Two churches that prayed for 88 days for the safe return of 13-year-old Jayme Closs who was kidnapped from her Barron, Wisconsin, home where her parents were murdered, celebrated the power of prayer and faith on Sunday after the teen was reunited with her family.
“I tingle because I have been praying for her since it happened, I don’t know the family personally but it’s just wonderful,” said Larry Leff, a member of St. Peter Catholic Church in Cameron where Jayme’s religious education classes and her parents’ funeral were held.
Parishioners at St. Joseph Church in Barron, along with others at St. Peter Catholic Church, reportedly prayed unceasingly for Closs’ return home after she went missing on Oct. 15 and her parents were found shot dead in the family home, NBC News reported.
As these churches prayed and authorities searched for the teenager, she suddenly appeared from the woods near Gordon, Wisconsin, and asked a woman walking her dog for help. The teenager said she had been held captive in a nearby cabin but finally escaped.
Jake T. Patterson, 21, the man accused of holding Closs against her will, was expected to be charged with kidnapping and two counts of first-degree intentional homicide on Monday.
“I think all of our prayers is what brought her home,” St. Peter member Geri Schoenecker told NBC 15.
“It was a full house at St. Peter Catholic Church in Cameron as members were celebrating Jayme’s safe return. Our prayers have been answered and God is good,” said church member JoAnn Trowbridge. “Thank you is all I can say because I think God got sick of us nagging Him so He answered our prayers.”
Closs was released from a Duluth hospital and returned to the home of her aunt, Jennifer Smith, who has shared photos of the teenager on a Facebook page called “Healing for Jayme Closs.” Smith reportedly attends St. Joseph Church but she and her family were not present on Sunday.
Many parishioners at both churches readily pointed out how they saw the hand of God in Closs’ return.
“I think the thing that’s outstanding to me is the lady that she went to was a child protection worker,” Margaret Sailor, a St. Peters member since 1974, told the Star Tribune. “I just think that the Holy Spirit was instrumental to guiding these people to be there at the right time.”
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SOURCE: Christian Post, Leonardo Blair
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