Families pray for Holly and Jessica
The families of missing schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman today came together to pray for them.
Holly’s parents Kevin and Nicola and Jessica’s mother Sharon were joined by more than 15 of their family and friends at the Communion service in their parish church in Soham, Cambsbridge.
They spoke and embraced each other after the moving service, and Mr Wells, 38, spoke briefly to waiting media afterwards.
"We drew a lot of strength from the service," he said, the exhaustion and strain clear on his face.
"We are bearing up, thank you for your support."
More than 100 people from the town, which has endured a week of growing fear and fading hope over the fates of the missing 10-year-olds, gathered in the church of St Andrew for the regular Sunday service, exactly a week after they disappeared.
Well-wishers have lit candles for the pair at the Norman church as more than 300 police scoured the town for any sign of the two best friends.
The Rev Tim Alban Jones, who led today’s service, said Soham had never expected such terrible events and said the two families were enduring a "living nightmare".
He led prayers for the safe return of the schoolgirls and said their plight had raised difficult theological questions about the nature of evil and about God.
"How could God allow something like this to happen? There may be some anger directed at God and certainly there is appropriate anger directed at whoever has done such a vile deed," he said.
He continued: "God is with us in all our difficulties, in fact I think he is more particularly with those who suffer.
"So God is with Holly and Jessica wherever they are, God is with their families at this awful time and God is with us as we meet together to bring him our prayers and our concerns."
