Please pray for the Saniels in Kyrgyzstan. There is a brewing civil war. Here is the entire account from the Saniels about their evacuation.
Dear Pastor Ken and PCC family,
Warm Greetings from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
We are happy to inform you that we finally made it to Bishkek yesterday 4:30 pm June 14. It was a divine provision by God. Thanks a lot for your prayers. Last Sunday and Monday was so tense in our area, we were holed in our apartment. Jalalabad city was burning, sporadic gunfire were heard in different areas of the city. Columns of smoke were rising that covered almost all of Jalalabad. Monday early morning around 2 o’clock our uzbek neighbor’s house just across the street were set on fire followed by gunfire that last up 4 am. We saw how the house was destroyed. Lots of shouting and crying we heard. We just stayed inside with lights out and pray. My wife was so nervous and crying. After that there was a lull and we had a little sleep.
Monday morning around 6 am our team leader called and said we must be ready for evacuation. Prior to that on Saturday, he instructed us to get ready and pack some clothes and all important documents, first aid, passports and money. We had just had enough money for two weeks food. He ask us what is our plan if there’s an evacuation, we said we want to stay because during that time of Saturday it was still peaceful in Jalalabad. We even had a schedule of JEDI graduation in that afternoon. The riot started on Friday evening in the city of OSH, an hour and a half away from Jalalabad. A group of young Kyrgyz people armed with guns and sticks attacked the Uzbeks community and burned their houses, shoot people and loot. The reported dead were more then 80 and hundreds injured mostly Uzbeks. Thousands flee to the border of Uzbekistan. Eyewitnesses say more than 500 were killed and thousands were injured because the Uzbeks didn’t bring people to the hospital because it was controlled mostly by Kyrgyz people. They just hurriedly buried their dead. Saturday morning it was still peaceful in Jalalabad. We are preparing for the graduation at 2 o’clock. Around one o’clock our computer teacher called that people are massing in the center park mostly armed with sticks. She was so afraid and said she will go home. Our students went home too so we just cancelled the graduation and went home. In the last two months we had this experiences that they gathered and riots but only on designated targets like government office, police station or the universities that supports the ousted president and then it will die down and back to normal the following day. But this one they targeted every Uzbeks houses, shoot them, loot and burned their houses.
Saturday evening Jalalabad became a battle zone between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. The police cannot contain the warring factions as they watch helplessly. The mob of Kyrgyz people even attacked the police stations and get more firearms. Sunday morning we woke up with Jalalabad ablaze on fire. Hundreds of thousands of Uzbeks flee leaving their homes which makes for the Kyrgyz easily robbed and torched their houses. Roads were blocks with big boulders, many cars were still burning. All roads to the south were barricaded. Flights were cancelled and there’s no way to go out of the city. We have no choice but to stay at home and pray. Food are scarce and nowhere to buy. Gas was cut off and no water in some areas. Life is getting uncertain. There are rumors that Uzbeks are gathering in the border to retaliate so even the Kyrgyz people are leaving to the villages and mountains mostly on foot.
Monday morning Jalalabad was totally in chaos, burned and lootings was rampant. Then there’s the divine provision of the lord. The new government sent soldiers to Jalalabad to try to stop the uprising. The plane will come back empty so they announce those who want to go out of Jalalabad but have to pay more. One of the expats hear about it and rush to the airport and buy tickets for all the expats including us. In 20 minutes notice we all take the risk in going out to the street going to the airport. One expat came to pick us up risking his life, he drove evading all the road blocks and pick us up. Praise God. We really felt His presence as we passed burning houses and the mobs armed with long rifles. They just look at us because everybody was busy looting and carrying everything they can get from the Uzbeks houses and stores. Some even had trucks with them while others guard as they loot everything they can get. We believe these were the result of your prayers. Why they ignored us or they don’t notice of us because of their greed to get more, it is God’s hands working. Praise Him. We made it to the airport safely. I feel sad as we passed all those burning houses, cars, ransacked stores and homeless people, afraid, no food, nowhere to go and perhaps with dead love ones without Jesus. It challenges us more to come back if the situation settles down and safe for us to return.
Now we are safe in Bishkek although there is also a little tension here. Jalalabad was left in ruins. Our friend reported to us that Jalalabad were deserted leaving only one or two people in every house to watch. Mostly Kyrgyz. We left everything there with a few clothes and our passports only with us and little money, our plan is to wait here for a few weeks at hope everything will comeback to normal and hopefully they spare our apartment. We need more of your prayers because we don’t know how long this will last. Healing will take longer as there are so many deaths. The reported numbers of dead and injured are way below to the actual casualty. We need financial support too to be able to cope up with the way of life here in Bishkek. It’s 8 times higher than Jalalabad and in just overnight the prices of all commodities went up 400%. We may stay here for a few months waiting to settle down or if it get worse and escalates up to here in Bishkek. I guess that’s the time we are going back to the Philippines.
As of today, we are determined to stay as these events maybe the catalyst for the revival we are praying for. Now is the time that the churches here really needs our support, not only from us but from the whole body of Christ in the whole world. Not only prayer but any physical help that we can offer to them. Cash is more practical to transfer here than in kinds.
Again, thank you for covering us in prayers. Once again God proves that He is faithful to His promises that if we follow His commands He is faithful and He will never leave us nor abandon us. He saved us in an impossible situation. To Him all the glory, honor and praise.
In His Service,
The Saniels (Whinney, Flor and Noel)
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