A small place, a heart wrenching tragedy, a country cries.

Today I watched the 6 o'clock news when I got home from work, tears pouring down my face. Today a second explosion dashed any hopes that the 29 minors might have survived, some if not all, but now all hope is gone. On Friday here in New Zealand, our tiny little isand at the bottom of the planet there was a massive explosion in a coal mine on the west coast. The Pike River Mine.

Mining isnt a big thing here in New Zealand. It's not a huge export business, its a small thing, like we are, but in the last 5 days the entire country has held it's breath in the hope there might be survivors. It was a possibility, a slim one but we all held hope that we would have our miracle. We waited, we hoped, we prayed. Resuce teams were waiting for the all clear to go in, poised, ready, charged with bringing these guys back to their loved ones. Today before the gases had cleared sufficiently to send anyone in a second massive blast ripped through the mine, this one destroying all hope, no one will have survived this one.

We have heard all about one who was to be married in three weeks, one expecting a child in a month, fathers, brothers, son's. A son who passed his father in the mine shaft on his way in as his dad walked out after his shift. The one who had finished his shift but opted to do a couple of hours overtime and then the one who cut me to the quick.....

A 17 year old boy, his first day at work. My sons age. I cannot imagine how his parents feel, and can only begin to imagine how I would feel if it were my boy.

And so I sit here typing this with tears still pouring down my face and my heart breaking for the families of those twenty nine men.

We are a small country with a big sorrow today. Our heart weeps.

In memory of the 29 minors who have perished in the Pike River Mine 24/11/2010

May your souls find peace where ever that may be for you.