How Can You Help Families of Missing Persons? Ask Sunny in TX; She helped find Jesse Wayne Steel, Jr.

JESSE WAYNE STEEL, Jr had been missing since 10/26/05 in Texas. He is a 15 year old special needs teen who was last seen at home. Enter Texas Equusearch and the many inspired volunteers to help in the search for Jesse Wayne Steel, Jr.

The great news is that Scared Monkeys received an email from Joe Huston notifying us that Jessee was found safe and sound Saturday. We also received more information from one of the volunteers who took time out of her life to help find Jesse. If you ever want to know what one can do to help the many families in need who are missing their loved ones? Volunteer to help. No words can describe the thanks that families have and the rewarding feeling it provides to all when one sacrifices for people that have never met. The following is a story from one of out Scared Monkey members describing her first search ever. Congratulations Sunny in TX, we are all proud of your sacrifice to help others. Hear her story in her own words.

I sent in my volunteer membership application to TES a couple months ago. On Friday I was called to assist in a search for a missing 15 year old boy. He had been missing since just after school on Wednesday. He is 15 and has some learning disabilities. I had no idea what to expect so ….. I dressed in jeans, sneakers, a tee shirt and a long sleeve jeans shirt ….. took my water bottles and headed out at 7:30 Saturday morning.

I arrived and much to my surprise Joe Huston was the person in charge of this search/rescue operation…..a man we all know and have great respect for. And my respect has risen even higher after having worked with him. He is a kind, sincere, friendly, warm and a very focused and dedicated man.

All the TES people … (all volunteers) are fantastic. You immediately feel you are part of a very loving family. Each of them were warm, friendly caring and FOCUSED people.
After filling out my paper work .. ( this is done with each search you assist in) and meeting the other volunteers… we wait for instructions. Joe and others were looking at aerial maps, consulting with family members and plotting the search.

About 9AM we were gathered together and explained the initial search would begin in the WOODS! Oh my!! I had been looking at the woods thinking I am sure not gonna be going in there! All the sudden …. this voice screamed in my soul …. OH YES YOU ARE! I thought I had been possessed by a demon!! Let me briefly explain…I am deathly afraid of snakes…even the rubber kind……terrified…can’t even look at the on the TV…. It is explained we will be walking a grid type pattern, each searcher about 10 feet apart from the person on the right and left of you..once we reach our destination ( a creek) we would pivot around the point person on the far left of us and then walk back to the road. We would continue to do this until this area was cleared unless we found ‘something’. I am thinking no way can I walk into those woods…just no way…why would I even want to walk in these woods??

Suddenly one of the volunteer’s says, “well at least we shouldn’t have to worry TOO MUCH about SNAKES as it was a very cool morning and they SHOULD not be out.” I was praying, Oh I hope to God the snakes know that bit of information!!! At that point I didn’t think I could go on. I was going to have to tell them I couldn’t do it …. suddenly it became very clear…. there was a lost child……perhaps hurt, in those woods…..no food, water or warm clothing…..that demon was changed into an angel with that thought… something inside me clicked and I knew I WAS going to walk into those woods!!

more of the story from Sunny in TX