Conflict in Guinea

Hey everyone!

This will just be a short update, but an important one. A team came from LA to help out at the school and live in the villages for a couple days. They also helped out with Jubilee Day (Sports Day) and we were even able to do a small slide show showing pictures of limbo, long jump, relay races, hula hooping, etc for our kids using our computer. The team also taught the children new songs, helped us out at school, played soccer with the kids, and encouraged us.

However, they were scheduled to leave Tuesday back to LA but were unable to do so. Due to the current conflict in Guinea, they felt and were urged by the embassy and our native contacts not to be traveling in the country. The demonstrations have gotten larger and the death toll has risen as well. Peace keeping negotiators have been called in from the Western African Union and they actually did not demonstrate in the capital today, but the streets are littered with rocks and garbage from the strikers. Food shortages have hit the larger cities since no one has worked for 2 weeks now. The team stayed up late last night to decide how to handle the situation. Heading to Sierra Leone to catch a plane was an option, but Air France told us they wouldn’t honor the tickets they had already bought. As it stands now the team is staying for a few extra days. They pushed back the plane reservations until the 25th, so we are hoping and praying with them that the situation will improve by then.

In Sambouya we still have not felt the impact. Life goes on as usual here at TMICA even though we’re the only school open in the country. We’re planning on staying since the village is probably the safest place to be right now. If the situation should really start to get out of control we are only about 30-40km from the Sierra Leone border and we have a contact in the capital with a place where we could stay if necessary. We still have cell phone contact and internet access so we’re getting news updates daily through the bbcnews.com website. They have the best coverage of everything. Plus, our contacts in Conakry, which include the US embassy and an American worker who gave us his cell phone number, keep us posted on the latest.

We all feel safe here, but your prayers will be appreciated. Please also lift up our students’ families, many of who live in Conakry and the other large cities where the worst of the conflict is taking place. Pray also for the team. We’re glad to keep them for as long as they need to stay, but they have families and jobs that are awaiting them. Pray for Guinea and its people. The government is unstable with an ailing president and the people who are calling for his resignation. Pray that peace may be restored and the conflict resolved.

We’ll keep you posted on any changes that effect us or TM. If you go to the Prayer section of Teachusmission.org, there are prayer updates and links to news articles. On a positive note, while talking to the US Embassy the other day, we found out that Carol’s passport arrived in Conakry! So thank you for your prayers! We’re healthy, happy and still praising God. We hope that you’re all doing well in the States! God bless!

Love,
Shannon and Carol