By: Wrenn Woods
Friends and relatives gathered Thursday night at Francis Burns Methodist Church in honor of 18-month old Amir Jennings. The 18-month old hasn't been seen since Thanksgiving. The boy's mother, 22-year-old Zinah Jennings, is in jail, refusing to talk with police about the boy's whereabouts.
A lot of tears and sadness filled the air. Amir's grandmother says she can't understand why they haven't seen Amir in so long.
"We as a family are trying to make sense of the tragic sequence of events that brought us to this place," says Amir's grandmother Jocelyn Jennings-Nelson.
Members of the community organized a prayer service at Francis Burns Methodist Church to help Amir's family make sense of his disappearance.
"We wanted to let them know that we were praying for Amir to come home. Such a beautiful baby... I'm a mother so I know her heart aches," says church member Dorothy Harrison-Smith.
Amir's grandmother says she believes her daughter, Amir's mother, who faces child endangerment charges, is suffering from mental illness. Jennings-Nelson says she doesn't know if her daughter is holding back clues to the investigation, but hopes she will cooperate with investigators soon.
"We were wondering if she sold him, if she gave him away, if she was threatened and he was taken from her... we don't know," says Jocelyn Jennings-Nelson.
The crowd prayed for Amir's safety and comforted his family. They say the boy's disappearance has had quite an effect on the community.
"Many people have cried night after night after watching the news seeing this little beautiful face, this beautiful face! Amir," says Associate Pastor at First Calvary Baptist Church Reverend Lorraine Boykin.
Everyone was given a poster with Amir's face on it. The group has been posting them in hopes that someone will have a clue as to where Amir is. They've also posted a Facebook page searching for help.
Amir's grandmother says she is grateful the community has reached out to her family. Jennings-Nelson says she knows they will find little Amir.
"I believe as I've said before, in the very pit of my soul, that Amir is alive," she says.
The community prays that she is right. They are relying on faith to bring Amir home.
Jennings-Nelson says she has complete faith in the investigators. She asks anyone with any details or tips about the case to send them to the Columbia police.
