News Details (Posted: March 5, 2008):

Missing Daughter Found: Mom Details Every Parent's Nightmare in New Book

Full Description:

Heartbreaking stories of missing children permeate television and newspapers. These stories sometimes linger in the news for months as the parents desperately search for their precious son or daughter. But what is the experience like of living through something so horrific as not knowing where the child is or if he or she will ever return? In the riveting new book, "White Butterfly," Vanda Terrell passionately describes the nightmare of discovering her daughter was missing and searching for her in a foreign country.

In the midst of a prosperous life, Vanda and Mike Terrell, along with their 15-year-old daughter, Brittany, decided to move from Dallas, TX, to Bacalar, Mexico, to be missionaries. God had called them to build and run a school and clinic for unwanted and abandoned children in this remote area of the Yucatan. Excited for the new challenges ahead and eager to see what God had in store, the Terrells sold their comfortable home and most of their possessions and moved to Mexico.

After approximately four months in Bacalar, the dreadful ordeal began. The Terrells' beloved Brittany vanished. A six-month, agonizing search ensued, as it pulled the family on a roller-coaster ride of hopeful leads and agonizing disappointment. The nightmare drained Vanda and Mike in all possible ways – physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. When the search finally revealed an answer to Brittany's whereabouts, the ending was not the storybook one for which the Terrells had hoped.

In "White Butterfly," Vanda shares her family's attempt to simply survive day after day during the unspeakable tragedy. Her personal struggle to forgive and heal becomes incredibly real as she describes how God miraculously reached out to her and reminded her that God never leaves, even in the midst of unthinkable pain. Vanda's journey takes the reader through her own despair and hope, pain and comfort, anger and forgiveness.

"This book is a great reminder that sometimes the greatest blessings stem from the greatest pain," said Dr. Steve Hunter, dean of students and associate professor of counseling and psychology at Criswell College in Dallas, TX, in the book's foreword. "At least one of those blessings is the rediscovery that God loves us more than we can ever fathom, no matter the circumstances of life."

Author Vanda Terrell is a high-school English teacher in Plano, TX. She and her husband, Mike, live in McKinney north of Dallas. They are the parents of two and the grandparents of three. Vanda and Mike have lived in the Dallas area for more than 30 years. Vanda's mom was a counselor at Plano East High School. Mike's dad lives in Plano and owns a plumbing company.

Paperback copies of the book are available for $14.95 at Christian and secular bookstores throughout the country, as well as through online bookstores such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Hannibal Books also offers the book through 800-747-0738 and www.HannibalBooks.com. ISBN: 978-1-934749-00-5.