Yesterday, I was witness to one of the most spiritually significant moments of the Chilean miners pilgrimage of thanks, the baptism of 4 month old Richard Villarroel, who was born only six days after his father was rescued from the mine on October 13, 2010.

Chilean Miner Richard Villaroel with son Richard, after baptism yesterday in Yardenit on the Jordan River (Credit: Israel Ministry of Tourism)

"Now that my baby has been baptized in the name of God in the River Jordan, I feel content," said his father, Richard Villaroel as he emerged from the waters, holding the baby in his arms.

Many of the rescued miners along with their wives took part in a baptism ceremony at the Yardenit, a popular baptism site on the Jordan River for Christian tourists to Israel, where some believe Jesus may have been baptized as well. Earlier in the day we had visited the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where Archbishop Boulos Marcuzzo, the Bishop of Nazareth gave them a blessing. Father Ricardo Boustos, of the Church of the Annunciation led the Chileans in the "Prayer of the Words", which is not a Eucharistic prayer but a prayer containing words of the Gospels. Father Boustos also prayed for the protection of all the families.

Miners at the Church of the Annunciation with Bishop Marchuzzo and Fr. Boutros

Tomorrow the miners will go on an early morning boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. They will then stop at the Mt. of Beatitudes. Later they will continue onto the Canaanite site of Dan and to Caesarea Philipi in the Golan Heights where in addition to biblical sites they will also view two sources of the Jordan river, the Dan and the Hatzbani.

Elisa Moed is the Founder and CEO of Travelujah (http://www.travelujah.com), the leading social network for Christians interested in connecting to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their travel experiences on Travelujah.