Here you are—almost at the end of this book. Ready to go! But before you rush off there's one more important thing we'd like to mention—your safety. No one wants to think about bad things that could happen, but the reality is that we live in an unsafe world. There are natural disasters that can happen anywhere—hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons. In addition, there can be illness or accidents which are a part of life. In addition crime is a problem everywhere on earth. And finally, there are many places where there is political unrest which may lead to kidnaping, evacuation, and other difficulties.

Though very few missionaries encounter serious problems of this nature, it is nevertheless important that you at least think about them and know what you will do if anything of this nature occurs while you are serving. In fact you want to do everything you can to live aware of your surroundings to possibly prevent problems (see Streetsmarts for Dummies on the next page).

The following guidelines have been prepared by the Institute of World Mission at Andrews University, at the request of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and are the official guidelines for missionaries to follow in emergency situations. Please read them carefully.

Types of Emergencies
When we talk about emergencies we mean the following types of events:

• Hospitalization
• Natural disasters: e.g., Bangladesh, Guam
• Political crises: e.g. Rwanda, Cambodia, Albania
• Evacuation
• Death of a spouse or family member

Things Everyone Must Do before Anything Happens
• Register with your country's embassy or consulate. This is a must!
• Choose a person outside of your country (preferably a family member) who will be the contact person for you and your family. Be sure that your liaison persons at the GC (or your home division), your host division, union and/or mission have the number of this person in case you can't get through to them in time of crisis.
• Know who your line of communication is within your country/mission/union in case of serious crisis.
• If your institution includes several families, choose one person to be a crisis coordinator who will make key decisions and contact the "outside world" in case of a serious crisis. He should have the homeland contact numbers for all missionaries from your institution/compound so that he can with one phone call get the word out to one person who will then notify everyone of your status. (It would actually be good if your group chose one "homeland crisis coordinator" who has all the contact phone numbers for your entire group. This is a valuable precaution in the event that you can get only one short phone call out.)
• If possible, get to know some people at your country's embassy or consulate and also one or more of the international news agencies. A few friends "in high places" can be very helpful in time of crisis.
• Keep all important documents (passports, ID cards, a few travelers' checks or a letter of credit, some US dollars, local government travel documents, visas, or work permits, as applicable) and important phone numbers—GC hot line 301/ 680-6024, family contact person, local mission, union and/or division—together in a place that is easily accessible in case of a crisis. Remember: You may be looking for them in a state of panic and under very difficult circumstances.
• If you have short-term volunteers or independent missionaries working in your area even for only a few weeks, be sure the correct embassy, the local crisis coordinator and the organization above you (mission, union, or division) know they are in the country.
• If you are in a sensitive area it would be well to develop some discrete telephone language or a written code for use in a crisis.

Things You Should Do in Case of Serious Illness or Accident Requiring Hospitalization
• Notify your liaison person at the GC or your home division so that they will know firsthand the extent of the problem. (This avoids rumors, speculation and unnecessary worry.)
• If you are responsible for other missionaries (especially student missionaries or other volunteers) be sure and notify the GC department that sent them and their parents, if appropriate (plus their home division if they are not from North America) .
• Keep a record of pertinent details in regard to the illness/accident which you can share with family members so that they have a sense of involvement and an understanding of the situation. This is very reassuring to them when they are far away.

Things to Do in the Event of a Crisis Requiring Evacuation or Possible Evacuation
• If communication with the "outside world" is still possible, get advice from the GC and/or the home division personnel assigned to advise you. Remember, they will be in contact with the US State Department (or its equivalent in the other divisions), the embassies of the countries involved, as well as international news agencies and will therefore usually have a reasonably good understanding of the overall seriousness of the situation. Listen to the advice they give! When they say "go," it is definitely time to go! Don't put the local or world church, or the local people or institution in jeopardy by insisting on staying when it is no longer safe for you or them.
• If communication with the "outside world" is cut off, try to get the most reliable advice available via shortwave broadcasts from out of the country, your country's embassy or consulate, international news persons, and church leaders at the local division and union levels.
• Try to work through your crisis coordinator to avoid confusion.
• During times of crisis (especially political crisis) keep your important documents with you at all time so that you could leave the country at any time and from any place, if it should become necessary.
• During times of crisis keep a small suitcase packed at all times containing absolute essentials so that you could leave at a moment's notice if necessary.
• If possible, have several people in your group keep a log of events leading up to, during, and after the crisis. This type of information may be very valuable at a later time as the event is evaluated locally as well as globally. The log should include phone calls, a chronology of events, times, places, dates, and possibly names. However, due to the sensitive and sometimes dangerous nature of such issues, a person's name in a log kept by a foreigner could put them in serious jeopardy, so in most cases it would be better to refer to people in some kind of code which would not get them into trouble if it were to fall into the wrong hands.
• In your log, include the good things that happen as well as the bad so that when it is all over, those who were helpful can be properly recognized and thanked.
• Gather any information the local people may have of the event. Avoid any contact that may endanger them however. Other missionaries and nationals may be able to get information through their normal contacts better than you can.
• If a witness can make a statement, take it. Get it in writing. If the person cannot sign it or needs to remain anonymous for safety, you write it, describing the informant as "a 50-year old farmer" (or use coded language.) Then you sign it as receiving the testimony of this witness, date it, indicating your location.
• Keep in touch with the local (national) church authorities as well as other missions and churches in the area. Keep a record of their intervention.
• In the event of the disappearance of a missionary, keep a record of where the person lived and worked, the area where he or she was taken, the area where last seen, etc .

What to Do if You Are Abducted
• Remain calm and follow instructions. Do not give your abductors cause to hurt you. Appear cooperative and be polite. Do not argue with or provoke your captors. Listen carefully to their initial demands to make sure you understand what may be demanded of you. The first few moments of a hijacking and kidnaping are the most dangerous to the victim.
• Anticipate denial and disorientation, followed by depression, during the early days of your captivity. You may suffer sleep loss and intestinal disorders as well. These symptoms of anxiety will recede if you are able to reduce stress and adapt to captivity.
• Adapt to dealing with your abductors in a respectful—but not a subservient—manner. Attempt to establish some type of personal relationship with your captors. Win their respect and sympathy. It is not necessary to grovel and plead or demean yourself in any way. Do not lose faith in yourself. Remember, you did nothing wrong! They are at fault, not you. Tell them about your family. Show pictures, if possible.
• Avoid discussion of politics or religion, particularly politics. If your captors wish to talk about their cause, hear them out, but without indicating agreement or disagreement. If asked for an opinion, say that you are not knowledgeable enough to comment.
• Eat, rest and exercise as much as possible. Keep your physical and emotional strength as high as possible. Try to avoid depression, and always keep in mind that law enforcement officials are doing everything possible to end your ordeal. Exercise by stretching in place or by rolling your neck and limbs. Sleep and wash up when you can and eat and drink when you get the chance. Think thoughts of your family, pray, sing to yourself. Do not give up.
• Do not be disturbed by the Stockholm syndrome, i.e. strong positive feelings toward your captors, if it occurs. It is common, normal and may help improve chances for a healthy survival. This phenomenon is named for a bank hostage situation that took place in Sweden. During the course of the ordeal, the victim began to display strong positive feelings for the kidnapper. This is not a problem and, fortunately, not permanent. The malady is very common, particularly in long-term hostage situations. When it occurs, the captors usually make note of it, and experience shows that they are less likely to harm the victims.
• If your captivity is lengthy, it is imperative that you establish regular mental and physical exercise routines. If space is provided, walk daily and do in-place exercises. If you are confined in close quarters, do isometrics or in-place stretching exercises. Keep a mental calendar of what has happened to you. Do problem solving. Make up a story or write a novel in your mind about your experience. Even daydream!
• If you have a clear opportunity to escape, take it; but be mindful that your abductors may have laid a trap for you. Statistically, your best chances lie in a negotiated release. The FBI advises that escape should be a "last-resort" activity and is extremely dangerous.
• In the event of a rescue attempt, lay on the floor with your hands on your head; do not move; shout your name; expect to be treated roughly by your rescuers.
• Remember that everything possible is being done to secure your safe release. Keep a positive frame of mind.

Things to Do in the Event of the Death of a Missionary

When there is death by nonviolent causes (No "foul play" involved)

• Get an autopsy if it is deemed appropriate
• Notify the embassy/consulate of the person's home country
• Notify the GC and the family contact person(s)
• Follow the recommended procedures in the GC working policy (Section "M")
• Get the necessary permission to either bury in the local country or send the body back to the home country, depending on the family's wishes.

When there is death by violent causes

• Get an autopsy, if possible, with a complete report on cause of death, the type of wounds, injuries, etc.
• If an autopsy is not possible, get one or two doctors to examine the body. If they are afraid to be named, have institutional leaders or another expatriate (preferably one with a medical background) witness the examination, sign, date and note the place.
• Document, as far as possible, the actual events leading up to the death.
• Follow the same procedure as above.
• Submit a report of the case as you know it that includes:
  ° Specific cause of death (bullet wounds, stabbing, strangulation, massive beating around head or vital organs, etc.)
  ° Specify the nature of the wounds, (e.g. where the bullet or bullets entered the body, where they left the body, caliber of bullets)
  ° Specify how many wounds.
  ° Take pictures or draw diagrams to help clarify the nature of the wounds.
• Look for additional evidence at the scene (bullet casings, etc.)
• Ask press representatives who are there to send pictures to Division and/or GC officials as deemed appropriate.
• Have a mission representative (expatriate) hand carry a preliminary medical exam or autopsy out of the country with the photos to the Division or GC.
• Anything that would be needed as forensic evidence (e.g. clothing, etc.) should be hand carried in a plastic bag out of the country to wherever it will be analyzed.
• If possible, notify the international press so that they can tell the story to the world accurately.
• Send a copy of autopsy and/or report and photos to the appropriate embassy in the country of death.

If necessary, enlist the help of embassy officials and/or the government of your home country (including legislative bodies) to help see that justice is carried out. The denominational administration should send copies of the autopsy/medical report, duplicates of the photos and the denomination's "official version" of what happened to them, asking for a full report, if deemed necessary and helpful.

Special Roles at the Time of the Crisis

The role of institutional leadership

• Notify your embassy.
• Notify next highest institutional level or General Conference Office.
• Notify family (unless done by next highest level).
• Notify local (national) church authorities.
• Notify local civic authority (police, etc.).

The role of the crisis communicator

• Notify contact for international network.
• Notify international press representative.

The role of General Conference or appropriate Division office:

• Notify families
• Notify the appropriate denominational channels

Contact your State Department or Foreign Affairs Office

• If an investigation is needed you may need to contact the appropriate office in your State Department or Foreign Affairs Office responsible for your area of service.

(Some of this material was adapted from materials by Sean M. McWeeney, Corporate Risk International, and from "Managing Terrorism Risks" by the Ackerman Group.)

An excellent resource on safety issues is Rogers, C., & Sytsma, B. (1999). World Vision Security Manual: Safety Awareness for Aid Workers. Geneva, Switzerland: World Vision.