Prisoners of Hope

Focus on the Family
Friday, 7 June 2002

The Story of Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer's Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan

Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer arrived in Afghanistan determined to help bring a better life and a little hope to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in the world. Within a few months, their lives were thrown into chaos as they became pawns in historic international events.

They were arrested by the ruling Taliban government for telling local people about Jesus and how he had changed their lives. In the middle of their trial, the events of September 11, 2001, led to the international war on terrorism, with the Taliban a primary target. Fearing Curry and Mercer could not survive in the midst of war, Christians across America and around the world prayed faithfully for their safe return, and in November their prayers were answered.

In their book, Prisoners of Hope, Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer tell the story of their work in Afghanistan; their love for the people they served; their arrest, trial and imprisonment by the Taliban; and their rescue by U.S. Special Forces. The heart of the book reveals the compassion that compelled two middle-class American women to exchange the comforts of home for the opportunity to serve the disadvantaged—and how their faith sustained them through the events that followed.

Dayna and Heather will be featured guests for an upcoming Focus on the Family radio broadcast. The story of these two ordinary women caught in extraordinary circumstances demonstrates their commitment to share God's love in a place few would dare to go. But more than that, their story is a story of the God of miracles who extends his hand of grace to all who are Prisoners of Hope.

The proceeds from Prisoners of Hope are being used by the authors to start their own organization, Hope Afghanistan, which will bring relief to the poor of that country. They look forward to returning to Afghanistan to continue their work.

For more information, or to contact Focus on the Family, see their website at: www.family.org