Trapped deep below the surface since August 5, 33 Chilean miners sent their families a video message last Thursday expressing thanks and hope for efforts to free them.
They even displayed flashes of humor and patriotism, in spite of their precarious circumstances.
What the miners do not know is that it may be three to four months before they are rescued.
Rescue workers have kept secret any exact details on the length of the operation because they believe the truth would be too great of a psychological blow for some to take.