MK forum

I'd like to start this forum so that others will feel free to voice their oppinions, thoughts, experiences (good and bad). As for me, the Tambo experience had some wonderful experiences if you try not to think of what you didn't like.

I loved field day and the mountians.

I disliked having my finger held and bagging on the piano key that I had just missed, The spankings with a thin plastic belt from the ankles to the middle of my back by a dorm mother that had never been married and didn't want to be a dorm mother of 1 - 4 grade girls. I hated running and hiding in another dorm because I offered to help her and that made her angry and she went to find her belt. I disliked being made to eat the chicken feed that the maids mistakenly cooked for breakfast. All the demerits when we were made to collect donkey dung and break it up in the gardens without any gloves and full of thorns. I was only 6 when my parents arrived in Bolivia and the next week I was wisked off to Tambo and all alone. Later on, I became 'mother' to my 3 younger brothers, packing for them, unpacking for them and trying to protect them from abuse. That is all I'm going to say for now.

I too have many wonderful Tambo memories, hiking and climbing, my many friends, sleeping in the patio . . . However, the last two weeks I have spent many hours on this site, the NTM site, different media reports, trying to digest it all. After the first week I looked at this forum and thought OK, nothing on Tambo. Maybe that is good news. Then I contacted my sister and said do you know anyone who was abused sexually or physically. Her immediate response was yes. She gave me the name of the child and the abuser and said it happened after we left Tambo. I then asked my little brother who was in the little boys dorm if he knew of anything. He said he was never abused, one staff person in particular was excessive in punishment and told me of an incident that shocked me. He said he tried to steer clear of this person (but that is hard when they are your dorm parent) and stay out of trouble. I then got up my nerve to ask two other friends and both said their brothers had suffered sexual and physical abuse. It was reported and no one did anything. It was evidently allowed to continue by the people in charge. I contacted another friend and asked if he knew of anything and he said yes, several. I knew so many of these boys who were younger than me. It breaks my heart to think that these young boys I knew have been abused this way by the adults we trusted. Not all the abused were children of NT missionaries. Some were from other missions. I was told that after many years one abuser was dismissed from the school. As two of the main staff people at Tambo were also on the Field Committee no one can say that the Committee did not know. For two weeks now since reading this site, my rage has grown. I think about my these boys constantly. So far every single person has verified the abuse. I am so thankful my family left there. I will never look back and think of Tambo in the same way again.

To Down and Out.

When I read how you had to eat hot cereal with worms, my guess was that you were one of my class mates or close to it. Names ran threw my mind but it doesn't matter(well it does matter, you know what I mean) who you are, it seems that we came out of there with the same abuse and thoughts. Some one that no one liked and never fit in with the popular kids. Believe it or not, I saw Jon Johnson not to long ago and even got a picture! Tambo was very rough unless you were liked or from one of '"the Families" I encourage you to write to GRACE. I know of several of us from Tambo that have and we are hoping we are looked at soon. I do want you to know that you are not the only one that came out of that school harmed and hurting, that is why I got Tambo blog started. Keep looking up, we have survived, you from digging all the compost piles, me from breaking up donkey turds (with thorns) for all the staff flowers! (You have to see some humor, right?

Down and Out,

Wish you wouldn't leave.

Down and Out

I am glad to see that you are still with us. Hang in there, I think there will be help for all of us. I wish there were a way for us to write directly but I don't know how to do that. Don't give up because a lot of us are thinking of you and praying for you

When I read the Fanda report, it tore me apart, not just for them, but because it was all too familiar to what I experienced at Tambo! It made me cry! I had thought I had closed that chapter in the story of my life. I think what made it complicated is that there were many good experiences too, and by acknowledging the bad things that happened, I did not want to discredit the good things that I remember about life there. Finally, I sat down and wrote out five pages about the negative things I experienced while I was there, and that was simply what happened, not how it has affected my life since. I was not sexually abused but experienced most of the other abuses, and I know without a doubt that since all the other abuses were taking place there, sexual abuse was happening too. When I graduated from highschool, I wrote letters to some of the people who treated me the worst, expressing my sadness and anger at what had been done, and letting them know that while I will never forget it...I refuse to let them control me because of what they have done. No one responded back, and at least one of those families is still working full time with NTM. Another teacher, that was particularly abusive is working with another organization teaching in Mexico. The dormparent is no longer with NTM. I would like to see these people held accountable for what they did to children, and I know that some day all these things will be exposed in front of the completely fair and righteous Judge! Now I am trying to raise my own children in a more Godly environment where they can experience God's love. I am struggling to get it right...it is hard to not expect from them what was expected of me at that age. But I hope they see a person who admits it when I have failed and allows them the freedom of failing too as they are learning and growing. I hope they see someone who is learning how to love God and not just legalistically follow the LAW!

It is too bad that after all these years, classmates are still afraid to post and feel uneasy because of the fears instilled as little kids in NTM. My heart goes out to those students, we are breaking that spell

I am here to add support to all MK's in all schools who suffered abuse--Oh yeah, it happened!I admire your courage, although I am conflicted whether this forum will result in positive action without further damage. I have chosen to tell my story directly to GRACE and not go into dtails here. Know that I stand by you, love and care for you and am praying for each of us. It is true that there were positive experiences but they do not override the negative effects on our lives from abuse. I too have been on a very long road to recovery! I have found forgiveness and peace and know that God loves each and every one of us and He saw our pain and hurt with us. I have been reminded that abuse is compounded and many of our abusers may have been victims themselves--that in no way removes their culpability. We all are given free will by God to make choices--they chose wrong to inflict pain on young,innocent children who were placed in their care. After hearing mine, my brothers and sister's stories my parents are haunted by their choice to send us away for schooling. My family has never been closer and our faith never stronger! May God grant us each the "peace that passeth all understanding" , the courage to forgive and the strength to "finish the race"

I never heard anything positive. Grades weren't good enough, so I couldn't take music, to skinny, too much hair, I don't ever remember being told that I was loved or any good at any thing. When I confronted the staff years later,,,of course none of them remember being so hateful to me.