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This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said.

AP Photo/Danish Refugee Council This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said.

By Dan Sewell, Associated Press Updated 8:24 AM Thursday, January 26, 2012

Christian school teachers in southwest Ohio who know Jessica Buchanan are jubilant and thankful for her rescue in Somalia by U.S. special forces.

They say months of prayers have been answered. Retired high school science teacher Roy Merrill says the successful mission can be called a miracle.

The 32-year-old aid worker and a Danish colleague had been kidnapped by gunmen in October.

She attended Ridgeville Christian School, which is no longer in operation. It was in Clearcreek Twp., about 20 miles south of Dayton.

Former school board President Will Lau recalled that Buchanan graduated in 1998 along with about 20 others from the private school. "She went to school with my daughter," Lau said Wednesday afternoon.

Although the school was affiliated with a church on the same property, Buchanan and her family attended a different church, Lau said.

Her family moved from Ohio a few years ago, and she studied at a Christian college in Pennsylvania before going overseas.

Merrill recalls her as a leader; an outstanding student also active in basketball and volleyball.

Teacher Carol Richards says Buchanan and her family are very dedicated Christians.

Cindy Torrence of Springboro, a teacher who taught at the former school when Buchanan was a student there, said Wednesday night that she went on a mission trip to Guatemala with Buchanan's brother.

"I just remember that she was a very kind hearted, tender hearted girl," Torrence said.

Torrence noted that when she heard about the rescue in Somalia on the morning news programs, "It didn't dawn on me that it was Jessica."

Torrence said that later in the day, when the news of the rescue reached the social media website Facebook, "it was a praise the Lord thing!"

News Center 7 Reporter Kate Bartley and Dayton Daily News Staff Writer Lawrence Budd contributed to this report.

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