A Trip to Texas ~ HOPE Given and Received

I hope you enjoyed this week's blog series and journey of HOPE. An aspect of the journey I've kept secret until today was the beautiful wood working, wood burning, and painting done with the love of one family to bless others.

These symbols of love and hope started with a vision. Our hope was to express thanks and appreciation for all the Heidi Search Center, in Texas, did only days into the search and rescue efforts for my sister, Heidi M Allen.  I mentioned this to my parents and we decided to sleep on it. Well, I don’t know about you but some of my best ideas wake me up in the middle of the night – so of course this was no different.

The next morning I shared a VERY rough idea with my parents. Between my parents, husband, and daughter – this (hold up bag) became a working sketch, and within  a day or two – patterns were made and my father was at work in his wood working shop. Mom joined with her wood burning and painting talents when the time came. So once again, my parents took an idea and made it reality.

The response of tears, hugs, and love received last Friday brought tears to my eyes and such warmth and love to my heart too. They didn't do anything in 1994 with an expectation to receive something in the future yet to be able to do this for them...priceless.

A note from my parents:
Our thoughts in creating this 2013 heart.

Why a heart? This is easy – because  it was your love who sent us Rick to come along side law enforcement to educate, lead, and encourage us in our greatest time of need, in the initial days of looking for our Heidi.

We included both states, New York and Texas with each of our state flowers – so a rose for NY and the Blue Bonnet for TX.

The  forget-me-not flowers are a reminder that both our Heidi's will never be forgotten.

The photos of “our” Heidi’s represent the pictures of our girls we forever hold in our hearts.

And of course HOPE – because without hope, what else do we have.

Thank you for being our HOPE in 1994 – may this heart represent the appreciation and love that bonds us together as we remember all the missing, not just our Heidi’s.

Thank you for using your gifts, resources, and hearts to help others – you are a blessing to many.

Ken & Sue Allen, Ed, Lisa, and Mary Buske

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This photo brings tears to my eyes still, nearly a week later. In 1994, the Heidi Search Center, in San Antonio, Texas sent a search and rescue expert to aid in the search for our Heidi, Heidi M Allen. This was an amazing blessing to our family, law enforcement, and community. It is also part of this center's mission - to help find the missing nationwide.

My beautiful sister was the third case outside of Texas they assisted with. They had a 96% recovery/discovery rate at the time, although our Heidi, Heidi M Allen is one of the 3% they didn't solve or recover a body for ~ the hope and encouragement they provided is still a blessing nearly twenty years later.

We gifted the plaque to the center and an ornament to Heidi Seeman's (whom the center was founded in memory of) parents and sister Heather with an ornament similar to the plaque, to hand on their own trees. To present the plaque and ornaments designed and created with the love of our family to theirs was both emotional and rewarding at the same time. I pray our hearts are forever united as we remember each of our Heidi's and all the missing across the country and beyond.

Although someone is missing this Christmas ~ their memory and love remains!

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Some things in life are priceless gifts and opportunities...
~ Share one you've experienced below ~