The Vanishings

The Vanishings is the first book of forty in the Left Behind:The Kids series written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Timothy LaHaye in 1998. The plot for this book is based on the Left Behind series.

This book tells how Judd Thompson, Vicki Byrne, Lionel Washington, and Ryan Daley meet and realize there is hope after the massive disappearances. It starts with 16-year-old Judd who after being asked to bring in the mail, finds a credit card that mistakenly has his name instead of his father's. He steals the card and plans his escape from what he thinks is his horribly "churchy" family. After a few days, he tells his parents he is going to the library to study but instead goes to O'Hare and hops on a plane to England.

Next we see 14-year-old Vicki two years ago when her parents, her big brother, and their little sister are converted by a pastor who comes to preach at the weekend dance. After that she becomes more and more rebellious, doing drugs, drinking, and smoking. She refuses to buy into the "church thing" even after seeing a change in her parents.

13-year-old Lionel's story is told next as we see him growing up in a Christian family and pretending to believe but not really thinking it is true. He talks with his Uncle Andre and finds out that he does not believe either. He worries about it but decides not to tell anyone. He has a problem with his girl friend in this book and he starts to lie to her about how good a person he is so that she will stay with him.

Finally there's 12-year-old Ryan, whose family has no interest in church. But his friend Raymie Steele is excited when he and his mom start going to a different church called New Hope Village Church. Raymie's dad is Rayford Steele from the adult Left Behind series.

While on the airplane (whose pilot is Rayford Steele) Judd wakes up to find that people are missing. Realizing that the Rapture has taken place, he wants to get back home and try to make things right when he realizes that if he is right, his family will be gone, too.

The night before the Rapture, Vicki was out late with some friends. She sneaks back in the house and falls asleep. The next morning she wakes up to find her mom, dad, and little sister gone with only their clothes in the bed. She tries to call a friend from the bus who tried to tell her something about this. She connects but only Lionel answers. Vicki tells him that she is going down to her parents church later that day. He agrees to come to. She also tries to call Eddie, but finds out that he is gone too.

Lionel was sleeping in his basement with his Uncle Andre when he wakes up and finds that it is late in the morning. Hearing the phone ring he goes to answer it and finds out that his mom never left for work. He finds the clothes of his mom, dad, and sisters, and wakes up his uncle. His uncle leaves while Lionel calls his church to find out if anyone is there. He finds the assistant pastor was left. After telling him he would be fine he got the call from Vicki and went to the church.

Ryan wakes up that morning and sees a note from his mother telling him she went to go pick up his dad and not to leave the house. After several hours of not hearing from her he gets a call from a police officer telling him that his mom died in a gas explosion. He runs down to Raymie's house and finds Rayford there with Raymie and his mom's clothes. He sees his dad's name on a list of plane crash victims and not knowing where to go, he runs to Raymie's church.

There all the kids meet Bruce Barnes, the visitation pastor who shows them a copy of a video that the pastor made for this time. After watching it, he asks them whether or not there ready to accept Christ, and they get saved.