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Church doesn't react to note from jailed Idahoans

by Nishi Gupta
Idaho's NewsChannel 7

NWCN.com

Posted on February 8, 2010 at 10:01 AM

It has been 26 days since a powerful earthquake left Haiti in rubble and shambles.

People from Idaho continue to help that country rebuild, sending relief while wondering if eight of its own will ever be released.

Those missionaries remain in a Haitian Sunday night.

It has been more than 72 hours since they learned they weren't coming home as soon as they had hoped.

But there have been significant twists since then.

Their Haitian lawyer is no longer representing them.

Also, the majority of jailed missionaries appear to have turned on their leader, Laura Silsby, accusing her of lying.

That is spelled out in a letter written from them and handed to an NBC news team.

Silsby and four other inmates attend Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian where Sunday, another announcement was made.

Considering the significance of the note, it was thought church leaders and family members would react at an afternoon news conference.

But during the 3-minute conference, they didn’t discuss the note at all, nor did they take any questions.

Central Valley Baptist churchgoers greeted each other, and filed in with their families wearing some of their Sunday best. It appeared as any other Sunday. However, there was an obvious difference. Pastor Clint Henry addressed the detainee situation from the podium, not the pulpit.

"Being able to come together for prayer and fellowship has been a means for helping our church cope with the current situation," Henry said.

The current situation is that five of his faithful who used to sit in Central Valley’s pews are now sitting in Haitian jail cells.

The cover of the church program asked members to "remember the Lord's people who are in jail and be concerned for them."

In the lobby there were prayer boxes for the detainees and the church pastors.

Paper, pens, even crayons were provided for words of support.

"Although I have not spoken to all of the family members of those that are being held, I can tell you that the ones I have been sharing these last days with are full of hope," Henry said.

Hope, even after a note from the jailed Baptists to NBC, indicated a divide between group leader Laura Silsby and the nine others.

The note surfaced just a few days after the world learned all ten were charged with kidnapping and criminal association.

Henry did not address the note or its implications in Sunday’s statement.

"Though we do not know exactly what transpired down in Haiti, we know that we care for those that find themselves in this hour of need,” Henry said. “We're going to continue to pray around the clock not only for the safety for our people but for a quick resolution.”

Saturday night, NBC spoke with Laura Silsby's sister, Kim Barton, about the note. She told them she did not know what to say. 

Stay with KTVB and KTVB.COM for updates on the situation.
  
 

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