Subject: UPDATE AND PICTURES FROM GAO

Greetings to all,

We made it safe and sound to Bamako today on this blessed day of Easter. We left Gao on Friday, the same day, the rebellion officially proclaimed the republic of Azawad. The trip was very difficult, the bus is for 50 people but were 129 people in the bus. We were hardly breathing. Two women fell down in a faint. I just cannot describe what I saw in the bus.

But I was happy to stay one day after the family left because I was able to walk in the city, talk to people and meet with 3 Al Qaeda fighters. Actually they were very friendly. They came to the bus station looking for food but they don't speak any local language. I had to translate and explain that they are looking for bread and eggs. They allowed people to take their pictures and ask questions. The big problem is that every day a new group comes to town looking for his share of the cake. A new group visited again the Bible Institute. The men heavily armed were driving 5 Toyota pickups. They said they came for the drilling engine and the cement for building. My coworker Alassane, while I was discussing with them, called one of the chief rebel and ask for his help. The chief sent his men and told us that those men are not rebels but thieves and he gave a number to call when they come back again. We left the phone number with our guard just before we left Gao.

On Thursday when we were attempting to leave Gao, they were vandalizing our church building, the pastor's house, the bookstore and the guest house. They took all the doors and the windows of the church. They took the sound system, the benches, the video projector and computer. The church was empty when I got there. They trashed the bookstore, took the eye glasses, the books and from the guest house they took the fridge, the stove, the cupboards, the furniture, etc. They did the same for the pastor's house. They left nothing as you can see on pictures.

When i called Gao today, my friend told me there is no running water or electricity and the people are running away from the city by hundreds. Streets are dangerous and thieves at night break in house. The rebels destroyed the prison and all prisoners  escaped. Today, we were told by pastor Douyon that they looted the church (the missionary station) and the pastors house.

Please pray and continue to pray for us as we start a new life in Bamako. We came with nothing but the warm welcome of the brothers and sisters we found on the ground was invaluable.  We praise and thank God for His grace and protection. Thank you for your prayers. We still need your help and support for the days ahead. Grace and peace.

Dr. & Mrs. MOHAMED-IBRAHIM YATTARA
INSTITUT BIBLIQUE DE LA BOUCLE
BP 91 GAO, REP. OF MALI (WEST AFRICA)<

Dear Prayer Partners,

We are safe and sound for now.  We spent two nights under heavy gun fire with planes over our heads.  Finally, yesterday around 5 PM the rebels and Al Qaeda fighters took Gao, the first military region of the North.  Our army has withdrawn and gone south.  Today the city of Gao is a ghost town, like in war movies.  90,000 souls are by themselves without help or hope.  No water, no electricity.  The rebels with people in the city vandalized the banks and stores and robbed from all the official buildings.  No market, no means of transportation and the rebels go from house to house looting and sacking.

I was writing this message when the rebels shot a lot of bullets in the air in front of my door.  By God’s grace, they didn’t get into our house, well known in our area as “the Christian house”.   They didn’t ask me to recite the Muslim creed or say, “Long live Azawad Republic.“  They then asked me, “Is this the professor’s house?”  I said yes and they said, “We have come for your car.”  Our four-wheel drive vehicle was purchased with the help of my friend Dr. J.L. Williams 4 years ago.  We gave it to them without resistance, knowing God can replace it.  My wife, children and neighbors were crying but I was at peace in my heart.  They also hijacked one of my student motor bikes when he was trying to find out about the bus system for us.  Thanks again for praying.

I have learned and experienced what it means to be powerless and without strength in adversity before my children.  I have learned over the years to rely on God but it’s more evident to me these days.

We are trying to leave the city but we are trapped.  My family and 3 other families decided to stay together.  We are 28 people living in our house, built for us by NDI.   If the situation does not change soon, I mean if the stores do not open, we will be short of the vital things of life.

We are waiting for the first option we have to get out of the city to go to Bamako or Niamey in Niger.  A friend invited us to stay with him in Niamey but in Bamako we don’t have a place to stay because the Mission Guesthouse is closing.  We don’t know how to face all these expenses but God knows and He has proven Himself faithful to us hundreds of times.

The rebels control the main road and hijack the cars and even motorcycles.  There is no way to receive funds to travel. Our mission office wants to send some money for evacuation but we have no means to receive it.  It’s a very critical situation.

For now they haven’t touched the church or the college. They stopped by the school four or five times, read the sign, shot bullets in the air and left.  I was still writing this email when the guard of the college came and said the rebels said they wanted to see what was in the office and classrooms.  They also asked for the keys of the Marshalls’ truck that does the well-drilling.  They trashed the dorms and are using our library as their headquarters. They opened the office and put aside our big copier and our desktops.

As you know, the rebels took Timbuktu today.  Please pray.

Dr. & Mrs. MOHAMED-IBRAHIM YATTARA
INSTITUT BIBLIQUE DE LA BOUCLE

Editor's note:  Below is another letter received today via email

Greetings to all,
A quick up date:
Many things happened today. The night was a bit agitated with gun fire and all kind of strange noises. We are still in our hiding place, praying and praising. I was able to go out to charge my phone and computer.  I saw several “barbus” (men with beard in French) cruising with automated guns on their vehicles.

I was then told that the rebels who camped on our campus left so I decided to visit the Bible College.  They opened my office, scattered my books, stole my desktop, my inverter and some other things.  I went to see the library and office. They trashed some computers and tables.  I had to rush because the guard told me they said they are coming back.

I visited the Women Rehabilitation Center led by my wife. They train 26 Muslim girls in cooking sewing, literacy, health and Bible from Monday to Friday and they just started. The rebels took their new freezer, 3 new stoves, 2 sewing machines and several utensils.

Rich Marshall (American missionary) has left his truck in the yard. They took the truck but left the compressor and the drilling engine. They took some other things on the truck. They brought a mechanic from the city that repaired the truck and they took it.

I ran to the bus station to see if I can find a car but nothing was available. I was told to come back tomorrow afternoon to see if I can get 25 seats for 31 people.  The big challenge is how to get five hundred thousand cefa in cash to pay for the tickets when we don’t have banks.  So we will wait and see.  I decided to get some medicine for my diabetes but no drugstore, no stores, no butcher shop. Even the main hospital was totally vandalized and the doctors disappeared.  Every government building also.

Thanks again for praying.  Many people are trying to get out of the city because they are afraid of the Sharia law and the Islamists. When they conquered Menaka, they raped the young girls and married many by force. You can imagine the panic of our six girls!

We just heard a bad news that ECOWAS will apply sanctions against the country because the military junta decided to stay in power.

So far nothing bad happened to us.  We are doing well and we are very encouraged by your prayers and kind words.
Grace and peace
Dr. & Mrs. MOHAMED-IBRAHIM YATTARA
INSTITUT BIBLIQUE DE LA BOUCLE
BP 91 GAO, REP. OF MALI (WEST AFRICA)