GREENWOOD -
A husband and wife from Iowa were hit by thieves while on a missions trip to help families who are barely getting by this year.
Their trailer full of food, clothes and even Christmas presents was stolen in front of surveillance cameras while members slept in a Greenwood hotel near I-65 and County Line Road.
Now police are hoping surveillance video can help catch the criminals.
The video showed a truck with a trailer connected to it leaving a Greenwood parking lot. With that trailer and truck went thousands of dollars worth of supplies meant for needy families. All of it disappeared into the night.
"The Bible says to feed my sheep, and we could have fed so many of those families but because of someone's evil spirit, we lost all of that," said Connie Mertens, who was supposed to deliver those supplies with her husband Doug.
The Mertens were headed from Iowa to southern Kentucky to help poor families.
"We got up at 6 o'clock to leave and the truck and trailer were gone," said Connie.
Greenwood police said they have no suspects. Their only clue was a dark SUV also in the surveillance video. Police said it seemed to be accompanying the stolen truck and trailer, waiting for them to drive off and then following.
"They'll turn up, but will they turn up with the clothing, and the food in there?" asked Assistant Chief Matt Fillenwarth with the Greenwood police. "It's not real likely, but we can always hold out for hope," he said.
The Mertens said they hadn't lost hope and didn't plan to either. They've asked people to go into their closets and look for clothing and shoes they don't need and donate them to Lighthouse Missions in Kentucky.
"These are for children, families in the hills of Elkhorn City where the mines are shutting down and they're living in buses and trailers and no heat and no food and no jobs," said Connie.
The couple also had a message for whoever took their truck and trailer. "Please bring the truck and the trailer and all of its contents back. Drop it off in front of somebody that knows we're looking for this and we will not press charges," said Connie.
The Mertens said the rest will be up to God.
You can find a link to the church ministry here.
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