Susie Kallal September 21, 2011

Zambia held their presidential/parliamentary elections a couple days ago on Tuesday, September 20. Though the results have not yet been revealed, fighting and violence have broken out in the major cities in the country. Will you please pray for a hedge of protection around our co-workers Harrison and Michelle Banda and their 2 children who live in Chipata and Martha Barrett who lives in Lusaka. They reside in locations that are experiencing increasing violence. All business have been asked to close. Many have already been destroyed.

Just in the last hour we have received updated communications from the U.S. Embassy as well as our BMMZ field president. There has only been minor fighting in Choma, in fact the town was quiet earlier today but we have been told that the violence could reach us and that we need to have a plan in place to leave the country if necessary. The escape route for us would be through Livingstone, however people in Livingstone have been asked to keep their vehicles away from the main roads and those are the roads we would need to use to get out of Zambia. BMM missionaries that currently in Choma are: Gary and Mariann Barker, Susie Kallal, John Chilufya. Please pray for us that we will be safe, and have wisdom and discernment as we get our “plan in place”.

We debated whether or not we should hold off in communicating with you now because we don’t want to alarm you but we decided to go ahead because we never know whether or not we will have power or internet or even phone service and your missionaries need prayer.

WE will do our best to update you on the situation. Thanks in advance for your prayers..

Susie Kallal
Pastor Gary and Mariann Barker
John Chilufya