A CHRISTMAS WISH, WRITTEN WITH SARAH TEAGUE

A Wish For My Friend. There are a lot of opinions about facebook. Most folks consider it a place devoted to superficial conversations. That was pretty much my opinion until I read a post by Sarah Nell Teague. It was well written and aroused my curiosity. I contacted her and, before long, I was made aware that she had an obsession that had dominated her life for more than 15 years. Before you jump to conclusions let me tell you what happened to Sarah.

Her First Born Daughter, Heather, Has Been Missing Since 1995. Picture yourself in that situation. You told your daughter goodbye on a hot summer day not knowing it would be the last time. Would you be willing to let go and get on with your life after a few days? A few months? A few years. Would you assume that she is dead and her body hasn't been found? Would you cling to the hope that some day she might turn up alive? How many scenarios could you imagine under which you might find her again either dead or alive? Would you feel guilty that perhaps you weren't protective enough? Did you put her at risk because of the people you brought into her life? Can you give up and try to get more out of your life without the daily torture of deciding what else you can do? I know my answer. I would be forced to do the same thing Sarah has done for the past 15 years. Stop a minute and think about it. What would you really do? If I do that, those thoughts quickly become way too hard to allow to continue.

A Few Facts. This post is about the present and the future and not about the facts surrounding Heather's disappearance. You need to know a quick summary to have a reasonable understanding. 1. A man has claimed to have witnessed Heather's abduction. 2. There are other reports that have resulted in identification of a suspect. 3. That suspect committed suicide when an attempt was made to arrest him. 4. After the suicide, few attempts were made to search the suspects property. 5. The suspect's wife took the fifth amendment when questioned about the case. 6. Over the years there have been several leads about the case, some of which reported that Heather is still alive. 7. Sarah has attempted to run down each lead with negative results. 8. The only person arrested and brought to trial has been Sarah (for harassing the suspect's wife and she was found not guilty). A note of caution. I have not thoroughly investigated these facts and some may not be 100% accurate.

My Christmas Wish. Here are some things I would like to see done. 1. I am not sure that the Kentucky State Police (KSP) has done all that can be done to determine exactly what happened to Heather. Perhaps a full time investigator could interview witnesses, talk to the suspect's wife and offer her immunity to testify so she couldn't claim she needed silence to avoid incrimination. 2. Heather's story needs to be told. I wish an investigative reporter would investigate the situation and arrange publication so that the story would receive much wider publicity ( I am not an investigator nor a journalist and don't have the skills to undertake such a venture. 3. The most important of my wishes is for Sarah to have a repreive from all the anxiety. It would be a great time to enjoy her devoted family and many friends. Think about the Christmas miracle and the beautiful world we live in. I will offer a prayer and beg everyone who reads this to do the same. You take a few days off, Sarah.

Here Is An Unedited Paragraph in Sarah's Own Words.

Another year without our Heather (written by Sara Teague)........How have we survived another year without knowing where our Heather is? I would say two things: by the grace of God,and like my grandmother used to say...'by the barely'. And God knows this is not contradictory. He knows how every day has been spent in prayer and in belief that 'today could be the day that Heather comes home'. He knows the heart ache and the tears that are daily also. He knows the 'someone that knows' the truth and He knows that someday every question I have asked of Him will be answered. Every one of them.I know that He chose me to be Heather's 'mommy'. I know that He also prepared me for this tragedy in many ways. It was on the third week of searching for my first born daughter, Heather Danyelle Teague, that I realized how much He loves me. Precious gifts in the form of three boxes were brought to me. On this day, I had climbed up an oil tank in search of Heather. Down below were a few searchers...some old friends, some new ones. As I climbed up this oil tank, I heard a familiar voice saying..'Heather is small enough that she could fit in that opening'...'Oil does preserve a body'....I envisioned before I opened that tiny lid that I would find Heather...her hair floating in this tank...I would have Heather back.She was not on the beach, in the woods, hurt, as I had hoped for days. Heather was not in that empty refrigerator. Heather was not in Illinois and she had not had an abortion. Heather had not been in the well that I almost fell in. And Heather had not been near that old grave...no...that 'thing' that looked like a finger, was not a bone at all. So...surely, this search would be over and Heather would be here. The 'me' that had been afraid of heights, went right up to the top of that oil tank. The 'me' that had been so afraid to find Heather....not alive...was praying for strength to just open this lid and to be able to look down. I remember being at the top of this oil tank and right before I opened it, it was as if the heavens opened up to me. I whispered, 'Help me, Lord'. And he did.Not only did he help me, he sent me gifts for my braveness. Under the full moon that night; I looked through boxes that had been delivered to me. I had just told the searchers/friends that we were 'playing hard ball'. ( Even by the third week, I knew something just wasn't right). Standing at the door, was a young man with Heather's ball glove in his hand.Oh, I had so longed for something of Heather's. I grabbed it and I thanked him. He said, 'You haven't seen anything yet. I have three boxes that were left in the attic where you used to live'. I asked everyone to leave me alone with these treasures. In these boxes were precious, precious gifts: one red and blue little shoe that Heather had worn on her first Christmas, some of her baby teeth, a dress that I had made with'HEATHER' in ricrac, ( I smiled as I thought to myself..'I actually let her wear this?'). In the bottom of one of the boxes was a journal that I had written to Heather when she was 23 months old. An entry dated August 25, 1974read, 'I am so afraid a big man will someday take my Heather away'.The reality of 'my reality' startled my very breath...On August 26,1995,when Heather was 23 years old, that is what we had just been told had happened. I felt God's love! I felt a strength and a purpose that God knew I needed. I knew that I had not only been chosen to be Heather's' mommy'; I had been chosen for this search also. Oh, how He loves us~So...today, 15 years and almost 4 months later...I am standing on His Word..Matthew 10:26, which says that there will be nothing hidden that won't be revealed.Every word in my vocabulary has been changed and rearranged. I have confidence in the progress of this search. I have many documents that have been revealed to me through the years. I have taped conversations that are so damaging to the story we were told that hot and blurry Saturday...And this I know: What we were told happened August 26, 1995 on Newburgh Beach in Spottsville, KY. is not what happened at all.