A reason to celebrate

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: Free at last.

The Taliban in Afghanistan freed American Ryan Corbett from prison last week. It was part of a deal negotiated by the U.S. government. The deal came after Corbett spent nearly two-and-a-half years in captivity, held without charges.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: WORLD Reporter Travis Kircher spoke with Corbett’s father about what his family has gone through and how his son’s doing now.

SOUND : HOW GREAT THOU ART

TRAVIS KIRCHER: It’s a freezing Wednesday night in Louisville, Kentucky, but the cold weather doesn’t dampen the spirits of the congregation at Cedar Creek Baptist Church. Tonight, as they sing the classic hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” they know they have reason to celebrate. Pastor Brad Weldy explains why:

WELDY: Early Tuesday morning brought news that Ryan had been freed. Amen?

Ryan Corbett, an American businessman wrongly detained by the Taliban for 894 days, was released just two days earlier. Ryan holds a special place in the hearts of this congregation. His parents, Drue and Evie Corbett, are members. During the service, Drue rose to thank his fellow believers:

CORBETT: This church has done everything that a church could do and more. You have just been there for us.

Ryan moved to Afghanistan in 2010 to help manage humanitarian projects for non-governmental organizations. In 2017, he founded Bloom Afghanistan, his own organization to help Afghans support themselves financially by showing them how to launch their own small businesses. Drue says, for his son Ryan, Afghanistan was home.

CORBETT: He actually looked like he was an Afghan. He’s got olive skin, big beard...so he fit in really well with the people. He's not a desk guy. He loves being with people and helping them.

Ryan and his family had to evacuate Afghanistan when the U.S. military pulled out in August 2021. About five months later, Ryan returned to renew his business visa and take care of his staff. Drue says his son acted responsibly—he made sure all of his documents were in order and government officials welcomed him. But when Ryan returned in August 2022, Drue received the news that turned their lives upside down.

CORBETT: I remember we got a text saying, “I hate to tell you this, but Ryan has been detained by the Taliban.”

Drue says the Taliban arrested Ryan simply because he had an American passport. At first, they thought he’d be released in a matter of weeks or months, but that didn’t happen. During that time, negotiators asked Drue and his wife not to share his son’s predicament with anyone, even his fellow church members. Drue says that was hard.

CORBETT: I mean, everybody shares requests, but when it came around to us…”Drue how you doing?” “We're good.”

They kept the secret for about a year. But some church members could tell something was troubling them. Norm and Deidre Chung were in the Corbetts’ small group. Deidre recalled that they had asked for prayer for Ryan before he left for Afghanistan.

DEIDRE: And it occurred to me one day that they had never said, “We're thankful Ryan made it home.” And so I just asked her. I said, “You're bearing a burden. It's a heavy burden. And I just want you to know that I realized you never said, ‘Ryan came home.’” And she just shook her head and said, “No, not yet.”

As a father, Drue says he felt helpless. He wanted to do something. At one point, he says he broke down and told the Chungs he just couldn’t take it anymore.

CORBETT: And what they did, they put their arms around me and…sorry… right there in the hallway of the church, just put their arms around me and prayed. It was one of the really astounding things that had happened.

Drue says several politicians took up Ryan’s case, including GOP Representatives Dan Meuser and Claudia Tenney, as well as Democratic Congressman Morgan McGarvey. Then, last Monday, the news came: Ryan was coming home as part of a prisoner exchange for Khan Mohammed, a Taliban figure serving a life sentence in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. On Monday, Ryan was loaded onto a U.S. plane in Afghanistan and flown to Qatar. At 1:30 Tuesday morning, he reunited with his wife and children in Texas. And Drue received a welcome voice mail.

CORBETT: He was just, “Dad. Mom. Hi. This is Ryan,”—surprisingly, very strong voice—and saying, “I love you. Thanks for all you've done, and I can't wait to see you.”

SONG: [BEHOLD OUR GOD] 

Drue says his family is still learning what Ryan experienced during his time in captivity. His son spent much of the time locked in a 9x9 foot prison cell with four other men.

CORBETT: Most of that in the basement, most of that getting out once a month, for sun, for 20 minutes. And a few months ago, that changed. He was moved to a different prison and began to flourish a little bit, gained weight, they let him out twice a day.

But through it all, Drue says his son’s faith sustained him. Drue says Ryan also happens to be a Christian and would often sing hymns in his cell. Ryan also had ideas for three manuscripts and negotiated for writing utensils in prison.

CORBETT: I just heard that Ryan had written 60 poems in jail, and they took all that from him when he left.

For now, Ryan remains at the Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio—a military facility that specializes in treating recovering POWs.

CORBETT: As good a shape as he seems to be in, I think there's some things he'll have to work through. Just nutrition, he had had high blood pressure, ringing in the ears, extremities that burned, kind of head that burned.

SONG: [GOODNESS OF GOD] 

For now, members of Drue and Evie’s church in Louisville say they have a message for Ryan just in case he happens to be listening.

NORM: We look so forward to seeing you in person, to hearing about how God was faithful to you throughout all of these all these days. So glad you've been reunited with your family. You won't miss any more milestones. So welcome home.

And Drue says Ryan’s captivity—and his church’s response—has shown their family the importance of being a part of a local church. He says they’ve also learned how to minister to others going through similar trauma.

CORBETT: We all struggle with trials. It's part of our life. We live in a fallen world. And it may not be the Taliban for you, but it's something. And I would just say, continue to trust God - He’s big enough to do the impossible.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Travis Kircher. In Louisville, Kentucky

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