Families Celebrate Aid Worker Release

AP | 11/14/01 | AMY GREEN

[kattracks]

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov 14, 2001 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Tilden Curry was standing in line at a church supper Wednesday night when he got the news he had waited months to hear: His daughter and seven other aid workers were free from the Taliban.

Americans Dayna Curry, 30, and Heather Mercer, 24, and the six others had been jailed since August in Afghanistan for preaching Christianity in the Muslim country. The Taliban militia fled Kabul with the workers Monday as northern alliance opposition forces took over the city.

"The last two days have been the most difficult two days since she's been in detention," said Tilden Curry, standing outside the First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills. "I'm just so proud of the strength she has shown through this whole ordeal. She never gave up her faith or got discouraged."

The Pentagon said the aid workers were taken by helicopter to Pakistan and apparently were in good health. It was not clear whether the Taliban released the aid workers or they escaped or were freed by U.S. forces.

Curry and Mercer were both graduates of the Baptist-affiliated Baylor University in Waco Texas, and members of the Antioch Community Church there. Senior pastor Jimmy Seibert thrust his arms into the air as he watched a television report announcing their release.

"Thank you, Lord," he shouted.

"It is more exciting than we could have imagined," he said. "The great thing I learned is that prayer works. That if we persevere, ask God for what's on his heart, we can trust him to see us through."

Tilden Curry, dean of the business school at Tennessee State University in Nashville, said a fellow church member approached him to say he had heard the aid workers were free. But he wasn't sure the reports were accurate until he saw his son, Daniel, and wife, Sue Fuller, who rushed to embrace him.

"She trusted that God would take care of her and get her out of there safely and it's happened," said Fuller, Curry's stepmother.

Curry's mother, Nancy Cassell, and Mercer's father, John Mercer of Vienna, Va., have spent the last month in Pakistan waiting for the release of their daughters. They went to Afghanistan after their daughters' arrests, but were moved to Pakistan for their safety after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Along with Curry and Mercer were Germans Silke Duerrkopf, George Taubmann, Margrit Stebnar and Kati Jelinek; and Australians Diana Thomas and Peter Bunch. They were all employees of the German-based Christian organization Shelter Now International.

Their trial concluded in September, but the Taliban Supreme Court said last week they were indefinitely postponing the legal proceedings because they feared their anger at the United States over the relentless airstrikes would cloud their ability to make a fair ruling.

Family members last heard from Curry in late October. They were e-mailed a letter she had written from jail that was delivered to her mother in Pakistan.

Curry had written in an earlier message that she hoped to continue her work in Afghanistan once she was released. Her father said Wednesday she may have reconsidered her plans given the events of the past few days.

"I know she is fully committed to the work she was doing, but we want her home in the U.S. and she can think about things then," he said.

By AMY GREEN Associated Press Writer

Copyright 2001 Associated Press, All rights reserved

[JusPasenThru]

The prayers of many have been answered. Praise God!

[RightWinger]

Praise the Lord!
To God be the glory!

[poopsie2]

What a blessing!

[Weirdad]

Christian Aid Worker Bump List: *Christian_list; *Christian persecutio; Weirdad; cyn; kattracks; REPUBLIC; erizona; JohnHuang2; pubmom; Lent; dennisw; tessalu; A.J.Armitage; Tet68; Cincinatus' Wife; PoisedWoman; Luis Gonzalez; Prodigal Daughter; Ironword; Movemout; mombonn; LarryLied; yarddog; nancetc; JeepinMazar; Nov3; maestro; DreamWeaver; Teacup; Angelique; Manny Festo; LadyX; Cob1; Backhoe; Peace4EarthNow; overseer5; wretchard; AnnaZ; lizma; Hildy; Registered; Freedom'sWorthIt; muawiyah; dandelion; Jewels1091; Khepera; AgThorn; crystalk; MsLady; history_matters; LJLucido; blam; Humidston; God'sgrrl; Quix

"Eight foreign aid workers, including two Americans, were safe in Pakistan Wednesday after being held in Afghanistan for three months by the Taliban for preaching Christianity, U.S. officials said."

Thank God. Praise God. Praise Jesus. This is truly a miracle that only God, working through people, could have accomplished. I have learned over the years that when the very thing happens that you have been praying for that you Thank God For It, acknowledge the answer to prayer, and you DON'T minimize it and say that it just would have happened on its own. I am sure this rescue will prove to be an interesting story in human terms, but it is even more momentous as a miraculous answer to the prayers of millions. Praise God.

[mrsmith]

These families have really impressed me.
They deserve this blessing.

[mombonn]

How wonderful that it happened on WEDNESDAY EVENING, prayer meeting for many of us.

While I happened to be performing in a puppet performance at an AWANA program this evening rather than attending Prayer meeting, I was THRILLED to hear the news as I got in my car to come home!

Thank you, dear Lord!

[Angelique]

God Bless these families!

[yarddog]

This is great news. To be frank, I thought they were gone for sure. My guess is that God still has a lot of use for them on this earth.

[cybertoolzz]

this IS good news!!

if those animals had killed these ppl -

HOLY CHRIST - i would not want 2b anywhere NEAR afFANNYstan!

[Semper Paratus]

"God is Great". (Allah 'u' Akbar)

[God'sgrrl]

Wonderful!

[cyn]

"beyond all we can ask or imagine"...I am thankful to God for this outcome, and to those who worked to make it possible.

[Republic]

Thanks cyn-THIS IS WONDERFUL! I am so happy for these terrific people and their families! I can't imagine how relieved and joyful they all are! This is just GREAT! Thank You God, thank You so very much! God is so incredibly awesome, there just are not words!

[maestro]

Amen and Amen,.........Thank You Father-God and Praise You,........More Grace and Mercy,.......
...............In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen!!!

(Remembering Ted Maher too.......the prisoner of Monaco.)

[Hila]

God, the One True God does not ever translate to Allah!!!!!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Robert Herber and his wife, Stefanie, above left, celebrate Wednesday night with other members of Antioch Community Church in Waco after learning that church members Heather Mercer, Dayna Curry and six other foreign aid workers had been freed in Afghanistan.

Aid workers safe after U.S. airlift-Baylor grads taken to Pakistan-- At 3:40 p.m. CST Wednesday, or shortly after midnight today in Afghanistan, the group was taken to a field near Ghanzi, about 50 miles southwest of Kabul, where three Special Operations helicopters swept in, loaded the workers and flew out, Pentagon officials said.

Mercer

Curry

[cyn]

Hi, pub, this is so truly awesome -- is all I can still think! I'm awed by God's tremendous "YES" answer to all the prayers. I just keep thinking it's beyond all I can ask or imagine, for all 8 to be released, AND the Afghan captives as well...AND for Dayna and Heather to be smiling and waving as I've seen them in the news clips today. I just smile REAL BIG back at them, overjoyed to see them. I do hope and pray that things go well for them over the next few days and months in all they will be facing.

[cyn]

I can't wait to be able to say, "Welcome home, Dayna and Heather!!"

Lord willing, soon. God, please be with them now as they get the rest and hugs they need, and give them a safe trip home. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

[PoorRider]

Thank you God, for the safe return of all of these innocent prisoners.

God bless them, their families, their friends -- and of course -- America. Amen