ST. LOUIS – Dozens of members of the Morningstar Church in Dardenne Prairie returned home Friday. They were caught in Israel when the country was attacked. 

Daniel and Deanna Holtgrewe, husband and wife, said they never felt in danger but are praying for all the innocent lives caught in the middle of war.

“All they want is peace, and it’s sad,” said Daniel. “It really hurts you in the heart.”   

“When we were out touring in the Masada area, we heard missiles,” said Deanna.

The couple was embraced by their children and grandchildren as they arrived at one of the baggage claim areas at St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Friday.  

“We’re very blessed that we were able to see what we could see, and then very blessed to be able to get out safely and then obviously to come home when we could,” said Deanna.

Her husband said it felt great to be back home but added, “It feels sad because we know what’s going on over there.”

To make it back home, church members got rerouted to Istanbul, then eventually to Frankfurt, Germany, and onto the new weekly international flights between Frankfurt and St. Louis.