(NewsNation) — A mission trip turned into a horrific nightmare for a nun from Louisiana. 

The Roman Catholic Church reported Wednesday that 83-year old Sister Suellen Tennyson had been found alive.

Tennyson was ripped from her bed at gunpoint in the west African nation Burkina Faso nearly five months ago.  

The 10 gunmen kidnapped Tennyson, leaving behind her shoes, glasses and blood pressure medication. 

Wednesday, a letter sent to Marianites of Holy Cross said Tennyson was free and in U.S. hands in Niger’s capital city of Niamey. 

She was captured at a time when Burkina Faso was considered unstable and the U.S. State Department warned against traveling to the nation. 

Tennyson had been working as a missionary in the country since 2014.