Jeff Ake Still Missing in Iraq

Full Disclosure Notice: The Laporte Missionary Bible Church is a church plant of the Liberty Bible church, where we used to worship in Northwest Indiana. I used to worship the next pew over from the Ake family for all I know. After the invasion of Iraq I applied to work as a civilian contractor in Iraq, just like Jeff -- which is when I found out I was diabetic. "There but for the grace of God, go I."

Today (Sunday, September 23rd) is Day 895 of Jeff Ake's captivity.

From the Northwest Indiana Times today:

Jeff Ake Still Missing in Iraq

Sunday, September 23, 2007 12:15 AM CDT -- BY KRYSTIN E. KASAK

LaPORTE | Two and a half years ago, the town of LaPorte decorated every tree it could find with red, white and blue ribbon. The small community rallied to support the family of a local businessman who was abducted in Iraq. Businesses posted signs that read, "Pray for Jeff Ake," and "Come Home Safe, Jeff."

Today, few remnants have survived to remind people of what happened -- of what is still happening.

LaPorte resident Jeffrey Ake was seized from a water treatment plant outside of Baghdad on April 11, 2005. The father of four hasn't been seen since he was shown being held at gunpoint on a video two days after his disappearance. No new information has been discovered since shortly after his kidnapping. "We just don't have any new information on the case," said FBI Special Agent Wendy Osborne of the bureau's Indianapolis office.

One of the few reminders in town come from LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris. Morris still begins each meeting of the City Council and the Board of Public Works with a prayer for Ake. His office also includes cards that keep track of how many days Ake has been held captive in Iraq. "I just don't want the community to forget Jeff," Morris said.

Despite putting their house up for sale a few weeks after her husband's disappearance, Liliana Ake is still living in LaPorte. Morris, a friend of the Ake family, said he sees Liliana Ake regularly at Rotary Club meetings and throughout the town. In addition to the emotional hardships Liliana Ake has faced, however, the family has also gone through troubling times financially. The formerly successful family business her husband started went bankrupt last year. Liliana has also not been able to tap into her husband's benefits since no one knows what happened to him.

In January of this year, the Ake family church, LaPorte Missionary, set up a fund to help Liliana and her children stay in the family's ranch-style brick home off Pine Lake. Like many other residents in LaPorte, LaPorte Missionary Pastor Carl Galloway declined to comment about the situation. "Unless Lily wants to talk to you, I can't," Galloway said.

Earlier this year, Liliana Ake got her Realtor's license and went to work with a local firm. Her attorney, Mark Phillips, said her situation hasn't changed much over the two years. "Every day is still a struggle," Phillips said. "Her circumstances are still the same -- she wakes up wondering, 'Will there be news today?' 'Will it be good news? Will it be bad news?' She continues to pray with her children and her mother whom she is caring for."

Phillips also said that Liliana is very thankful for the help her family has received -- from both the community and Jeff's family."I still have hope that he is alive," Morris said. "Probably the most recent encouragement was when the Christian Science Monitor writer was released [from being held hostage in Iraq] last year. Her father spoke about others who needed to be released from captivity and he included Jeff Ake. Absent of any other information, I took that to be a positive indicator of the situation and will continue to hope for more."