Have you all been keeping up with the news of the 2 boys kidnapped in Missouri? The 13 year old was missing for only 4 days, but the 15 year old was missing since 2002. Imagine? What a relief that they were found. The families are elated. Joy for all of them. I am sure we will be hearing more about this story in the days to come but for the present time they were told not to speak to the press while the investigation is going on. This is proof that prayers certainly do work. God Bless them both.

I'm amazed. I can't get over it. I can't wait to hear the story unfold. I want to know about the people they were with. I also want to know how they kept the one who has been missing since2002 from contacting family or police. DO you think they brainwashed him?

That news broke out here as well. If there's anything that would make my hair stand on end and squirm, it would be news of child abductions.

When my daughter was 7, she was grabbed from me by a gypsy in Vienna. We had gone shopping and I heard my daughter scream for me. I turned around to see what had happened and caught sight of my daughter being dragged away by a woman. I dropped everything and ran after them before the woman could get out of the shop that my daughter and I had gone in. The most frightful thing was, as I tugged and pulled my daughter, along with others who rushed to help, the gypsy would not let go of my daughter even when my child kicked and scratched to get away. She was determined to abduct my daughter and frantically hissed, spat and cursed me in Romany. She would not let go even when other people slapped her about in the hope that the woman would release her grasp to shield herself from the blows. It was only when the police arrived that she let go of my daughter. The gypsy never ended up in prison as they treated her as one with diminished capacity which, I would still argue, was put on to escape criminal liability. It's very easy to feign any semblance of madness.

What I remember most from that experience was the fear in my daughter's eyes and that haunted me for a very long time. It still churns my stomach when I hear of child abductions. Even typing about it now, many years after that event, makes my hands very clammy. There but by the grace of God...

Lola, I can sympathize with you. When you think of the shocking trauma you and your daughter lived through, I can understand that your stomach still churns. Thank God your daughter was able to scream, so that you could catch the gypsy right away.

I didn't have as near a horrifying experience as you did; but when I think back on the incident I had with my son, my hands get clammy as well.

We were once in Venice, and it was the height of the tourist season. The masses of people just shoved each other through the narrow alleys. During the pushing and shoving, my five-year-old son's hand was ripped from mine. In that moment I think 1000 horrible things blitzed through my head. I fought back through the crowd screaming his name. The people just kept shoving. They didn't even seem to take notice of me, or the panic I was in. It took only three or five minutes, (the longest minutes of my life). Then I spotted him pressed against a wall crying bitterly.

I know what you mean Lola, when you see real fear in a child's eyes. He had that too. That look follows me to this very day. My heart goes out to those parents that have lived through child abductions. It has to be the living hell.

Oh Lola, what a horrible experience! It made chills run down my spine.

It's the Romanians in France that are pickpockets. They start at a very young age.

Yes. Dianne. they have a horrible reputation in Germany as well.

I have seen this news on the boys and sadly it didn't take the press long to start sensationalizing the story and pointing a finger at the child that was held captive since 2002. When they would say things like, "It's been said that the young boy had access to a cell phone and it has to make you wonder why he didn't call his parents....BUT we have to wait and hear his side of the story." THIS kind of reporting makes me ashamed of news people. This boy is a child. HE IS A CHILD. Who knows what kind of things this CHILD has had to endure? Who knows what he has been told?

I can guarantee you one thing. If that were THEIR child, they wouldn't be saying those kinds of things...planting seeds in the viewers minds. How sick is that?

GIVE THE FAMILY SOME PEACE is what I say. They've been through enough.

Lola, I'm so sorry you and your daughter were put through a terrible act such as this! You too, Hannalore.

In hate the news media, all of them, They have NO SHAME and apparently NO common sense either. You're right JJ, what of it were their child??? Lola and Hannelore how terrifying for and the children.

When my boys were little that was my greatest fear. Luckily I never had to go through it. I watch my daughter like a hawk and she's 12. We can never be too careful.

The oldest boy that has been missing for four years was only 11 when he was kidnapped. That's really young and who knows what kind of lies and brain washing he's been put through.

Thank God they were found.
Laurel

Ladies, Ben the newest boy to be kidnapped went to school in my town! Beaufort is just down the road a piece. I think the biggest thing to me is making the conscieous decision to live in a small town to shield your children from these kinds of things--only to have it happen in your backyard. It takes your breathe away to realize that there is no safe place. Truly whether we believe or not, God is in control.

You can't imagine the celebrating here when the news was spread. My son was working at the gas station and an FBI agent came in and leaned over and whispered they had found them. Within seconds, the pager of a fireman who was in the station rang out, then another, then 2 cell phones rang, etc. My son said it was just like a movie as the word spread like wildfire. It was THE talk at Walmart that evening as I was getting groceries.

I get very upset when I hear people talking about why that boy didn't try to escape--we have no right to judge when we didn't live the life he's led. Who knows what this boy went through?

We need to praise God that they are both all right and pray they get past this so they can have full and happy lives.