Appeal for Help: Wife's Family Desperate to Get Out of Afghanistan (UPDATE 20 FEB: THIRD OPTION COMING ABOUT! FOSTERING HOPE IN DESPAIR)

[PP2]

This has been amazing and touching and more things that are difficult for me to describe, and I have to tell you that my wife's family is so very grateful. We spoke to the stranded females in Kabul tonight and they are overwhelmed that so much support is coming from people who do not know them. They are very touched and had tears of gratitude.

Because this is not a secure communication, I don't want to get into any detail, but we are hoping for movement sometime soon. This will get them to Stage 1 of safety, but not out of the woods. Stage 2 will see the family move to a much more safe location where we can complete their visa process and bring them to their new home.

Cross your fingers, say prayers, knock on wood, whatever you believe in. This first movement is everything. If we can make this work, I have a lot of faith we can complete this exfil and get them to safety.

Again, thank you so much!

On a lighter note, much of my wife's family doesn't watch a ton of football but now, a bunch of them have said they are now Pats fans. We do have the best fan base in football, bar none!

Let us know the details once exfil is secured.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

This has been amazing and touching and more things that are difficult for me to describe, and I have to tell you that my wife's family is so very grateful. We spoke to the stranded females in Kabul tonight and they are overwhelmed that so much support is coming from people who do not know them. They are very touched and had tears of gratitude.

Because this is not a secure communication, I don't want to get into any detail, but we are hoping for movement sometime soon. This will get them to Stage 1 of safety, but not out of the woods. Stage 2 will see the family move to a much more safe location where we can complete their visa process and bring them to their new home.

Cross your fingers, say prayers, knock on wood, whatever you believe in. This first movement is everything. If we can make this work, I have a lot of faith we can complete this exfil and get them to safety.

Again, thank you so much!

On a lighter note, much of my wife's family doesn't watch a ton of football but now, a bunch of them have said they are now Pats fans. We do have the best fan base in football, bar none!

Just donated,,,,sorry for the delay. Good luck!

 

[Triumph]

What's the money situation look like?

 

[Nikolai]

What's the money situation look like?

Hey! We're close to $10k which is amazing and we've already been able to secure lodging for the family that DID make it to Quetta, and they are being supported as they wait for exfil.

 

[Nikolai]

UPDATE: Stage 1 of the exfil is complete. It was very scary. They were supposed to take 7 hours to get to their destination, but they went offline for 20 hours, giving us a huge scare.

We're working Stage 2 and setting up for what happens once they're to safety. This will be a long road.

The support has been amazing. I'm working phones, talking to a lot of people, trying to make things work from our side. Afghanistan is a scary place right now, and the worst atrocities are just starting now that the media scrutiny is less intense.

 

[Nellie]

Hello everyone,

My wife is a linguist who helped out US Special Operations Forces (her sisters did as well), but their family is trapped in Afghanistan. Her cousin, in particular, is in desperate need. He was an interpreter, helping the US Army in 2010 and 2011, and his family is stuck. Three members have already been found and executed by the Taliban for being related to him. They need to get out or they will be dead soon too, since the whole family and subtribe was known for being very anti-Taliban and pro-US. It's going to be costly and time is short.

I don't like asking for anything, neither does her family, but we're desperate now. We thought, when we started this that this was only for the Kandahar family and we had a way to get the Kabul family out, but we were informed last night that no one will receive no help from our government. We think we can the Kabul family out, but it's going to be dangerous. We have a plan to get the Kandahar family out as well. We're going to have to pay smugglers to get both families to Pakistan, house and feed them there, and then fly them to the States on our own dime.

I have a gofundme for my wife's family. It will help pay for smugglers, dealing with the border, and setting up safe houses while we figure out how to get them into a more permanent situation with the rest of the family in the US.

Please Help Get Our Family Out of Afghanistan​

That's the link, if you want to check it. Even if you don't want to donate (I get it, times are tough), please at least pass it on.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

UPDATE 29 AUG:

This has been amazing and touching and more things that are difficult for me to describe, and I have to tell you that my wife's family is so very grateful. We spoke to the stranded females in Kabul tonight and they are overwhelmed that so much support is coming from people who do not know them. They are very touched and had tears of gratitude.

Because this is not a secure communication, I don't want to get into any detail, but we are hoping for movement sometime soon. This will get them to Stage 1 of safety, but not out of the woods. Stage 2 will see the family move to a much more safe location where we can complete their visa process and bring them to their new home.

Cross your fingers, say prayers, knock on wood, whatever you believe in. This first movement is everything. If we can make this work, I have a lot of faith we can complete this exfil and get them to safety.

Again, thank you so much!

On a lighter note, much of my wife's family doesn't watch a ton of football but now, a bunch of them have said they are now Pats fans. We do have the best fan base in football, bar none!

UPDATE 04 SEP:

Stage 1 of the exfil is complete. It was very scary. They were supposed to take 7 hours to get to their destination, but they went offline for 20 hours, giving us a huge scare.

We're working Stage 2 and setting up for what happens once they're to safety. This will be a long road.

The support has been amazing. I'm working phones, talking to a lot of people, trying to make things work from our side. Afghanistan is a scary place right now, and the worst atrocities are just starting now that the media scrutiny is less intense.

Have donated, sending a prayer.

Hello everyone,

My wife is a linguist who helped out US Special Operations Forces (her sisters did as well), but their family is trapped in Afghanistan. Her cousin, in particular, is in desperate need. He was an interpreter, helping the US Army in 2010 and 2011, and his family is stuck. Three members have already been found and executed by the Taliban for being related to him. They need to get out or they will be dead soon too, since the whole family and subtribe was known for being very anti-Taliban and pro-US. It's going to be costly and time is short.

I don't like asking for anything, neither does her family, but we're desperate now. We thought, when we started this that this was only for the Kandahar family and we had a way to get the Kabul family out, but we were informed last night that no one will receive no help from our government. We think we can the Kabul family out, but it's going to be dangerous. We have a plan to get the Kandahar family out as well. We're going to have to pay smugglers to get both families to Pakistan, house and feed them there, and then fly them to the States on our own dime.

I have a gofundme for my wife's family. It will help pay for smugglers, dealing with the border, and setting up safe houses while we figure out how to get them into a more permanent situation with the rest of the family in the US.

Please Help Get Our Family Out of Afghanistan​

That's the link, if you want to check it. Even if you don't want to donate (I get it, times are tough), please at least pass it on.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

UPDATE 29 AUG:

This has been amazing and touching and more things that are difficult for me to describe, and I have to tell you that my wife's family is so very grateful. We spoke to the stranded females in Kabul tonight and they are overwhelmed that so much support is coming from people who do not know them. They are very touched and had tears of gratitude.

Because this is not a secure communication, I don't want to get into any detail, but we are hoping for movement sometime soon. This will get them to Stage 1 of safety, but not out of the woods. Stage 2 will see the family move to a much more safe location where we can complete their visa process and bring them to their new home.

Cross your fingers, say prayers, knock on wood, whatever you believe in. This first movement is everything. If we can make this work, I have a lot of faith we can complete this exfil and get them to safety.

Again, thank you so much!

On a lighter note, much of my wife's family doesn't watch a ton of football but now, a bunch of them have said they are now Pats fans. We do have the best fan base in football, bar none!

UPDATE 04 SEP:

Stage 1 of the exfil is complete. It was very scary. They were supposed to take 7 hours to get to their destination, but they went offline for 20 hours, giving us a huge scare.

We're working Stage 2 and setting up for what happens once they're to safety. This will be a long road.

The support has been amazing. I'm working phones, talking to a lot of people, trying to make things work from our side. Afghanistan is a scary place right now, and the worst atrocities are just starting now that the media scrutiny is less intense.

 

[Nellie]

Small donation sent, best of luck to your family. Sending prayers.

 

[Triumph]

UPDATE: Stage 1 of the exfil is complete. It was very scary. They were supposed to take 7 hours to get to their destination, but they went offline for 20 hours, giving us a huge scare.

We're working Stage 2 and setting up for what happens once they're to safety. This will be a long road.

The support has been amazing. I'm working phones, talking to a lot of people, trying to make things work from our side. Afghanistan is a scary place right now, and the worst atrocities are just starting now that the media scrutiny is less intense.

Did you get everyone out?

 

[PatsDeb]

Donation sent. I hope you get everyone out.

 

[Nikolai]

UPDATE: So far, 15 of the 23 family members are out and into a somewhat safe(ish) third country!! They had to pay their way through the border crossing, but worth it to have some of the highest risk members out!

Hoping, praying, knocking on wood that the last seven are out soon. There's still work to be done to get them to the US, but getting them to safety is huge. And your donations are helping them survive in this third country so they don't have to go back.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

[BTTA]

Nikolai,
At some point, when it is safe to do so, you'll need to post a video of them celebrating a Patriots victory.

 

[Ring 6]

UPDATE: So far, 15 of the 23 family members are out and into a somewhat safe(ish) third country!! They had to pay their way through the border crossing, but worth it to have some of the highest risk members out!

Hoping, praying, knocking on wood that the last seven are out soon. There's still work to be done to get them to the US, but getting them to safety is huge. And your donations are helping them survive in this third country so they don't have to go back.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

That’s great news. Sadly your 23 are only a small part of it. Hopefully the others all have advocates like you, so the word can get spread and the necessary funds can get raised.
Thanks for sharing the updates.

 

[Nikolai]

That’s great news. Sadly your 23 are only a small part of it. Hopefully the others all have advocates like you, so the word can get spread and the necessary funds can get raised.
Thanks for sharing the updates.

You're absolutely right. What started as a personal mission based on panicked family members has turned into something else. I'm part of a couple different efforts to get up to 5,000 people out, and even that is a fraction. While getting my wife's family out has been a priority to me personally, these other people need our help too and this process is going to take a long time. Years probably.

I get multiple calls everyday from new people, trying to get their people out of Afghanistan. The scope of the problem cannot be accurately quantified, but I'm sure it's bigger than we all thought initially.

But we won't give up until everyone is out. That was our promise.

 

[Nikolai]

Nikolai,
At some point, when it is safe to do so, you'll need to post a video of them celebrating a Patriots victory.

Dude, that would be awesome. They probably don't even know what American football is, but since they'll be hanging out in my basement a lot, they're going to learn lol

One of my dreams is to have them to our house by Thanksgiving. It'll be crowded and loud, but a Thanksgiving with all of our Afghan family, so thankful to be in America? Damn...it's humbling. It's the dream.

 

[reflexblue]

You're absolutely right. What started as a personal mission based on panicked family members has turned into something else. I'm part of a couple different efforts to get up to 5,000 people out, and even that is a fraction. While getting my wife's family out has been a priority to me personally, these other people need our help too and this process is going to take a long time. Years probably.

I get multiple calls everyday from new people, trying to get their people out of Afghanistan. The scope of the problem cannot be accurately quantified, but I'm sure it's bigger than we all thought initially.

But we won't give up until everyone is out. That was our promise.

I've wanted to donate $$$ to help get more people out but my wife and i are not sure who is legit and who isn't. So what organizations would you recommend?

 

[Triumph]

You're absolutely right. What started as a personal mission based on panicked family members has turned into something else. I'm part of a couple different efforts to get up to 5,000 people out, and even that is a fraction. While getting my wife's family out has been a priority to me personally, these other people need our help too and this process is going to take a long time. Years probably.

I get multiple calls everyday from new people, trying to get their people out of Afghanistan. The scope of the problem cannot be accurately quantified, but I'm sure it's bigger than we all thought initially.

But we won't give up until everyone is out. That was our promise.

You make me proud to be an American.

 

[nabwong]

Omg I just saw this. Will give what I can for now. Thank you and God bless you.

 

[BTTA]

Dude, that would be awesome. They probably don't even know what American football is, but since they'll be hanging out in my basement a lot, they're going to learn lol

One of my dreams is to have them to our house by Thanksgiving. It'll be crowded and loud, but a Thanksgiving with all of our Afghan family, so thankful to be in America? Damn...it's humbling. It's the dream.

Thanksgiving - now THATS the video you need to post.

I think you make up your own immigration quiz, based entirely on football rules and Patriots' facts, that they have to pass in order to get served food. Could be hilarious.

 

[Nikolai]

I've wanted to donate $$$ to help get more people out but my wife and i are not sure who is legit and who isn't. So what organizations would you recommend?

Great question actually. Let me run down my network and see who they've actually received funds from. Most of us finance this on our own, or, if we're lucky, through something like gofundme.

On that note, Gofundme has stated that since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, they do not want to release the money to me for fear I will send it there. I assured them that we will use it to house people temporarily in Pakistan and then pay for transport and support them once they get to the US. So far, no response from Gofundme. It's a bummer, to be sure. Some people I know have said they're going to harass Gofundme. Maybe that'll work?

 

[Nikolai]

You make me proud to be an American.

Dude. That's super humbling. I'm proud too brother. Americans get things done when the chips are down and we're seeing it here. Private citizens banding together to do what's right. It's awesome.