I Prayed have prayed
Lord, please empower those rescuing Afghans who are in harm’s way and protect them in the journey to freedom. As the Taliban is taking down social media, please protect other ways for liberators to make plans. May those in and rescued from Afghanistan recognize You as the Author of their salvation from earthly enemies and enter into Salvation from the enemy of their souls.
Reading Time: 7 minutes

While casting blame on Vladimir Putin as the source of all our woes, legacy media has largely forgotten the tens of thousands of Americans and U.S. support personnel left behind after Afghanistan’s government collapsed to Taliban control following the U.S. pull out. Many of our citizens and allies are still in the crosshairs over there. The Lord has kept this dire situation on the hearts of many, and rescues are ongoing.

The film Schindler’s List made public Oskar Schindler’s story of rescuing Jewish people from Nazi exterminators. For two of the modern Schindlers rescuing our citizens and allies from Taliban extermination, inspiration sprang from — of all places — a sitcom. While working on the set of What’s a Girl to Do Marty Angell and another member of the cast/crew, Bree (this is a pseudonym because there are Taliban in the U.S.) discovered there was a family targeted for destruction by the Taliban. They began to explore getting them out of the country. One day on set, Bree showed me a photo of a young girl standing next to a Taliban soldier with a gray beard. She told us the soldier had just received her as his wife. Though the man was beaming, the girl was looking at the ground in shame. Later, Bree left the set in tears.

I asked Bree what upset her that day and she texted that the young woman in that photo “attempted suicide, and another lady in the village who was pregnant was murdered in front of her children.” Praise the Lord, she updated me on that young woman: “She was kidnapped back from the Taliban, hidden in the mountains, and is now in Texas!”

That family that inspired the rescues is still hunkered in a basement. They want to leave together, so Angell’s team is working to get passports and visas for the half of the family who don’t have them yet. But in the meantime they’ve helped more than 40 escape to freedom in other nations.

One night Angell sent a text out to cast and crew of the sitcom letting us know a small group of Afghans were very near to leaving the country. I hopped on a Zoom call you can see by clicking here to talk about the rescue mission and pray for them. Sadly that door closed.

Marty Angell (left) during a video call with those he rescued, including television news anchor Mirwais Heidari (the only Afghan whose identity is not obscured).

FREEDOM!

While waiting for another open window for that group, Angell and his team were able to get a different Afghan out. This man escaped with his wife and two adorable daughters, and I was able to interview him at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, en route to another country. He talked about how he worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan for almost three years. During that time he watched over Taliban prisoners, so he was absolutely a target. His face was in the system, so had they used facial recognition software when he left the country he would have most certainly been caught. This is a major miracle! The morning after we spoke he sent a video taken from the plane of the family landing in their new home country. For his protection I didn’t include that footage in the video since those who know the airport would know where he is now.

A few days later the group that missed the chance when they aborted the mission made it out of the country! Angell and I interviewed them shortly after their escape. They were ecstatic about Angell’s help. Unfortunately the recording was cut short, but several are hoping their families can join them, since they will never be able to return while the Taliban is in control. In the footage, we’re keeping the images and identities of most hidden, but they all served the U.S. and freedom in one way or another, including several who were helping the U.S. hold back the Taliban before its takeover.

One had been kidnapped and tortured by the Taliban, but miraculously Angell was able to work with people on the inside to help him escape.

Also among that group is Mirwais Headari, a television news anchor. You can hear him tell his story of how he spoke up at an event with the former president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani. Headari said, “I warned about the danger of the fall of the Afghan government. But Ashraf Ghazi’s bodyguards arrested me…. I was released… after… two hours. (They) could not detain me any more because all the media knew about it.”

Mirwais Heidari at the press conference shortly before he was arrested for warning then president Ashraf Ghani that the Afghan government was about to fall.

During the takeover, while Headari was getting ready to go on television, Taliban soldiers approached him and told him what to tell the viewers. They actually went on camera with him and stood on either side of him, making sure he said what they wanted. He said he spoke in a way that kept him alive but still encouraged the Afghan people.

Television news anchor Mirwais Heidari with Taliban gunmen behind him.

At one point I got to speak to a woman I’ll call Anousheh, which is not her real name because we need to protect her identity. I picked Anousheh because it means “everlasting or immortal.”  The Taliban demanded that her father give her and her two sisters as wives to Taliban soldiers and her two brothers for soldiers. Their father said, “No.” Within days her brothers were kidnapped. One was left dead on their doorstep, and they haven’t heard from the other; they presume they forced him into military service imposing Shariah law over his own people. Angell said, “There’s 150,000 Taliban with guns and there’s 40 million Afghans who love freedom. And so the 150,000 with guns can remove the freedom and imprison and hold hostage an entire country of 40 million people.” After I prayed for her, Anousheh told me, “You are our hope.”

One night while filming the sitcom, we gathered to pray and sing praise songs. Angell had Anousheh on video conference with us. Afterward she told us how moved she was to hear us worshipping Jesus. She has not been rescued so far, but things are in the works. Pray for her rescue and salvation.

 

They want to know about this Christian love

Afghanistan has now surpassed North Korea as the most dangerous place on earth for Christians. One of the men who recently escaped Afghanistan confirmed Christians are not safe there.

Many whom Angell’s team are helping escape are not Christians… yet. Angell pointed out, “All of these poor Muslim people in Afghanistan have been totally, completely abandoned by all the surrounding Muslim nations. They know that. It’s the Christians who are coming to rescue them, and they want to know about this Christian love.”

 

A New Challenge

There’s been a recent wrinkle in the process. I’m a part of a group on Signal made up of rescuers, those who have been rescued, and those still targeted for destruction by the Taliban. On Sunday someone in the group whose name is in Arabic characters warned our group that the Taliban “is going to start shutting down all social media and probably communication apps.” With the known links between China and the Taliban, this seems like a credible threat, given the control China imposes on its citizens’ online capabilities. The Taliban already shut down over 250 media outlets in Afghanistan, and they shut down the internet altogether in the Panjshir Valley. Pray that lines of communication stay open between the liberators and those in Afghanistan they’re trying to set free.

 

Become a Schindler

Angell has devoted countless hours, many in the middle of our night, to help friends of the U.S. escape Afghanistan. He said, “This is our Schindler’s List.” He’s working to get his list as long as possible. He also said, “This is our Dunkirk.” When our army and our allies were trapped in that small coastal village in France during World War II, it was the civilians who got in their boats and sailed to the rescue of about 338,000 souls. Marty has reached out to many in the U.S. government, but he said, “Unfortunately our United States Department of State is slow walking it…. They’re giving a very difficult time to our people who have earned the right to be here for years. [These people] who put their lives on the line and their families and their names, and they’re being slaughtered to death, and the State Department doesn’t want to let even a fraction of those 100,000 people here…. Our own federal government has failed us… Why are they siding with the Taliban?” So Angell is calling upon us to help.

This gentleman worked for the US Government in Afghanistan for almost three years, and one of his jobs had been to watch over Taliban prisoners. He’s now safe in a new country.

You can also visit IFA’s Pray and Act Afghanistan and give to our partner organizations at work there. Click HERE for more details.

 Post your prayer for more targeted Afghans to reach freedom and salvation

 Rich Swingle has taught and performed in 39 nations on six continents, mostly with his own one-man plays. Hes also performed in more than forty film projects. He and his bride, Joyce Swingle, another contributing writer for IFA, now have 37 screen children. The Swingles live in New York City. www.RichDrama.com. Photo credit: Getty Images.

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Dana Meier
April 9, 2022

Please contact me if you are still rescuing Afghanis. My son has a friend he met while stationed in Afghanistan. He supported the Army and has several recommendations. He is in hiding with his wife and 6 children under the age of 10. He is in dire need. I have been supporting him so he can buy food. Taliban burned his business and home. He has nothing to his name. Please help. If you cannot help send this note to someone who can please.

    Rich Swingle
    August 17, 2022

    Dana,
    I’m sorry I’m just seeing this now! What is the latest with your son’s friend and his family?

Rich Swingle
April 1, 2022

From someone on a thread I’m following made up of those helping to liberate Afghanis and those they’re liberating:

Human Rights Watch says sensitive information from Western governments’ biometric methods has been leaked to the Taliban over the years and is now in the hands of the Taliban, putting thousands of Afghans at risk.
A report released by Human Rights Watch on Wednesday shows that the Taliban have received very sensitive information about the identities of thousands of Afghan citizens who worked with Western governments.
According to Human Rights Watch, information provided to the Taliban included eye scans, fingerprints, photographs, relatives’ details and the exact address of the house.
Human Rights Watch has expressed concern that the Taliban may use this amount of digitally stored information and identities for revenge purposes.
Blixville, a senior fellow at Crisis and Conflict at Human Rights Watch, said organizations that have helped gather so much personal information from Afghans could inadvertently help the Taliban repress and retaliate.
Blix said digital identities and information were not well maintained and that the trend was threatening thousands of people.
A former military commander still in Afghanistan told Human Rights Watch that the Taliban had taken eye and fingerprints from him to compare with the information he had.
The Taliban have threatened to kill the former military commander if his identity is found in the intelligence.
Human Rights Watch says there is currently no system or law to protect information in Afghanistan.

Jessica Renshaw
March 30, 2022

Whenever I pray for Ukraine it reminds me to pray for Afghanistan. May God do miracles in both places, hiding His people in plain sight, making seeing eyes blind to their whereabouts, providing all their needs supernaturally or through other Afghans, whether Christians or Muslims–that believers in Allah who reach out to offer a cup of cold water to a Christian will receive God’s reward for their mercy. I pray those with “lists” of Christians or those who have helped Americans or their own underground resistance will have softened and changed hearts so that if they DO find those on the lists, they will have compassion on them and even fall on their faces before them in repentance and say, “We want to know the God you know! We feel Him leading us to protect you from harm!”

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Staci
March 29, 2022

There are Afghanis being relocated and helped here to the US by religious charities and other help groups. They’re getting grants and other financial help from the state/ US government so the refugees are getting help from the US government just not directly from them since the government money is going to these help groups who are then helping the refugees themselves. And we need to pray that there are no terrorists sneaking in along for the ride with the ones who truly are in need coming over. This was talked about happening last Fall in the news.

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Andrea S.
March 29, 2022

RE those who are being rescued from the middle east: God tells us to love your neighbor as yourself. Well if these people are believers, they are even more than our neighbors. Please pray the prayer of agreement with me that they all will be set free. (Matthew 18:18-19):

“Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
“Again, I say unto you, that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
In Jesus name Amen

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Herb Johnston
March 29, 2022

Lord I pray for your continual provision for the rescue groups from America-that are helping the downtrodden in Afghanistan.. and helping the oppressed escape. I pray for your Holy Spirit to protect them. I pray for great wisdom and mental Clarity for those in charge of rescuing-, Lord.. in Jesus name.
Lord I know that your peace is perfect peace-, and you guide our prayers.. with your omnipotent wisdom, Lord ..and I pray that you would use this prayer as you see fit..and even change it as you see fit- Lord, and I pray Lord that your great mercy and love would go before all the people in Afghanistan and protect them from the oppressors- I pray that the Taliban and other evil groups in Afghanistan would be distorted in their minds by your Holy Spirit power..as you speak to them in their ears.. in the night ..creating Terror in their minds that they would turn from evil ..and be changed, Lord, in their hearts nto do good.
in Jesus name, Amen

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Susan CC
March 29, 2022

Dear Lord and God, I have no idea how to pray but You do. I have no idea about the pain and suffering most Afghanis now face, but You do. You say there is no peace for the wicked. I pray that these men. who are destroying this country, will be at war with themselves. I pray You will create such conflict within each man they will cry out to You, the ONE GOD and You will lead them to Jesus Christ, Your Son. He is our peace. He will tear down their wall of hostility. I pray Your consuming fire will devastate the evil in Afghanistan. I ask this and so much more in the Perfect Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Isaiah 48:22 “There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.
Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility

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Bobhuseby
March 29, 2022

My my my fellow intercessors.. so much to be praying for!!! I feel guilty mowing my yard instead of focusing on all these needs around th planet!! But that’s what praying in th spirit is all about so therefore I will pray without ceasing….Thy kingdom come thy will be done!!

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    Staci
    March 29, 2022

    Good thing we can pray and mow the lawn at the same time!

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Rich Swingle
March 29, 2022

After submitting this article Marty Angell got another one out! This one is a new Christian. I’ll talk about that on today’s Pray with Others Live at 12:15 p.m. Eastern, and I mentioned it at the end of the video I mention in the article. Here’s a shortcut: http://www.RichDrama.com/AfghanistanRescues

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Barbara Janicki
March 29, 2022

This is unbelievable – our news media doesn’t cover any of this – I’m sure they think if they don’t report it, then it isn’t real, it isn’t happening. I don’t understand how our government continues to let hundreds of thousands of illegals, many drug dealers and child/sex traffickers, come into our country across our open southern border, but our state department will not rescue and bring here the Afghanis who have worked for us, putting their lives on the line, and are now in danger because we pulled out leaving them behind. It makes no sense and it is not right. Prayers for their safety and for those helping them to escape, that their plans would continue to succeed and many more would be rescued and find their way to safety. Lord, be mighty on behalf of these people to rescue them and bring them to a saving knowledge of You. http://www.mtothe5th.wordpress.com

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    Rich Swingle
    March 29, 2022

    AMEN! Marty Angell drew this same parallel with this administration’s open border policy with people we don’t know, but their “slow-walking” approach to people who spent years of their lives helping the U.S. You can hear him say it in the video I link to in the article. Here’s a shortcut: http://www.RichDrama.com/AfghanistanRescues

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Joan Dinse
March 29, 2022

Thank those brave rescuers who are doing the right thing for the persecuted afghanis.

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Shelly
March 29, 2022

Please dear Lord God…help the rescuers to get as many of these people out of Afghanistan as soon as possible to safety. They have helped our troops there to protect their freedom.

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Jim Sims
March 29, 2022

Prayer changes everything. I pray that angels be released from Heaven to work to protect and lead those out of harms way. May all of Heaven and earth work together to seek and save the lost and the refuge. Let freedom prevail!

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