A 91-year-old Korean War veteran with dementia who went missing from his Wyoming home was reunited with his wife after she spotted him on a television news.
When a loved one with dementia goes missing, it’s a fearful and helpless situation for any family. But, this story reveals how God works in wonderful ways for His children, even in what seems like a hopeless situation.
Michael Black left his home in Afton, Wyoming on Monday afternoon, causing deep worry for his wife Avril, 77. Though he had wandered off before in the eight years since doctors diagnosed his dementia, the police had always found him within hours near their house.
This time was different. After Avril contacted the Afton Police Department on Tuesday morning, Police Chief Jason Romberg entered Michael into the national missing persons database and started getting tips about his location.
The police pieced together Michael’s long journey through witness reports. He had hitchhiked from Afton to Ovid, Idaho, then traveled south to Garden City, Utah – covering over 200 miles.
A deputy in Rich County saw someone who looked like Michael heading toward Logan Canyon, but after that, no one knew where he went. “We didn’t hear anything on Wednesday,” Chief Romberg said, as the search continued with no results.
In Salt Lake City, God’s plan was already in motion. A Latter-day Saint senior missionary found Michael sitting alone at a bus stop and brought him to the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake.
Jay Rouse, who leads the chapel services there, welcomed Michael even though it was past closing time, around 8:30-9:00 p.m. “Turned out he was 91 years old, a Korean War Vet. He was a really sweet guy,” Rouse said.
The next morning, as Rouse got to know Michael better, he realized this elderly guest needed special help.
Back in Afton, Avril kept praying for Michael’s safe return. When she turned on the 10 p.m. news on Wednesday, God answered her prayers in an amazing way.
During coverage of the Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving preparations, she caught a glimpse of Michael in the background. “I put the 10 p.m. news on,” Avril recalled. “I thought, ‘well wait a minute. I’m sure I saw Michael.’ So I paused the TV, set it back and yeah, sure enough there he was!” She even took a picture of her TV screen to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.
The discovery gave Avril her first peaceful night’s sleep since Michael disappeared. “I mean it was so unreal, I saw the picture!” she said. “I was so relieved, I actually slept that night knowing he was safe.”
On Thanksgiving morning, everything fell into place. Rouse remembered the missionary saying Michael came from Afton and called their police department.
Chief Romberg confirmed this was indeed their missing Michael Black. Within hours, Avril got in her car to bring her husband home from Salt Lake City.
Avril could barely find words to express her thanks. “I’m speechless. It just blows me away that that happened. Boy does he have some guardian angel looking after him,” she said.
Avril thanked everyone who helped – from the Afton police officers to the kind missionary and the Rescue Mission workers who gave Michael warm clothes, a blanket, and took good care of him.
When we face hopeless situations, we may feel weak and powerless on our own. But when we place our trust in God and submit our worries into His hands, we can see our problems turning into amazing testimonies of His faithfulness.
As we go about our daily lives, may we remember to be alert and ready to help others who might be lost or confused, just as these caring people helped bring Michael back to his family.
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