As told by Daniel 

Nancy’s Story

The story you are about to read is one of the most intense experiences I have had in seeing God’s promises claimed and fulfilled. This story is completely factual and yet it is still somewhat hard to believe. It unfolds in the years 1974-1976 mostly in Lawrence, Kansas but also in London, England. As one of those who personally experienced many of these events, I would like to add my perspective and a few details to the composite story, which others have contributed. (You can follow the following links to read the personal memoirs of others who were directly involved: Don Schonberg, Alan Kaye, Neela)

Since some of the actual people involved have expressed their desire to keep their names private from Internet search engines, I have agreed to change the real names of those individuals to fictitious names. But I assure you, these events are real-life demonstrations of God’s faithfulness to His promises.

The Back Story

The year was 1974. Our Christian fellowship had done a door-to-door outreach in the city of Lawrence during the winter break. Some from our team met a young woman (we will call her Nancy) in north Lawrence with two small children and she began fellowshipping with us. She was growing very quickly in her faith through the word of God and through fellowship with Christians.

As we got to know Nancy, who was in her early twenties, we learned that she had been in a relationship with a man, Gopal, who lived in Connecticut at the time and who came all the way to Lawrence every two weeks to visit their two children, Neela and Amit, who were then 6 and 2 years old.

We began to be concerned for her, because she often needed to call the police in order to calm arguments which would occur when Gopal visited. He would take the children for the day, pushing the limits of the child visitation ruling of the Douglas County Court in Lawrence, Kansas.

Several years earlier, as Nancy ran away from her parental home in rural Kansas, she met and lived with Gopal for several years in New York. It was during this time that they had two children together. These were extremely hard years, which Nancy could no longer endure. So, she left him and came back to Kansas. They had “married” by committing their lives to one another in New York. There was no official wedding or marriage certificate, but since it was considered to be a “common-law” marriage it still required a legal divorce in Kansas. As a part of the ruling, the court gave Nancy the custody of the two children, but gave Gopal bi-weekly visitation rights on weekends.

As leaders of this Christian fellowship, desiring to help Nancy work through her problems, we tried to get to know Gopal as well. We met with him on many occasions and found him to be very intelligent and very resolute in his beliefs. He came from the south of India and had Catholic roots. Even though he showed little interest in the gospel of grace, he strongly held to a concept that the family unit itself was sacred. This is why he could not accept the divorce or separation, and many of the arguments on the front porch of Nancy’s home revolved around him wanting her and the kids to return to him.

He was quite obviously much older than Nancy. We later discovered that when she met him, she was 15 and he said he was 25, but was actually 35. He was pursuing an Aerospace Engineering degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He eventually completed a Ph.D. there, and worked for a time for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in Connecticut.

All through the summer of 1974 his conflicts with Nancy continued to escalate. Gopal pushed the official limits of his visitation rights by sometimes taking trips with the children and even keeping them overnight. He was slowly preparing to execute a plan. Nancy sensed that he was planning something big, and she told us so. But, we had no basis to take any legal action. Then came that August weekend in 1974.

The Abduction

Gopal arrived in a rental car and took the kids seemingly as normal. But when he didn’t return at the agreed upon time, tensions began to rise. Then, instead of returning the kids, Nancy received a phone call from New Delhi, India from Gopal, who had taken the children with him and fled the country.

His plan and hope was to use the children in order to pressure Nancy to rejoin him in India. He made that very clear demand in the first call, and in many, many calls thereafter. Nancy was, of course, devastated and distraught. Besides contacting the local authorities, including the local Lawrence police and the Legal Aid Society, she also sought help from us as a church. What to do?

Because of the complexities of the case, we also sought counsel from other, more mature Christians. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.” I well remember calling William MacDonald, a very well known author and speaker among the Brethren movement. He gave us very wise counsel, which we passed along to Nancy.

He suggested that Nancy should not to give in to Gopal’s demands and not to go to India. He had two main reasons, one more spiritual in nature, and one more a matter of common sense. He said that by going, Nancy would be participating in Gopal’s unrighteousness, which she should not do. And simply on a practical level, she would have no legal rights or recourse if she were to go to India. This made very good sense to us, and also to Nancy.

As a result of this cousel she continued to stand firm and to steadfastly refuse Gopal’s repeated demands over the next two years (!) of pressuring phone calls. We did all we could to comfort and encourage her as a church. Many a prayer meeting was called to pray specifically for this situation. We would quote prayer promises from God’s word and then pray them, such as….

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” Psalm 50:15

For some period of time into the Fall of 1974 the calls were coming from India. Then, suddenly, they started coming from various places in Canada. So, we contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to seek help in locating and recovering the kids. With such limited information, it was difficult to know how to proceed, but they were doing their best to be of help to us.

It was somewhere in this time period that we realized how valuable it would be if we could be recording these calls, and in particular, if we could determine where the call was coming from and keep a log of the calls. So I went to a Radio Shack and bought a device to attach to a telephone which would feed the sound into a tape recorder. From that time onward, whenever it was possible, we would record the calls, many of which were laced with vile language and were obvious attempts to coerce and extort Nancy. We would also do our best to catch the operator at the end of the call to see if we could find out where the call originated. This log of the recordings and locations later became invaluable evidence, when the case ended up in a London court.

After many months of calls from Canada, the location shifted to Europe. Calls started coming from Basel, Switzerland; then from Wales; then Scotland; and finally from England. Eventually, almost two years after the abduction, the calls were coming steadily from the London area.

During this time, even though the context is a very different one, the following verses were very encouraging:

5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth,

7 Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Isaiah 43:5-7

In context, God is speaking of His people, Israel. Nonetheless these verses became a central theme in many of our prayer meetings as a church. We had, of course, no idea how God might work to bring the children back. But we were ready to let Him surprise us, and we persevered in believing prayer. And He did surprise us!

The Pursuit

Our young church in Lawrence was greatly blessed when a very godly family moved from Minnesota to join us. Don and Roene Schonberg, along with four of their six children, were in our fellowship in 1974 as the children were taken. Don had also tried on many occasions to talk with Gopal, but without much success.

Some time in early summer 1976, the oldest Schonberg son (Dave) made a comment that set a lot of things in motion. He wondered aloud what he would do if those were his own children. He mused that he would probably drop everything and go to London to find them.

Don happened to hear this musing just as the Patty Hearst chase was all over the news in 1976 in the States. She was being sought for some federal crimes but no one could find her. Then a famous detective was asked if he thought he could find her. His reply was a confident, “Yes!” When they asked him how long he thought it would take, and he said “about two weeks”. And sure enough, two weeks later he had apprehended her.

Don learned from this current events story that the key in such a search was to come up with ways to limit or narrow the focus so as not to waste time or resources with little potential to be fruitful. Having a loving heart to care for Nancy and the children as he would for his own, along with this strategy to limit the focus of the search, Don began to take steps to go to London.

After getting counsel and being assured of our support from the church in Lawrence, he sat down and thought of 21 factors to help focus the search. At this time he was working at a metal scrap yard. So he asked his boss for some time off. His boss wanted to know what he needed the time for. When he told him that he wanted to go to London to find two abducted children, his boss asked him to turn in his equipment, since he was asking for an undefined length of time off. Don essentially gave up his job. He did not know how long he’d be gone, or if he’d even have a job when he got back.

So, in early September 1976, over two years after the kids were taken, Don got his ticket to London. We in Lawrence were praying for him and kept praying that Gopal would continue to make traceable calls, so we could know more specifically where he was. Don described to us later, as he was flying through the night over millions of lights below and over this sprawling, massive metropolis of London, realizing that he is looking for two small children, that he couldn’t help but ask himself, “what in the world am I doing!??!”

The Legal Aid Society of Lawrence, Kansas was an active participant throughout this whole process. On Nancy’s behalf they had made contact in London with a law firm, Crane & Hawkins at Russell Square, which was a firm selected by the British government. We discovered later that Crane & Hawkins was chosen at least in part because one of their solicitors, Alan Kaye, also had experience in legal matters in India.

Upon arrival in London, Don was able to meet Alan, and inform him as to some of the background and particulars of the case. Alan suggested and arranged for Don to meet and talk with Scotland Yard. He explained to them what his goal was and the 21 areas he had thought of to narrow the search. Alan suggested that Don should be “deputized” by Scotland Yard, so that he might be able to get information from various authorities which was not normally available to the public. Scotland Yard did not have the manpower to devote to such a search so they agreed to deputize him.

Don met with Scotland Yard on a Tuesday, and then asked us for more prayer support from Lawrence. So we convened yet another prayer meeting. As I remember, it was in the backyard of a house of some church members, and there were at least 20-30 of us praying specifically for another traceable call to come. Someone shared….

“Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” John 16: 23b-24

By Thursday, Don had his deputization document and with perfect timing, God answered our prayers and we had a fresh phone call which we could trace! Armed with this information, including a specific telephone number, Don went to British Telekom. Because of his authorization, he was able to get the exact location of the telephone booth which Gopal had used for the latest call only hours before. He took the subway to Notting Hill Gate and found two red phone booths. He knew that just hours earlier Gopal, and probably the children, were there!

The next step was to find the nearest library. When Don had asked Nancy months earlier what Gopal would be doing with the children, she said he would be reading to them, and indicated that he would surely be using the local library. So, Don found a policeman near the underground station and asked where the nearest library was. He went there and asked if they had a library card in Gopal’s name. The answer was that such information was not public. So Don played his deputization card again, and the librarian then cooperated. She looked in their records but did not find his name. But she did offer to call another library nearby. And lo and behold, that library had a card in Gopal’s name. Don now had the exact address where Gopal and the children were staying!

Realizing that this could result in an unpleasant confrontation, Don called the Tipstaff at Scotland Yard to accompany him to the address. A Mr. Dorling met him and they went together to 74 Lancaster Road. You can imagine Gopal’s shock when the Tipstaff showed up at the door to take the children. Gopal insisted on going with them, so he rode along to the American Embassy. The children remained at the Embassy until suitable accommodations could be arranged for them.

The Douglas County Court and the terms of the father’s visitation rights had, of course, no jurisdiction in England. The clear child custody ruling that Nancy had from a Kansas court, of course, did not apply there. To their immense credit the British government went to great lengths and expense to re-adjudicate the case for the sake of the children’s long-term well-being. But for now, Don’s work was mostly done, but ours was far from over. Only about 36 hours after being “deputized”, Don had found the children! God answers prayer!

The Custody Trial

Of course the church in Lawrence, not to mention Nancy, was jubilant at the news that the children had been found and taken into custody. But there was still a long road ahead.

One task, in hopes that it would be admissible evidence in court, was to transcribe all those recorded phone calls. To my shame, I must admit that I cannot even remember for sure who it was who did this important work. But I do know that it was very key to the case being decided and that we all remain very thankful for that labor of love. And we also know that God is fully aware of who it was, and that God is also faithful to Hebrews 6:10.

“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints.” Hebrews 6:10

As the particulars for the child custody trial were taking shape in late September and early October, 1976, we in Lawrence began to have direct contact with Alan Kaye, the British appointed solicitor for Nancy’s case. In Britain, the legal profession is split into solicitors (who research the details and prepare briefs of information) and barristers (who are the orators and argue the case before the judge). The barristers are the ones who wear the white wigs in court, which was the case for our barrister.

In order to provide the necessary background information on the case, Alan, our solicitor, felt it necessary to make an investigative trip to Kansas to research the background of the case. We knew that Gopal’s only real hope of being able to maintain custody of the children would be if he could somehow paint a picture that the mother was involved in a weird religious sect and therefore the children would be better off with him.

So, after more prayer meetings, God somehow provided the money necessary to bring Alan Kaye out to Kansas. Nancy and I (and I think also Steve Schonberg, one of the other leaders of the church, and a son of Don Schonberg) met Alan at the Kansas City airport. As we were driving back toward Lawrence, Alan had an interest in seeing a “backwoods” Kansas town. So we drove through Tonganoxie, Kansas, which for most Americans is certainly no great thrill or tourist destination. But, somewhere along the main street Alan saw a laundromat, with the name written above it: “Suds Y’ur Duds”! That is when we first recognized just how infectious Alan’s laugh was.

We had prepared a dedicated room in which Alan could do his work undisturbed. To my recollection he stayed with Steve Schonberg and his family, but also spent time getting to know the other leaders and our church. He seemed quite impressed with our phone call recording system, and with the log and transcripts.

On a side note, we even got to share some American culture with him by taking him to a Kansas vs. Oklahoma football game. This was October 16, 1976 and Kansas had Nolan Cromwell at quarterback, but we lost 28-10 nevertheless. Alan thoroughly enjoyed the pomp and pageantry of college athletics.

Alan was even able to squeeze in a visit to Nancy’s parent’s home, about a 5 hour drive away. This trip helped give him a clear impression of Nancy’s upbringing and family background. We all appreciated Alan’s thoroughness and competence, along with his good nature.

Sometime in the weeks after returning to England, as he was working on briefs for the case and interacting with Gopal’s legal representatives, Alan informed us that the British government would be calling for two of us to come as witnesses in the trial. The two they wanted were Steve Schonberg and myself.

Not even possessing a passport at the time, I had to fly to Chicago to have one issued on short-notice. The bus trip to the passport office from the O’Hare airport was crazy. The driver knew just what he was doing, and the exact dimensions of his vehicle, but my oh my, how he made it through all that traffic, I still have no idea! At one point, he put on his parking brake, opened the right-side front door, and yelled at some driver. But just a few hours later, on November 19, with my new passport in hand, I was checking in to my first ever flight to Europe. I was flying on a British Airways 747 to London Heathrow at the expense of the British government!

Alan Kaye met me at the airport, and took me to his offices at Crane & Hawkins at Russell Square. As I remember, Steve Schonberg and I had a hotel room together for that time. On the weekend, Alan and his wife Evelyn, invited us out to their house in Chalfont St. Giles, west and north of the city. I remember going on a walk with them in their neighborhood where they pointed out Milton’s Cottage, just about two hundred meters from their house, where John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. We also enjoyed a delightful meal at the Kaye’s home, complete with some good British ale. Steve couldn’t handle it quite so well, and being a former fraternity man, I was glad to help him by finishing his. Anything I can do to help, you know? During this visit Alan & Evelyn also drove us out to Windsor Castle. Although we never saw a “Suds Y’ur Duds”, we did have the opportunity to enjoy some Fish ‘N Chips.

Of course the main point of all this was the custody trial itself. Despite all the formality and seriousness of an English High Court of Justice, and with the fate of two precious children in the balance, I must admit, there were a few humorous moments.

One of those came when Nancy was being pressed by Gopal’s barrister on her religious beliefs. He was trying to push her into a corner to admit her conviction of where people who do not believe in Jesus Christ as she does would end up after death. She was doing her best to be honest and yet gracious and not sound judgmental. Finally the barrister nailed her down by asking: “Where will people spend eternity who do not believe in Jesus Christ or receive Him as their Savior?” Nancy’s meek response of “Well, the Bible calls it hell, Sir” brought the house down.

Then there was the time that I was on the witness stand. Gopal’s barrister was trying to paint our fellowship as being extreme, and particularly with respect to child-raising and discipline. He asked me about the verse: “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.” Desiring to be a good, truthful and accurate witness, I wanted to be sure which verse he meant. So I asked him: “Are you referring to Proverbs 23:13?” Well, this poor barrister did not know the answer, he was only working off the briefs prepared by his solicitor. And not only that, he was not used to being asked questions by a witness! He was speechless. It was an awkward moment, which, of course, I had not intended to create. Alan Kaye told us later, in all the years he had seen that barrister in court (which were considerable), he had never once seen him speechless before!

We were experiencing God’s promise in Luke 12:11-12 being fulfilled in our midst:

“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:11-2

Before the proceedings concluded and the judge made his judgment (there was no jury), there were also child psychologists brought in on both sides who presented their testimony. The trial took several days, and they even extended over the Thursday of American Thanksgiving. Somewhat to my surprise, turkey and dressing was on the menu at the cafeteria in the Law Courts in London. And I did enjoy a British Thanksgiving dinner there.

A few days later the judge ruled in Nancy’s favor. Gopal, of course, appealed the ruling, which resulted in extending things to an appeals court. That final decision did not come until late December or early January. My flight back to the States was on December 3, so I had another few days on my own. Somehow I rented a small room in a hotel, but don’t remember much of that time except that the room was NOT well heated. Brrr! Nancy, of course, won the appeal and was finally free to take her children home to Lawrence. To God be the glory!

The Rest of the Story

It was a tremendous privilege to be a part of this incredible story. The children are now grown, college-educated contributors to society. Their father, Gopal, somehow made it back to the States in the years following in order to maintain contact with his beloved children, who in many ways were his life. The children never doubted both their parents’ love for them. Gopal sadly passed away a number of years ago. To his credit, he remained faithful to his convictions to the end. Nancy continues to live in Lawrence, Kansas and to serve the Lord.

The abiding lesson for all of us is that God is STILL faithful to His promises. We can take Him at His word, whether that be promises of answered prayer, or provision, or whatever we need. Praise be to Him alone!

5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth,

7 Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Isaiah 43:5-7

Addenda:

Thankfully we also have the record of this story from the viewpoint of the other of the main characters. Below you can see what they wrote about the whole experience (in case you’d like more detail and from different perspectives). Just click on the name to read their perspective on this amazing story.

• Don Schonberg (who went to London and actually found the children).

• Alan Kaye (the British solicitor who researched the case and wrote the briefs for the barrister).

• Neela own account (the oldest of the two children from her experience). And Neela Honoring Parents.

• Nancy (the mother) in her own eloquent words relaying her experience.

Enjoy reading!