After a nerve-wracking experience, the group of missionaries from Antioch managed to escape Niger today following their ordeal in the West African country due to a military coup, according to a tweet from Suzanne Phan of ABC7. The group, consisting of nearly a dozen volunteers from Antioch's Cornerstone Christian Center, boarded a plane headed to Paris, marking an end to a stressful chapter in their lives.
ESCAPING NIGER: a group of missionaries from Antioch were stranded in the West African country because of a military coup.
— Suzanne Phan (@SuzannePhan) August 4, 2023
This morning, they were able to escape. They boarded a plane headed to Paris.#ABC7NewsBayArea @ABC7NewsBayArea #Antioch #BayArea pic.twitter.com/Z5FSHnXKbU
The Antioch missionaries had been stranded in Niger since July 29th, when a military coup closed off the nation's borders, as SFist reported yesterday. They were in the country on a nine-day Vacation Bible School trip aimed at helping build schools and churches. Among the stranded volunteers were individuals in their 70s and an 11-year-old child.
Cornerstone Christian Center Principal Logan Heyer spoke to the Antioch Herald about the situation, revealing that his own daughter, wife, and father-in-law were among the trapped individuals. He further stated that there were 15 American citizens in total, including those from both the church and school.
As the crisis unfolded, the relatives of stranded missionaries expressed their frustration with the US government's seeming inability to secure the safe return of their loved ones. They felt that European nations like France, Italy, and Spain had been more efficient in evacuating their nationals from Niger. Meanwhile, the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman John Garimendi claimed they were working tirelessly to ensure the release of the trapped missionaries.
Fortunately, some relief appeared as the Nigerian junta announced the reopening of certain borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Libya. This development provided a glimmer of hope that the volunteers could be moved to a neighboring country and subsequently flown back home safely.
With the successful escape of the Antioch missionaries, families, friends, and the church community can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their loved ones are finally en route to safety.
