Thoughts

"Angels in the Mine" is a remarkably moving account blending suspenseful true-crime energy with spiritual awe. It reminds listeners of the enduring power of faith, the strength of a child’s trust, the unseen aid of angels, and the importance of community and perseverance even in seemingly hopeless situations. Joshua's story is a testament: even in the deepest darkness, miracles can—and do—happen.

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[Visit the podcast website for more inspiring stories: https://heliosmedia.us/the-miracle-files/]

Transcript

[Holly Worthington]

This episode is brought to you by BonCharge. Visit BonCharge.com using promo code Miracle to show your support.

[Narrator]

Joshua's heart sank. He realized he was lost. The darkness in the mine wasn't just an absence of light. It felt alive.

[Joshua Dennis]

I'm stumbling just walking in the dark as if I were blind. And at this point, I realized that I had gone a wrong way.

[Narrator]

Joshua's father waited outside the mine. After a while, leaders and scouts began exiting. But boy after boy appeared and no Joshua.

[Joshua Dennis]

My father was feeling this horrible feeling. Where's my son?

[Narrator]

This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.

[Holly Worthington]

And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story. But we're also seeking more light in our lives.

[Emily Jones]

So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles.

[Narrator]

We hope you'll join us on this journey.

[Holly Worthington]

Welcome back to the Miracle Files. We have a remastered episode for you today. And if you're wondering why we're remastering some of our early episodes, it's because we've come a long way, baby.

[Narrator]

A long way.

[Holly Worthington]

Yes, we've learned so much, so much over the years. And yeah, a lot of our new listeners haven't even heard our earliest episodes.

[Emily Jones]

So, yeah, I actually just met a woman the other day and she was telling me that she had binge listened to all of our episodes and she pointed that out. She was like, yeah, listening to your episodes now feels a little different than your early episodes. So it was kind of fun revisiting some of our early episodes. Give them a little tlc.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And this episode originally aired on the first anniversary of our podcast and now we're about three years into this thing, so feels crazy to say that, but this is a really good episode and it still gives me chills when I hear the ending. So please enjoy the boy in the mine.

[Narrator]

Someone was coming down the mine shaft. Joshua's group turned their flashlights off and listened to the approaching footsteps. The darkness permeated everything. It was the type of darkness where even a sense of up and down came gets lost in the black void. This Boy Scout camping trip was one 10 year old Joshua Dennis had been anticipating. Along with his father, he'd traveled to Jacob City, an old ghostly mining town tucked away in the rugged wilderness. But the real lure of the trip, the one that made Joshua's heart race, was the hidden treasure mine. This mine wasn't just a dark hole in the earth. It was a vast Labyrinth of tunnels spanning over 20 miles and six levels deep. The mine's depths were a mystery, an invitation to adventure. But as with all adventure, there was a shadow of danger, a sense that once you climbed into its opening, the mine could swallow you whole. On this cool Friday night in September, Joshua and his father had joined the other Scouts to explore the mine. They soon split into smaller groups to begin the journey. Inside, two groups went ahead of Joshua's own party, which consisted of Joshua, his dad, and three other Scouts. Here's Joshua,

[Joshua Dennis]

and between the five of us, we had two flashlights. So I was holding my dad's flashlight, and then another boy had a flashlight, and we were going down the tunnel together, and we stopped to look around a bit, and we decided to turn off our flashlights just to get that feeling of the darkness, just to see how. How dark it was inside a mine. And we put our hands in front of our faces, and it's just like how you imagine you can't see anything and your eyes can't adjust to anything because there's no light that can penetrate. It's just the darkest that you could ever experience. And so, as we continue down the main tunnel a bit, we hear some noise coming from the distance, realize that it's probably one of the other adult leaders coming down. So we decide to turn off our lights again and hide, and we're going to scare this person.

[Narrator]

Joshua blinked at the black abyss in front of him. He could only hear the sound of his breath. Finally, he turned his flashlight back on when his Scoutmaster jumped out and scared the living daylights out of Joshua and his group. After everyone had a good laugh, the Scoutmaster told Joshua's dad that his own group was just up ahead if they wanted to join them. The Scoutmaster had heard Joshua's group talking and had come to invite them to explore the mine together. But he left his own party momentarily without a leader and needed to hurry back to them. Unfortunately, it was at this moment that one of the boys in Joshua's father's group asked if he could go back outside. The boy was visually impaired and found it difficult enough to see in the daylight, let alone in a pitch black mine. Joshua's dad agreed to take the boy back. The Scoutmaster and two other boys hurried away to catch up with the other group. Joshua handed the flashlight to his dad, who told Joshua to come with him. But Joshua wanted to stay. He begged his father to let him turn around and join the other boys. Joshua's father relented as he reluctantly turned to go. He told Joshua to hurry and catch up with the rest of the group before their light got too far away. The scoutmaster led the other two boys further into the mine. Joshua struggled to catch up with them. Without a flashlight, his only light came from the scoutmaster and boys ahead, who moved too quickly for him to reach them. Soon they turned a distant corner, leaving Joshua alone in complete and utter blackness. As he felt his way along, Joshua's heart sank. He realized he was lost. The darkness in the mine wasn't just an absence of light. It felt alive, pressing in on him from every side. He called out, but no one answered.

[Joshua Dennis]

And I stop. I don't continue going forward, and I look behind me. Dad's gone. Can't see anything. And my immediate reaction was to say a prayer. That was something that I'd always learned ever since I can remember parents teaching us as kids that we could pray no matter where we are, that God knows you and he knows where you are, and he's always listening. And that was a very comforting feeling for me. And so I say a prayer. And even though I'm already in the dark, I close my eyes like a little boy would, and I say a prayer, and I ask God to help me to be able to find my way out. We hadn't gone too far into the mine, so I thought maybe I could feel alongside the wall and I could find my way out. And as I'm doing so, I'm stumbling, just walking in the dark, as if I were blind, feeling around. And I start going upward. And this particular mine, the entrance at the time when we went in, was basically just a hole in the ground. And you have to lower yourself in until it opens up into the main tunnel. And so at first, I thought that I was getting closer. So I keep going up, and I realize that I'm climbing higher and higher and higher, and I'm slipping a little bit down, and I keep going until it levels off a bit. And at this point, I realize in the dark, as I'm trying to imagine where I was, that I had gone a wrong way. And at that moment, I decided to do something that my mother also taught us as children. She says, if you're ever lost, stay where you are.

[Narrator]

So that's what Joshua did. He stayed where he was. As the hours ticked past, Joshua grew cold and tired. He sat on the ground. He napped and would awaken, opening his eyes, finding that his eyes did him no good. He frequently called out into the darkness, but only silence would answer him. Joshua's father waited outside the mine with the boy who had wanted to leave. After a while, leaders and scouts began exiting. Joshua's dad watched anxiously to see his son's head pop out of the dark mouth of the mine. But boy after boy appeared and no Joshua. When the last of the group came out, worry immediately set in.

[Joshua Dennis]

And it was just this horrible feeling when no one else is coming out. And where's my son?

[Holly Worthington]

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[Narrator]

Joshua's father and the others spent the next agonizing hours looking throughout the mine for Joshua, calling out his name, hoping that at any moment his young voice would respond. But no one could find a trace of him. The search went late into the night. By morning, it turned into a more organized effort. However, time and again, it seemed as if Joshua had just disappeared. Joshua's dad felt absolutely sick. Where could his son be? How could he possibly call his wife and tell her that he had lost their son? That their son was somehow alone in the dark, cold belly of a maze like mine. He kept hoping that at any moment Joshua would be found, that he would see his son's bright smile, that they would return home together. What a story they would have to tell. But as the day wore on, Joshua was still missing. The sheriff and his deputies took over the search, Limiting who could enter the mine. Even Joshua's father wasn't allowed inside anymore. He felt sick, knowing he would need to call his wife and tell her he wanted to keep searching. But the sheriff and search and rescue team didn't want to risk any more lives. Joshua's father knew he had to face the inevitable.

[Joshua Dennis]

That time long passed, and he realized that he needed to tell my mother. And he was afraid, feeling tremendously guilty, thinking, how am I going to tell her that I lost our son?

[Narrator]

Joshua's mother was devastated at the news, but to her husband's surprise, she didn't blame him. Instead, she immediately began praying that someone would find her son. Family and friends soon learned of the missing boy and offered to help in the search. But the sheriff felt responsible for the searcher's safety. He had buttoned up the search tightly so that no one would get in without his permission.

[Joshua Dennis]

Even though they can be very interesting and exciting to explore, they're very dangerous. There's mine shafts, so you can be walking in a tunnel, and then there's a vertical shaft that goes straight down hundreds of feet. They're very unstable, so they're caving in at different times. You know, timbers that are support beams that are holding up the structure Rot and eventually give way and they cave in. So there's just parts of the tunnels that just collapse. There's also dynamite that have been left in there. After they were done working and they stopped production, they wouldn't go and remove everything out of them. They would just leave everything, Leave equipment, leave tools, clothing, Sometimes even boots and helmets and dynamite. And in this mine, there was dynamite. And they found, as they were searching for me, they found it in a couple different spots. And it's very volatile. You could be walking and just kick it and it would explode because it's so volatile

[Narrator]

far away. John skinner, a historian who lived near the area, was on a research trip in Montana investigating the history of mining. His mining expertise ran deep, and he had spent years exploring the hidden treasure mine. Out of the blue, John felt a strong, unexplainable premonition to return home early, Even though his trip was far from over. Trusting the feeling, he cut his trip short and headed back home. When John Arrived on Saturday morning, his wife greeted him with surprise and some heartbreaking news. A young boy had gone missing in the hidden treasure mine, and the sheriff's office had been searching for him. They had stopped by John's house earlier, hoping to get maps of the mine to aid in the search. Without hesitation, John offered to help. Given his extensive knowledge of the mine passed down from his grandfather, who had been its superintendent, he felt certain he could assist the rescue effort. However, when John reached out to the sheriff's office, they declined his offer, Confident that they had everything under control. John's heart raced. His extensive knowledge of the mine's layout felt like a key. But it was more than just that. The unshakable feeling that he was supposed to help persisted. John knew he had to act. Three days passed with Joshua sitting alone in the cold, dark mine. Three days of searching with no luck. Three days of his parents hearts desperately waiting, hoping, praying, worrying about the kind of suffering their child was going through.

[Joshua Dennis]

Mines are interesting. They keep a constant temperature that's always pretty chilly. And so this mine was about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. So I felt cold. I put my arms inside my coat, zipped up, and trying to preserve my body heat. Before I went into the mine, I had grabbed a handful of licorice nibs and I had stuffed them in my pocket. And so as I started feeling hungry, I ate those and sucked on them to make them last a little longer. But I started feeling really hungry, started feeling very thirsty.

[Narrator]

As the days and nights wore on, Joshua began to experience serious dehydration.

[Joshua Dennis]

My mouth was extremely dry, Became kind of sticky, Kind of felt like I had cotton in my mouth, just so, so dry, no saliva, just very thick and foul tasting.

[Narrator]

His desperate hunger caused him to dream of food.

[Joshua Dennis]

I had a dream that was very strange. I had dreamt that I was at school in the cafeteria, and it was lunchtime, and I was waiting in a long line to get lunch. And it was dark in there. It was, like unusually dark. So, like the darkness of the mind was, like, just kind of seeping into my subconscious. And I was really excited because we were gonna have hamburgers and fries for school lunch. And I was so hungry, and I take my tray to go sit down, and I'd glance away just for a moment, and I look and my food had disappeared. So it was just this weird dream of feeling so hungry, but there was nothing to eat. And I wake up and I had a rock in my hand, and I had pressed it to my mouth Like I was trying to eat something.

[Narrator]

Meanwhile, staying at a nearby motel, Joshua's parents prayed with all their hearts. Word had spread throughout the country of Joshua's disappearance, and countless prayers were being offered on his behalf. Still, as they approached the fifth day, his parents couldn't help but fear the worst.

[Joshua Dennis]

So at this time, of course, my parents were suffering, feeling that I would never be found, that they had lost their son. My father was feeling extremely guilty. Why did I take my son to this camp? Why did I let him go with the other boys and why didn't I keep him with me? And it was just extremely painful for my parents.

[Narrator]

Also waiting and hoping the boy would be found was historian John Skinner, who continued to get a nagging feeling. Again and again. He ventured to the mine and asked the sheriff if he could help. Each time, the sheriff would turn him away and John Skinner would return home, wondering what more he could do. On the fifth day, the sheriff had very bad news for Joshua's parents. The search and rescue crew had combed the mine thoroughly. The chance of Joshua still being alive was impossibly low.

[Joshua Dennis]

And so, as time went on, the sheriff realized that they could not continue the search indefinitely, that at some point they would need to call off the search and accept the inevitable. And my parents were suffering with that, grappling with maybe never knowing what happened to their son and accepting that I had died and that they would never know and would never even recover my body.

[Narrator]

As the search was winding down, once again, John Skinner drove to the mine and approached the sheriff.

[Joshua Dennis]

He makes it up to the mine site and he talks to the sheriff and he says, I think I might know a couple of places where he could be. He just had a feeling, that's how he described it, Just a feeling that he knew where I was. And two of the men on the mine rescue team overheard this conversation.

[Narrator]

The two men told the sheriff they wanted to take John Skinner into the mine with them and have him show them the spots he was thinking of. But the sheriff was ultimately responsible for everyone's safety. So once again, he said no. But this time, John had allies. The two men insisted the sheriff allow them to take John with them. The sheriff analyzed the faces of the three men. John had tried so many times to help, and this was a last ditch effort. The sheriff finally agreed to let them go in. It was about 2 o' clock in the afternoon,

[Joshua Dennis]

and this basically was officially the last attempt. In fact, they were kind of calling people back search and rescue and making sure that no one else was in the mine. They were Asking him to exit. So these three men go in and John Skinner leads them deep into the

[Narrator]

belly of the mine. John led the men to the first location he'd felt Joshua might be in. The men shined their lights into the darkness, hoping to finally see a small 10 year old body, dead or alive. They desperately wanted to bring him home to his parents. As they neared the location, the three men went silent. Nothing. No sign of a 10 year old boy. They headed to the next location, still hopeful that John's feelings had been correct. Again, nothing. No Joshua. No sign of anyone. At this exact moment, Joshua's mother was kneeling and praying. She felt the warmth of peace and God's embrace around her. She felt maybe her son had passed on. Now she couldn't be certain, but she accepted that whatever God had in store for her, it would be okay. She climbed into bed exhausted and closed her eyes, ready to take a nap. Meanwhile, rescue crews exited the mine. The rescue operation was being called off. John told the two men that accompanied him that he wanted to just check one more place. With hope dimming, the two men followed. When they reached the third location, they shined their lights into every nook and cranny. But again, there was no sign of the boy. This was the last possible place John Skinner could think to look. He had been certain that his feelings were correct. But in this third location, all the three men could see was the dark cavernous mine, empty once again. Then something inexplainable happened.

[Joshua Dennis]

And as they're in this spot, one of the mine rescue volunteers hears a very faint sound. And it was peculiar that he heard it. His name is Ray Guymond, because he actually is hard of hearing. And in fact, he would joke around saying that to maintain his position on the mine rescue team, he would have to take a physical and he would always fail the hearing test and he would have to kind of cheat to squeak through so he could maintain his status on the team. But he hears a sound and he's kind of doubting maybe for a second that he's hearing something. And he asked the other two if they heard something and they hadn't. And he asked them to be quiet. And he describes it as hearing a faint sound but also feeling something. Feeling something. Tell him, pay attention. Listen. And so in complete silence, they're listening and they all hear a faint cry for help and they yell out. And it was, it was me.

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[Narrator]

Joshua had been sleeping when he'd heard some distant sounds that awoke him. Finally, after days in the mine, hope was near. But even then, Joshua's location was so difficult to find that the three men couldn't determine where his cries were coming from. They called out to him to keep yelling.

[Joshua Dennis]

And the three scatter, looking all around, just seeing if it was coming from below, from above.

[Narrator]

The three men encouraged Joshua to keep making noise. It seemed they had to be be getting close. And then at last, after five days of darkness, Joshua's eyes saw the most beautiful thing. Light.

[Joshua Dennis]

And finally I see a light illuminate this little narrow tunnel that I had crawled into a little ore cavity. And I hear someone yelling up to me and saying to make my way down to him. And then he. He scoops me up and starts carrying me down. I had climbed up into this little pocket and all I can hear is these men saying, thank God we found him.

[Narrator]

But here's where the story gets really strange and quite frankly, wonderful. Because for Joshua, it felt as if only one day had passed.

[Joshua Dennis]

And I'm very confused. I don't know who these men are. I was expecting my dad or one of the other leaders from our group to find me. And one of the men says, we're going to take you to your mom and dad. I think he was trying to comfort me or help me feel that it was okay, that I was safe with them. And I said something that was very peculiar to him. I told him that my dad was outside, but my mom was at home. Just in my mind, I was thinking I was on a camping trip. And it was the next day.

[Narrator]

The three men, perplexed, explained to Joshua that he had been down in the mine for five days and that it was now Wednesday. Joshua couldn't wrap his brain around that thought at all. While he'd been alone in the mine for five days, Josh, he experienced Something completely miraculous. Time didn't pass for Joshua like it had for everyone else. And as incredible as it sounds, he hadn't once felt scared or alone.

[Joshua Dennis]

I felt okay. I had been very hungry and very thirsty. Apparently I'd been severely dehydrated and my feet were swollen. I'd got frostbite on my feet. But other than that, I felt good. I felt fine. But one thing that I definitely felt, and it's difficult when I've shared this experience for others to believe, is that I didn't feel afraid. And I also didn't feel alone. And as I was in the emergency room, lying on a gurney being treated, my mom and dad were just beside themselves Moments before they were accepting the loss of their son, that I was dead and gone and they would never know what happened. It would be a complete mystery to me, being alive and well and right in front of them. And I told my mom angels were with me. And for my mother, that moment was just so comforting for her to feel that her son was protected and he was watched over and that he didn't suffer. And that's really the only way that I know how to describe what I felt. It was like it's described in the New Testament. The apostle Paul talks about a peace, a peace that passes understanding. And it was what I felt. It was something that's undescribable, something that doesn't logically makes sense, something that you don't think is possible, but is what I experienced. God knew where I was, even though I was in the dark.

[Narrator]

God had been with Joshua and his angels had comforted him. And a kind man had listened to God's voice tell him where to find a 10 year old stranger lost in a dark, dangerous place. Joshua says he doesn't know why he received a miracle when others haven't. But he does know his experience was a manifestation of divine power. As life has gone on for Joshua, he has leaned on this experience himself to help him always remember that God is real and he loves each of us.

[Joshua Dennis]

My dad said something to me shortly after it happened that's resonated with me ever since. He said, someday you will need to rely on the faith you had when you were lost on the mine. And that's been true for me over and over again. Because as we get older, we might have bad experiences or we get a little more cynical, or it's not as easy to believe and to trust. And so I've reflected back on the faith that I had as a child and you start to understand A little bit more why Jesus uses children as examples of faith. And it's because they have this trust in God as a child, trust their parents. And so it doesn't matter how old you are. You know, it's never too late to have faith as a child and to believe in miracles.

[Narrator]

The rescue of Joshua Dennis wasn't profound only to him, but to all involved in his rescue and to us. It's a reminder of the power of faith, prayer, and listening to those quiet premonitions that come when least expected. In a mine where darkness seemed all consuming, God's love still found a way to shine through.

[Holly Worthington]

Listening to this episode again really reminded me how important it is to teach your children that God is there for them. Like, I. I can't imagine how frightening and alone Joshua would have felt if he didn't know that he could pray and receive that help and comfort.

[Emily Jones]

I know I'm an adult and I would have been terrified in that situation. But, you know, I think about my own kids when they're scared at night and they come and talk to me. My answer is always the same.

[Narrator]

Have you prayed?

[Emily Jones]

Because God can comfort you, God can protect you. And I'm just so grateful for that presence of peace when you need it.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And my kids did the same thing. They would come in, they'd be scared, and we would pray with them. And it seemed like it really just brought them so much comfort and peace at those moments.

[Emily Jones]

Right.

[Holly Worthington]

And I absolutely believe that angels attended to Joshua in that line. It was such a beautiful, powerful gift from above.

[Emily Jones]

I know. And the thing that really stood out to me is how he experienced time differently.

[Holly Worthington]

Oh, yeah.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah. And how for everyone else, it was days. Like, I would assume that you would feel. Like the hours just feel endless when you're alone in the dark.

[Holly Worthington]

I know you think it would go by so slow.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah. And it didn't. And that's such a mercy from God.

[Holly Worthington]

Such a mercy.

[Emily Jones]

And I think that happens a lot. Like, God doesn't always just take away our trials, our challenges, but he helps us through them.

[Holly Worthington]

Yes. He carries us through them. And how often do we hear people say that when they were going through these horrible experiences, they didn't experience pain like they thought they would because their bodies go into shock.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah. God is so merciful.

[Narrator]

He is.

[Emily Jones]

And, you know, one thing that I kept wondering about was should Joshua had followed his mom's advice to stay put?

[Holly Worthington]

Oh, yeah.

[Emily Jones]

Because, like, that's what I tell my kids. Like, if you get lost, hug a tree, stay where you're at. And yet, like, he stayed in this little hiding spot where they couldn't find him. And so I thought, was that good advice? Should he have followed it? But here's what Joshua said about it.

[Narrator]

If I would have stayed where I

[Emily Jones]

was at the point of separation, I wouldn't have gotten lost. As the scoutmaster and other boys were

[Narrator]

leaving the mine, they would have found me.

[Emily Jones]

But once I realized I couldn't find

[Narrator]

my way out of the mine, I

[Emily Jones]

decided to stay where I was. This was important because wandering in the dark increased my chances of falling down a mine shaft or running into volatile

[Narrator]

dynamite, which was found in the mine

[Emily Jones]

in multiple places during the rescue. So the lesson is, wandering in the dark is dangerous, both physically and spiritually.

[Holly Worthington]

I love that wandering in the dark is dangerous, both physically and spiritually. So true.

[Emily Jones]

Well, and it gave me a new perspective because, you know, obviously, it would have been better if he just stayed put right. When he got lost, but when he realized that he was lost, he could have wandered deeper into the mine. He could have gotten hurt, he could have died, and instead, he stayed put, and he chose to have faith that he would be found.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

And he was.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And another really cool thing that Joshua shared with us is that after this happened, he received a letter from President Bush Sr. At the time. Yeah. So cool. And I love this letter. Will you read this for us, Emily?

[Emily Jones]

Yes.

[Narrator]

All right.

[Emily Jones]

It says, dear Joshua, I have just learned of your miraculous rescue from the mine, and I am so happy to hear that you were found to be safe and unharmed. Your determination and faith are to be commended. The rescue workers and volunteers who work together to find you are important examples of all Americans. And America is great because of such instances of neighbor helping neighbor in time of need. Your community shone as one of the thousand points of light in helping with your rescue mission. And you should be proud to have such an admirable community standing behind you as parents. Barbara and I share the joy and excitement of your parents in your safe return home. Joshua, your experience serves as a testimony that miracles do happen. You are a very special and fortunate young man. Best wishes for the future, and may God bless you. Sincerely, George Bush.

[Holly Worthington]

That is such a beautiful letter.

[Emily Jones]

Yes.

[Holly Worthington]

And I love that he says, a Thousand points of light. It just makes me think of all those people searching in the dark for this little boy. And it just makes me think, like, sometimes our world can seem so negative and dark and awful, but there are so many people who are points of light.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

We just have to look around us to see it.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah, absolutely. All right. Well, we want to thank Joshua again for sharing this story with us. I just love that this is such a great example to try to have

[Narrator]

faith like a little child, like Joshua

[Emily Jones]

did in that mine. So thank you, Joshua. If you guys haven't already subscribed to our podcast, make sure you subscribe. Leave us a review. We'll see you next time.

[Holly Worthington]

We'll see you then.

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[Eric]

What's up, guys? I'm Eric.

[Emily Jones]

I'm Amanda.

[Joshua Dennis]

I'm Stella. And I'm Henry.

[Eric]

And we think Bluey is awesome. That was from three years ago when we first started the podcast and it still holds true today, doesn't it?

[Emily Jones]

It sure does. We still think Bluey is awesome.

[Holly Worthington]

Yes, we do.

[Eric]

And if your family loves Bluey, check out our podcast, Dinner with the Healers, an episode by episode Bluey podcast, where we watch an episode of Bluey and then talk about it and the lessons we learned. It's a super fun time. Dinner with the Healers is always 100% family friendly and we would love it if you would join us while we have Dinner with the Healers. Available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and everywhere else, podcasts are found.