URGENT: Prayer Needed for Missionary Family in the Ivory Coast

9/25/02 | Me

[ksen]

The Holmes family, missionaries with Baptist Mid-Missions to the Ivory Coast, are in urgent need of prayer.

My wife just received a call from our prayer chain and was told that though a bunch of people and children have been successfully evacuated, this particular family is stuck in their home with rebel guerillas on their property.

Please pray for the safety of the entire family.

Here are some recent e-mails I have received regarding their situation:

Received 9/20

Dear praying friends,
Some of you may have already heard of the attempted coup in Cote d'Ivoire yesterday. Fighting continues in a couple of cities (we have missionaries in Bouake). Thanks for praying and please continue to do so. In the midst of all this, a very exciting story has unfolded... I'll just paste in a few e-mails to catch you up on what's going on and to let you read of God's provision for our friends, Bob & Becky Mach, who were expecting their baby literally any minute... Nate

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(9/19)
"Government troops are patroling the Cocody and Deux Plateaux regions and searching for rebel elements. All American citizens are urged to remain in their current locations. In the event of a life and death emergency only, please contact the Embassy ...

Third warden message: (9/19)
The situation in Abidjan appears to have stabilized. The government has retaken control of key military installations The government is still conducting search operations. The situation in Bouake and Korhogo remains unstable. Media reports that General Gaye and the Minister of the Interior have been killed. The International School will be closed tomorrow Friday. All Americans are advised to remain at their residences...

Please be advised that there is a curfew in effect from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m. There is no school tomorrow. American citizens should remain at their residences until further notice. We will keep you posted. U.S. Embassy -- Abidjan

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Dear Family and Friends, (9/19)

Thanks much for your prayers today as we have been dealing with our present circumstances.

As I wrote this morning, there was an attempted coup d'état here in Côte d'Ivoire that started around 4:00am. Gunfire was evident everywhere in Abidjan. At about this time Becky went into labor, and our hospital of course is in Abidjan.

It has been impossible to enter Abidjan all day as news reports have the rebel forces shooting even at ambulances. Around 11:00am, things seemed critical with Becky and we were forced to go to a local hospital which lacks severely in cleanliness and expertise.

Fortunately, we were able to get some medications that helped stop Becky's contractions, and we returned to the house. That is our current situation at 8:10pm (4:10pm eastern time). Our prayer is that Becky will make it through the night without starting more contractions, and that we will be able to slip through Abidjan in the morning to get to the hospital.

It is entirely possible that Becky could go during the evening at which point I would most likely have to deliver the child myself. I have been studying our "Where there is no doctor" book and am greatly hoping that I will not have to do this.

Again your prayers are greatly appreciated. I will get an update out as quickly as possible.

Trusting Him,
Bob Mach

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(9/20)
At my last e-mail, we had managed to stop Becky's contractions with medication. Toward 10:00pm our time last night, she started experiencing them again. I called our embassy and got no help whatsoever. I called around to other doctors to see if they could come and that was not possible either.

We decided to wait as we had no assurance that we could enter Abidjan without risking being shot due to the coup attempt as well as the effort to restore order.

At 1:30am, Becky suddenly kicked into high gear. At 2:00am her water broke. Fortunately I had been studying up on delivering babies during the afternoon and I had all of the necessitites in place. I called around for somemore doctors to no avail. As well our house is so much more clean and sanitary than the local Bingerville hospital, so we decided to stay at the house.

So there we were. I got Becky set up on a mattress next to the phone in the living room. I sent my guardian to get a girl in our church who assists mid-wives, and I got on the speakerphone with a missionary lady that lives four hours away. My mother was here as she arrived last Tuesday evening to help with these circumstances.

We delivered our fourth child at 3:50am this morning (September 20, 2002). Fortunately it went pretty much like the book said. Becky and the baby are doing well. It is a boy. Weight is 8 and a half pounds with clothes on. Sometime soon I will weigh the clothes and deduct that from the 8 and a half pounds. His name is Charlton Lucien Mach and we will call him Luc (Luke) for short. Charlton is my middle name. Lucien is the name of one of our Ivoirian pastors whom I consider a close friend and colleague in the ministry. He and his wife have never been able to have child and they have never had the funds to legally adopt here.

Abidjan has somewhat returned to normal this morning and we have been in contact with our OB|GYN and pediatrician. We hope to leave in an hour or so to slip into Abidjan and see these doctors which we were not able to get to yesterday or last night.

Thanks much for your prayers. Continue to pray for us and the country of Côte d'Ivoire. Abidjan is tensely calm, but military battles are being waged at Yamousoukro, Bouaké, and Korhogo.

We will keep you posted.
Bob Mach

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Dear Nathan, and the rest of you,
This is Friday, Sept. 20, and it is now 12:10 P.M. Thank you for your note, Nathan. Yesterday morning, which was Thurs., Sept. 19 (didn't want you guys to have to tax your brains overly much, Ha!), Dan said to me, "Do you want to hear the bad news?" Then he told me that there had been another coup attempt in Abidjan, Bouake, and another town that he could not remember (it was Man). It had started around 3:00 A.M. in Abidjan. Jeff and Kim are there, as Kim had just gotten back from the States. She woke up to gunfire about 4:30 A.M.

Naturally there was to be NO travelling about the city while all this conflict and commotion was going on. The only one who really wanted to argue about that was Bob Mack, as that was the day that Becky's baby was due. They could not go anywhere. They called the doctor, and he told them a drug to get to slow down or stop contractions. I guess they tried that, but it didn't succeed.

Bob talked to both Dan and Andy, who assured Bob there was nothing to it; he could deliver the baby if it came anyway, which it did. Bob talked to Joan, and she said he could call her any time to get help. He was on the phone to Joan from 1:30 A.M. 'til 4:30 A.M. today. It was not non-stop, but Bob kept calling Joan back for help, instructions, etc. Becky had her baby, a boy! Dan said Bob had an African woman there to help him too. I would gather that Bob was a bit nervous, but I'm sure that turned to elation by the end of the early morning hours.

News yesterday afternoon was that General Gueue (how's his name go? anyway, the one who took over the government the Christmas time just before I came out--the one who was President before the one who is now) was killed along with some of his soldiers. Bouake is the "hot spot" now. We heard that Abidjan was sending troops there to quell the situation. There is a curfew from 6:00 P.M. 'til 6:30 A.M. or 8:00 A.M. (depending on whose news one is going by) from now through Monday.

Nathan, I think you get Bob and Becky's newsletters, right? Please send me the one that tells about these two days, o.k.? By the way, what kind of news did you hear about all this on the world news, CNN, or whatever? I think Steve Gault said you could hear gunfire over the news when the BBC was reporting yesterday. Sheppards are still in Liberia. I'm sure Mark has heard the BBC news. They are supposed to be coming back today or tomorrow.

Well, I think I will end this letter right here. It is a beautiful, sunny day in San Pedro. I hope you guys all have a good day. I love you all very much.

Lots of love,
Mamma

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10:40 AM (9/20)
The situation in Abidjan is stable and life is returning to normal. The situation in Boake and Korhogo remains fluid. All Americans are advised to stay at home and indoors. In the event the situation changes, this will help ensure your safety. The Embassy will continue to provide updates throughout the day...

2:55 PM (9/20)
Shooting continues in Bouake and Korhogo. Both cities are in the control of anti-government forces. We anticipate that Ivoirian government forces will attempt to re-take these cities. American citizens are STRONGLY advised to lock their doors and remain in their current locations.

It is still recommend that American citizens in Abidjan avoid any unnecessary movement. In the event that you need to stock up on provisions, some stores are open. Please let someone know where you are going and let them know you have returned. Exercise common sense security precautions and abide by the 6 p.m.-8 a.m. curfew.

We will continue to keep you updated on the situation.
U.S. Embassy -- Abidjan

Received 9/23

Dear friends,

This is the end of day # 4 and our town is still controled by the rebels. It is quiet now because night has fallen, but late this evening we heard blasts of gunfire and even cannons in the distance. Yesterday the rebels burned down the police headquarters and have kidnapped the commandant. We've been told repeatedly that things are looking up and that negotiations are under way, but we also heard that the rebels said they would rather be beaten than lay down their arms.

We received several calls from our U.S. Embassy this afternoon asking the names and number of all the Americans in our area, and precise directions to our homes. We were told to pack one bag and be ready to evacuate at a moments notice if they decide it's necessary. We would either be taken out by military escort in our own vehicles or lifted out by helicopter to a designated place. So tonight we are as ready as can be and will have to wait til morning to see what will happen. We are praying that it will all be settled and we can return to normal. We have received news of people praying from all over and we thank you all for that! We rest in the fact that God's will will not take us where His grace cannot keep us.
Deut. 31:8

In His Hands,

John & Merri Holmes and family
Serving in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa with Baptist Mid-Missions

Received 9/24

We just got off the phone with John & Merri Holmes in Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire. Fighting has continued and this is now day #6. While there has been much gunfire in town, starting last night there was a gunfight that came down their street. Later that stopped and they got some sleep, but when we called (about 11:30 a.m. CST) they were in the middle of another gunfight that had been going for several hours. Of course, they are tense and John and his family were on the floor in the hallway just singing, praying, and waiting.

They had heard that the U.S. is sending special forces, but no idea yet when or how they'll get to them. There is fighting going on all around them right now; machine guns, mortar fire, and other artillery. Please be much in prayer for them... there are still a few hours left until nightfall which may quiet things down some. However, the special forces' first objective will probably be to evacuate the children from the International Christian Academy and they have a soccer field where perhaps helicopters can lift them out. It will be more difficult finding and evacuating the Holmes and other missionary families who live in town and are in the middle of fighting. We praise God that He is in control and "His grace is sufficient..."

Nate

Received 9/24

Dear Friends and Family,

First of all, thank you each and everyone for the blessed prayers that you've been sending up on our behalf. We NEEDED them today! As we prepared our lunch and sat down to eat (exactly like supper last night) we began to hear machine guns firing and cannons going off very close to our house. Last night we left our plates at the table and came back much later to find ants in them......so this time we ran to our inner hallway......plates in hands! What followed was the worst gunfight you could imagine behind our house in a field and overhead. There are a few bullet marks on our outside walls and we heard some of them hitting our tin roof too. It started at 1:30 and went on for three hours. We had our portable phone with us, so we were able to be in contact with others as we lay on the floor in our hall--singing and quoting scripture and praying hard.

As we talked to our Embassy, they could hear the unbelievable gunfire going on and assured us that they wanted us out of here! We have finally received the word that someone is on the way to get us. It is 6:00pm our time and will be dark in about 30 minutes, so we don't know if that will keep us here another night or not.

We are all weak with fatigue from today's events, but so very thankful to be alive. We are sitting here in our living room with our bags packed and ready to walk out at a moments notice. We can still hear gunfire in the distance and hope to not have to spend another night in our home here. Please pray that God will speed this process along ---WE ARE READY!

In His Hands,

John, Merri, Heidi, Kelsey & Katie Holmes
Serving with Baptist Mid-Missions in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa

Please pray for this family and the rest caught up in the fighting over there.

Thanks.

-Kevin

[ksen]

Going home bump.

[ksen]

Thank you 4ConservativeJustices.

[sfousa]

people that would be willing to pray for these people?

Thanks for the ping. I'm praying for them.

[pubmom]

Praying here.

[4CJ]

Forgot John, Merri, Heidi, Kelsey & Katie Holmes and Kevin ;o)

I pray our Lord and Saviour will protect those involved.

[billbears]

My prayers added for their safety and that God continues to watch over them. Added to the Daily Prayer Thread

[ksen]

Thanks for adding this to the daily prayer thread. ;^)

[ksen]

Update received 9/25:

It's 1:30 pm here in Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire on day # 7---we're all gathered in the living room with our suitcases at the door. We're wanting very badly to hear the sound of an army truck or helicopter or something coming to get us. The French troops finally arrived to the school and have secured it, and are waiting on authorization to come and get those of us in the neighborhood to join the rest of the group of Americans.

About an hour ago, we noticed many people running in the same direction in front of our house. John called one of them that he recognized and asked what was wrong. The rebels at the end of our street told them there was about to be another battle in town and they should all get off the streets. We secured ourselves in our house once again and prepared for another confrontation, but haven't heard anything yet. We're praying that it stays that way.

The game plan may be that we take our cars and have a military escort to Yamossoukro if the roads are clear. They would probably then ask us to leave our vehicles and get on a plane going to Accra where the U.S. has set up a temporary base.

We are emotionally weary, but have hope that it will soon be over. As we ate lunch today we talked about how thankful we are to have a Father in heaven Who sees and cares about us....no matter which continent we're on. It's a very special thing to have the peace of God in times of crisis.

In His Hands,
John & Merri Holmes and girls
Serving with Baptist Mid-Missions
in Cote d'Ivoire, West African

Please keep praying and keep this bumped.

Thanks.

-Kevin

[SoothingDave]

May all the angels and saints join in our prayer for the safety of these folks.

SD

[ksen]

Who let you out tonight? ;^)

Thanks for the prayers Dave.

[Iowegian]

I'm praying. This seems to happen way too often in Africa, even to some I know and support.

[pegleg]

I offered prayers for these fine people at Mass tonight.

[pubmom]

Prayer for Protection Bump

[maestro]

Amen,.......More Grace and Mercy,........In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen!!!

[4CJ]

Prayers for all.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

We have been out all day, just got in.

Dear Lord keep these folks safe and bring them through this.

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Hey Mom, over here!

BigMack

[RnMomof7]

Geee I wondered where you were:>)

[RnMomof7]

Praying for the family..prayer bump

[malakhi]

Continued prayers for them. I hope to hear good news tomorrow.