Prayers for Egypt/Middle East, Part III
1/31/2011 2:27:52 PM
(The identity of this missionary is left out for her protection)
A friend was able to speak with her parents via land line this morning from Cairo, Egypt (1:30 p.m. Jan. 30, in Cairo) to report the latest developments. The staff is all safe.
When last they spoke with her, Thursday morning, 50,000 Egyptians had marched in protest in Tahrir Square, about four blocks from the administrative offices. She was at work and the protest had not yet affected daily life. As she explained, in a city of 20 million, a 50,000 person protest was not too disruptive. The situation, however, soon changed.
You have all seen the news reports. Things escalated dramatically Friday and Saturday. The staff stayed home the past three days as a precautionary measure. Some fires and looting have broken out in her neighborhood in a sector on the southern edge of Cairo, because there is no longer any protective presence. The local residents, though, organized a crime watch and formed a barricade to protect homes. Our friend and her roommate are staying in their 9th floor apartment of a secured building. Before all the ATMs were cut off (computer driven), she and her roommate were able to stock their flat with a week’s worth of water, bread, vegetables and dry goods. She has also packed an emergency backpack in case there is a sudden need for evacuation. While evacuations are currently recommended by her embassy, she believes it is safer to stay put for now.
She compared the atmosphere in Cairo to Katrina in some ways, with normal routines suspended, grocery stores sold out of many items and communications disrupted. Her boss was on the call and said that nobody should worry just because they have not been able to respond to emails – it is just that Internet service has cut on and off.
As for what’s next, the staff will continue to stay out of the fray and monitor developments. Like everyone else they are watching and waiting to see what the military does. She and an Egyptian friend report that the entire Egyptian people seem “very energized” and do not appear ready to stop the protests until Mubarak is gone. Things are relatively quiet the first part of each day, with the protests swelling in the afternoon and evening, so they are waiting to see what happens today.
They asked for your prayers:
· That the unrest would be resolved quickly;
· That stability and civil authority (protection) would be restored;
· That the staff would remain safe;
· That the end result be more democratic freedoms (including religious liberty) not less;
· That in all things God’s eternal purposes would be advanced.
This woman’s parents wish to express their appreciation for all the calls and e-mails they have received. While they may not be able to respond individually, your expressions of concern and prayers are deeply appreciated.
Additionally, for security purposes, please be very careful with ANY specific information that may compromise our friends in the midst of this situation.