LAWRENCE - When two men in full military uniforms showed up at the home of a missing soldier's father, neighbors thought the worst.

But it turns out the military was only there to inform the family that the status of Army Spc. Alex Jimenez has been changed from "whereabouts unknown" to "missing/captured." The change does not mean the military has gained any new information about his whereabouts, but relatives were still notified of the development Thursday.

Maria del Rosario, the mother of Jimenez, was given the same fright when soldiers came to her home in New York.

"I was alarmed," she said. "I couldn't talk."

Jimenez, 25, and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich., went missing after their unit was ambushed south of Baghdad on May 12. A third missing soldier was found dead more than a week later.

The change in their official status was seen as a good sign by family members.

"This is good news, because they're continuing looking for him," del Rosario said.

His wife, Yaderlin Hiraldo, 23, of Pennsylvania, agreed.

"It gives me more hope," she said. "Even though they haven't told us whether he's dead or alive."

As they wait for more definitive answers, the family of Jimenez continues to cling to their strong Catholic faith for strength.

Late last night, relatives in New York said they were busy praying when reached by telephone.

Family members in Lawrence, where Jimenez's father, Ramon "Andy" Jimenez lives, have also been praying.

"We have a lot of hope," said Wendy Luzon, a close friend and neighbor of Andy Jimenez. "We have a lot of faith."

The Islamic State of Iraq, a terrorist group with links to al-Qaida, claimed on the Internet that all three of the missing soldiers, including Jimenez, were killed and buried, but offered no proof. Identification cards belonging to Jimenez and Fouty were found two weeks ago in an al-Qaida safehouse more than 100 miles from where they disappeared.

The change in the soldiers' official status, announced by the Pentagon yesterday, reflects an official determination that Jimenez and Fouty were seized by hostile forces. The earlier designation is typically used when a soldier goes missing but military officials have not confirmed the circumstances.

An Army review board convened in Alexandria, Va., on June 12 to review the facts surrounding the case. It recommended that the two soldiers be declared "captured/missing," and on June 27 that was accepted by the Army's adjutant general.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.