Kidnapped and Taken to the Other Side of the World: The Lauren Burns Story (Part One) | Ep. 55

Summary

The Miracle Files

Episode 55: "Kidnapped and Taken to the Other Side of the World: The Lauren Burns Story"

Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Emily Jones & Holly Worthington
Guests: Lauren Burns, Catherine (Lauren’s mother)

---

Episode Overview

In this gripping and inspiring episode, sisters Emily and Holly share the harrowing true story of Lauren Burns, who was abducted by her father and taken from her home in Dallas, Texas, to Jordan at just seven years old. Through chilling firsthand accounts from both Lauren and her mother Catherine, the episode explores themes of international custody battles, cultural clashes, a mother’s relentless faith, and the unfolding of genuine miracles in desperate times. The first half of this two-part story walks listeners through the abduction, the complex legal and cultural challenges, the intricate rescue planning, and moments of spiritual and literal intervention that kept hope alive.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Day of the Abduction

[00:40] Lauren:

• Lauren recalls the fateful Halloween weekend in 1987, dressed as a cheerleader, excited for trick-or-treating.
• Her father unexpectedly tells her about a "big surprise" — they’re headed to the airport to fly to Jordan, not for an ordinary weekend.
• Lauren’s confusion and intuition signal that something was wrong:

  "I knew something was wrong, but I also knew to stop asking the questions." ([00:40], [05:18] Lauren)

2. A Mother’s Worst Fear Realized

[01:05] Catherine & [05:25] Catherine:

• Catherine describes the moment she discovers Lauren hasn’t arrived at school; panic and shock set in as she pieces together what must have happened.
• Early attempts to reach Ollie, Lauren’s father, and to confirm the situation with the airline.

  "They checked the plane's manifest...Yes, your daughter's on that plane." ([06:38] Catherine)

3. Legal and Cultural Barriers

[08:58] Catherine:

• Alarming revelation: Under Jordanian law, fathers have sole rights to children after age 7, and Lauren had just turned 7.

  "In Jordan, the man has all rights to the children. The mother has none. Zero."

• The US State Department provides little hope; no American child has ever been recovered from Jordan.

4. Lauren's Life in Jordan: Alienation and Loss

[10:03] Lauren:

• Describes the shock of uprooting: Language barriers, new customs, unfamiliar family dynamics, and a suddenly distant father.
• Loneliness, humiliation (forced to wear diapers for not adapting quickly), and longing for her mother marked her early days.

  "I didn't even recognize my father...he was a little bit more cold towards me...I missed my mom desperately."

5. Catherine’s Faith and Resolve

[14:56] Catherine:

• After a spiritual conversation and encouragement to fast and pray, Catherine experiences peace through a Bible passage (Daniel 10), feeling assured her prayers are heard despite her powerlessness.

  "It was as though the peace that only God can give came over me. I knew God heard my prayer." ([15:44] Catherine)

6. Turning to Private Operatives

[16:47] Catherine; [19:01] Lauren:

• Catherine enlists help from Rick and Bev Lambert (Miranda Lambert’s parents, private investigators) and Al Zaponta, who puts her in touch with off-grid security professionals with military backgrounds.
• Escape plans explore various (all-high risk) routes; the reality of infiltrating or escaping from Jordan is bleak.

  "They said, we will take this mission on. We will try to get your daughter back." ([19:01] Lauren)

7. The First Sign of a Miracle

[22:53] Lauren; [23:52] Lauren:

• With US operatives unable to locate Lauren, they resort to prayer for divine help.
• In a miraculous turn, JD sees Lauren’s unmistakable blue eyes staring back from a passing school bus moments after praying.

  "I saw Lauren on that bus." ([23:52] Lauren)
  "Anytime someone compliments my eyes, I'm like, oh, there's a story behind those eyes. God had a bigger plan." ([24:52] Lauren)

8. Real Faith in Action

[26:12] Lauren (JD’s Audio Clip):

• JD, a seasoned operative, openly shares that, in the moment of need, professional training felt insufficient—he depended on prayer.

  "I just figured, it's time to pray. We need some heavy duty help here...and your head was looking straight at me. Well, I lost all my training because I was about ready to jump on that little bus and snap you out of there."

9. Layered Family Trauma

[28:13] Lauren:

• Ollie, Lauren's father, deceived not only Lauren’s mother but his own new family: he sent his wife and other children out of Texas without revealing his plan, and they too were blindsided by his actions.

  "She had no clue what my father was planning. She began calling Jordan every day, begging for him to bring me back home."

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lauren (on her arrival in Jordan):

  "Not only was I in a foreign country...but I didn't even recognize my father...He was a little bit more cold towards me." ([10:03])

• Catherine (on the power of prayer):

  "It was as though the peace that only God can give came over me. I knew God heard my prayer." ([14:56])

• Lauren (on recognition and hope):

  "Anytime someone compliments my eyes, I'm like, oh, there's a story behind those eyes. God had a bigger plan." ([24:52])

• JD (operative, on seeing Lauren after praying):

  "Well, I lost all my training because I was about ready to jump on that little bus and snap you out of there." ([26:12])

• Holly (reflecting on miracles):

  "And as soon as he prayed, there she was. Like, she just literally appeared." ([25:46])

---

Important Timestamps

• Lauren’s abduction and first realization: [00:40] – [05:18]
• Catherine’s search and airline confirmation: [06:38]
• Cultural and legal impossibility of recovery: [08:58]
• Lauren’s life in Jordan: [10:03]
• Catherine’s spiritual breakthrough: [14:56]
• Contacting private operatives and outlining rescue attempts: [16:47] – [20:55]
• Miraculous sighting of Lauren by JD: [22:53] – [23:52]
• JD’s personal account of the miracle moment: [26:12]
• Family members’ reactions and Ollie’s broader deception: [28:13]

---

Tone & Style

The episode carries a warm, emotionally resonant, and faith-driven tone—balancing suspense, heartbreak, and hope. The hosts’ empathy and awe are constant, celebrating resilience and the probability-defying interventions that frame the story as a true modern "miracle file."

---

Final Thoughts & Next Episode Teaser

The story closes on a cliffhanger, as Lauren is finally located but still beyond reach, with the promise of even more suspense and miraculous developments to follow in part two.

• Holly:

  "It's an amazing story, and we're only halfway there. The next part is crazy... Things get even crazier... do not think this is the end, because there's so much that happens in the next half." ([29:31] – [29:47])

Listeners are encouraged to tune in next week for the dramatic conclusion, which, as previewed, includes dramatic chases, shutdowns at the airport, and even higher-stakes moments of rescue and faith.

---

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a masterclass in storytelling—fusing personal testimony, factual narrative, and spiritual reflection to chronicle an extraordinary quest for reunion and deliverance. It invites listeners to reflect on the power of faith, the complexity of cross-cultural families, and the surprising ways divine help can manifest amidst impossible odds. Don’t miss part two!

Transcript

[Emily Jones]

This episode is brought to you by angel studios. Go to angel.com Miracle Files to show your support. If you're the purchasing manager at a.

[Catherine]

Manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference.

[Emily Jones]

That's why, hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering.

[Catherine]

With on time restocks, your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift and.

[Emily Jones]

You can end your day knowing they've.

[Catherine]

Got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Lauren]

My dad came to pick me up and he looked at me and he said, I have a big surprise for you. We are actually going to the airport. And as he was driving towards the airport, I just became silent. I knew something was wrong. I but I also knew to stop asking the questions.

[Emily Jones]

Panic hit Katherine the moment she realized that Lauren hadn't been dropped off at school as her ex husband Ollie was supposed to do.

[Catherine]

I saw her class line up and I saw the teacher, but no Lauren. And I immediately knew that he was gone. He took her.

[Emily Jones]

This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.

[Holly Worthington]

And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story. But we're also seeking more light in our lives.

[Emily Jones]

So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us on this journey.

[Holly Worthington]

Welcome back to the Miracle Files. When Lauren Burns reached out to us with this story, I was actually somewhat familiar with it from back in the day, but I had no idea how incredible it was until we actually interviewed her.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah, this story actually happened clear back in the 80s. And so if you were alive back then, you may have heard this. I mean, it was international news, but it's an incredible story about this young girl who is abducted internationally. It's her mother desperately trying to get her back. And there's even a movie made about it called Desperate Rescue. It's such a good story.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So Lauren was actually the daughter who was taken at the time and she's now an adult. So it's so cool to be able to hear the story from both the mother and daughter's perspective. It just makes it even more amazing. Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

I'll be honest, this is one of my very favorite stories we've done. But we did decide to split this into two episodes because there's just so much that goes into it.

[Holly Worthington]

Don't hate us. You'll See why?

[Emily Jones]

But it's really, really good. So buckle up. It's a good one.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. You're about to go on a roller coaster ride, so enjoy.

[Emily Jones]

All right, let's go. It was Halloween weekend in 1987. Lauren, a first grader in Dallas, Texas, was stood waiting by the door excited to be dressed up in her costume.

[Lauren]

I was dressed as a cheerleader. It was blue and yellow with pom poms and pigtails and bright red lipstick.

[Emily Jones]

Lauren's mother had full custody, but her father would take her for visits. Today he was picking her up for the weekend. Lauren climbed into his car, ready for a fun evening of trick or treating. Her mom agreed to let Lauren stay with her dad for an extra night so long as she was back in school on Monday. Lauren looked forward to spending time with her father, stepmother and two half siblings. Sometimes Lauren's dad dressed a little differently than the other dads at school. But when he dressed that way, it wasn't a costume for Halloween. Lauren's dad Ali, was from Jordan and on certain days he chose to dress in his Jordanian Muslim clothing, an ankle length robe and a scarf worn over his head. Lauren's mom, on the other hand, was Christian. Her parents had disagreed about religion in their marriage and had divorced when Lauren was an infant. But they were cordial co parents. When her dad first pulled up in his car, Lauren didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. However, once inside, she immediately felt something was off.

[Lauren]

My dad came to pick me up that day. I was all ready, dressed to go Halloween trick or treating. And when he picked me up, it was just him in the car. And I had my suitcase with me. I crawled into the car with him and I began to ask, you know, where's my sisters? Where's my brother? And he looked at me and he said, I have a big surprise for you. We are actually going to the airport. I'm taking you to Jordan to go meet your family that you've never met. Well, you know, I'm seven and I'm thinking, wait a minute. My mom never told me about going on a plane or going to Jordan or she said I'd be back at school on Monday. She said we were going trick or treating. So I start asking him all the questions. Where's my brother? Where's my sister? Does my mom know that this is happening? And he kept trying to calm me down. He kept saying, it's fine, it was a surprise. She didn't want to ruin the surprise. You'll see, Lauren, everything will be fine. Well, the More things I asked, the more angry he became. And as he was driving towards the airport, I just became silent. I knew something was wrong, but I also knew to stop asking the questions.

[Emily Jones]

On Monday morning, Lauren's mom Catherine was getting ready to go to work when a gnawing feeling came over her.

[Catherine]

That morning I decided just something in me said go to school. She had just started first grade. So I walked into the school, I saw her class line up and I saw the teacher, but no Lauren. And I immediately knew, even though I hadn't really feared it, that he was gone. He took her.

[Emily Jones]

Panic hit cancer. Catherine the moment she realized that Lauren hadn't been dropped off at school as her ex husband Ollie was supposed to do. Where could Lauren be?

[Catherine]

Back then we didn't have cell phones so I only lived two or three miles from the school. But I went out to the pay phone at the corner at the school and called Ollie, called his business, he had a business with his brother and I don't know where he is, that kind of thing.

[Emily Jones]

Ollie wasn't there and no one seemed to know where he was. No, it couldn't be. He wouldn't really take Lauren to Jordan, would he? The thought banged around in Catherine's brain. She desperately hoped she was wrong. But a mother feels that separation from her child as if half of her heart is missing. And suddenly Catherine's heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest.

[Catherine]

And the next question call I placed to the Royal Jordanian Airlines in New York and crying and told them my story. I believe my daughter had been kidnapped and would they help me. And they put me on hold. And they checked the plane's manifest and said they're about less than an hour outside of Amman. Yes, your daughter's on that plane.

[Emily Jones]

Catherine dropped the phone. The world didn't spin, it split. And just like that, Catherine's seven year old child, her little Lauren, was on the other side of the world. Catherine checked with the airline to see when they were returning. The tickets were booked one way. Catherine still had Ollie's home phone number from visiting Jordan six years before. She hurried home, found the number and called it. A woman, perhaps one of Ollie's, picked up the phone. Catherine began begging immediately to speak to Lauren. Time and again she would call and beg for someone, anyone, to let her speak to her daughter. It didn't seem to matter who picked up the phone. They refused to let Catherine speak to Lauren. The Dallas police department could offer no help. Desperate, Catherine called her good friends, the Lamberts. These were in fact the country singer Miranda Lampert's parents, Bevin, Rick. They were private investigators who had spent years working for the district attorney's office building connections with law enforcement. Catherine begged them to help her. They didn't even hesitate. They would do everything they could. Rick started by scheduling an appointment for Catherine to go to the Dallas County Courthouse and stand before the grand jury to try to get a warrant out for Ollie's arrest. While she waited for the grand jury date, Catherine called the State Department looking for hope. What they told her made her blood run chill. They said that no American child had ever been recovered from Jordan. The problem was that Jordan didn't extradite. Under its laws, fathers had sole custody of children after age 7. And Lauren had just turned 7.

[Catherine]

So even getting a warrant was meaningless unless he came back to the states is what it boiled down to. He had every rights to her in Jordan. And the laws in Jordan were such that when a child of a divorce situation becomes age seven, and she had just had her seventh birthday a few weeks before that, in September, when he abducted her in October, it was all planned for quite some time. In Jordan, the man has all rights to the children. The mother has none. Zero.

[Emily Jones]

Legally. In Jordan, Lauren's mother no longer existed. The news was devastating to Catherine. Her hands were tied. Days stretched on, long and frustrating, filled with hopelessness. Meanwhile, across the world, the life little Lauren had known had disappeared overnight, replaced by confusion and change. Her father in particular, had changed. Where was the man? Where was the life she'd once known?

[Lauren]

Most people did not speak English, and so when I went to Jordan, it was very different. Even at 7, I could tell culturally, I didn't know what it was, but my father was very affectionate in the United States and Jordan. He didn't have much to do with me. It's like all of a sudden, he didn't put me to bed, and he wouldn't get me ready to get dressed or brush my hair or, you know, the typical, or love on me, let me crawl into his lap. That was the job for the women. And so not only was I in a foreign country with different culture and food and language, but I didn't even recognize my father. He was a little bit more cold towards me. And so my aunts and my grandmother would take care of me, and I didn't really know them. And then we would eat on the floor. It was very different. There was no utensils. You eat with your hands. You scoop up the rice with the pita bread and the hummus, and you Ball it all up with your hands. And that's how you eat with, you know, a blanket on the floor. The bathrooms were very different. It was a hole in the ground. So there's no toilet for a little girl. That was. That was traumatizing for me. I would wet myself many times because I didn't want to use the restroom. And they would not clean their self with toilet paper. They used their hand to clean their self. And so I had one uncle. The way I describe where we lived is like a big apartment complex. And everyone in the family lived in one of the apartments. You go up the stairs, and this uncle was here, this aunt was here, grandparents. I had a uncle that lived on the top floor. He had polio. He had a toilet. I would try to hold it and make it all the way up to his apartment to use the toilet instead of the hole in the ground. And then my dad would get mad at me for wetting myself. So he put a diaper on me and had all my cousins come and make fun of me for wearing a diaper because I couldn't use the restroom. And they always had big parties and they're very family oriented, so that was the good parts. But I missed my mom desperately. And I knew the fear began to set in when I started going to school because my dad just kept saying, it's vacation, it's vacation, it's vacation. Well, when you go to school. I was the only oldest one in kindergarten because I couldn't speak the language, couldn't write the language. So here I am, the biggest kid in the class, and I don't know anything. I knew I wasn't on vacation anymore. And every time I would ask, when can I see my mom? My dad would get angry. Don't you like it here? Aren't you happy here? Don't you want to be with me?

[Emily Jones]

No. Lauren didn't want any of this. She hadn't asked for it or expected it at all. She missed her home, missed her mother. All she could do was try to accept her new life and hope and pray her father would allow her to speak to her mother someday. Back in the United States. After two weeks without her daughter, Catherine's phone rang. Her heart leapt, hoping it was Ollie and Lauren. It wasn't, but Catherine was grateful to hear a familiar voice. It was her friend, Bev Lambert. Bev shared a personal experience with Catherine about how she had once felt the Lord's comfort while sitting on a bathroom floor. At her lowest point, she encouraged Catherine to step away from the chaos. For a moment and find some time alone with the Lord. Here is the actual recording of that phone call.

[Lauren]

You just go off and get alone with the Lord.

[Emily Jones]

I was in the bathroom floor with.

[Lauren]

The door lock when I finally found the Lord.

[Catherine]

I'm gonna go away and get all the negative things and all the evil things coming against me, away from me and all my distractions and just get with the Lord and I'm gonna gather up my things and just go away. I want us. Make us another suggestion to you. Okay, I remember, you know, during my.

[Lauren]

Crisis, I read a book.

[Emily Jones]

It said fasting is the closest way.

[Catherine]

To baptize, you know, my cigarettes. I just feel like everything, you know, we know.

[Lauren]

Why don't you put them on the cross today? God, today.

[Emily Jones]

Oh, God, we found those cigarettes.

[Lauren]

In the name of Jesus, they are not rebuke you.

[Emily Jones]

They don't have anything to do with you. They are hindering Kathy from being your child. And I bind them. After Bev Lambert encouraged Catherine to fast and pray and to give up her cigarettes entirely as a sacrifice to the Lord. Catherine committed in her heart to do this. She started driving with no real destination in mind. As she drove, the tears flowed and her chest tightened. She felt so helpless. How could she go on without her daughter?

[Catherine]

And I drove out west towards Fort Worth. Stopped at a hotel, Random Hotel. Had my Bible and that was it. Didn't. Didn't eat for three days. Just had water. And with my Bible in my hand, praying and asking God to show me. I knew the answer was in his word. And so by the third day, I was very weary, very discouraged. And I'm just pleading with God, please God, show me. I opened that Bible that morning, and the pages fell open to Daniel, chapter 10. And I knew it was as though my name was written on the page in chapter 10. Talks about when Daniel cried out to the Lord and God answered and said, daniel, from the first day you started, rang, I heard your prayers, but there's a war going on in the heavenlies. This is a spiritual battle you were in. It was what he's telling me. There's a war going on over her very soul. Wait, that's what I heard. And so it was as though the peace that only God can give came over me. I knew God heard my prayer. Still didn't know exactly what to do or how to do it. But I knew God was going to direct my path from A to Z. And I came out of that with a total peace that was beyond understanding.

[Emily Jones]

Two days later, Catherine stood before the grand jury. It was a hollow victory. They granted a warrant for Ollie's arrest, but Catherine knew it was worthless.

[Catherine]

I knew that that warrant was going to do nothing for me. But as I started testifying, it was a panel, I think, of seven, that hurt my testimony. And at the end, a man stood up. He was the foreman of the grand jury. His name was Al Zaponta. He had been an assistant interior secretary and he was a retired general. And he had all kinds of knowledge, background, connections, everything. I didn't know that. And after the hearing, he handed me his business card. He said, I'm going to be in Washington this weekend, but call me on Monday. And I called him, thinking he's going to tell me some government stuff and totally different from what I expected. He said, the State Department's not going to be able to help you. I can help you, he said. While I was in D.C. i've already talked to some people that had connections with. With this group of men that normally did security and protection for executives, that sort of thing, that also worked in the Middle east and had connections with the Mossad and the IDF in Israel because they had provided protection for a lot of the makings of those Rambo type movies and Top Gun kind of movies and that sort of thing.

[Emily Jones]

Catherine let that information sink in. She had been so desperate for help from the government. But what if she did take matters into her own hands? Al warned the operation would be costly, but she didn't care. She would spend every penny she had.

[Catherine]

My father had passed away the year before, and I never spent the money. I just put it away. So I had some money and then I had some help. But I was ready to rob a bank if that's what it came to.

[Emily Jones]

By that Friday, El Zaponta had connected Catherine with former Delta Force operatives and Army Rangers. These were men who knew how to work off grid, men who had no political orders, just purpose. But Jordan was a complicated country, and Lauren had vanished somewhere within the shadows of its borders. This would not be an easy mission. Here's Lauren talking about the plans the operatives had made with her mother.

[Lauren]

And they told my mom, Kathy, we've never done anything like this before, and it's going to take a lot of money, and we can't guarantee your daughter's safety or your safety. My mom said, I don't care, whatever it takes. And they said, yes. They said, we will take this mission on. We will try to get your daughter back. So Dave, they call him Grandpa. He was the oldest of the group. He was the first one to go to Jordan. His job was to get eyes on me, try to find my father's home and find an escape route. He spent two weeks in country. He was there alone, day in, day out, trying to find me and he could not find me. And every day he was there, it was risk of someone noticing him because it's a small town and he stuck out. Even though he was in disguise. He was changing cars every day and he went at several different places trying to figure out how to get me out once they found me. One, he drove up to Cyprus. And when he drove to Cyprus, he realized that was a total war zone. There's no way they could get me out through Cyprus. The other route was through Aqaba. It's a small body of water between Jordan and Israel. And he thought what he could do. It's a mile long swim. He thought he could put me on his back and swim me across that mile into Israel. But once he got there, he thought there's no, no way. There was barb wire fences, there was army everywhere, military. It was way too dangerous. So then the third option was the King Hussein Bridge. It's a border crossing between Jordan and Israel. The problem with that, it is very highly secured. Again, barbwire fences, machine gun towers, booby traps all over, tank traps, you name it. And you, you have to have a border pass. You have to have entry and passports.

[Emily Jones]

It was clear Jordan wasn't a place to simply walk in and out of. Escape would be nearly impossible. While Dave was working on a rescue plan, still searching unsuccessfully for Lauren, something happened back in Texas. After months without a word from her daughter, Ollie let Lauren speak to Catherine on the phone. Catherine's hands shook as she pressed the phone to her ear. She was so happy to hear her daughter's V. But something was off.

[Lauren]

And then finally I got to talk to my mom. And my dad made it very clear. Do not tell her anything where you are. I'm going to be listening on the phone. Don't say anything bad about the family. Make sure she knows you're okay. So it was very guarded. And then he said the same thing to my mom. You know, don't try to get any information out of Lauren or you won't able to talk to her again. You know, I hate using the word brainwash, but I don't know what other word to use. I was only speaking Arabic. I was very cold. I was very guarded.

[Emily Jones]

Catherine hardly recognized her daughter's voice. It shook her to her core. Meanwhile, Dave had run into A dead end. He couldn't find little Lauren anywhere. He reached out to two other men to help with the search.

[Lauren]

So then he called JD and Dawn and said, I need help. It's time for y' all to come in and try to get eyes on Lauren, because I don't even know she's here. So dawn and JD came and they spent days searching for me all over. They were at the schools, they were at the ruins, in the marketplaces. Every area that they had pictures of, they searched and they could not find me.

[Emily Jones]

Looking for Lauren was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. As the days passed, desperation began setting in. JD and dawn had searched everywhere they could think of. They began to think maybe she wasn't even in Jordan at all.

[Lauren]

And then jd. JD knew that it was beyond his strength. So standing in the streets of Jerush, he began to pray. God, this is too big for me. I don't know how to find this little girl. You have to help us find her. And standing on that street with Dawn a couple feet away from him, a school bus pulled up right where he was standing, JD Turned and looked through the window. And there I sat, staring right back at him. You see, he knew it was me because I have darker hair, I have olive complexion skin, but I have bright blue eyes. My eyes were the feature they were looking for. And so once they knew I was on that bus, he went over to Don and shook him by the shoulders and he's like, I saw Lauren. I saw Lauren. And Don was like, what are you talking about? You're freaking out. He's like, I saw Lauren on that bus.

[Emily Jones]

In the midst of the miracle unfolding in front of them, JD froze. His mission training barely registered all the searching, all their plans. And here she was, delivered to the curb by a school bus at the exact moment JD had prayed. But just as suddenly as it appeared, the school bus pulled away. The men snapped into action.

[Lauren]

So they got in the car and they were trying to follow the bus, but the roads were really narrow and crowded and so they lost sight of the bus. But they called Dave and they said, we know Lauren's here. We know she's going to school. We just have to find the house where she lives.

[Emily Jones]

The men still didn't know where Lauren was. But that image of Lauren's stark blue eyes wouldn't leave Jadie's mind. She was in Jordan somewhere. And the men were more determined than ever to find the lost seven year old girl with the haunting eyes, the eyes that gave Everyone a glimmer of hope.

[Lauren]

So anytime someone compliments my eyes, I'm like, oh, there's a story behind those eyes. God had a bigger plate.

[Emily Jones]

And he did. God had a bigger plan, but it was one that would be full of twists and turns and treacherous moments. And unfortunately, this is where our story has to end. For now. But come back next week for the rest of this incredible story. You won't believe how it ends.

[Holly Worthington]

I seriously have goosebumps from this story.

[Emily Jones]

I know. I cannot even imagine going through this as a mother, but that moment when JD sees her on the bus was so powerful because, you know, it's not coincidence. You know, it's not chance. Like, that was a miracle.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, seriously. Like, he had exhausted all of his own strength.

[Emily Jones]

Right.

[Holly Worthington]

And as soon as he prayed, there she was. Like, she just literally appeared.

[Emily Jones]

So powerful. Yeah, we. As we mentioned before, this happened back in the 80s, and sadly, since then, JD has passed away. But before he passed away, Lauren actually has her own podcast called Redeemed Podcast, and she had JD on her podcast, and he shared with her this moment what it was like for him. So here's a quick clip of that.

[Lauren]

I stopped on a hill and was looking down, watching kids go by, and I was looking for you, and I didn't see you. I just figured, it's time to pray. We need some heavy duty help here. So I prayed, lord, she has no choice in it right now, but you do. And we do too. And if you give us the initiative to do what we're supposed to do and just lead us to her. And then I stopped on the sidewalk on the bottom, and I was looking up the street, and I turned around and looked, and your head was looking straight at me. Well, I lost all my training because I was about ready to jump on that little bus and snap you out of there.

[Holly Worthington]

I love how he's like, I forgot all my training. I just wanted to grab you off that bus.

[Emily Jones]

I'm sure he did. I bet he did.

[Holly Worthington]

And such an incredible moment. And you think that these, like, ex military, special forces guys have all the answers. They've got it all figured out, but they need God too.

[Catherine]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

I mean, we all need God. This is such a powerful example of how God can comfort us and intervene in our lives. I think about Catherine going to that hotel. I mean, she just brought her Bible and a bottle of water. Like, yeah, it's amazing that God was there for her and inspired her to, you know, open her scriptures and find the words, the exact words that she needed. To hear.

[Holly Worthington]

I agree. And I love how that verse that she read in Daniel said, from the first day you started praying, I heard you. Like, that really tugged at my heartstrings. And it especially hits hard when you think about, like, this was a mother praying for her child.

[Emily Jones]

I know. I cannot imagine. But you know, something that I think we didn't really touch on in the story a whole lot, but we did mention Ali had this family back in the United States. He had a wife, he had other children. He left them all behind when he went to Jordan. And so here's a little clip explaining what his plan was with the rest of his family.

[Lauren]

He had sent my stepmother and the other children out of Texas, still in the United States, but out of Texas to go visit her family so that she wouldn't know what he was doing. My mom finally got a hold of her, and she was distraught. She had no clue what my father was planning. And she began calling Jordan every day, begging for him to bring me back home. His thoughts were that because my stepmother had no education, a lot of it's cultural that the women aren't allowed to have any kind of education. And so he thought, she's going to give in. She will come to Jordan with the.

[Emily Jones]

Rest of the kids.

[Lauren]

And then he would have this family unit. But that didn't happen. Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

So Lauren's stepmother was also shocked that Ollie had left Jordan. Yeah. I mean, I can't imagine what she was going through, too. And she was a sweetheart. Like, she tried to help Katherine as much as she could.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah, she was innocent. I mean, this whole story is just wild. Like, I have to keep reminding myself it's not just like a movie. This is life.

[Holly Worthington]

It feels like a movie.

[Emily Jones]

Has her daughter kidnapped from her and there's these men willing to go risk their lives. And it's all just so wild. But God just keeps unlocking door after door.

[Holly Worthington]

It's an amazing story, and we're only halfway there. Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

The next part is crazy.

[Holly Worthington]

Things get even crazier. Yes. More intense. Believe it or not. Like, do not think this is the end, because there's so much that happens in the next half.

[Emily Jones]

Part two is perhaps one of the most suspenseful, miraculous stories. And here's a quick preview. Everyone in the car knew the same thing. By now, the police would be alerted.

[Lauren]

When Dave drove back towards the city, he got pulled over and he was surrounded by Jordanian police.

[Catherine]

And they were tearing the car park trying to find something. He said he could hear their walkie talkies saying, the airport the airport.

[Emily Jones]

The airline manifests were pulled there. They were two American names, Catherine and Lauren.

[Lauren]

They were shutting down the whole airport looking for us.

[Emily Jones]

Okay, so make sure you come back next week.

[Holly Worthington]

Come back.

[Emily Jones]

Yes.

[Holly Worthington]

And if this episode moved you, please share it. There are people out there who need to know that miracles still happen.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

That God still moves. So we'll be back next week with part two of Kidnapped by My Father. Until then, keep looking for miracles. Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact [e-mail] or find us on Facebook.

[Emily Jones]

We're now releasing multiple episodes each month, so subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.

[Holly Worthington]

Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.