JumpStart International

Miraculously, no workers of JumpStart International were killed at the Sunday's terrorist bombing.

Fifty workers were standing in queue at the CPA checkpoint adjacent to the Ministry of Planning, just a few dozen yards from the massive explosion that killed so many. Workers in front and behind our workers were killed or had amputations, and our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families. Initially, several JumpStart workers were missing, and one worker's name appeared on a list of those killed, but in fact, after the dust settled, no JumpStart workers were killed, partially protected by sand barriers that absorbed most of the shrapnel.

With luck, all the 15 injured workers will survive. Many will recover completely from the shrapnel wounds, although at least one has lost hearing in one ear. Two workers require additional surgery work; we ask for your prayers for them and for their families.

(Contrary to wire reports, JumpStart workers are not CPA workers and JumpStart is not an CPA contractor. We are a humanitarian organization, a public charity, not a contractor).

JumpStart continues to work on 11 other projects in Baghdad.