It Is Written

Camp Hope

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW001531A


01:30 ♪[Theme Music]♪
01:40 ♪[Theme Music]♪
01:51 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
01:53 Thanks for joining me.
01:54 We're going to go together to Camp Hope,
01:57 a unique camp with a lifesaving difference.
02:01 It was established in 2010 for the families
02:04 of 33 Chilean miners who were rescued
02:07 after a near disastrous mining accident.
02:11 There's a lot we can learn from the harrowing experience
02:13 that almost resulted in tragedy,
02:16 and the incredible rescue that saved their lives.
02:19 Thursday, August the 5th, 2010
02:22 was not a happy day for many people.
02:26 Life took an unexpected turn for many wives,
02:30 mothers, children, grandchildren,
02:32 uncles, cousins, nephews, friends,
02:35 neighbors as they learned, from news reports,
02:40 that their loved ones were trapped 2,300 feet,
02:43 thats 701 meters, below ground.
02:46 That's basically the distance from the ground to the top
02:49 of the Empire State Building, twice.
02:53 Can you imagine being trapped that far, below ground?
02:58 The day began for the miners
03:00 as any other typical work day would,
03:02 expecting to see each other again for supper
03:04 that night as usual,
03:06 but supper time came and went and feelings of desperation
03:09 and fear and uncertainty
03:11 and the desire to stay close took over their minds.
03:15 They gathered in the Atacama Desert and set up tents
03:20 and began the long wait for whatever might eventuate.
03:24 On the outskirts of the San Jose Mine
03:27 over two-and-a-half thousand people gathered
03:31 in what was called Camp Hope.
03:34 It was an improvised community established by relatives.
03:38 There were over 200 national and international
03:40 media reporters there,
03:41 as well as rescue teams and doctors
03:42 and psychologists and teachers and volunteers,
03:45 spiritual leaders and visitors from other parts of Chile
03:49 who came together to wait for the miners,
03:53 to give encouragement to the families,
03:55 and to share a message of hope.
03:58 Every evening at six o'clock relatives gathered to receive
04:01 daily reports on the physical and psychological
04:05 condition of their loved ones.
04:07 Schools were set up so the children could attend class.
04:10 And families gathered together to pray for a miracle.
04:15 Despite the intense heat during the day
04:17 and the extreme cold during the night,
04:20 they waited, at Camp Hope.
04:23 For 17 days the earth remained silent
04:27 and with each failed rescue attempt, despair increased.
04:32 Time after time rescuers dug holes in the ground
04:35 looking for signs of life.
04:37 But the drills repeatedly missed the right spot.
04:42 Rescuers didn't have an updated map indicating where
04:44 the miners might be, sheltering underground.
04:47 It wasn't known for certain if they'd even managed
04:49 to make it to those potentially safe zones.
04:54 And then there was some pretty obvious issues.
04:58 If the miners weren't found soon,
05:02 if they were still alive,
05:04 they'd die of thirst, or hunger, or from another collapse,
05:09 or from a lack of oxygen.
05:12 Anything could happen.
05:14 Meanwhile, the families couldn't do anything except, wait.
05:23 Maybe right now you find yourself in the same situation.
05:26 Maybe you've had to pitch your tent at your own Camp Hope
05:29 waiting for the outcome of your situation.
05:31 Maybe you're like those relatives,
05:33 you're watching helplessly as a child has fallen prey to drugs.
05:38 Maybe you have a spouse who's addicted to alcohol.
05:42 Maybe you have a daughter who's a victim of domestic violence.
05:46 Maybe you have a sick father or mother
05:48 and you don't have the means to pay for their treatment.
05:51 Maybe a loved one has departed from God.
05:53 You're watching now that person slowly destroying himself
05:57 or herself and you feel trapped, not knowing what to do.
06:03 As time goes by you become desperate.
06:06 You may have got on your knees for many years even,
06:10 begging God to perform a miracle, a rescue.
06:15 Maybe now you're about to lose hope.
06:18 Has the silence of God made you think
06:20 that God's not listening to you?
06:23 Well listen.
06:24 God has a promise for you.
06:26 It's found in the Book of Psalms,
06:27 Psalm 27 and verse 14.
06:31 “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage,
06:35 and He shall strengthen your heart.
06:38 Wait, I say, on the Lord.”
06:42 Don't grow weary, wait on the Lord.
06:46 Wait on the Lord and the miracle will come.
06:51 After 17 seemingly endless days, on August 22, 2010,
06:57 the first miracle finally arrived.
07:01 One of the drills being used for the rescue miraculously deviated
07:05 toward the refuge where the miners were holed up.
07:08 The drill was christened "La Milagrosa,"
07:10 the miraculous one.
07:12 Another name that was given to it,
07:14 it's one that I like the most, is "the Hand of God."
07:17 As soon as the drill reached the refuge,
07:20 the rescuers felt two blows on the drill.
07:22 That was the, the trapped miners down there banging on the drill.
07:27 They realized that meant there could be life underground.
07:30 It took some time to bring the drill back up,
07:33 but when they pulled it out of the ground,
07:35 on the tip, connected to the drill,
07:37 was a handwritten message from one of the miners.
07:40 It said, “We are fine in the shelter, the 33.”
07:46 You know, experts said that if that drill
07:47 had taken just one more day to reach those trapped miners,
07:50 some of them would likely have been dead.
07:54 The conditions in which they were found
07:55 were totally unstable.
07:57 They didn't have much light.
07:59 They had little food.
08:02 The cans of tuna they shared were almost gone.
08:06 There wasn't enough oxygen.
08:08 Fungus had begun to cling to some of the miners
08:11 because of the humidity where they were.
08:13 Others were sick to their stomachs
08:15 because of the water they drank.
08:17 But the Hand of God reached them just in time.
08:21 So again, listen.
08:22 Don't grow weary, wait on the Lord,
08:25 the miracle will come.
08:26 You know, one reason I want to share this story with you
08:28 is because it's inspiring.
08:30 Because if you apply it in your own life,
08:32 it'll give you courage in times of despair.
08:35 Even if you feel that your situation is lost,
08:38 if you think yours is an unsolvable case,
08:42 the miraculous hand of God can reach the deepest place to work
08:46 out a rescue for you or for your loved one.
08:50 Hold on to the promises of God,
08:51 and the promises of God will sustain you.
08:55 And as your problem is solved, God will fill you with peace.
08:59 Isaiah 26 and verse 3,
09:02 “You will keep him in perfect peace,
09:05 whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
09:11 I'll have more, in just a moment.
09:14 ♪[Music]♪
09:22 >>John: We live in a world where there is very little peace
09:25 and too many of us are experiencing lives
09:27 without peace,
09:28 if not you, then surely somebody you know.
09:30 How to experience God's peace in your life?
09:33 Receive today's free offer, "Peace on Earth,"
09:36 and answer that question.
09:37 Just call 800-253-3000
09:40 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com.
09:44 Receive "Peace on Earth."
09:46 Call us, 800-253-3000
09:49 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
09:53 >>Girl: My mom woke up at 11:45 and she smelled smoke.
09:58 >>Man: About maybe 1:30 in the morning the, uh,
10:02 my wife got a phone call and I could hear the voice
10:05 on the other end of the line and she was basically,
10:08 uh, screaming, there's a fire, it's massive,
10:11 it's headed your way,
10:12 you need to get out and get out now.
10:15 >>Woman: After I hear fire, I hear in the background,
10:18 the fire is just four blocks away
10:19 from your house and I panicked.
10:21 We started praying, our prayers didn't last long.
10:25 They were desperate, they were, they were rushed,
10:29 there was a need, it was urgent.
10:30 It was very, very urgent.
10:31 I said, please, save my children.
10:35 ♪[Helpless music]♪
10:38 >>John: Where was God when the fires burned?
10:39 Where was God as people suffered?
10:41 Where was God while people were dying?
10:44 Where was God in the midst of the devastation?
10:46 ♪[Music and sound of fire crackling]♪
10:53 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written.
10:56 Camp Hope was the name given to the tent community
11:00 set up for the relatives of the 33 Chilean miners
11:03 who were trapped underground, 2,300 feet underground,
11:07 in a copper and gold mine
11:09 after a collapse in the mine in August of 2010.
11:13 Volunteers and the media also gathered at Camp Hope.
11:17 After receiving a note that proved that the 33 miners
11:20 were alive in a shelter deep below the surface of the earth,
11:24 rescuers designed a plan to bring the men
11:27 up to the surface one by one.
11:30 In the meantime, a pastor, Carlos Parra,
11:32 who pastored the Seventh-day Adventist congregation,
11:35 understood that the men needed spiritual support
11:38 and so he searched for 33 Bibles small enough to fit
11:42 into a probe and he had them delivered to the men,
11:45 highlighting special promises for the miners to read.
11:49 Now, this is what we can do.
11:50 This is exactly what you and I can do.
11:52 In moments of discouragement and darkness,
11:55 we can go to the Bible.
11:58 And in the Bible we find hope and assurance.
12:01 The first promise Pastor Parra assigned them to read
12:03 was Psalm 103, verse 4,
12:06 “Who redeems your life from destruction,
12:10 who crowns you with lovingkindness
12:12 and tender mercies.”
12:13 And so every day Pastor Carlos Parra would share promises
12:17 for the trapped miners to read from the Holy Book.
12:21 They'd be sent down 2,300 feet underground
12:25 in that special probe.
12:27 Many people, many religious groups,
12:29 came together to help these families and Pastor Parra
12:32 became a virtual chaplain to the miners underground
12:35 and to the families above.
12:38 Six men were chosen to descend into the heart of the earth
12:42 and help the miners out back to the surface.
12:47 Imagine volunteering for that job.
12:49 It was a huge risk.
12:51 Not only did the six men risk their lives,
12:54 they did it of their own free will
12:58 and out of love for their fellow man.
13:01 No one forced them to descend to the depths of the earth.
13:04 It was duty that called them to be more than spectators.
13:08 And sometimes duty also calls us to do a,
13:11 a little more than to pray for those who suffer around us.
13:16 Sometimes we have to go in search of the lost sheep.
13:20 Sometimes you have to participate
13:21 in the rescue of those who need it most.
13:24 Just as Jesus came to our rescue,
13:26 as is written in John 15 and verse 13,
13:29 “Greater love has no one than this,
13:32 than to lay down one's life for his friends.”
13:35 So I ask you,
13:38 what are you willing to do for your lost child?
13:41 What are you willing to sacrifice
13:43 for your sick father or mother?
13:46 Maybe you need to spend more time with your family.
13:49 Maybe it's necessary to seek counseling
13:52 to save your marriage.
13:54 It might be required for you to stay up all night
13:56 to take care of your sick family member.
13:59 You may have cook some extra food
14:00 to help out your neighbor who lost his or her job.
14:03 Maybe that you should ask for help on behalf of the person
14:07 who can't speak out because she's afraid.
14:10 There are many ways in which you can get involved in bringing
14:12 relief to someone who's going through a difficult moment.
14:16 And Jesus will say this when He returns,
14:19 “I was hungry and you gave Me food;
14:22 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;
14:26 I was a stranger and you took Me in.
14:29 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me;
14:33 I was in prison and you came to Me.
14:36 Then the righteousness will answer Him, saying,
14:38 ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You,
14:42 or thirsty and give You drink?
14:45 When did we see You a stranger and take You in,
14:47 or naked and clothe You?
14:50 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison,
14:51 and come to You?'
14:53 And the King will answer and say to them,
14:57 ‘Assuredly I say to you,
15:00 inasmuch as you did it to one of the least
15:03 of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'”
15:08 Remember something, an act of kindness
15:11 is much more valuable in the vast majority of cases
15:16 than the most eloquent or powerful sermon.
15:20 And you and I have been called to be the hands
15:22 and the feet of Jesus,
15:23 bringing love and encouragement to people who need it most.
15:25 And make sure you don't miss the opportunities brought to you
15:29 by God to present to others the love of Jesus.
15:35 Days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months,
15:39 69 days and the men were still trapped underground.
15:45 Around the world, people had their eyes glued to TV screens
15:48 following the progress of the rescue.
15:50 Ultimately, millions of people witnessed what could be called
15:55 the most incredible mining rescue in history.
15:59 One by one the miners came out of the ground.
16:02 First, Florencio Avalos, second, Mario Sepulveda who brought
16:07 stones from underground in a bag
16:09 and began to distribute them as souvenirs.
16:12 Third, Juan Andres Llanez,
16:15 fourth, Carlos Mamani,
16:17 until the hours of the day passed until the last man,
16:20 Luis Urzua, was received.
16:23 As each miner emerged, tears of joy flowed,
16:27 shouts of celebration were heard.
16:29 The first reaction of, of several of the miners
16:31 as they reached the surface was to kneel down and thank God
16:34 for a new opportunity of life
16:36 and for reuniting them with their families.
16:40 Can you imagine how Heaven celebrates when a person
16:43 surrenders his or her life to Jesus.
16:47 It says this, I want to read it to you,
16:49 in the gospel of Luke 15 and verse 7:
16:54 “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy
16:57 in heaven over one sinner who repents
17:00 than over ninety-nine just persons
17:02 who need no repentance.”
17:05 When a person surrenders to Jesus, Heaven rejoices.
17:09 Heaven says, it was worth Jesus leaving Heaven
17:13 to go to the earth for you.
17:15 Now the cost of rescuing those miners was huge.
17:19 Twenty-two million dollars.
17:21 But your rescue costs Heaven much more.
17:24 First Peter 1:18 gives us a total value:
17:28 “Knowing that you are not redeemed
17:29 with corruptible things, like silver or gold...
17:32 but with the precious blood of Christ,
17:35 as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
17:38 Heaven gave up its most precious treasure for your salvation.
17:42 Heaven emptied itself for you.
17:44 It gave up everything for that loved one who suffers.
17:48 It gave up everything for that prodigal son who left the home.
17:52 And if God gave all that and more,
17:53 won't He care for you; His most valued possession?
17:59 How could God forget about you?
18:03 How could He stop listening to your prayer?
18:07 Don't be discouraged.
18:08 Wait on the Lord.
18:11 Trust in Him.
18:13 Keep praying.
18:15 I'll be back in just a moment.
18:17 ♪[Music]♪
18:26 We live in a world where there is very little peace and
18:29 too many of us are experiencing lives without peace.
18:31 If not you, then surely somebody you know.
18:34 How to experience God's peace in your life,
18:37 receive today's free offer,
18:38 "Peace on Earth"
18:39 and answer that question.
18:41 Just call 800-253-3000
18:44 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com.
18:47 Receive "Peace on Earth"
18:49 call us, 800-253-3000
18:53 or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
18:56 Thank you for remembering that It Is Written exists
18:58 because of the kindness of people just like you.
19:01 To support this international, life-changing ministry,
19:05 please call us now at 800-253-3000.
19:09 You can send your tax deductible gift
19:10 to the address on your screen or you can visit us online at
19:14 itiswritten.com.
19:16 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support.
19:18 Our number again is 800-253-3000
19:23 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
19:27 Thanks for joining me on It Is Written.
19:29 Have you ever wondered where Jesus is now,
19:32 what Jesus is doing?
19:34 Have you ever wondered what Jesus is doing
19:36 while people struggle with pain and misfortune
19:38 and sickness and death?
19:41 Well, listen to this.
19:43 As soon as our first parents were kidnapped
19:44 and deceived by the father of lies,
19:48 humanity was buried in a hole much deeper
19:50 than the one in which the 33 miners find themselves.
19:53 We lost our home, we lost our health,
19:55 we lost our happiness.
19:57 We lost our eternal life.
19:59 We lost our immortality
20:01 by listening to the lies of the devil.
20:04 He said that we wouldn't die if we disobeyed God.
20:08 But as soon as we were condemned,
20:10 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
20:14 established Camp Hope,
20:17 the heavenly sanctuary, from where the greatest rescue
20:21 of all time is in operation seeking to save
20:24 every person who's lived on this planet.
20:27 So, whoever believes in Him should not perish,
20:30 but have everlasting life.
20:31 Jesus is now in the heavenly sanctuary
20:35 and when you and I, from the bottom of the abyss of despair
20:37 and anguish cry for help,
20:39 He's there to comfort us,
20:40 to give us hope and help at all times.
20:44 When in desperation we cry out for a miracle,
20:47 He pours out all of the resources of Heaven
20:49 so that we can endure as we wait for our final rescue.
20:54 That's why our safety is in Jesus and what He can do
20:56 and is doing from up there to finalize the rescue
21:01 its what the Scriptures say.
21:03 There's an entire book in the Bible that talks about it.
21:07 I want to read to you from the fourth chapter
21:09 of the Book of Hebrews starting in verse 15.
21:13 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot
21:16 sympathize with our weaknesses,
21:18 but was in all points tempted as we are,
21:21 yet without sin.
21:24 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
21:28 that we may obtain mercy and find grace
21:31 to help in time of need.”
21:34 God's not unaware of our needs.
21:37 God's in Camp Hope seeking for ways to help us daily,
21:41 moment by moment, providing encouragement and assurance,
21:46 and the promise that things are going to end okay.
21:49 Just a little more. Just a little more.
21:52 And soon this time of pain and death and separation
21:55 and anguish will be over forever.
21:58 God saw that we were in trouble.
22:00 He knew there's no human solution available to any of us.
22:05 In the same way that a specialist was sent
22:07 to the 33 men to help them into the rescue capsule,
22:10 Jesus encapsulated Himself; He became like one of us.
22:14 He left His glory.
22:16 He descended to the depths of darkness in this lonely planet
22:18 to show us the way back to eternal life,
22:21 to our heavenly home.
22:24 This operation didn't cost a million dollars
22:26 or ten million dollars or twenty-two million dollars.
22:29 A much higher price was paid so that you and I
22:33 could live forever and not die.
22:37 Now think of this, now think of this,
22:43 what if, I'm going to suggest something to you,
22:46 what if one of the miners after that complicated,
22:53 expensive rescue operation decided to stay down there
22:58 701 meters, 2,300 feet,
23:02 two Empire State Buildings high or low, under the ground?
23:08 What would the world think
23:09 if somebody made a decision like that?
23:11 I think the world would think he had lost his mind.
23:15 We would know that there was something
23:17 awfully wrong with that man.
23:22 But sadly, tragically, that's what many people are doing today
23:26 with the rescue Jesus offers them.
23:29 They've become too acquainted with the darkness.
23:31 They say, the darkness is good enough for me.
23:34 They prefer to be buried in the abyss of sin,
23:37 while there awaits a better world.
23:41 When the last miner was rescued in that cold,
23:44 long night in the desert, people all around the world rejoiced.
23:49 Millions.
23:50 In fact, it was said one billion people watched,
23:53 many of them celebrating
23:54 in front of the TV or computer screen.
23:57 It was over.
24:00 The operation came to an end and Camp Hope was finally closed.
24:04 Those 33 men?
24:06 They returned to their homes.
24:08 In the same way,
24:09 when the gospel reaches every person in the world,
24:11 everyone's had the opportunity to accept
24:13 or reject the salvation offered by Jesus,
24:18 the largest and costliest rescue operation
24:21 in the universe will be over,
24:22 and Jesus will forever close Camp Hope, and will
24:29 come to earth with billions of angels to take us home.
24:33 We'll live with Him forever.
24:35 That's your destiny and mine.
24:38 Don't allow the devil to continue stealing
24:40 more than he's already taken.
24:42 Maybe he's stolen your health.
24:44 Maybe he's taken your happiness.
24:46 Maybe he has your loved ones.
24:49 We've lost everything by listening to his voice.
24:54 But we'll gain everything by listening to the voice of Jesus,
25:00 Who will restore everything back to us.
25:03 I want to ask you, where are you now?
25:08 Do you feel trapped by problems that seem to have no solution?
25:13 Or are you a concerned family member
25:15 waiting for the miraculous rescue of a loved one?
25:18 Are you the one who needs to be rescued?
25:21 Maybe you need to lend someone a hand right now,
25:24 or maybe you need someone to lend you a hand.
25:28 Perhaps you've ignored God's voice in the past and now you
25:30 find yourself trapped in a pit with no way out.
25:32 You realize that you need God's powerful hand.
25:36 It's you I'm addressing.
25:38 Look up to the only place and the only One who can rescue you.
25:41 There's no other.
25:43 There's no other way out.
25:45 If you think there's no solution to your problem,
25:47 think of the empty tomb,
25:49 because if God was able to overcome death,
25:52 He can also overcome the daily problems in your life.
25:56 Today is a decisive day.
25:58 Today is the day of rescue.
26:01 Today is the day of your salvation.
26:03 You can take a step of faith now.
26:06 Ask yourself if you want to continue in a pit
26:09 or if you'll enter the capsule that will take you
26:11 from the depths to a new life with Jesus.
26:16 Are going to allow Christ to rescue you.
26:19 Are you willing to accept the sacrifice
26:21 made by Jesus on the cross?
26:24 I don't want to be alarmist,
26:25 but this could be your last chance.
26:28 Don't overlook it.
26:30 If at this moment you're willing to say,
26:32 "Yes, I want to be rescued," then open up your heart to God.
26:36 If right now you recognize the seriousness of your situation,
26:40 that God's not the center of your life,
26:42 let's change that now, shall we?
26:44 It just takes a decision.
26:46 Oh, you say, "I'm not good enough."
26:48 No, that's true.
26:49 There's no one who's good enough,
26:50 only God.
26:51 You say, "I'm not deserving."
26:53 Well, well, of course you are not.
26:54 There's no one who deserves salvation.
26:58 Jesus didn't die for people who deserve to be saved.
27:01 He died for people who are in a desperate situation
27:03 and just couldn't save themselves.
27:06 You say, "God wouldn't forgive me."
27:09 Oh, come on.
27:10 You're forgetting all the case stories
27:12 all the way through the Bible,
27:14 of sinful people that God forgave.
27:18 Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost.
27:23 Christ died for our sins.
27:26 So what are you going to do?
27:29 Stay because you choose to,
27:32 2,300 feet below the surface of the earth,
27:36 and refuse to come out?
27:39 Friend, Jesus died for you so you could live forever.
27:41 Jesus died for you so that before eternity
27:44 you can have hope in this life,
27:45 you can live with dignity and confidence.
27:49 You can live knowing that you are a child of God.
27:53 If you'd like to be a child of God,
27:54 I'm going to pray for you in just a moment,
27:55 but right now if you can open your heart up to God
27:58 and say "Yes, that's what I want,"
28:03 and you can live with hope in this world and then,
28:06 beyond this world, in the world to come.
28:11 Our Father in Heaven, we're thankful
28:13 that You set up Camp Hope in Heaven
28:16 so that from there You could launch
28:17 the most incredible rescue mission
28:19 in the history of the cosmos.
28:21 And Lord today we want to be rescued.
28:23 I pray for each one now,
28:26 someone living without confidence,
28:28 someone living in desperation,
28:30 someone filled with anxiety,
28:31 someone far from You,
28:33 but now we say, "we want to come home."
28:36 We admit we can't turn our own lives around.
28:38 We say, "God,
28:40 You must turn our lives around because that's what You do."
28:42 So, Lord would You do that right now?
28:45 Well, let me change that.
28:48 Lord, thank You for doing that and we believe You've done so.
28:54 So now, friend, claim new life in Jesus.
28:57 Invite Him into your heart.
28:58 Believe that He comes in.
29:00 Believe that He forgives your sins
29:01 because you confess them to Him.
29:03 Believe that everlasting life is yours
29:05 and now we live in connection with God.
29:09 Father, we thank You for the hope that we have.
29:11 We thank You that You are the greatest rescuer of all
29:13 and we pray in Jesus' name,
29:17 Amen.
29:18 Thank you so much for joining me.
29:20 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
29:22 Until then, remember,
29:23 "It is written,
29:25 man shall not live by bread alone,
29:27 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
29:31 ♪[Theme Music]♪


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Revised 2018-03-20