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BEIJING (Reuters) – Two Chinese brothers who tunneled their way out of a coal mine collapse after being trapped for nearly six days survived by eating coal and drinking urine, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Brothers Meng Xianchen and Meng Xianyou became trapped while working at an illegal mine in Beijing’s Fangshan District late on Saturday, August 18, the latest in a series of disasters to strike the world’s deadliest coal mining industry.

Two days later, rescue efforts were called off and relatives began burning “ghost money” at the entrance of the mine for the dearly departed.

“At first there was no feeling, but then I was so hungry I couldn’t crawl any more,” Xianchen told the Beijing News. “I got so hungry, I ate a piece of coal, and I thought it quite fragrant.

“Actually, coal is bitter and unsmooth but you can chew up pieces the size of a finger. In the mine, we picked up two discarded water bottles, and drank our urine. You can only take small sips, and when you’ve finished, you just want to cry.”

He said because they were eating coal, and were in the mine for nearly six days, they did not defecate.

“We were only able to do that the day before yesterday in hospital. It was full of coal.”

Both said they would not go back into mining.

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College students who feel a calling into ministry passionately want to make a difference for God’s kingdom. But a significant number don’t believe the local-church setting is the place to do it, according to guidance directors for ministerial students at some Baptist schools.

“I think that for both positive and negative reasons, a lot of young people don’t see themselves settling into local-church ministry positions,” said Omer Hancock, professor of church ministry and director of in-service guidance at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. “An increasing number of our students are gravitating to other areas—other expressions of ministry.”

To some degree, students are looking for other avenues of ministry beyond a local-church setting because of the controversy they have witnessed, Hancock said.

“The reality is that for the entire lifetime of these young people, they have grown up in a culture where there is a lot of church conflict and a lot of denominational conflict,” he said.

Many students know little about their denomination, but they know firsthand about forced termination of church staff, conflict within congregations and a perceived lack of respect for church leaders, said Micheal Summers, director of church services at Wayland Baptist University.

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And before anyone else asks - yes, I was actually in one of Dr. Hancock’s classes. 

Military movies featuring guns, strategy and battles have long been a popular staple in the film industry and studios have created several masterpieces. We have compared the pundits selections, with our selections and created the list of the Top Ten Military Movies of All Time. Only true war and military movies were considered, not sci fi movies or romance movies set against a battlefield backdrop, therefore movies like Forrest Gump and Top Gun did not make the cut. With no further adieu, here are the Top Military Movies of All Time:

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I’m a little surprised that Saving Private Ryan is only ranked #7, and I’m still bitter Shakespeare in Love one the Best Picture Oscar over this masterpiece.

More pics here.