TWIN FALLS -- We are getting reaction today from Renee Thompson. She is the wife of Paul Thompson, the pastor of East Side Baptist Church in Twin Falls who is being held in Haiti on kidnapping charges.
Renee Thompson says her husband, Paul, and their 19-year-old son, Silas, have been on mission trips together before.
And after seeing the devastation in Haiti, they wanted to go there.
Renee says the East Side Baptist congregation had heard a team from Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian was going to Haiti, so Paul and Silas volunteered, that was one week before they left.
Renee says they had never met Laura Silsby until the full team met up in Miami to fly to the Dominican Republic.
She says her husband didn't know the specifics of the plan, but had planned to stay two to three weeks to help at the orphanage.
Now, after hearing reports that Silsby didn't have the proper paperwork to take the children, we asked Renee if she blames Silsby for what happened.
"In the same way that it really breaks my heart to watch people judge my husband and my son and Steve, I can't judge her either. We just need to focus my energies my emotions that all needs to go toward getting my guys home right now. I can't waste them on anger towards anyone. It's just not beneficial toward anyone," said Renee Thompson.
"So do you have ill feelings toward Laura right now?" asked NewsChannel 7.
"I really don't. I have no idea what's going on down there. And again, it would just be a waste of my energy and emotions," Renee replied.
Renee concentrates her time and energy on keeping her extended family updated on the situation, and doing everything she can to "bring my boys home."
She has a direct contact with the State Department for updates. And the State Department has started something new.
They are relaying e-mail messages from the families here in Idaho to the detainees in Haiti. When someone from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti visits the missionaries in jail -- they pass on those messages. But the Embassy isn't able to send messages back from the missionaries.
