Texas detainees settling in for long wait as Afghan court doesn't act
___By John Hall
___Staff Writer
___The health of two Baylor almunae who have been detained in Afghanistan, as well as the status of their trial, remains unknown more than two weeks after their attorney responded to charges from the Taliban government.
___Dayna Curry, who marked her 30th birthday in the Afghan jail Nov. 4, and Heather Mercer, 24, were arrested Aug. 3 in Kabul with a group of six other internationals and 16 Afghans who were working for the humanitarian aid group Shelter Now International.
___Although initial reports stated that the women were charged with preaching Christianity, their pastor, Jimmy Seibert of Antioch Community Church in Waco, has said the women are charged with giving supplies to Afghans in exchange for their conversion to Christianity. He said the women's attorney denied the charge.
___The possible punishment for the charges has not been discussed, but it is believed to be as strong as some jail time and expulsion from the country for the foreigners and perhaps death for the Afghans charged.
___A U.S. State Department official said the department has not had any communication with the detainees since Nov. 1, when they were reported to be in good health. Their primary attorney, Atif Ali Khan, returned to Pakistan after three days of attempting to contact the Taliban Supreme Court Justices to discover when a verdict would be rendered were unsuccessful. Khan sent his assistant to Kabul shortly afterward to attempt to contact the justices.
___Despite past reports that Taliban officials have taken care of their needs, Seibert continued to ask the nation to pray for the women's safety, since they are detained near an area that has been bombed nightly by the U.S.-led coalition against terrorism.
___In a handwritten letter released by Antioch Oct. 31, Curry described her nightly experiences in her small, dirt-floored cell in Kabul.
___"Right now, I'm writing in the middle of the night, under a blanket with a flashlight," she wrote. "The lights across the city are shut down every evening to prepare for the aerial and fireworks show. No lights are allowed. Besides, it's often hard to sleep in anticipation of the evening's events, so writing has become my great joy."
___Although peril lurks just outside their cells, the women wrote that they remain focused on their mission from God.
___"It is so good to hear that so many people are praying," Curry wrote. "I hope they are praying for this country along with us. I'm sure they are. We believe that is one of the main reasons we are here--to motivate and awaken people to pray for this nation. If we weren't here, I don't think near as many people would be lifting this place up. Our Father in heaven is up to something great for this nation, and all the prayers are needed to help it come to pass."
___With no apparent end to their detainment in sight, Seibert has said the women are staying strong through their prayers as well as the prayers of people around the globe, a sentiment that was validated by the letters of both women.?
___"Really, your remembrances are hope for us every day," Mercer wrote. "When I am afraid, I remember that our Father in heaven hears the cries of his children and answers them. To know that you and others cry out day and night for a good outcome gives me great joy and faith."
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