Eight of the ten American Baptist missionaries, held in Haiti on child kidnapping charges, have returned to the US. Although charges have not been dropped, a Haitian Judge has ruled that there was no bad intent on the part of the eight who were caught attempting to take 33 Haitian children to the Dominican Republic without the necessary paperwork to make it legal.

On the other hand, group leader Laura Silsby and her former nanny Charis Coulter, are still being held in Haiti because there are questions as to why they were in Haiti prior to the earthquake. And the judge wants to investigate their relationship to adviser Jorge Puello who is now wanted for human trafficking charges in El Salvador. After acknowledging he's linked to the case, Jorge Puello disappeared.But for the eight now released, the ordeal is now unwinding.

About 12 hours after a Haitian judge approved their release, the missionaries arrived on a U.S. Air Force C-130 just after midnight at Miami International Airport. They declined to answer reporters' questions as they briskly walked into a hotel adjoining the airport and got in an elevator.

"They're very tired," said Caleb Stegall, a district attorney in Kansas who has been helping some of the missionaries. "They've had quite an ordeal and they're obviously looking forward to a soft bed, a hot meal and a warm shower."

Elated relatives expressed relief, including Sean Lankford of Meridian, Idaho, whose wife and daughter were among the eight released. When asked by The Associated Press how he felt late Wednesday, he offered two words: "Damn good." Source: Missionaries freed by Haitian judge land in US, Associated Press

According to the Associated Press,"Gary Lissade, the Haitian attorney for freed detainee Jim Allen of Amarillo, Texas, said he expected the charges to be dropped against the eight."

Once the charges are dropped, I'm gonna bet these missionaries will be popping up on television interviews and reality shows. Perhaps they will even garner paid speaking engagements or write bestselling books.

It will be interesting to see if they work to support Haitian children through established charities.