Elaine Sepulveda used to kiss her mother on the cheek every day before she would leave to school. That kiss has not come to her mother’s cheek for two weeks, since Elaine’s disappearance on Nov. 6.

Mary Jimenez, Elaine’s mother, asks that the community come and pray for Elaine and her family during a candlelight vigil tonight, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Harbor Tower Village, 100 E. Whidbey Ave., Oak Harbor.

Pastor Dave Veach of Living Word Church in Oak Harbor will speak and lead the prayers. After the prayers and a moment of silence, friends and family will release white balloons that represent their hopes and prayers.

“The Balloons are our prayers going up to our Heavenly Father, to bring Elaine back,” said family friend and neighbor, Sysbie Mickelson. “Some people hold vigils for those who are lost and can’t be found. This prayer vigil is to bring Elaine home safe again.”

Mickelson asks that those who attend the prayer vigil understand that Elaine’s family has answered numerous questions from the media and investigators and want this time as a time of prayer and consolation.

Police continue to investigate the 15-year-old girl’s disappearance as a possible crime.

Sgt. Baker with the Oak Harbor Police said detectives are following up on what leads come in, but there are no new developments. Detectives are currently going through her e-mail messages for possible clues.

The police and Navy haven’t put together any additional large-scale searches, like they did in the first week after she disappeared. But Baker said detectives did direct a search of a huge 30-foot-deep sink hole behind the Navy’s Rock Hill Terrace housing this week. They didn’t find anything.

Workers cordoned off the hole and will fill it soon. “It’s definitely dangerous,” Baker said. “Thank God nobody stepped on it and fell in.”

Anyone with information about Sepulveda’s disappearance should contact the Oak Harbor Police Department at 360-240-2818 days or 360-679-9567 evenings and weekends.