December 1, 2024 • 59 mins
Today, we welcome Lauren to Ordinary People Extraordinary Things, where she shares her gripping story of resilience and faith. At just seven years old, her world changed dramatically when her father kidnapped her to Jordan, sparking a courageous rescue mission that would later inspire a movie.
Join us as we recount the tense and emotional operation led by a team of former military personnel. This heart-pounding chapter of her life involved navigating cultural barriers, time-sensitive planning, and a daring border crossing that underscored the power of a mother's unwavering love and faith.
Lauren’s journey did not end with her dramatic rescue. She opens up about the healing process that followed, addressing the complex feelings of navigating a relationship with her father and finding solace in her faith community. With her mother as a steadfast support, Lauren's path to forgiveness and redemption serves as an inspiring testament to the transformative power of faith. We invite you to listen, reflect, and draw inspiration from this remarkable story of courage and hope.
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Connect with Lauren @ https://www.laurenburns.net/
https://generationstogenerations.com/podcast
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thank you for making Ordinary People Extraordinary
Things what it is today.
Thank you for sharing.
You are the best way for peopleto hear about Ordinary People,
extraordinary Things, and aboutfaith and hope and how it
impacts us.
We are in 42 countries.
I cannot believe it.
(00:21):
Continue to share.
Continue to share with peopleall over the world, in your own
city and the country where weremember that, at Ordinary
People Extraordinary Things,your story is His glory.
Well, welcome to OrdinaryPeople Extraordinary Things.
I'm here with Lauren.
Lauren, thanks for being on.
You're so welcome.
(00:41):
Thanks for having me.
I am so excited to talk withyou.
We have just become kind offast friends, I feel like, and
I'm so thankful for this.
We live in different states,but God both gave us podcasts to
glorify him and it's just beenreally fun to work together and
help each other and send anemail or an encouragement, so
(01:03):
I've just enjoyed that other andsend an email or an
encouragement.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So I've just enjoyed that, me too.
I, when I started podcastingjust six months ago, I'm like
God, how do I do this, and areyou sure this is what you want
me to do?
And he just keeps puttingpeople like you in my life to
say, yes, I'm going to encourageyou, I'm going to give you the
people to help.
I'm like, okay, just keeptrucking along.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yes, yes.
And so if people don't know who, you are.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Can you give three words or phrases to describe
yourself?
I am a mom and a wife.
I like to talk a lot, sopodcasting is good, and I am a
hard worker and I'm verypassionate about Jesus and I'm
passionate about life in general.
That's good.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
That's good.
So what was your young growingup Like I'm going to say before
seven, because that seven have awhole nother story we're
getting into but what was yourlife like before that, before
this?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So my, you know everyone's got a crazy story and
that's me, my, my life startedbroken.
Um, I, my parents, met in theDallas area.
My father is from Jordan.
If you don't know where Jordanis, it's near.
It's near Israel.
Actually, I bet everybody knowsright now it's in the news
nonstop.
Um and my parents met in theDallas area.
(02:23):
My mom's from Florida, my mom'sChristian, my father's Muslim.
They were married for aboutfour years prior to my mom being
pregnant with me.
I was their first child andwhen my father found out my mom
was pregnant, he told my momthat his dad was sick and that
(02:43):
he needed to go to Jordan totake care of his dad.
And, honestly, my mom didn'tthink anything of it.
She was in her young 20s.
She didn't have any family inDallas, she only had some really
good friends of hers and shesaid, yeah, no problem, didn't
think anything of it.
Well, he ended up being gonefor three months.
So some point during herpregnancy my mom thought that
(03:08):
she was abandoned and that hewasn't coming back.
So you can imagine that kind ofstress being alone.
She actually had me about eightweeks, six weeks early,
somewhere in there, when, atsome time around when she had me
my.
My dad did come back, but helooked different.
He was dressed different andall the traditional Jordanian
(03:28):
clothing, and he told my momthat he had gone to Jordan to
make a home for us.
He had found a job, he hadfound a house, and my mom was in
shock.
So I mean, if you're a mom, youcan understand all the hormones
, having a newborn early, thestress of your husband leaving
you and then finding out youknow what he wants to move you
(03:50):
to Jordan.
And so my mom was like no,absolutely not.
So by the time I was six weeksold, my mom had filed for
divorce.
My mom had full custody of meand I was your typical divorced
kid going between two households.
You know every other weekend.
But you know, nancy, the crazything is my parents had a great
(04:10):
relationship.
I mean, my mom was a single momall of a sudden trying to
figure out how to make ends meet.
He wasn't paying child support.
She actually moved in with afriend to help with rent.
She was trying to figure outhow to get like food stamps,
like how do you pay for formulaand diapers?
Um, but anytime my mom neededhelp, then my dad would say, hey
, I can take, lauren, you know,an extra weekend, and so that
(04:34):
part was easy.
My dad remarried and I loved mystep-mom.
Her family was also from theMiddle East, but she was raised
in the United States and theybegan having their own children.
So now I had little siblings Iwas the oldest, so up until the
age of seven, that's what mylife looked like, going between
(04:54):
two households.
Um and I had a greatrelationship with my dad.
He was very loving and kind andum, my and both my parents were
very supportive.
They made it work.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
So what happened when you were seven years old?
It's a day that I'm just goingto say changed your life.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yes, my life changed at seven so much that there's a
movie made about my life, um,and we'll get into that in a
little bit.
But, um, my mom again, she wasa single mom and she, uh, my, my
father had asked can Laurenstay with us one extra day to go
(05:38):
trick or treating?
It was Halloween weekend, mybirthday's in September.
This happened in October.
So, and so, halloween weekend,he asked if I could stay one
extra night and my mom saidabsolutely no problem, as long
as you take Lauren to school onMonday.
Because I had just started newschool and I was excited.
(05:59):
I wanted to gotrick-or-treating and show off.
I had a cheerleading uniform.
I remember it was blue andyellow.
My mom put my hair in pigtails,I had bright red lipstick and I
couldn't wait to show off formy siblings.
And so my dad comes to pick meup at our house, at our
townhouse in the Dallas area,and when he comes to pick me up,
(06:21):
it was just him.
I was expecting my siblings tobe there, my stepmom, and so I
kissed my mom goodbye.
And I still remember it's funnyhow you remember certain things
my suitcase was pink.
It was the one that said likegoing to grandma's on the
outside and I grabbed mysuitcase, I get in a car and I
was like, hey, where's mystepmom, where's my sister and
(06:42):
my brother?
And my dad turned around andlooked at me and said, well, I
have a big surprise for you.
And I'm like, yeah, we're goingtrick or treating.
And he said, no, I'm taking youon a big trip, we're going to
the airport.
And I was like, what do youmean?
We're going to the airport?
My mom never told me we weregoing on a trip.
(07:03):
She said we were goingtrick-or-treating and I've
always been very talkative, soall the questions are coming out
.
And he said, well, we're goingto Jordan.
I want you to meet your familyYou've never met.
And I said, well, does my momknow?
And he said, yes, of course,everything's fine, lauren,
you're fine, don't worry.
Well, the more questions Iasked, the more aggravated he
(07:26):
became.
And you know, all kids knowwhen they're pushing their
parents' buttons and they knowwhen to stop.
So eventually, the more upsethe got, the less I asked and
eventually I just stopped askingthe questions as he drove to
the airport that Monday.
(07:46):
You know, and, Nancy, I believewhen the when I share this story
, nothing happens by chance.
It is totally the Holy Spirit.
My mom, single mom, decided togo have lunch with me that
Monday, and even as a you know,you know, as a married parent,
(08:07):
right.
So stop your day and to go havelunch with your child doesn't
happen very often because it'sjust hard to find the time.
So it was totally out of theordinary for her.
But on that Monday she pulledup to my elementary school to
have lunch with me, pulled up tomy elementary school to have
(08:28):
lunch with me, and she walked tothe courtyard and as the kids
are filing to line up to go tothe lunchroom, she's scanning
and she doesn't see me.
And the teacher sees my mom andwalks over and my mom was like
you know where's Lauren?
And the teacher said, well,lauren never came to school
today.
And my mom was like what do youmean?
Lauren never came.
And the teacher said, well, herdad didn't drop her off.
(08:49):
Well, you know, nancy, the lastthing that my mom said to my
dad was make sure Lauren goes toschool.
So her first inkling wasfrustration.
You know it was like frustratedmad.
Well, this happened back in theeighties.
There's no cell phones, soinstead of going to her house,
which was right around thecorner.
She goes to the closest payphone and she calls.
(09:12):
He had a.
He owned a restaurant in theDallas area.
So she calls the restaurant andthey told my mom that Ollie
never came to work today.
And she's like you know what.
And so she begins morefrustrated.
So then she calls his house andthe phone rings and rings, and
(09:32):
rings and rings and nobodyanswers.
Well, the third phone call shemade prior to this happening,
prior to my mom going to gettingmarried, she had gone to Jordan
nine years before this hadhappened, to meet my dad's
family before the you know,before the wedding.
(09:52):
And she remembered that themain airlines going into Jordan
and to Amman back then wascalled the Alia Royal Airlines
and their headquarters were inNew York city.
Well again, I believe it's theHoly Spirit, like just at that
moment.
That third phone call, my momcalls the headquarters in New
York and the lady answers andshe begins to ask she said do
(10:16):
you have a Lauren and Ollie onyour flight reservations to go
to Jordan?
And the lady said ma'am, Ican't give out that kind of
information.
And then my mom's voice changedinto more of a panic and
emotion and she said please, Ithink my ex-husband has taken my
daughter, can you please helpme?
So the lady put my mom on hold.
(10:38):
A couple seconds go by and shecomes back online and she said
yes, ma'am.
Couple seconds go by and shecomes back online and she said
yes, ma'am, I have a Lauren andOllie landing in Amman, jordan,
this evening.
Nancy, that was the moment thatmy mom knew, yeah, you were
already on a flight.
That's the moment my mom knewthat my dad had taken me.
Wow, so her fourth phone call.
(11:06):
I said earlier my mom didn'thave family in Dallas, but her
closest friends were Rick andBeverly Lambert, and if you know
that last name, it's MirandaLambert's parents, the country
singer, songwriter.
But at this point Miranda wasonly three years old.
So Rick was a Dallas Countypolice officer, but he had
recently started his own privateinvestigation company with his
(11:27):
wife.
Beverly called Lambert andLambert.
So the fourth phone call fromthat pay phone.
My mom paged Rick 911.
Rick and Beverly happened to beworking together at the Dallas
County courthouse that day andwhen we talk about this story,
beverly says it's very rare thatthey work together.
But Rick got the page and helooked at Beverly.
(11:51):
He said that's Kathy,something's wrong.
She's paging me nine, nine oneone.
So he grabbed the closest phoneand call my mom.
And my mom began to tell Rickthat my dad had taken me.
So they jump in their car, theytell my mom, you know, meet her
at the townhouse.
And they drive like 90, 100miles down the Dallas Expressway
to meet her at her townhouse.
(12:12):
And then that's when everythingbegan to unfold.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
My goodness, oh my goodness.
I, like you said, this hasbecome a movie, and you can
already see why it's.
It's almost like how is this?
How is this real?
How can this happen?
Were you scared?
Because obviously you're goingto get, you're going to get
(12:38):
rescued?
We'll get to that part, butthis wasn't a day, right?
I mean, you were in Jordan formonths, right?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yes, I was in Jordan for three months.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Yeah, so we're not talking one day, two days, this
is a long time.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Correct, correct, and you know most children, one,
most children never return.
They never come back.
Two, they're at least gone fouror five years and so by the
time they come back they're justtotally different kids,
especially if they're beingtaken to a Middle Eastern
country, totally differentculture, language, religion, you
(13:19):
name it.
So during those three monthswhen I first got there, I
thought, okay, I'm going on avacation.
I had to accept that.
But when I started going toschool I knew this wasn't a
vacation and every time I wouldask my dad if I could call my
mom and talk to my mom, he wouldbecame very angry and upset.
(13:41):
He was a different man inJordan, angry and upset.
He was a different man inJordan, in Texas, he was loving
and kind.
He tucked me in at night, hebrushed my hair, he'd do all the
regular dad things In Jordan,even at seven, I could tell
there was a difference.
The men stayed together, thewomen stayed together.
(14:02):
And you have to remember, thisis my first time to meet my
grandmother and my aunts and youknow, and they all spoke Arabic
.
I didn't know what they weresaying, but it was my aunt's job
and my grandmother's job totake care of me.
I don't know what my dad wasdoing, but he was like doing
whatever the men were supposedto do.
So it's like I didn't even aparent to take care of me.
(14:25):
My stepmother wasn't there.
I would beg to call mystepmother.
I wasn't even allowed to talkto her because she was sent
somewhere else with with theother children.
They weren't there either.
So that was scary and hard andlonely because I didn't have
anyone I could confide in.
And then he started taking me tothe mosque and I thought that I
(14:48):
was praying to Jesus, but in adifferent language, in a
different way.
I didn't understand at sevenyears old the differences.
The food was different.
We would sit on the floor, wewould wash our feet and sit on
the floor and we would eat andscoop everything up with your
hands, because they didn't useutensils.
(15:08):
The bathrooms were different.
The bathroom was a hole in theground where you would squat
over the hole and there was achain above that you would pull.
They did not have toilet paper,so you would use your hand to
clean yourself.
For a seven-year-old littlegirl that grew up in the United
States, that was traumatic.
For a seven-year-old littlegirl that grew up in the United
States.
That was traumatic.
There were times where I didn'twant to use the bathroom and I
(15:32):
would hold it and I would havean accident and be so
embarrassed.
So those are the big memoriesthat I have, because it was such
a drastic change and I didn'thave anyone that I could reach
out to and, like I said, when mydad put me in school I knew
this was permanent, this was nota vacation anymore.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Did he tell you that or you just got this sense?
Speaker 2 (15:56):
I think I just got the sense he never he just
always would push me off.
It'll be fine, you'll see.
You're going to see your momsoon.
You're going to see yourstepmom soon, she's going to
come.
She was pregnant with theirthird child, so he would always
say, oh, it's too dangerous forher to fly, it's not safe.
It was all of those kinds ofthings to sort of push, push,
(16:17):
push.
I eventually got to talk to mymom on the phone, but he made it
very clear I'm going to belistening right beside you.
Don't say anything that wouldmake your mom upset.
You know, if she begins askingyou questions, don't answer
where you are.
It was very guardedconversation and he did the same
thing with my mom before shegot on the phone with me,
(16:40):
telling her Kathy, don't badmouth me, don't try to get any
clues or tips from Lauren, oryou won't be able to talk to her
again.
So the phone call.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
As much as I love talking to her, it was very
strained.
Yeah, yeah, you were bothpretending.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Right, yes, and as a mother now you know I have two
boys I can't imagine.
I can't imagine having to talkto my kids like that, wanting so
bad to ask all the questions,but too scared to ask.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Three months, that is a long time.
That is a long timeno-transcript that.
(17:45):
If you are intrigued by thisstory which I mean, how can you
not?
Then please listen to Lauren'spodcast, redeemed Podcast, and
you can see all these differentsides, because we are going to
have to kind of focus on yours,but there's so much more there
for those people that are likeoh, my goodness, I have to know
(18:05):
what my mom was thinking.
So you have all of that.
So this day that you wererescued, I assume for you it
started out like any other day.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
I?
Yes, it was like any other day.
Um, I have to back up becausethe biggest part of the rescue
is finding how did my mom findthe men to go and get me?
And nothing.
Nothing happened in my storywithout Jesus, nothing.
My mom was in that townhousefor days.
(18:42):
Rick and Beverly and Mirandathey all moved in with my mom
and lived with my mom thesethree months, helping her with
everything.
Rick Lambert told my mom to puta recording device on the phone
so anytime she called Jordan wewould have all the recordings
because they wanted to go backand listen.
So my mom was calling Jordanevery day, begging to be able to
(19:03):
talk to me, and I have all ofthose recordings and, like you
said, I share those on thepodcast.
She calls and she's begging,saying I'm Lauren's mother, let
me talk to Ali, let me talk toLauren, and people were only
speaking Arabic.
And it's day after day of this.
Rick and Beverly are trying tocall the police, they're trying
to call everyone.
They know all the contacts theyknow and everyone's saying
(19:24):
there's nothing we can do, it'soutside the jurisdiction, we
can't help, the United Statescannot get involved.
One day, beverly actually callsmy mom and I think that's
totally God that she calledbecause this conversation could
have happened in the townhouse.
But Beverly calls my mom andshe tells my mom cause I have it
(19:45):
all recorded, Kathy, you've gotto get away from the noise and
the chaos and and all the stuffand you've got to get away and
be with Jesus.
And my mom just starts cryingand she's like you're right, I
have to get away, I have to bewith Jesus.
I need you to pray, pray overLauren's protection, pray that
God, that God would protect her.
And then Beverly said Irecently read a book that says
(20:10):
the thing that brings you theclosest to God is fasting.
And my mom said, yes, I need toget away, I need to fast and
pray.
Prior to my mom doing that, rickhad made an appointment with
the district attorney's officeand the Dallas County courthouse
to meet with the grand jury,hoping that they could just get
(20:30):
a warrant out for my dad'sarrest.
And that was really the wholething was just let's get a
warrant out for Ollie's arrestso if he happens to come to the
United States, we can at leastput him in prison and then
figure out where Lauren is.
So she goes to that, thatmeeting at the courthouse and
she stands before the grand juryand she begins to tell her
story.
Well, they told her I'm sosorry, ma'am, we can't help you.
(20:53):
I mean, everyone has told herthat by now we can't help you.
So my mom breaks down cryingand she was like can I be honest
with you?
It's not fair.
We spend billions of dollars inforeign aid every year and
you're telling me you can't helpme get my daughter back.
It's just not fair.
And one man stands up and hisname is Alza Panta.
(21:14):
Alza Panta is still workingtoday.
He's worked in the politicalrealm, he's big in the military,
has tons of awards.
He stands up and opens hiswallet and he hands my mom his
business card.
And again, my mom has no cluewho this guy is.
He said my name is Elsa Panta.
If you're not happy with thestate department, call me and
(21:36):
I'll see what I can do.
Well, at that moment you knowwhat it's like when you feel so
depressed and so defeated.
She just put the card in herwallet and told him thank you.
She left, she grabbed, she wentback to the townhouse, grabbed
her Bible, grabbed her bag andshe drove to Fort Worth, texas,
checked herself into a motelroom and she was there for three
(21:59):
days and three nights and shefasted and prayed on that last
night and she fasted and prayedOn that last night she was down
on her knees praying and Godgave her the Bible verse, daniel
10, 12.
Do not be afraid, daniel.
Since the first day you setyour mind to gain understanding
and to humble yourself beforeGod, your words were heard.
(22:21):
God was telling my mom, kathy,I see you.
I see you because you'vehumbled yourself before me.
And then God it's like in her,the Holy spirit just sort of
told her you need to lay downyour cigarettes, you need to
wrestle with the areas ofunforgiveness and bitterness in
your heart.
And so my mom just spent thattime praying and working through
(22:43):
those areas and she left thattownhouse or that motel room and
just totally looked different.
She walked into the townhouseand Beverly said Kathy, you
don't look the same.
And my mom said I'm not thesame.
God told me I'm getting mydaughter back.
So she pulled out that card.
She called Al Nancy.
Al begins to tell my mom.
(23:04):
She called Al Nancy.
Al begins to tell my mom.
One week prior to him being atthat grand jury meeting, he was
in Washington DC meeting afriend of his for lunch.
His name is Everett Alvarez.
Everett Alvarez is one of thefirst POWs.
He has numerous, numerousawards.
Everett was telling Al about agroup of men that work in North
(23:26):
Carolina that by the name of CTUis their company name and their
mission is to go to the MiddleEast and to rescue people and
bring them out of the MiddleEast.
Al told my mom, kathy, they havenot done a mission.
Yours would be the first.
It's going to cost a lot ofmoney and the United States
(23:47):
cannot help.
They are ex-military, they arenot a part of the military.
The United States cannot help.
My mom said I don't care, putthem in contact with me, I want
to talk to them.
So she flew them to Dallas.
They met and, honestly, theywere blown away by her.
Yes, she was emotional, but shewas prepared.
(24:09):
She had binders of informationabout my dad and his whole
entire family, pictures ofJordan, maps of Jordan detailing
the streets and the buildings,everything.
So they agreed to take on themission and they told her the
same thing we haven't done amission and it's very dangerous,
you're risking your life.
And again she said I don't care.
(24:29):
So that's how my mom met themen.
It was only through God, my momfasting and praying.
And then everything started toyou know, click into place.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So how many men went to Jordanordan just to get you?
Speaker 2 (24:49):
yes, so three men went into jordan.
One stayed in cyprus.
Um, don, dave and jd were thethree men that went into jordan.
Dave went first, his um and Ijust did this reunion with the
men last weekend and it'samazing to hear them and to hug
them.
Uh, Dave is 85 and uh, I justGod is so good to give me these
(25:15):
opportunities.
But, um, Dave went in and hewas there about three weeks
before anybody else.
His job was to take to do allthe intelligence and the recon
to figure out the best way toget me out.
Once they found me, because youcan't just fly me out of there
and then he was struggling.
He couldn't find me.
He couldn't find my dad's housebecause nothing looked the same
(25:37):
with my mom's photos.
So then Don and JD went intoJordan and they were spending
time on the streets and theruins, acting like tourists.
Um, going between Jordan.
And they were spending time onthe streets and the ruins,
acting like tourists, goingbetween Jordan and Israel trying
to figure out the borders.
And after days and weeks oftrying to find me, they couldn't
.
And one day and JD was tellingthis to me in person he was
(26:02):
standing on the street cornerand he said I just he.
This is him talking.
He said I just had to pray.
I just started praying and saidGod, you got to show me where
this girl is because all of themwere believers.
So JD, standing on the streetcorner and day and Dawn is a
couple of feet away from him anda school bus pulls up right
(26:22):
beside where JD standing and heturns and looks through that
window of the school bus, pullsup right beside where JD's
standing and he turns and looksthrough that window of the
school bus and there I amsitting and I turn and we lock
eyes and I have darkercomplexion, I have dark hair,
but my eyes are a bright blue.
And he said, when he saw myeyes he knew it was me.
And so he ran over to Don andgrabbed him by the shoulders and
(26:45):
he said I saw Lauren.
I saw Lauren and Don was likewhat is going on?
How do you know?
And he goes, cause I saw hereyes and Don was like okay, calm
down, when is it?
I'm that bus, the bus that'sdriving past us.
And so they tried to get intothe car and follow the bus, but
it was too late.
But that was the first timethey actually had eyes on me
(27:05):
because at some point theythought maybe I was in Lebanon.
So then they contacted my momand they said okay, we have
spotted Lauren, she is in Jordan, but we can't find the house
because everything has changed.
You have to come and help us.
My mom, at this point was inCyprus and she was waiting with
Jim Hatfield was one of theother men.
(27:26):
Um, so my mom, you know, got indisguise, she flew into Oman
and the men met her at at theairport in Oman and she, at this
point she was pretty confident.
You know, she was veryemotional.
She's so much closer to me thanshe's ever been.
And they start to drive intoJerash and all of a sudden her
(27:48):
heart just sort of sinks down inher chest because nothing
looked the same.
The dirt roads were paved, thelittle buildings were now big.
So her confidence was dwindling.
And as they were zigzagging thestreets, streets, trying to get
my mom to remember something,she got down in the floorboard,
closed her eyes and beganpraying and crying out loud,
(28:11):
with the two men in the back andone of the guys in the front
driving.
And she's praying God, you haveto help me, you haven't brought
me and these men this far to noteven find the house, these men
this far to not even find thehouse.
And it's like the Holy Spiritstarted showing her the way.
(28:32):
She had walked the streets armand arm with my aunts nine years
prior and she began saying,without even opening her eyes
turn left, go straight, turnright.
And then all of a sudden shelooked up and she saw my dad's
white car with Texas licenseplates sitting on the street
because he had had his carshipped to Jordan.
So at that moment she froze andfinally she said I saw the car.
(28:55):
So Don said you know, Kathy,hide your face, look away.
And about that time Don lookedup across the street and he saw
my dad walk out of the building.
So that was the first time thatthey had finally located my
father's house.
Again, Nancy, after my mom waspraying in the floorboard of
that car.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Wow, wow, yeah.
And you can say, oh, they wentand they rescued you, but this
was again not.
They flew in and a day laterthey had you.
This was a lot of time.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Oh yeah, and when you hear Dave's interview he talks
about all the logistics of it.
The longer you're in country,the more risk of being found out
, especially in a small townlike that.
My dad, I think, had 12siblings a huge family so they
were changing rental cars everyday, they were changing
disguises, they made sure theyweren't seen together, being
(29:49):
very cautious not to be seen andto stick out like a sore thumb.
And so, as the days wereticking, they were also working
under a visa and so their visaswere about to expire.
So time was ticking down.
So now they had a plan.
They knew they couldn't get meout of the house because the
house was in the middle of thecity and near a police station,
(30:11):
so they knew that was toodangerous.
The next part was they decidedthey were going to escape over
the Allenby bridge.
It go.
It crosses the Jordan riverinto Israel.
That would be the safest way toget me out, and Dave explains
why the other routes were notsafe.
But it was a 45-minute drivebetween Jerash and Israel if we
(30:35):
took that bridge.
But you have to have a passport, you have to have a border pass
, you have to have an entry pass, so all these other details
they had to work through and allof those little bits and pieces
were all miracles as well.
But they decided that they weregoing to hijack the school bus
and that's how they would get meout.
(30:56):
Because as they were watchingthe bus routes, one day they saw
that the bus stopped at onelittle farmhouse on the outskirt
of town and they figured thatwould be the safest place to get
me, because it's, you know,further away from the police,
further away from the crowds.
So that's exactly what they did.
The day of the mission, judy isDon's wife.
(31:17):
Judy was back in North Carolinaworking at CTU and she was
managing things on stateside.
They had to be careful whatthey said over the phone, not
knowing who might be listening.
So Judy came up with a codeword the sun is shining.
And she told Don, tell Kathy,the code word is the sun is
(31:37):
shining, not S-U-N but S-O-N,because the sun is Jesus.
And my mom was like yes, thesun, the sun is shining.
So that day she said you know,the sun is shining.
(31:57):
The mission is a go.
Dave was in one getaway car andDon, jd and my mom were in
another car and Dave's job wasto watch the house to make sure
I actually got on the bus,because they don't want to
hijack a school bus and me noteven be on it.
So once they saw that I got onthe bus, they said the code word
.
And as soon as the bus passedDon, he zoomed behind the bus
(32:21):
and parked so that the bus wassort of sandwiched in.
Don got out and went over tothe driver's side and start
speaking in English to distractthe driver and, is you know,
waving his hands.
Jd went over to the passengerside, like the accordion style
doors, and he was trying towedge his way to to get them to
open the door.
And my mom they were alldressed in disguise, with her
(32:43):
hair covered.
She went over to my window.
She spotted me and she tappedon my window.
And there's lots of things Ican't remember, but I will never
forget seeing my mom for thefirst time through that window.
Her eyes we have the same coloreyes.
She's staring right at me andshe's motioning to me and all I
(33:04):
can think is it looks just likemy mom.
But how can it be my mom's inDallas, I think?
At this point I just thought Iwas never going to see her again
.
So I froze.
I immediately went in shock.
My mom was trying to motion tome and I wouldn't move.
So Dave pushes his way onto thebus.
He gets the keys out of theignition.
(33:24):
He throws the keys in somebushes, hoping that they'll go
looking for the keys instead ofgoing straight to the police,
which is what they did as adistraction.
My mom pushes onto the bus,pushing past JD, past all the
kids in the rows of seats, andshe scoops me up and she grabs
my backpack and she's getting meoff the bus.
As we get off, there's a ladychaperone and she jumps on my
(33:49):
mom's back.
My mom has to let go of my handlong enough to punch the lady
in the nose.
Jd had taught her how to dothat prior to, and blood's just
going all down this lady's face.
So I am really in shock.
I'm seeing my mom punch thislady and all the commotion.
So Don and JD see what'shappening and they come over and
(34:09):
they get me in in the getawaycar.
They get my mom in the car andwe began to speed off and we
meet Dave and we switch carsbecause we did not want anyone
to recognize the car we were in.
So Dave actually had thetrickiest, most risky job.
He took the car that we used tohijack the bus and he went back
(34:32):
towards the city as a decoy.
The other decoy we had that daywas my mom had made
reservations for us to fly outof Amman back to the United
States, hoping that theauthorities would be looking for
us at the airport.
So, don, I'm sorry Dave getspulled over on the side of the
(34:53):
road.
He is surrounded by Jordanianpolice and military.
They pull him out of the car.
They are going through everyinch of his car, the trunk of
his car, looking for anyevidence of us.
And he's just talking inEnglish, acting like a tourist,
asking where's the best place togo fishing.
He's eating a Snickers bar, andthis goes on for like 30, 40
(35:14):
minutes.
The bus driver comes, theybring the bus driver to where
Dave is and the bus driver, inArabic, is saying that's the car
.
But I don't know who this guyis, because remember, dave
wasn't there at the hijacking.
As this is going on, all of asudden Dave can hear on the
walkie talkies and the radiosAlia airport, alia airport,
(35:38):
nancy.
Every single one of thosemilitary men.
They got in their cars.
They left Dave on the side ofthe road and they all went to
the airport looking for us.
They shut down the wholeairport looking for me and Dave
was able to get away While thatwas going on.
(35:58):
We didn't know.
We're in another car headed toIsrael, and on this day my mom
and the guys this past weekendwere talking about how thick the
fog was.
The fog was so thick that youcould not see the front of your
car.
So as we're driving, we slowdown long enough because between
(36:23):
Israel and Jordan there waslittle.
There was refugee camps, peopleliving in tents on the side of
the road.
My mom's getting me out of myschool uniform and putting me in
other clothes and they're alltaking their disguises off and
changing clothes.
So we hand all the clothes outto the people living in the
tents on the side of the roadand we can only go so fast
because they can't really seethe road very well.
(36:43):
And as we go over a hill, mymom sees this bright light in
the distance and she asked Don.
She said what is that?
What is that bright light?
What is that in the distance?
And Don said well, kathy,that's Israel.
The sun is shining over Israeland Nancy.
My mom just started crying andagain it's like God was just
(37:06):
telling her I am with you, kathy, I am not going to leave you,
because that's one of thescariest moments we could get
captured any minute and so shejust felt that peace over her
again.
So we get to the checkpoint andif you've ever been to that area
, you can't drive.
Well, back then you couldn'tdrive a car over the bridge.
(37:27):
You had to leave your car onthe Jordanian side.
You get on a bus and the bustakes you across the border into
Israel.
My mom had to give them all ofour paperwork, our passports,
our visas, and we're sitting onthat bus.
It took like 30 minutes for thebus driver to finally get on
(37:48):
and drive us across.
So, nancy, we were on the, wewere on the bus, myself and my
mom and Dawn and JD, and it wasintense emotions, as you could
imagine.
My mom was holding me andpraying silently as that bus
started going over the border,and the way it works is there's
(38:12):
a Jordanian bus driver and aJordanian soldier that takes you
partway and then in the middleof the bridge, as you're
crossing over the Jordan River,the Allenby Bridge, there is a
shack and there is an Israelibus driver and soldier and they
switch to take us on over intoIsrael.
(38:32):
So, as we start to approachthat shack and they are
switching the guards, if youwould say behind us there was a
big commotion where we had justleft and that was at the point
where they realized the military, the Jordanian soldiers, had
realized that we were not at theairport, but we were actually
(38:54):
on that bus.
That's how close everythinghappened.
So, as our bus continues to goover into Israel, they realized
that we were on the bus, but atthat point there's nothing they
could do.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Okay, so there's no turning back for them.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
They can't say hey, wait, wait, wait or wow, that's
right, that's right, Because wehad passed over, we had gone
into Israel, we had crossed theborder, the Jordanian soldiers
were no longer with us on thatbus and you know I was in shock.
People ask me, Lauren, do youremember?
And no, I don't remember thatpoint.
My, my best memory was when mymom was tapping on the bus
(39:34):
window and I first saw herthrough the window.
After that I went into shockand I don't have a lot of memory
of what happened.
But talking to my mom, she'slike it's like a movie which
there is a movie about my story.
It's like when you see in themovies where people get down on
the ground, they want to kissthe ground.
We get off that bus, my momjust wants to kiss the ground.
(39:56):
She starts crying, All thosetears are falling, all those
emotions that she'd been holdingtogether and of course I'm
crying and hugging her.
And there was a group of womenon the on the side of, on the
Israeli side, and they saw allthe commotion and they go over
to JD and JD was this big,handsome military guy and they
(40:18):
said excuse me, sir, what'sgoing on?
What's?
What's wrong with that?
Mom Is the little girl?
Okay, you know, they could tellsomething intense had just
happened.
Jd looks at them with thesetears coming down his face,
which is probably shocking forthese women, and he said you see
that mom and that little girl.
We just brought them out ofJordan.
(40:38):
That little girl was takenthree months ago by her father
and we just rescued her and thisis the first time for her to be
reunited with her mom.
Well, Nancy, those women beginto jump up and down and they
started saying praise you, Jesus, Hallelujah, we have come to
the promised land and we haveseen a miracle Like I mean
(41:03):
promised land.
And we have seen a miracle LikeI mean God was with us the
whole time, from the sun isshining, to the sun is literally
shining over Israel, and thenthose sweet women jumping up and
down to celebrate and to comearound and pray with us.
It was just.
You know, God is so good andit's a good reminder that, no
matter what hard things you gothrough not a lot of people,
hopefully, will know what it'slike to have a child kidnapped,
(41:26):
but a lot of us know how hardlife can be and I truly believe
the longer you live, the morelikelihood you're going to know
what hardship looks like.
So it's a reminder that Godsees you in every part, but we
just have to have faith andcontinue to surrender those
things to God, and he will showup in a mighty way.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Wow, if you don't have tears, I don't know how you
couldn't.
That was such a beautiful story.
Why do you think your dadwanted you over there?
And I don't mean that rudely,it just from your, from what you
were saying, it sounded like hewas super wonderful in the
United States, but then wasn'treally that fatherly figure
(42:12):
there.
Do you know what happened orwhy he wanted you there, even
though it kind of sounds like hedidn't want to be a part of
your life?
I don't know, maybe I'moverstating.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
Well.
So a lot of it, I think, is thecultural differences.
It's not that he didn't want methere.
He wanted me to be raisedMuslim.
He wanted me to be raised inhis tradition.
And I think that he left my momas soon as she found out she
was pregnant and I'm assumingthat all of a sudden he thought
oh yeah, I'm a dad, first timedad, I have these
(42:46):
responsibilities to raise myfamily in Jordan, with my family
and the traditions and mycustoms.
And so from the day the momenthe knew he was going to be a dad
, that was his desire and thatdidn't pan out for him.
And then, when you turn seven,in the laws in Jordan back then
I don't know if they still areall rights go to the father.
(43:07):
Well, he took me my birthday'sin September, he took me in
October.
So he was planning this thewhole time.
He knew what he was doing.
So that was all calculated.
I really think he wanted me tobe raised.
You know, just like I have avery strong faith as a Christian
that's why I'm sharing mytestimony and so I can
understand strong beliefs and soI think he and his mind thought
(43:30):
he was doing the right thing.
And then to answer the questionabout you know, once he got me
over there, he wasn't really theloving father.
Well, that and I don't want tospeak for everyone that you know
is from Jordan, but from what Iunderstand, there are clear
lines.
The women take care of thechildren and the home.
(43:51):
The men go do whatever the mendo and that is very that is a
tradition.
That is the customs there wherehe grew up, and so I think he
was practicing his beliefs and Inever saw that part of him in
the United States.
I didn't know this man.
I also didn't understand goingto the mosque and praying to
(44:15):
Allah, you know, in a differentlanguage.
So there's a lot of culturalshock that I was going through
in a different language.
So there's a lot of culturalshock that I was going through.
So I think that's what I wasseeing as a seven year old
little girl being in a foreigncountry for the first time and
without my mom and withoutreally the dad that I knew.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Thank you for that.
Yeah, what is your relationshipwith your dad now, and were you
or are you able to forgive him?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
with your dad now and were you or are you able to
forgive him?
That's why I'm sharing my story.
You know, nancy, a lot of timesI say my own story really began
after I came home from beingrescued.
That's where my journey ofhealing had to start.
I was a broken little girl witha stolen childhood.
My relationship with my fatherwould never be the same the day
(45:05):
he took me.
He stole my siblings from me,he stole my stepmother from me
and he stole that relationshipwith him from me.
You know, because he broke thattrust.
That was a long, a lot of yearsof healing from that.
To answer your question, my mom, that's a whole nother story.
(45:26):
She's amazing, um, she neverbad-mouthed my dad.
She allowed me to continue totry to have a relationship with
him, whatever that looked like.
For years we we changed our lastnames.
We lived in hiding.
By the time I was in highschool I moved like 14 times.
My life was very fearful thoseearly years that my dad might
(45:47):
try to come and get me.
So we always were living inhiding.
So the way we communicated ismy dad would send letters to my
grandmother, who lived inFlorida, and then my grandmother
would mail the letters to me,so he never really knew where we
lived.
Well, you know, I'd get aletter and my heart would start
racing, some with fear, somewith excitement, trying to
figure out who is this father,who is this man.
(46:09):
He'd send me pictures of mysiblings and I longed for that
family that I lost and then,later into my high school,
middle school years, I actuallygot to see my dad for the first
time and that was amazing,looking back, that my mom
allowed that to happen, but itwas a part of my healing journey
(46:30):
.
We were still sort of living alittle bit in fear, very careful
.
We met in a big crowded malland he didn't know where we were
living at the time, but thatwas scary, nancy.
My, I still remember my heartwas beating out of my chest you
know whenever you're reallyscared and you feel like
everyone can hear that, thatheartbeat.
As I walked up and I saw my dadfor the first time and it's
(46:52):
like this man standing in frontof me that looks like me, that
has the dark hair and the olivecomplexion, and I'm like, oh my
gosh, this is this man, he'sreal, he's right in front of me.
And then he starts to speak andI hear that thick Arabic accent
and that fear starts to comeover me.
But then my siblings were thereand that made it easier, and so
(47:14):
that was a process of seeinghim, and it was hard and awkward
.
He kept telling me he loved meand calling me his baby, and all
I could think of is I don'teven know who you are, you're a
stranger to me.
So into my college years Icontinued to try to have a
relationship, but it was hard.
It was hard because I keptthinking that the man in front
of me was going to say the magicwords to make all this hurt go
(47:38):
away, all this anger go awaybitterness, brokenness Because
for years I looked aroundthinking why is my childhood so
messed up?
Why did I have to have so manylast names?
Why don't I have the typicalfamily?
And it's because of what he did.
And I also struggled with God.
How can you be a good father ifyou allow this to happen to me?
(48:02):
Yes, you brought me out ofJordan.
Yes, that was a miracle, butwhy did you allow it to happen
at all?
So that was a lot of healing Ihad to go through, and you know,
nancy, what I realized throughlots of prayer and being in a
Bible study and being in a smallgroup where I could unpack
(48:22):
these feelings, I learned thatthere was never anything my
biological father could say tome that was going to be the
magical words to heal me.
It was going to be my heavenlyfather to take me through those
wounds.
God had to show me how toforgive my dad, and God had to
show me, lauren, I'm nothinglike your earthly father.
(48:43):
I am so much more than that.
I love you so much more thanyou'll ever know if you'll just
trust me.
And so I had to learn how totrust my heavenly father and let
him walk me through thathealing Wow.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Yes, I think that when you said, okay, we got into
Israel, I'm thinking great, thestory's over.
But, like you said, I'm surethat's just the beginning of so
much.
So were you in witnessprotection or did you kind of
just put yourself in that kindof changing places and names and
things like that?
Speaker 2 (49:21):
places and names and things like that.
Yeah, good question.
So Beverly Lambert I remember Ihad shared that Beverly and
Rick were private investigators.
And Beverly, whenever Iinterview her on my podcast and
I can't remember exactly how shesaid it, but she she told my
mom you know, I'm really good atfinding people as a private
investigator.
Then I know I can hide you,because if I can find you I can
(49:42):
hide you.
So Bev helped us hide.
She took that role on when wecame back to Dallas and she
walked my mom through thatprocess of helping us change our
name and to hide us.
So that's who helped us throughthat process.
Speaker 1 (49:59):
Wow, I can't imagine I I really did had no idea that
you'd have to go that far as faras okay, now you're in the
United States and you havetrauma and things to work
through, but that that fear thatit could happen again, Wow.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
Well, and I'll tell you a funny story.
So I told you, I grew up inLindale when I went to got my
driver's license at the age of16, you know, how do you get a
driver's license when you'vealready had like two last names
and how do you prove it?
I had my birth certificate withBayonne, and then we chose the
last name, elliot, and then my.
Then I had Hopkins.
(50:37):
I had, you know, three and Ihadn't been married.
So we showed up to the driver'slicense place whatever it's
called and showed up with ourmagazine articles, with the book
, with the movie, to prove who Ireally was.
So everyone comes out to likey'all got to hear this story
about this girl, the 16 year old, trying to get the driver's
license.
She was kidnapped and so,anyways, that's how I got my
(50:58):
driver's license for the firsttime.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
Wow, wow, and so, anyways that's how I got my
driver's license for the firsttime.
Wow, wow.
Why are you sharing your storynow?
I know that you have yourpodcast and we'll link that.
And have I heard right thatyou're working on a book?
Speaker 2 (51:10):
I am.
I am working on a book.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Yes, that's it For me .
I see a huge shift right.
We had to be in hiding.
We had to change our name tojust openly sharing your story,
which I'm so grateful for.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
But can you share how that shift happened?
About a year ago I was sittingin my living room and Miranda
Lambert had come up with acookbook and it's just their
family recipes.
And I'm sitting in my livingroom reading it and I start to
hear like God's voice sayingLauren, it's time for you to
write your story.
And I'm getting emotionalreading about Beverly's meatloaf
(51:49):
.
I'm like why am I emotionalreading this?
But it's like God just keptsaying Lauren, it's time for you
to share your story.
And I'm like God, I don't knowhow.
I'm a full time physicaltherapist, I'm a mom, I have
dyslexia, I don't know how towrite a book.
And God just kept putting thaton my heart and it would not go
away.
And I was like, okay, I'm goingto pray and I continue to pray
(52:11):
and I've just sort of followedthis path.
And then it opened up to doinga podcast, and me doing a
podcast has allowed me tointerview all the men that
rescued me, which I haven'ttalked to them since my rescue
37 years ago Next week, ifyou're listening to this
Halloween 37 years, this pastHalloween.
But that's why I feel likeGod's really telling me it's my
(52:34):
time, because I want people toknow that God's a big God and he
heals and he redeems and herestores.
Nothing is too big for him,doesn't matter how long you've
been carrying around that angerand bitterness and unforgiveness
.
He can let you be free from it,because now I'm a mom and I'm a
wife and I don't live with thatanger towards my dad anymore.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
That's so good and you don't have that fear, I hope
.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
No, no fear, no fear at all.
No, God has set me free fromall of that, and so that's why
I'm sharing now.
I don't think I could haveshared this story four years ago
.
It's just, you know, God bringsyou to a place in in your life
when it's time and when he'shealed those parts of you and
and he gives you that boldness,and so that's why now's the time
(53:22):
.
Speaker 1 (53:24):
What would you say to someone who is not probably
gone through what you did but,like you said, maybe fearful,
maybe anger, maybe resentful,maybe not forgiveness?
Is there something that youwould share on top of what you
already have?
Speaker 2 (53:38):
Scriptures would share on top of what you already
have Scriptures, I mean,there's so many times I remember
in high school being in my bedcrying like God, I don't know
where to even go, what to evendo, and being around people that
can point you to Jesus.
Even though it might be awkwardand weird to get in a small
(53:59):
group, it's life changingBecause newsflash everyone's
been through hard things.
So when you start to open up,it starts that healing process.
But God gives us so manyscriptures, like in Mark 11, 25.
And when you stand praying, ifyou have hold anything against
anyone, forgive them.
So your father in heaven mayforgive you.
(54:20):
If I was still holding onto thatunforgiveness towards my, my
earthly father, my heart wouldbe hard and bitter and angry.
And forgiving doesn't mean whathe did was okay.
Forgiving doesn't mean that Ihave to forget.
Forgiving is just God.
It's yours to take care of.
The Bible says revenge is mine,says the Lord.
It's not up to Lauren to punishanyone.
(54:42):
That's up to God.
And so when I can let that go,then my healing started.
So that's what I would say,especially if someone's holding
on to unforgiveness, whateverthat looks like, continue to
pray about that over and overagain.
It might take you five years,but God will soften that area of
your heart.
Speaker 1 (55:03):
That's so good.
Thank you for sharing that, andI've loved getting to know you.
I've loved getting your storyand I'm just so thankful.
Lauren just reached out to meon Instagram or something, and
we are both pretty new with ourpodcasts and it's just so
beautiful how God's interwovenour relationship and I'm so
(55:24):
thankful for that with you.
Speaker 2 (55:27):
Oh, me too, I love just being able to text you and
ask you questions and go throughthis journey together, because
it's a journey we're learning.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
It's fun to do it together.
So I always end with a fewquestions what is your favorite
Bible verse or story?
So I always end with a fewquestions.
Speaker 2 (55:43):
What is your favorite Bible verse or story?
Well, bible story, it's beenRuth since I was a little girl,
because who doesn't like Ruth?
And then Psalms 107, to let theredeemed of the Lord tell their
story those he redeemed fromthe hand of the foe, and that's
why my podcast is calledredeemed, because God, god,
redeems all the broken areas,you know, and over and over
(56:07):
again he promises that in hisword.
Speaker 1 (56:12):
That's good.
What are you?
Speaker 2 (56:13):
grateful for.
Oh man, there's so much to begrateful for my family.
I'm so grateful I'll getemotional.
My boys have lived in the samehouse their whole life.
They have the same parents.
I didn't know what that lookedlike.
I was that broken little girlthinking I wish my family looked
(56:39):
like that, and God's redeemedthat through my family.
So I'm so thankful for myfamily and my husband supporting
me because I mean, this is alot, you know, working full time
and trying to write a book anddoing a podcast.
He's a trooper.
So I'm very thankful for myfamily.
Speaker 1 (56:51):
That's that's so good and that's a reminder of how
God can do that right.
Because you see that in theworld, where it's hard for
generational blessing or cursesto stop, and so for that to
happen in one generation for youis such a testament to God and
(57:11):
for you doing the work too,thank you, you're right.
What kindness have you shown orwhat kindness have you seen in
the last week?
Speaker 2 (57:24):
I'm a physical therapist and so most of the
time my patients might tell youthat I'm torturing them, but
just kindness.
It's really cool in my careerbecause, yes, I'm, I'm helping
them physically, but just theconversations and talking
through things and getting toknow people, just the
conversations and talkingthrough things and getting to
know people, sharing God's wordlittle by little, even in the
(57:48):
clinic.
That is just a day to day.
That's the cool thing about myjob, is that kindness and
sometimes just listening,because sometimes you might be
the only one to actually listen.
So I get to do that in mycareer on a daily basis.
Speaker 1 (57:59):
That's great and on your podcast you get to listen.
Speaker 2 (58:02):
And on my podcast.
Yes, yes, I love it.
Speaker 1 (58:06):
Well, thank you for sharing your story, and I'm
praying over everyone who islistening that either is just
wowed by it or can reallyresonate with certain parts.
I think all of us can resonatewith something in that, and that
we would hear you talk aboutGod's redemption and forgiveness
(58:26):
and that we would really takethat to heart.
Speaker 2 (58:30):
Me too, amen.
I'm on that prayer with you.
Speaker 1 (58:32):
Thank you Well, thank you for joining us on Ordinary
People Extraordinary Things,where your story is His glory.
I hope that this episode hasbeen impactful for you and a
reminder at Ordinary PeopleExtraordinary Things, your story
is His glory, and so make yourstory known in order for His
(58:53):
glory to shine.
We do that with faith and hopewith every story that we hear.
We will be back in two weekswith a brand new episode.
In the meantime, check out allfive seasons of Ordinary People
Extraordinary Things and makesure to share it with your
friends and family that will beimpacted by this podcast.
Thank you for making Ordinary People Extraordinary
Things what it is today.
Thank you for sharing.
You are the best way for peopleto hear about Ordinary People,
extraordinary Things, and aboutfaith and hope and how it
impacts us.
We are in 42 countries.
I cannot believe it.
(00:21):
Continue to share.
Continue to share with peopleall over the world, in your own
city and the country where weremember that, at Ordinary
People Extraordinary Things,your story is His glory.
Well, welcome to OrdinaryPeople Extraordinary Things.
I'm here with Lauren.
Lauren, thanks for being on.
You're so welcome.
(00:41):
Thanks for having me.
I am so excited to talk withyou.
We have just become kind offast friends, I feel like, and
I'm so thankful for this.
We live in different states,but God both gave us podcasts to
glorify him and it's just beenreally fun to work together and
help each other and send anemail or an encouragement, so
(01:03):
I've just enjoyed that other andsend an email or an
encouragement.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So I've just enjoyed that, me too.
I, when I started podcastingjust six months ago, I'm like
God, how do I do this, and areyou sure this is what you want
me to do?
And he just keeps puttingpeople like you in my life to
say, yes, I'm going to encourageyou, I'm going to give you the
people to help.
I'm like, okay, just keeptrucking along.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yes, yes.
And so if people don't know who, you are.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Can you give three words or phrases to describe
yourself?
I am a mom and a wife.
I like to talk a lot, sopodcasting is good, and I am a
hard worker and I'm verypassionate about Jesus and I'm
passionate about life in general.
That's good.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
That's good.
So what was your young growingup Like I'm going to say before
seven, because that seven have awhole nother story we're
getting into but what was yourlife like before that, before
this?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So my, you know everyone's got a crazy story and
that's me, my, my life startedbroken.
Um, I, my parents, met in theDallas area.
My father is from Jordan.
If you don't know where Jordanis, it's near.
It's near Israel.
Actually, I bet everybody knowsright now it's in the news
nonstop.
Um and my parents met in theDallas area.
(02:23):
My mom's from Florida, my mom'sChristian, my father's Muslim.
They were married for aboutfour years prior to my mom being
pregnant with me.
I was their first child andwhen my father found out my mom
was pregnant, he told my momthat his dad was sick and that
(02:43):
he needed to go to Jordan totake care of his dad.
And, honestly, my mom didn'tthink anything of it.
She was in her young 20s.
She didn't have any family inDallas, she only had some really
good friends of hers and shesaid, yeah, no problem, didn't
think anything of it.
Well, he ended up being gonefor three months.
So some point during herpregnancy my mom thought that
(03:08):
she was abandoned and that hewasn't coming back.
So you can imagine that kind ofstress being alone.
She actually had me about eightweeks, six weeks early,
somewhere in there, when, atsome time around when she had me
my.
My dad did come back, but helooked different.
He was dressed different andall the traditional Jordanian
(03:28):
clothing, and he told my momthat he had gone to Jordan to
make a home for us.
He had found a job, he hadfound a house, and my mom was in
shock.
So I mean, if you're a mom, youcan understand all the hormones
, having a newborn early, thestress of your husband leaving
you and then finding out youknow what he wants to move you
(03:50):
to Jordan.
And so my mom was like no,absolutely not.
So by the time I was six weeksold, my mom had filed for
divorce.
My mom had full custody of meand I was your typical divorced
kid going between two households.
You know every other weekend.
But you know, nancy, the crazything is my parents had a great
(04:10):
relationship.
I mean, my mom was a single momall of a sudden trying to
figure out how to make ends meet.
He wasn't paying child support.
She actually moved in with afriend to help with rent.
She was trying to figure outhow to get like food stamps,
like how do you pay for formulaand diapers?
Um, but anytime my mom neededhelp, then my dad would say, hey
, I can take, lauren, you know,an extra weekend, and so that
(04:34):
part was easy.
My dad remarried and I loved mystep-mom.
Her family was also from theMiddle East, but she was raised
in the United States and theybegan having their own children.
So now I had little siblings Iwas the oldest, so up until the
age of seven, that's what mylife looked like, going between
(04:54):
two households.
Um and I had a greatrelationship with my dad.
He was very loving and kind andum, my and both my parents were
very supportive.
They made it work.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
So what happened when you were seven years old?
It's a day that I'm just goingto say changed your life.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yes, my life changed at seven so much that there's a
movie made about my life, um,and we'll get into that in a
little bit.
But, um, my mom again, she wasa single mom and she, uh, my, my
father had asked can Laurenstay with us one extra day to go
(05:38):
trick or treating?
It was Halloween weekend, mybirthday's in September.
This happened in October.
So, and so, halloween weekend,he asked if I could stay one
extra night and my mom saidabsolutely no problem, as long
as you take Lauren to school onMonday.
Because I had just started newschool and I was excited.
(05:59):
I wanted to gotrick-or-treating and show off.
I had a cheerleading uniform.
I remember it was blue andyellow.
My mom put my hair in pigtails,I had bright red lipstick and I
couldn't wait to show off formy siblings.
And so my dad comes to pick meup at our house, at our
townhouse in the Dallas area,and when he comes to pick me up,
(06:21):
it was just him.
I was expecting my siblings tobe there, my stepmom, and so I
kissed my mom goodbye.
And I still remember it's funnyhow you remember certain things
my suitcase was pink.
It was the one that said likegoing to grandma's on the
outside and I grabbed mysuitcase, I get in a car and I
was like, hey, where's mystepmom, where's my sister and
(06:42):
my brother?
And my dad turned around andlooked at me and said, well, I
have a big surprise for you.
And I'm like, yeah, we're goingtrick or treating.
And he said, no, I'm taking youon a big trip, we're going to
the airport.
And I was like, what do youmean?
We're going to the airport?
My mom never told me we weregoing on a trip.
(07:03):
She said we were goingtrick-or-treating and I've
always been very talkative, soall the questions are coming out
.
And he said, well, we're goingto Jordan.
I want you to meet your familyYou've never met.
And I said, well, does my momknow?
And he said, yes, of course,everything's fine, lauren,
you're fine, don't worry.
Well, the more questions Iasked, the more aggravated he
(07:26):
became.
And you know, all kids knowwhen they're pushing their
parents' buttons and they knowwhen to stop.
So eventually, the more upsethe got, the less I asked and
eventually I just stopped askingthe questions as he drove to
the airport that Monday.
(07:46):
You know, and, Nancy, I believewhen the when I share this story
, nothing happens by chance.
It is totally the Holy Spirit.
My mom, single mom, decided togo have lunch with me that
Monday, and even as a you know,you know, as a married parent,
(08:07):
right.
So stop your day and to go havelunch with your child doesn't
happen very often because it'sjust hard to find the time.
So it was totally out of theordinary for her.
But on that Monday she pulledup to my elementary school to
have lunch with me, pulled up tomy elementary school to have
(08:28):
lunch with me, and she walked tothe courtyard and as the kids
are filing to line up to go tothe lunchroom, she's scanning
and she doesn't see me.
And the teacher sees my mom andwalks over and my mom was like
you know where's Lauren?
And the teacher said, well,lauren never came to school
today.
And my mom was like what do youmean?
Lauren never came.
And the teacher said, well, herdad didn't drop her off.
(08:49):
Well, you know, nancy, the lastthing that my mom said to my
dad was make sure Lauren goes toschool.
So her first inkling wasfrustration.
You know it was like frustratedmad.
Well, this happened back in theeighties.
There's no cell phones, soinstead of going to her house,
which was right around thecorner.
She goes to the closest payphone and she calls.
(09:12):
He had a.
He owned a restaurant in theDallas area.
So she calls the restaurant andthey told my mom that Ollie
never came to work today.
And she's like you know what.
And so she begins morefrustrated.
So then she calls his house andthe phone rings and rings, and
(09:32):
rings and rings and nobodyanswers.
Well, the third phone call shemade prior to this happening,
prior to my mom going to gettingmarried, she had gone to Jordan
nine years before this hadhappened, to meet my dad's
family before the you know,before the wedding.
(09:52):
And she remembered that themain airlines going into Jordan
and to Amman back then wascalled the Alia Royal Airlines
and their headquarters were inNew York city.
Well again, I believe it's theHoly Spirit, like just at that
moment.
That third phone call, my momcalls the headquarters in New
York and the lady answers andshe begins to ask she said do
(10:16):
you have a Lauren and Ollie onyour flight reservations to go
to Jordan?
And the lady said ma'am, Ican't give out that kind of
information.
And then my mom's voice changedinto more of a panic and
emotion and she said please, Ithink my ex-husband has taken my
daughter, can you please helpme?
So the lady put my mom on hold.
(10:38):
A couple seconds go by and shecomes back online and she said
yes, ma'am.
Couple seconds go by and shecomes back online and she said
yes, ma'am, I have a Lauren andOllie landing in Amman, jordan,
this evening.
Nancy, that was the moment thatmy mom knew, yeah, you were
already on a flight.
That's the moment my mom knewthat my dad had taken me.
Wow, so her fourth phone call.
(11:06):
I said earlier my mom didn'thave family in Dallas, but her
closest friends were Rick andBeverly Lambert, and if you know
that last name, it's MirandaLambert's parents, the country
singer, songwriter.
But at this point Miranda wasonly three years old.
So Rick was a Dallas Countypolice officer, but he had
recently started his own privateinvestigation company with his
(11:27):
wife.
Beverly called Lambert andLambert.
So the fourth phone call fromthat pay phone.
My mom paged Rick 911.
Rick and Beverly happened to beworking together at the Dallas
County courthouse that day andwhen we talk about this story,
beverly says it's very rare thatthey work together.
But Rick got the page and helooked at Beverly.
(11:51):
He said that's Kathy,something's wrong.
She's paging me nine, nine oneone.
So he grabbed the closest phoneand call my mom.
And my mom began to tell Rickthat my dad had taken me.
So they jump in their car, theytell my mom, you know, meet her
at the townhouse.
And they drive like 90, 100miles down the Dallas Expressway
to meet her at her townhouse.
(12:12):
And then that's when everythingbegan to unfold.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
My goodness, oh my goodness.
I, like you said, this hasbecome a movie, and you can
already see why it's.
It's almost like how is this?
How is this real?
How can this happen?
Were you scared?
Because obviously you're goingto get, you're going to get
(12:38):
rescued?
We'll get to that part, butthis wasn't a day, right?
I mean, you were in Jordan formonths, right?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yes, I was in Jordan for three months.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Yeah, so we're not talking one day, two days, this
is a long time.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Correct, correct, and you know most children, one,
most children never return.
They never come back.
Two, they're at least gone fouror five years and so by the
time they come back they're justtotally different kids,
especially if they're beingtaken to a Middle Eastern
country, totally differentculture, language, religion, you
(13:19):
name it.
So during those three monthswhen I first got there, I
thought, okay, I'm going on avacation.
I had to accept that.
But when I started going toschool I knew this wasn't a
vacation and every time I wouldask my dad if I could call my
mom and talk to my mom, he wouldbecame very angry and upset.
(13:41):
He was a different man inJordan, angry and upset.
He was a different man inJordan, in Texas, he was loving
and kind.
He tucked me in at night, hebrushed my hair, he'd do all the
regular dad things In Jordan,even at seven, I could tell
there was a difference.
The men stayed together, thewomen stayed together.
(14:02):
And you have to remember, thisis my first time to meet my
grandmother and my aunts and youknow, and they all spoke Arabic
.
I didn't know what they weresaying, but it was my aunt's job
and my grandmother's job totake care of me.
I don't know what my dad wasdoing, but he was like doing
whatever the men were supposedto do.
So it's like I didn't even aparent to take care of me.
(14:25):
My stepmother wasn't there.
I would beg to call mystepmother.
I wasn't even allowed to talkto her because she was sent
somewhere else with with theother children.
They weren't there either.
So that was scary and hard andlonely because I didn't have
anyone I could confide in.
And then he started taking me tothe mosque and I thought that I
(14:48):
was praying to Jesus, but in adifferent language, in a
different way.
I didn't understand at sevenyears old the differences.
The food was different.
We would sit on the floor, wewould wash our feet and sit on
the floor and we would eat andscoop everything up with your
hands, because they didn't useutensils.
(15:08):
The bathrooms were different.
The bathroom was a hole in theground where you would squat
over the hole and there was achain above that you would pull.
They did not have toilet paper,so you would use your hand to
clean yourself.
For a seven-year-old littlegirl that grew up in the United
States, that was traumatic.
For a seven-year-old littlegirl that grew up in the United
States.
That was traumatic.
There were times where I didn'twant to use the bathroom and I
(15:32):
would hold it and I would havean accident and be so
embarrassed.
So those are the big memoriesthat I have, because it was such
a drastic change and I didn'thave anyone that I could reach
out to and, like I said, when mydad put me in school I knew
this was permanent, this was nota vacation anymore.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Did he tell you that or you just got this sense?
Speaker 2 (15:56):
I think I just got the sense he never he just
always would push me off.
It'll be fine, you'll see.
You're going to see your momsoon.
You're going to see yourstepmom soon, she's going to
come.
She was pregnant with theirthird child, so he would always
say, oh, it's too dangerous forher to fly, it's not safe.
It was all of those kinds ofthings to sort of push, push,
(16:17):
push.
I eventually got to talk to mymom on the phone, but he made it
very clear I'm going to belistening right beside you.
Don't say anything that wouldmake your mom upset.
You know, if she begins askingyou questions, don't answer
where you are.
It was very guardedconversation and he did the same
thing with my mom before shegot on the phone with me,
(16:40):
telling her Kathy, don't badmouth me, don't try to get any
clues or tips from Lauren, oryou won't be able to talk to her
again.
So the phone call.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
As much as I love talking to her, it was very
strained.
Yeah, yeah, you were bothpretending.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Right, yes, and as a mother now you know I have two
boys I can't imagine.
I can't imagine having to talkto my kids like that, wanting so
bad to ask all the questions,but too scared to ask.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Three months, that is a long time.
That is a long timeno-transcript that.
(17:45):
If you are intrigued by thisstory which I mean, how can you
not?
Then please listen to Lauren'spodcast, redeemed Podcast, and
you can see all these differentsides, because we are going to
have to kind of focus on yours,but there's so much more there
for those people that are likeoh, my goodness, I have to know
(18:05):
what my mom was thinking.
So you have all of that.
So this day that you wererescued, I assume for you it
started out like any other day.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
I?
Yes, it was like any other day.
Um, I have to back up becausethe biggest part of the rescue
is finding how did my mom findthe men to go and get me?
And nothing.
Nothing happened in my storywithout Jesus, nothing.
My mom was in that townhousefor days.
(18:42):
Rick and Beverly and Mirandathey all moved in with my mom
and lived with my mom thesethree months, helping her with
everything.
Rick Lambert told my mom to puta recording device on the phone
so anytime she called Jordan wewould have all the recordings
because they wanted to go backand listen.
So my mom was calling Jordanevery day, begging to be able to
(19:03):
talk to me, and I have all ofthose recordings and, like you
said, I share those on thepodcast.
She calls and she's begging,saying I'm Lauren's mother, let
me talk to Ali, let me talk toLauren, and people were only
speaking Arabic.
And it's day after day of this.
Rick and Beverly are trying tocall the police, they're trying
to call everyone.
They know all the contacts theyknow and everyone's saying
(19:24):
there's nothing we can do, it'soutside the jurisdiction, we
can't help, the United Statescannot get involved.
One day, beverly actually callsmy mom and I think that's
totally God that she calledbecause this conversation could
have happened in the townhouse.
But Beverly calls my mom andshe tells my mom cause I have it
(19:45):
all recorded, Kathy, you've gotto get away from the noise and
the chaos and and all the stuffand you've got to get away and
be with Jesus.
And my mom just starts cryingand she's like you're right, I
have to get away, I have to bewith Jesus.
I need you to pray, pray overLauren's protection, pray that
God, that God would protect her.
And then Beverly said Irecently read a book that says
(20:10):
the thing that brings you theclosest to God is fasting.
And my mom said, yes, I need toget away, I need to fast and
pray.
Prior to my mom doing that, rickhad made an appointment with
the district attorney's officeand the Dallas County courthouse
to meet with the grand jury,hoping that they could just get
(20:30):
a warrant out for my dad'sarrest.
And that was really the wholething was just let's get a
warrant out for Ollie's arrestso if he happens to come to the
United States, we can at leastput him in prison and then
figure out where Lauren is.
So she goes to that, thatmeeting at the courthouse and
she stands before the grand juryand she begins to tell her
story.
Well, they told her I'm sosorry, ma'am, we can't help you.
(20:53):
I mean, everyone has told herthat by now we can't help you.
So my mom breaks down cryingand she was like can I be honest
with you?
It's not fair.
We spend billions of dollars inforeign aid every year and
you're telling me you can't helpme get my daughter back.
It's just not fair.
And one man stands up and hisname is Alza Panta.
(21:14):
Alza Panta is still workingtoday.
He's worked in the politicalrealm, he's big in the military,
has tons of awards.
He stands up and opens hiswallet and he hands my mom his
business card.
And again, my mom has no cluewho this guy is.
He said my name is Elsa Panta.
If you're not happy with thestate department, call me and
(21:36):
I'll see what I can do.
Well, at that moment you knowwhat it's like when you feel so
depressed and so defeated.
She just put the card in herwallet and told him thank you.
She left, she grabbed, she wentback to the townhouse, grabbed
her Bible, grabbed her bag andshe drove to Fort Worth, texas,
checked herself into a motelroom and she was there for three
(21:59):
days and three nights and shefasted and prayed on that last
night and she fasted and prayedOn that last night she was down
on her knees praying and Godgave her the Bible verse, daniel
10, 12.
Do not be afraid, daniel.
Since the first day you setyour mind to gain understanding
and to humble yourself beforeGod, your words were heard.
(22:21):
God was telling my mom, kathy,I see you.
I see you because you'vehumbled yourself before me.
And then God it's like in her,the Holy spirit just sort of
told her you need to lay downyour cigarettes, you need to
wrestle with the areas ofunforgiveness and bitterness in
your heart.
And so my mom just spent thattime praying and working through
(22:43):
those areas and she left thattownhouse or that motel room and
just totally looked different.
She walked into the townhouseand Beverly said Kathy, you
don't look the same.
And my mom said I'm not thesame.
God told me I'm getting mydaughter back.
So she pulled out that card.
She called Al Nancy.
Al begins to tell my mom.
(23:04):
She called Al Nancy.
Al begins to tell my mom.
One week prior to him being atthat grand jury meeting, he was
in Washington DC meeting afriend of his for lunch.
His name is Everett Alvarez.
Everett Alvarez is one of thefirst POWs.
He has numerous, numerousawards.
Everett was telling Al about agroup of men that work in North
(23:26):
Carolina that by the name of CTUis their company name and their
mission is to go to the MiddleEast and to rescue people and
bring them out of the MiddleEast.
Al told my mom, kathy, they havenot done a mission.
Yours would be the first.
It's going to cost a lot ofmoney and the United States
(23:47):
cannot help.
They are ex-military, they arenot a part of the military.
The United States cannot help.
My mom said I don't care, putthem in contact with me, I want
to talk to them.
So she flew them to Dallas.
They met and, honestly, theywere blown away by her.
Yes, she was emotional, but shewas prepared.
(24:09):
She had binders of informationabout my dad and his whole
entire family, pictures ofJordan, maps of Jordan detailing
the streets and the buildings,everything.
So they agreed to take on themission and they told her the
same thing we haven't done amission and it's very dangerous,
you're risking your life.
And again she said I don't care.
(24:29):
So that's how my mom met themen.
It was only through God, my momfasting and praying.
And then everything started toyou know, click into place.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So how many men went to Jordanordan just to get you?
Speaker 2 (24:49):
yes, so three men went into jordan.
One stayed in cyprus.
Um, don, dave and jd were thethree men that went into jordan.
Dave went first, his um and Ijust did this reunion with the
men last weekend and it'samazing to hear them and to hug
them.
Uh, Dave is 85 and uh, I justGod is so good to give me these
(25:15):
opportunities.
But, um, Dave went in and hewas there about three weeks
before anybody else.
His job was to take to do allthe intelligence and the recon
to figure out the best way toget me out.
Once they found me, because youcan't just fly me out of there
and then he was struggling.
He couldn't find me.
He couldn't find my dad's housebecause nothing looked the same
(25:37):
with my mom's photos.
So then Don and JD went intoJordan and they were spending
time on the streets and theruins, acting like tourists.
Um, going between Jordan.
And they were spending time onthe streets and the ruins,
acting like tourists, goingbetween Jordan and Israel trying
to figure out the borders.
And after days and weeks oftrying to find me, they couldn't
.
And one day and JD was tellingthis to me in person he was
(26:02):
standing on the street cornerand he said I just he.
This is him talking.
He said I just had to pray.
I just started praying and saidGod, you got to show me where
this girl is because all of themwere believers.
So JD, standing on the streetcorner and day and Dawn is a
couple of feet away from him anda school bus pulls up right
(26:22):
beside where JD standing and heturns and looks through that
window of the school bus, pullsup right beside where JD's
standing and he turns and looksthrough that window of the
school bus and there I amsitting and I turn and we lock
eyes and I have darkercomplexion, I have dark hair,
but my eyes are a bright blue.
And he said, when he saw myeyes he knew it was me.
And so he ran over to Don andgrabbed him by the shoulders and
(26:45):
he said I saw Lauren.
I saw Lauren and Don was likewhat is going on?
How do you know?
And he goes, cause I saw hereyes and Don was like okay, calm
down, when is it?
I'm that bus, the bus that'sdriving past us.
And so they tried to get intothe car and follow the bus, but
it was too late.
But that was the first timethey actually had eyes on me
(27:05):
because at some point theythought maybe I was in Lebanon.
So then they contacted my momand they said okay, we have
spotted Lauren, she is in Jordan, but we can't find the house
because everything has changed.
You have to come and help us.
My mom, at this point was inCyprus and she was waiting with
Jim Hatfield was one of theother men.
(27:26):
Um, so my mom, you know, got indisguise, she flew into Oman
and the men met her at at theairport in Oman and she, at this
point she was pretty confident.
You know, she was veryemotional.
She's so much closer to me thanshe's ever been.
And they start to drive intoJerash and all of a sudden her
(27:48):
heart just sort of sinks down inher chest because nothing
looked the same.
The dirt roads were paved, thelittle buildings were now big.
So her confidence was dwindling.
And as they were zigzagging thestreets, streets, trying to get
my mom to remember something,she got down in the floorboard,
closed her eyes and beganpraying and crying out loud,
(28:11):
with the two men in the back andone of the guys in the front
driving.
And she's praying God, you haveto help me, you haven't brought
me and these men this far to noteven find the house, these men
this far to not even find thehouse.
And it's like the Holy Spiritstarted showing her the way.
(28:32):
She had walked the streets armand arm with my aunts nine years
prior and she began saying,without even opening her eyes
turn left, go straight, turnright.
And then all of a sudden shelooked up and she saw my dad's
white car with Texas licenseplates sitting on the street
because he had had his carshipped to Jordan.
So at that moment she froze andfinally she said I saw the car.
(28:55):
So Don said you know, Kathy,hide your face, look away.
And about that time Don lookedup across the street and he saw
my dad walk out of the building.
So that was the first time thatthey had finally located my
father's house.
Again, Nancy, after my mom waspraying in the floorboard of
that car.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Wow, wow, yeah.
And you can say, oh, they wentand they rescued you, but this
was again not.
They flew in and a day laterthey had you.
This was a lot of time.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Oh yeah, and when you hear Dave's interview he talks
about all the logistics of it.
The longer you're in country,the more risk of being found out
, especially in a small townlike that.
My dad, I think, had 12siblings a huge family so they
were changing rental cars everyday, they were changing
disguises, they made sure theyweren't seen together, being
(29:49):
very cautious not to be seen andto stick out like a sore thumb.
And so, as the days wereticking, they were also working
under a visa and so their visaswere about to expire.
So time was ticking down.
So now they had a plan.
They knew they couldn't get meout of the house because the
house was in the middle of thecity and near a police station,
(30:11):
so they knew that was toodangerous.
The next part was they decidedthey were going to escape over
the Allenby bridge.
It go.
It crosses the Jordan riverinto Israel.
That would be the safest way toget me out, and Dave explains
why the other routes were notsafe.
But it was a 45-minute drivebetween Jerash and Israel if we
(30:35):
took that bridge.
But you have to have a passport, you have to have a border pass
, you have to have an entry pass, so all these other details
they had to work through and allof those little bits and pieces
were all miracles as well.
But they decided that they weregoing to hijack the school bus
and that's how they would get meout.
(30:56):
Because as they were watchingthe bus routes, one day they saw
that the bus stopped at onelittle farmhouse on the outskirt
of town and they figured thatwould be the safest place to get
me, because it's, you know,further away from the police,
further away from the crowds.
So that's exactly what they did.
The day of the mission, judy isDon's wife.
(31:17):
Judy was back in North Carolinaworking at CTU and she was
managing things on stateside.
They had to be careful whatthey said over the phone, not
knowing who might be listening.
So Judy came up with a codeword the sun is shining.
And she told Don, tell Kathy,the code word is the sun is
(31:37):
shining, not S-U-N but S-O-N,because the sun is Jesus.
And my mom was like yes, thesun, the sun is shining.
So that day she said you know,the sun is shining.
(31:57):
The mission is a go.
Dave was in one getaway car andDon, jd and my mom were in
another car and Dave's job wasto watch the house to make sure
I actually got on the bus,because they don't want to
hijack a school bus and me noteven be on it.
So once they saw that I got onthe bus, they said the code word
.
And as soon as the bus passedDon, he zoomed behind the bus
(32:21):
and parked so that the bus wassort of sandwiched in.
Don got out and went over tothe driver's side and start
speaking in English to distractthe driver and, is you know,
waving his hands.
Jd went over to the passengerside, like the accordion style
doors, and he was trying towedge his way to to get them to
open the door.
And my mom they were alldressed in disguise, with her
(32:43):
hair covered.
She went over to my window.
She spotted me and she tappedon my window.
And there's lots of things Ican't remember, but I will never
forget seeing my mom for thefirst time through that window.
Her eyes we have the same coloreyes.
She's staring right at me andshe's motioning to me and all I
(33:04):
can think is it looks just likemy mom.
But how can it be my mom's inDallas, I think?
At this point I just thought Iwas never going to see her again
.
So I froze.
I immediately went in shock.
My mom was trying to motion tome and I wouldn't move.
So Dave pushes his way onto thebus.
He gets the keys out of theignition.
(33:24):
He throws the keys in somebushes, hoping that they'll go
looking for the keys instead ofgoing straight to the police,
which is what they did as adistraction.
My mom pushes onto the bus,pushing past JD, past all the
kids in the rows of seats, andshe scoops me up and she grabs
my backpack and she's getting meoff the bus.
As we get off, there's a ladychaperone and she jumps on my
(33:49):
mom's back.
My mom has to let go of my handlong enough to punch the lady
in the nose.
Jd had taught her how to dothat prior to, and blood's just
going all down this lady's face.
So I am really in shock.
I'm seeing my mom punch thislady and all the commotion.
So Don and JD see what'shappening and they come over and
(34:09):
they get me in in the getawaycar.
They get my mom in the car andwe began to speed off and we
meet Dave and we switch carsbecause we did not want anyone
to recognize the car we were in.
So Dave actually had thetrickiest, most risky job.
He took the car that we used tohijack the bus and he went back
(34:32):
towards the city as a decoy.
The other decoy we had that daywas my mom had made
reservations for us to fly outof Amman back to the United
States, hoping that theauthorities would be looking for
us at the airport.
So, don, I'm sorry Dave getspulled over on the side of the
(34:53):
road.
He is surrounded by Jordanianpolice and military.
They pull him out of the car.
They are going through everyinch of his car, the trunk of
his car, looking for anyevidence of us.
And he's just talking inEnglish, acting like a tourist,
asking where's the best place togo fishing.
He's eating a Snickers bar, andthis goes on for like 30, 40
(35:14):
minutes.
The bus driver comes, theybring the bus driver to where
Dave is and the bus driver, inArabic, is saying that's the car
.
But I don't know who this guyis, because remember, dave
wasn't there at the hijacking.
As this is going on, all of asudden Dave can hear on the
walkie talkies and the radiosAlia airport, alia airport,
(35:38):
nancy.
Every single one of thosemilitary men.
They got in their cars.
They left Dave on the side ofthe road and they all went to
the airport looking for us.
They shut down the wholeairport looking for me and Dave
was able to get away While thatwas going on.
(35:58):
We didn't know.
We're in another car headed toIsrael, and on this day my mom
and the guys this past weekendwere talking about how thick the
fog was.
The fog was so thick that youcould not see the front of your
car.
So as we're driving, we slowdown long enough because between
(36:23):
Israel and Jordan there waslittle.
There was refugee camps, peopleliving in tents on the side of
the road.
My mom's getting me out of myschool uniform and putting me in
other clothes and they're alltaking their disguises off and
changing clothes.
So we hand all the clothes outto the people living in the
tents on the side of the roadand we can only go so fast
because they can't really seethe road very well.
(36:43):
And as we go over a hill, mymom sees this bright light in
the distance and she asked Don.
She said what is that?
What is that bright light?
What is that in the distance?
And Don said well, kathy,that's Israel.
The sun is shining over Israeland Nancy.
My mom just started crying andagain it's like God was just
(37:06):
telling her I am with you, kathy, I am not going to leave you,
because that's one of thescariest moments we could get
captured any minute and so shejust felt that peace over her
again.
So we get to the checkpoint andif you've ever been to that area
, you can't drive.
Well, back then you couldn'tdrive a car over the bridge.
(37:27):
You had to leave your car onthe Jordanian side.
You get on a bus and the bustakes you across the border into
Israel.
My mom had to give them all ofour paperwork, our passports,
our visas, and we're sitting onthat bus.
It took like 30 minutes for thebus driver to finally get on
(37:48):
and drive us across.
So, nancy, we were on the, wewere on the bus, myself and my
mom and Dawn and JD, and it wasintense emotions, as you could
imagine.
My mom was holding me andpraying silently as that bus
started going over the border,and the way it works is there's
(38:12):
a Jordanian bus driver and aJordanian soldier that takes you
partway and then in the middleof the bridge, as you're
crossing over the Jordan River,the Allenby Bridge, there is a
shack and there is an Israelibus driver and soldier and they
switch to take us on over intoIsrael.
(38:32):
So, as we start to approachthat shack and they are
switching the guards, if youwould say behind us there was a
big commotion where we had justleft and that was at the point
where they realized the military, the Jordanian soldiers, had
realized that we were not at theairport, but we were actually
(38:54):
on that bus.
That's how close everythinghappened.
So, as our bus continues to goover into Israel, they realized
that we were on the bus, but atthat point there's nothing they
could do.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Okay, so there's no turning back for them.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
They can't say hey, wait, wait, wait or wow, that's
right, that's right, Because wehad passed over, we had gone
into Israel, we had crossed theborder, the Jordanian soldiers
were no longer with us on thatbus and you know I was in shock.
People ask me, Lauren, do youremember?
And no, I don't remember thatpoint.
My, my best memory was when mymom was tapping on the bus
(39:34):
window and I first saw herthrough the window.
After that I went into shockand I don't have a lot of memory
of what happened.
But talking to my mom, she'slike it's like a movie which
there is a movie about my story.
It's like when you see in themovies where people get down on
the ground, they want to kissthe ground.
We get off that bus, my momjust wants to kiss the ground.
(39:56):
She starts crying, All thosetears are falling, all those
emotions that she'd been holdingtogether and of course I'm
crying and hugging her.
And there was a group of womenon the on the side of, on the
Israeli side, and they saw allthe commotion and they go over
to JD and JD was this big,handsome military guy and they
(40:18):
said excuse me, sir, what'sgoing on?
What's?
What's wrong with that?
Mom Is the little girl?
Okay, you know, they could tellsomething intense had just
happened.
Jd looks at them with thesetears coming down his face,
which is probably shocking forthese women, and he said you see
that mom and that little girl.
We just brought them out ofJordan.
(40:38):
That little girl was takenthree months ago by her father
and we just rescued her and thisis the first time for her to be
reunited with her mom.
Well, Nancy, those women beginto jump up and down and they
started saying praise you, Jesus, Hallelujah, we have come to
the promised land and we haveseen a miracle Like I mean
(41:03):
promised land.
And we have seen a miracle LikeI mean God was with us the
whole time, from the sun isshining, to the sun is literally
shining over Israel, and thenthose sweet women jumping up and
down to celebrate and to comearound and pray with us.
It was just.
You know, God is so good andit's a good reminder that, no
matter what hard things you gothrough not a lot of people,
hopefully, will know what it'slike to have a child kidnapped,
(41:26):
but a lot of us know how hardlife can be and I truly believe
the longer you live, the morelikelihood you're going to know
what hardship looks like.
So it's a reminder that Godsees you in every part, but we
just have to have faith andcontinue to surrender those
things to God, and he will showup in a mighty way.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Wow, if you don't have tears, I don't know how you
couldn't.
That was such a beautiful story.
Why do you think your dadwanted you over there?
And I don't mean that rudely,it just from your, from what you
were saying, it sounded like hewas super wonderful in the
United States, but then wasn'treally that fatherly figure
(42:12):
there.
Do you know what happened orwhy he wanted you there, even
though it kind of sounds like hedidn't want to be a part of
your life?
I don't know, maybe I'moverstating.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
Well.
So a lot of it, I think, is thecultural differences.
It's not that he didn't want methere.
He wanted me to be raisedMuslim.
He wanted me to be raised inhis tradition.
And I think that he left my momas soon as she found out she
was pregnant and I'm assumingthat all of a sudden he thought
oh yeah, I'm a dad, first timedad, I have these
(42:46):
responsibilities to raise myfamily in Jordan, with my family
and the traditions and mycustoms.
And so from the day the momenthe knew he was going to be a dad
, that was his desire and thatdidn't pan out for him.
And then, when you turn seven,in the laws in Jordan back then
I don't know if they still areall rights go to the father.
(43:07):
Well, he took me my birthday'sin September, he took me in
October.
So he was planning this thewhole time.
He knew what he was doing.
So that was all calculated.
I really think he wanted me tobe raised.
You know, just like I have avery strong faith as a Christian
that's why I'm sharing mytestimony and so I can
understand strong beliefs and soI think he and his mind thought
(43:30):
he was doing the right thing.
And then to answer the questionabout you know, once he got me
over there, he wasn't really theloving father.
Well, that and I don't want tospeak for everyone that you know
is from Jordan, but from what Iunderstand, there are clear
lines.
The women take care of thechildren and the home.
(43:51):
The men go do whatever the mendo and that is very that is a
tradition.
That is the customs there wherehe grew up, and so I think he
was practicing his beliefs and Inever saw that part of him in
the United States.
I didn't know this man.
I also didn't understand goingto the mosque and praying to
(44:15):
Allah, you know, in a differentlanguage.
So there's a lot of culturalshock that I was going through
in a different language.
So there's a lot of culturalshock that I was going through.
So I think that's what I wasseeing as a seven year old
little girl being in a foreigncountry for the first time and
without my mom and withoutreally the dad that I knew.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Thank you for that.
Yeah, what is your relationshipwith your dad now, and were you
or are you able to forgive him?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
with your dad now and were you or are you able to
forgive him?
That's why I'm sharing my story.
You know, nancy, a lot of timesI say my own story really began
after I came home from beingrescued.
That's where my journey ofhealing had to start.
I was a broken little girl witha stolen childhood.
My relationship with my fatherwould never be the same the day
(45:05):
he took me.
He stole my siblings from me,he stole my stepmother from me
and he stole that relationshipwith him from me.
You know, because he broke thattrust.
That was a long, a lot of yearsof healing from that.
To answer your question, my mom, that's a whole nother story.
(45:26):
She's amazing, um, she neverbad-mouthed my dad.
She allowed me to continue totry to have a relationship with
him, whatever that looked like.
For years we we changed our lastnames.
We lived in hiding.
By the time I was in highschool I moved like 14 times.
My life was very fearful thoseearly years that my dad might
(45:47):
try to come and get me.
So we always were living inhiding.
So the way we communicated ismy dad would send letters to my
grandmother, who lived inFlorida, and then my grandmother
would mail the letters to me,so he never really knew where we
lived.
Well, you know, I'd get aletter and my heart would start
racing, some with fear, somewith excitement, trying to
figure out who is this father,who is this man.
(46:09):
He'd send me pictures of mysiblings and I longed for that
family that I lost and then,later into my high school,
middle school years, I actuallygot to see my dad for the first
time and that was amazing,looking back, that my mom
allowed that to happen, but itwas a part of my healing journey
(46:30):
.
We were still sort of living alittle bit in fear, very careful
.
We met in a big crowded malland he didn't know where we were
living at the time, but thatwas scary, nancy.
My, I still remember my heartwas beating out of my chest you
know whenever you're reallyscared and you feel like
everyone can hear that, thatheartbeat.
As I walked up and I saw my dadfor the first time and it's
(46:52):
like this man standing in frontof me that looks like me, that
has the dark hair and the olivecomplexion, and I'm like, oh my
gosh, this is this man, he'sreal, he's right in front of me.
And then he starts to speak andI hear that thick Arabic accent
and that fear starts to comeover me.
But then my siblings were thereand that made it easier, and so
(47:14):
that was a process of seeinghim, and it was hard and awkward
.
He kept telling me he loved meand calling me his baby, and all
I could think of is I don'teven know who you are, you're a
stranger to me.
So into my college years Icontinued to try to have a
relationship, but it was hard.
It was hard because I keptthinking that the man in front
of me was going to say the magicwords to make all this hurt go
(47:38):
away, all this anger go awaybitterness, brokenness Because
for years I looked aroundthinking why is my childhood so
messed up?
Why did I have to have so manylast names?
Why don't I have the typicalfamily?
And it's because of what he did.
And I also struggled with God.
How can you be a good father ifyou allow this to happen to me?
(48:02):
Yes, you brought me out ofJordan.
Yes, that was a miracle, butwhy did you allow it to happen
at all?
So that was a lot of healing Ihad to go through, and you know,
nancy, what I realized throughlots of prayer and being in a
Bible study and being in a smallgroup where I could unpack
(48:22):
these feelings, I learned thatthere was never anything my
biological father could say tome that was going to be the
magical words to heal me.
It was going to be my heavenlyfather to take me through those
wounds.
God had to show me how toforgive my dad, and God had to
show me, lauren, I'm nothinglike your earthly father.
(48:43):
I am so much more than that.
I love you so much more thanyou'll ever know if you'll just
trust me.
And so I had to learn how totrust my heavenly father and let
him walk me through thathealing Wow.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Yes, I think that when you said, okay, we got into
Israel, I'm thinking great, thestory's over.
But, like you said, I'm surethat's just the beginning of so
much.
So were you in witnessprotection or did you kind of
just put yourself in that kindof changing places and names and
things like that?
Speaker 2 (49:21):
places and names and things like that.
Yeah, good question.
So Beverly Lambert I remember Ihad shared that Beverly and
Rick were private investigators.
And Beverly, whenever Iinterview her on my podcast and
I can't remember exactly how shesaid it, but she she told my
mom you know, I'm really good atfinding people as a private
investigator.
Then I know I can hide you,because if I can find you I can
(49:42):
hide you.
So Bev helped us hide.
She took that role on when wecame back to Dallas and she
walked my mom through thatprocess of helping us change our
name and to hide us.
So that's who helped us throughthat process.
Speaker 1 (49:59):
Wow, I can't imagine I I really did had no idea that
you'd have to go that far as faras okay, now you're in the
United States and you havetrauma and things to work
through, but that that fear thatit could happen again, Wow.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
Well, and I'll tell you a funny story.
So I told you, I grew up inLindale when I went to got my
driver's license at the age of16, you know, how do you get a
driver's license when you'vealready had like two last names
and how do you prove it?
I had my birth certificate withBayonne, and then we chose the
last name, elliot, and then my.
Then I had Hopkins.
(50:37):
I had, you know, three and Ihadn't been married.
So we showed up to the driver'slicense place whatever it's
called and showed up with ourmagazine articles, with the book
, with the movie, to prove who Ireally was.
So everyone comes out to likey'all got to hear this story
about this girl, the 16 year old, trying to get the driver's
license.
She was kidnapped and so,anyways, that's how I got my
(50:58):
driver's license for the firsttime.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
Wow, wow, and so, anyways that's how I got my
driver's license for the firsttime.
Wow, wow.
Why are you sharing your storynow?
I know that you have yourpodcast and we'll link that.
And have I heard right thatyou're working on a book?
Speaker 2 (51:10):
I am.
I am working on a book.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Yes, that's it For me .
I see a huge shift right.
We had to be in hiding.
We had to change our name tojust openly sharing your story,
which I'm so grateful for.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
But can you share how that shift happened?
About a year ago I was sittingin my living room and Miranda
Lambert had come up with acookbook and it's just their
family recipes.
And I'm sitting in my livingroom reading it and I start to
hear like God's voice sayingLauren, it's time for you to
write your story.
And I'm getting emotionalreading about Beverly's meatloaf
(51:49):
.
I'm like why am I emotionalreading this?
But it's like God just keptsaying Lauren, it's time for you
to share your story.
And I'm like God, I don't knowhow.
I'm a full time physicaltherapist, I'm a mom, I have
dyslexia, I don't know how towrite a book.
And God just kept putting thaton my heart and it would not go
away.
And I was like, okay, I'm goingto pray and I continue to pray
(52:11):
and I've just sort of followedthis path.
And then it opened up to doinga podcast, and me doing a
podcast has allowed me tointerview all the men that
rescued me, which I haven'ttalked to them since my rescue
37 years ago Next week, ifyou're listening to this
Halloween 37 years, this pastHalloween.
But that's why I feel likeGod's really telling me it's my
(52:34):
time, because I want people toknow that God's a big God and he
heals and he redeems and herestores.
Nothing is too big for him,doesn't matter how long you've
been carrying around that angerand bitterness and unforgiveness
.
He can let you be free from it,because now I'm a mom and I'm a
wife and I don't live with thatanger towards my dad anymore.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
That's so good and you don't have that fear, I hope
.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
No, no fear, no fear at all.
No, God has set me free fromall of that, and so that's why
I'm sharing now.
I don't think I could haveshared this story four years ago
.
It's just, you know, God bringsyou to a place in in your life
when it's time and when he'shealed those parts of you and
and he gives you that boldness,and so that's why now's the time
(53:22):
.
Speaker 1 (53:24):
What would you say to someone who is not probably
gone through what you did but,like you said, maybe fearful,
maybe anger, maybe resentful,maybe not forgiveness?
Is there something that youwould share on top of what you
already have?
Speaker 2 (53:38):
Scriptures would share on top of what you already
have Scriptures, I mean,there's so many times I remember
in high school being in my bedcrying like God, I don't know
where to even go, what to evendo, and being around people that
can point you to Jesus.
Even though it might be awkwardand weird to get in a small
(53:59):
group, it's life changingBecause newsflash everyone's
been through hard things.
So when you start to open up,it starts that healing process.
But God gives us so manyscriptures, like in Mark 11, 25.
And when you stand praying, ifyou have hold anything against
anyone, forgive them.
So your father in heaven mayforgive you.
(54:20):
If I was still holding onto thatunforgiveness towards my, my
earthly father, my heart wouldbe hard and bitter and angry.
And forgiving doesn't mean whathe did was okay.
Forgiving doesn't mean that Ihave to forget.
Forgiving is just God.
It's yours to take care of.
The Bible says revenge is mine,says the Lord.
It's not up to Lauren to punishanyone.
(54:42):
That's up to God.
And so when I can let that go,then my healing started.
So that's what I would say,especially if someone's holding
on to unforgiveness, whateverthat looks like, continue to
pray about that over and overagain.
It might take you five years,but God will soften that area of
your heart.
Speaker 1 (55:03):
That's so good.
Thank you for sharing that, andI've loved getting to know you.
I've loved getting your storyand I'm just so thankful.
Lauren just reached out to meon Instagram or something, and
we are both pretty new with ourpodcasts and it's just so
beautiful how God's interwovenour relationship and I'm so
(55:24):
thankful for that with you.
Speaker 2 (55:27):
Oh, me too, I love just being able to text you and
ask you questions and go throughthis journey together, because
it's a journey we're learning.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
It's fun to do it together.
So I always end with a fewquestions what is your favorite
Bible verse or story?
So I always end with a fewquestions.
Speaker 2 (55:43):
What is your favorite Bible verse or story?
Well, bible story, it's beenRuth since I was a little girl,
because who doesn't like Ruth?
And then Psalms 107, to let theredeemed of the Lord tell their
story those he redeemed fromthe hand of the foe, and that's
why my podcast is calledredeemed, because God, god,
redeems all the broken areas,you know, and over and over
(56:07):
again he promises that in hisword.
Speaker 1 (56:12):
That's good.
What are you?
Speaker 2 (56:13):
grateful for.
Oh man, there's so much to begrateful for my family.
I'm so grateful I'll getemotional.
My boys have lived in the samehouse their whole life.
They have the same parents.
I didn't know what that lookedlike.
I was that broken little girlthinking I wish my family looked
(56:39):
like that, and God's redeemedthat through my family.
So I'm so thankful for myfamily and my husband supporting
me because I mean, this is alot, you know, working full time
and trying to write a book anddoing a podcast.
He's a trooper.
So I'm very thankful for myfamily.
Speaker 1 (56:51):
That's that's so good and that's a reminder of how
God can do that right.
Because you see that in theworld, where it's hard for
generational blessing or cursesto stop, and so for that to
happen in one generation for youis such a testament to God and
(57:11):
for you doing the work too,thank you, you're right.
What kindness have you shown orwhat kindness have you seen in
the last week?
Speaker 2 (57:24):
I'm a physical therapist and so most of the
time my patients might tell youthat I'm torturing them, but
just kindness.
It's really cool in my careerbecause, yes, I'm, I'm helping
them physically, but just theconversations and talking
through things and getting toknow people, just the
conversations and talkingthrough things and getting to
know people, sharing God's wordlittle by little, even in the
(57:48):
clinic.
That is just a day to day.
That's the cool thing about myjob, is that kindness and
sometimes just listening,because sometimes you might be
the only one to actually listen.
So I get to do that in mycareer on a daily basis.
Speaker 1 (57:59):
That's great and on your podcast you get to listen.
Speaker 2 (58:02):
And on my podcast.
Yes, yes, I love it.
Speaker 1 (58:06):
Well, thank you for sharing your story, and I'm
praying over everyone who islistening that either is just
wowed by it or can reallyresonate with certain parts.
I think all of us can resonatewith something in that, and that
we would hear you talk aboutGod's redemption and forgiveness
(58:26):
and that we would really takethat to heart.
Speaker 2 (58:30):
Me too, amen.
I'm on that prayer with you.
Speaker 1 (58:32):
Thank you Well, thank you for joining us on Ordinary
People Extraordinary Things,where your story is His glory.
I hope that this episode hasbeen impactful for you and a
reminder at Ordinary PeopleExtraordinary Things, your story
is His glory, and so make yourstory known in order for His
(58:53):
glory to shine.
We do that with faith and hopewith every story that we hear.
We will be back in two weekswith a brand new episode.
In the meantime, check out allfive seasons of Ordinary People
Extraordinary Things and makesure to share it with your
friends and family that will beimpacted by this podcast.
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