One Year Anniversary

It was about this time one year ago that we first became aware of the Silah Boys’ abduction from their mothers. Feelings of anger and sadness overwhelmed us. We kept asking ourselves, “How can evil get the upper hand?” “How can fathers take their sons away from their mothers?”

The FBI is still on the search for the boys. The last report is that the boys and their fathers were in the Rio Dulce area of Guatemala, which is about a five- to six-hour journey from Guatemala City. The city of Los Angeles has renewed its offering of a $25,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the Silah brothers and return of the children. Money is still being raised through private donations to help fund the detective work at the Association for the Recovery of Children (ARC).

On this one year anniversary Zanni has a message for her sons Alex and Zaven:

To my beloved Alex and Zaven,

One whole year ago today our lives changed forever. This was the day I hugged and kissed you goodbye and said that I would see you in one week upon your return from vacation. That day has taken so long to come… Every day I get up and say I’m sure it’s not much longer. This could be the day we get our miracle and that’s how I keep going… I refuse to think otherwise. I think about you every moment, night and day, and keep on praying that God is keeping you safe, healthy and well, trusting that He will bring you back to me. I miss you so very much and I love you. I can’t wait till you’re in my arms again…

All my love, hugs and kisses,

Mommy

A message from Christine to Greg:

My sweetheart Greg,

It’s been a whole year since you’ve been gone. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about you wondering where you are and how you are doing. I can’t describe how much painful it has been to live without you… I miss you so much and think about you every moment, day and night.

I pray that you are well wherever you are and that God would watch over you and protect you from all harm. I pray that God would ease our pains and that He reunites us soon.

My sweet angel, I can’t wait till you come back to me so I can hold you tight in my arms again!!!

I love you and miss you very much!!! Hugs and kisses,

Mommy

Alex and Zaven attend Westchester Lutheran School. We are a small Christian school and know almost everyone by name. I like to think we have a bond like a family. We look out for each other and come to the aid of those in need. Over this past year our families and friends of WLS have reached out and comforted Zanni and her sister. Volunteers have helped raise awareness and money to help fund the search for the boys. We've had Support Nights, 8k Runs, press conferences, exposure on The Dr. Phil Show, yard sales, fundraising at local grocery stores and churches, interviews with the LA Times, CNN, MSNBC, Fox and The Daily News. Even our own blog site has raised hundreds of dollars selling tax-deductable wristbands. These bands help remind us that there are three boys in our Westchester community that need to be back with their moms.

Our community prays that this is the year the boys return. We’ll continue to support Zanni and Christine as they travel this difficult road.

A thank you to Larry Altman of The Daily News for his article last week recognizing the one year anniversary of the abductions: Read it here - “Mothers still at a loss one year later”.

Happy Birthday Alex!

Today is Alex's 13th birthday!

Here are some pictures that were taken today at Westchester Lutheran. Thank you, Juliet for taking the shots. Everyone in the 7th grade class had a great time eating treats and celebrating in Alex's honor.

Zanni and her friend Lisa put together a special birthday video for Alex - see below.

George and John Silah believed to be in Central America

The FBI elite squad called the Violent Crimes Major Offenders Unit (ViCMO) has new leads on the Sliah Boys case.

At first, authorities thought that George and John Silah might have fled to Syria with the children. But Laura Eimiller of the FBI said agents learned that the men and boys -- now, 12-year-old Alexander, his 9-year-old brother Zaven and their 10-year-old cousin Greg -- were recently in Guatemala. Specifically, an area called Rio Dulce

The $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the men and the return of the boys has been re-instated by the Los Angeles City Council.

Click on the image to see the interview

The Rio Dulce Area of Guatemala is located on the coast nestled between Belize and Honduras. See the image below.

Silah Boys Feature on CBS News at 11pm tonight

Here's an alert to a new story on the Silah Boys. Zanni and her missing boys will be featured on CBS Ch 2 News tonight at 11:00PM with new information. If you miss it tonight, the same piece should be on throughout the day tomorrow (3/25/09) on both CBS 2 and KCal 9 News.

"HAVE YOU SEEN ME?"

"Most of us have come across a 'Have you seen me?' poster / flyer / or a handout and likely took a quick glance at best before tossing it away. Who would ever think someday my child may be featured on one of those posters? As surreal as it sounds my friends, that is my reality today."

I'm quoting Zanni - the mother of Alex and Zaven Silah. She sent out an email a couple of days ago letting some of us know that Alex is being featured as the missing child on advertising flyers for the month of January.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (http://www.missingkids.com/) has a program where they can include "Have you seen me?" ads on mailers and posters. They profile a different child every month. At this time, we know that the distribution has already gone out in certain states including Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky. The posters usually come as part of the weekly coupon booklet distribution sent to all homes. The images below are typical of what the flyers look like.

Spread the word and let everyone you know that these flyer are being distributed. Let's start the new year strong with renewed enthusiasm about finding our missing children - Alex, Zaven and Greg!

Azad-Hye reports on the Silah Boys abduction - An abduction that is attracting world wide attention

Azad-Hye is a Middle Eastern Armenian portal accessed by Armenians all across the world.

The reporter, Sylvia Bourdjian is an Armenian reporter from Germany who contacted Zanni and Christine because she had heard of their situation and wanted report the story to the Armenian world community.

Please follow this link to the story:




Also, as part of this Christmas holiday, Zanni and Christine have assembled a youtube Christmas video that you need to see.

A Christmas message from Alex and Zaven's Mom

Zanni sent out an email this morning wishing everyone in the Westchester Lutheran Family a very blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year...

"Dear Westchester Lutheran Family,

I would like to wish each and every one of you a blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! May the spirit of the season last throughout the year... May the miracle of Christmas give us renewed hope and faith. I pray we experience our own Miracle soon!

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you so very much for your support and for all you have done and continue to do to stand by me, help raise awareness and funds, and ultimately help bring Alex and Zaven back home. I know for a fact, I couldn't get through this without you.

Please be sure to share my e-mail with other Westchester Lutheran parents, staff, and children whose e-mail addressed I don't have."

Sincerely,
Zanni Meguerian

CNN Coverage of the Silah boys abduction

We have exciting news! CNN has done an interview with Kristen Anderson of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). In this interview, she talks exclusively about Alex, Zaven and Greg Silah and about their fathers who have allegedly abducted them from their mothers.

We picked up something different about this interview - Ms. Anderson talks about the boys with more feeling than we have heard in the past. We hear about the boy's personalities, what they are like and how they get along with others. So often we just glaze over news stories because the speaker just states the facts. Ms. Anderson draws us in and gives life to the story. Just listen to the interview link below - "Greg is a sweet, polite boy, although a little bit shy - he's a top student who always volunteers to help others..." She goes on and describes Alex and Zaven as well.

The interviewer, Christi Paul from CNN makes asks interesting question; "A lot of people see family abduction as a civil problem or a custodial issue, but that's a pretty big misconception, isn't it?". Kristen Anderson answers and explains that it is a common misconception - the fact is, George and John Silah are indeed wanted criminals on the run and there are warrants out for them - this is a crime.

Dr. Phil Show Repeat: "Parents abduct children" Guests say their spouses abducted their children.

The Dr. Phil show on parental abductions will air again tomorrow, Monday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m. KCAL 9. In case you missed it last week on CBS you can tune in tomorrow. This is the Los Angeles listing - for the time and date of the show in your town, please click on the following link: Dr. Phil Local Listings.

This is very important. To all of you that have an interest in this case, tune in and watch Zanni and Christine talk about their boys. See the pictures of the Silah brothers - they are accused of abducting their sons from the boys' mothers.

See the original postings for the Dr. Phil Show: http://silahboys.blogspot.com/2008/11/dr-phil-and-silah-boys-abduction.html

Let's get these boys back to their mothers before Christmas!!!!

Dr. Phil and the Silah Boys Abduction - An interview with Zanni and Christine

New date for the show: Monday, December 1st at 4pm on CBS2 (Los Angeles).

Click here for the show time in your area.

"George and John Silah, your world just got a whole lot smaller". Those are the words from Dr. Phil to George and John.

Click here for a previous post on Dr. Phil.

Dr. Phil Promo for the show "Bring My Child Back!"

George and John Silah's car found abandoned in Mexico

We've been waiting so patiently for any leads in this case - finally, we have something. In the most recent interview with Zanni and Christine on CBS News, the mothers tell us that the car used in the abduction of the boys has been found.

The interview entitled "Update on Missing Silah Kids" aired on Tuesday night, November 18th, right after the boys were featured on CBS' "Without a Trace". In the interview, Zanni tells the reporter that the black Chevy Tahoe was found abandoned on a highway in Tijuana, Mexico.

Zanni also reminds us that the brothers have allegedly scammed "dozens and dozens" of people. People who want to seek revenge on the brothers. Therefore the boys, Alex, Zaven and Greg are very much in danger.

Christine ends the interview with a message to the boys: "I hope that you will be here for Christmas...". Click on image to link to video.

Reminder of an East Coast Silah Fundraiser

Update! Thank you to everyone who donated. With your help, the Derderian family has now reached and exceeded their goal of raising $1000 that will go toward the fund that will help find Alex, Zaven and Greg. But don't stop here! You still have time to keep donating. Remember, your donations are going to a non-profit organization that is helping in the location and recovery of our loved ones.

Zanni’s family and friends from Philadelphia are going to run in the Rothman Institute 8K to raise money for the ASSOCIATION FOR THE RECOVERY OF CHILDREN (ARC). This is the non-profit group that is going to help find Alex, Zaven and Greg Silah.

The family has set up a great website with information and ways to sponsor their run. They have a goal of collecting $1000.00. So far, they have raised $695.00. They are just 30% short of their goal! We have just 7 days to help them get to their goal!

All they need is just $305.00.

Please help and donate to show your support for the Derderian family and for Zanni and Christine. You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to ASSOCIATION FOR THE RECOVERY OF CHILDREN by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation. To visit the Team Derderian site, select the Firstgiving link below:

"George and John Silah, your world just got a whole lot smaller"

That's the quote from Dr. Phil. Tune in to the Dr. Phil Show next Monday to see Zanni and Christine, the mothers of the abducted Silah boys tell their story to the world!

The coverage on the boys has been mostly local with a couple of national spots, but this is the most international coverage we've gotten yet. The Dr. Phil Show is the second highest-rated daytime talk show in the nation. Each episode is viewed by 4 to 5 million people. His show airs in at least 40 different countries, including the Arab World (on MBC 4 at 17:00KSA).

We were lucky to attend the taping of the show last month. It was just what we had hoped for, pictures of George and John plastered all over the screen. Zanni and Christine were very composed when they told their story. Not only did they discuss the abduction but they also explained that the boys were in danger because of the alleged criminal activity that the brothers were involved in. It was the first time we had heard those threatening phone messages that were left on the brother's cell phones.

Tune in to see the whole interview with Dr. Phil on Monday, November 17th. The title of the show is “Bring My Child Back!”. The show airs twice in the Los Angeles area - At 4pm on CBS and at 7pm on KCAL9.

Click here for your local listings.

Westchester Lutheran Yard Sale update

Last Saturday's Yard Sale at Westchester Lutheran was a huge success. A special thanks to all who helped - teachers, students, parents and to those who came and took advantage of all the great deals. Many volunteers spent 8 or more hours on their feet in the name of a great cause - Raising money to help locate and bring back the three Silah boys.

Estimates are that over $2,000 was raised during the event.

Zanni, the mother of Alex and Zaven was there to help. It must have been a terrific "lift" for her to see so many caring friends and family. The photos below really show the unity we have in Westchester and how we can rally and support a family in need.

A Mother's Birthday message to her missing son

A couple of weeks ago on October 29th, Zaven Silah turned 9 years old. Even though he wasn't in school, his classmates at Westchester Lutheran had a special birthday celebration in his honor.

Please watch the very special Birthday message from his mom.

Yard Sale this Saturday to benefit the recovery of the Silah Boys

Come by Westchester Lutheran this Saturday, November 8th from 9am to 4pm to shop for some bargains and support a great cause.

The yard sale is being hosted by Westchester Lutheran and will be on the campus located at 7831 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045. For information, call the school at 310-670-5422.

All proceeds from this event will go directly to the recovery fund.

Donations for the sale may be brought to the upper campus on Friday, Nov. 7th from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Happy Birthday, Zaven!

This is a special message to you, Zaven Silah: We hope that you are safe. Today is your birthday – you are now 9 years old!

We pray that you are together with your bother Alex and cousin Greg and that they are giving you support and love. Right now you are in a different world. A world that may be very confusing. Every day, your mother and many, many others are searching for you. We want to bring you home and get you back to a place where you will feel safe and be with your friends.

Tell your big brother Alex that you are sad and want to go home. Call your mother. If you see a police officer, tell him that you want to go home. If you are on a computer right now, send a message to your mother and tell her that you want to come home.

Your classmates at Westchester Lutheran had a special birthday celebration today in your honor. We all look forward to the day when we can celebrate together!

Happy Birthday, our dear friend Zaven.

The Westchester Community

George Silah, John Silah… and Usama Bin Laden!

The FBI has updated their featured “Wanted by the FBI” webpage (www.fbi.gov/wanted.htm).

There they are – George and John Silah on the same page as Bin Laden. They will be happy to see that they are keeping such good company. It looks like the FBI has stepped up their manhunt for the two brothers who abducted their sons, Alex, Zaven and Greg from their mothers.

We hope the FBI has some leads and finds the boys soon. School has been in full swing and their friends at Westchester Lutheran miss them. Fund raising activities still continue as money is desperately needed for The Association for the Recovery of Children to help rescue the boys.

Click here to see how you can donate directly to ARC

Click here to help sponsor family members in an 8K run in Philadelphia

Zanni and Christine will be on the Dr. Phil Show!

Get ready for Dr. Phil!

The theme of the show will be “Parental Abduction! – Children taken by the Ex?”! We can’t wait for the good doctor to blast away at George Silah and John Silah for abducting their sons, Alex, Zaven and Greg from their mothers.

The Dr. Phil Show is the second highest-rated daytime talk show in the nation. The premise of his show is that he helps those who suffer from domestic violence, child abuse, depression, racism, substance abuse and other health issues.

This is a big break! Between 4 and 5 million people will see this show. They will see the pictures of George and John Silah and of course, the boys. There will also be reruns of the show. Someone will recognize these two criminals!

Earlier this week, Christine had a two hour interview with the show’s producer. There will be another pre-interview and some pre-taping in the next couple of days along with pictures. Christine said that she and Zanni will be taping the actual show next Wednesday, Oct. 15th. The exact date that the show will air is not yet set, but it will be either late next week or sometime the week after.

As soon as we know when the show will air, we will get the word out, so check in daily!

Family and friends will run an 8K in Philadelphia on November 23rd, 2008

Announcing an East coast Silah boys fundraiser!

Zanni’s family and friends from Philadelphia are going to run in the Rothman Institute 8K to raise money for the ASSOCIATION FOR THE RECOVERY OF CHILDREN (ARC). This is the non-profit group that is going to help find Alex, Zaven and Greg Silah.

The family has set up a great website with information and ways to donate to the fund. They have a goal of collecting $1000.00. Please help and donate to show your support for the runners and for Zanni and Christine. You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to ASSOCIATION FOR THE RECOVERY OF CHILDREN by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation. To visit the Team Derderian site, select the Firstgiving link below:

By the way, Zanni and Christine are constantly thanking everyone who has helped them so far, spiritually and financially. You can be sure your support is going to help reunite the boys and their mothers.