Our daughter had been traveling the world for years, chasing adventures in distant places. We always knew she was a free spirit, unafraid to dive into new cultures, but frankly it did give our parent hearts some angst.
In 2021, she decided to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle, starting with Egypt, drawn by the Red Sea. In her travels it had become routine for us to receive a quick call or text as she boarded her flight, and again when she landed safely at her destination. That message, however, never came.
On Friday before departure she texted, “Next chapter begins today!” The next morning we expected to hear she had arrived. Initially, we thought it was just a delay or busy meeting up with her friend. But as the morning slipped into afternoon and still no word, our anxiety began to mount. By evening, that familiar knot of worry tightened, but we kept telling ourselves she’d reach out soon; she always did.
By Sunday morning, there were no new messages or missed calls. Jon, appearing calm but feeling a growing fear, sent a message asking if she had arrived safely. A sinking feeling in our hearts told us that something was terribly wrong.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND
12:30 a.m.
Tracy
The text came after midnight. As every parent knows, the midnight call or text is never the one you want to receive. But it was one I felt in my bones was coming.
It started as a little nagging worry, as we hadn’t heard from Hanna when her plane had touched down. Then, it grew steadily as the hours, then days, passed by and she did not check in. Not to say she was settled into her lodging or to send a photo as she toasted with friends to celebrate the start of her yearlong adventure abroad or even to admit she was already missing home. Finally, that nagging worry had grown into the foreboding anxiety that had ensured when that midnight text did arrive, I was awake and waiting for it.
The buzz of my phone across the room. The leap in my chest, cutting off my breath. The silent plea as I reached for the phone on the table—please be from Hanna. I wanted more than anything to feel that unique mixture of both relief and frustration. I wanted to finally know she was safe, and I wanted to be angry with her for not checking in sooner.
But it wasn’t Hanna’s name on the screen. It was Taylor, our youngest daughter.
"Can you please call me in the morning? I have some news about Hanna."
I didn’t wait until morning. I barely waited to read the whole text. It was after midnight, and sleep was not coming for me. I wouldn’t sleep at all that night. In fact, I wouldn’t sleep well for many more.
This marked the beginning of a parent’s worst nightmare – our worst fear realized. This is our personal story, we are Jon and Tracy.
Our world shattered when we learned that Hanna had been unjustly detained in a foreign jail. Fear gripped us, and the uncertainty of her fate felt like an endless void. We didn’t know how we would survive this ordeal, but we knew we weren’t alone.
In these darkest moments, faith became our anchor. We turned to God for strength to endure the unimaginable. We asked for clarity, guidance, and our daughter’s safety. Prayer became our lifeline when everything else seemed to crumble.
Our community of family, friends, and even strangers became our support system in ways we never could have imagined, lifting us up and joining in our fight. The people of Idaho and beyond—across the world, people from all walks of faith—came together, united by a common goal: to bring Hanna home.
Faith is not a shield from hardship but rather a source of strength to overcome it. It gave us the courage to face the unknown, to keep fighting even when the odds seemed insurmountable. Everyday heroes emerged at every turn. We didn’t vet them; we trusted in the higher power, far beyond human comprehension, that guided our path.
Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This verse became our mantra, reminding us we were not alone. It was the collective effort of those placed in our path that made a difference. This is the message we hope to pass along to those who read our book: that even in the most difficult circumstances, when it feels like you’re drowning, God works through those who have faith and who ask for help. But we must know to ask, and we must be willing to reach out to the stranger who might just be the one to save us.
Our story is more than a true tale of fear and desperation; it is a testament to the power of faith, love, and community. It is a gripping, real-life suspense story with unfathomable twists that you might think could only happen in the movies. But it is also a story of hope, of the ways people come together in times of crisis, and of the enduring belief that we are never truly alone.
For those who wish to follow our journey in its entirety, more details about our book can be found at WhenWeCouldNotSeeTheMoon.com.
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"Is she safe? Is she okay? Oh my God, is she even still alive?"