MK forum

Anapolis, March, 2011

Dear *"Memories",

We have read what many have posted on the Vianopolis forum. It has taken us a while to process this, but we want you to know that we recognize that many of you suffered tremendous pain, and years of misery during your time at Via. As those currently responsible for the program at Via, we want to apologize humbly to you, from the bottom of our hearts. We want you to know that we grieve deeply for you, and we are seriously shocked, saddened and aghast at the amount of suffering that was a result of your having spent time at Via. This should never have happened to you and is not our purpose or desire for this school.

We realize that some of these experiences are only now beginning to be talked about as the memories come flooding in. How can we respond, and reach out to each of you who is hurting? What can we do to help alleviate your suffering and emotional pain? What can we do to help with the healing that you need at this time?

Plans are being made for a third party group to investigate the Via school. We have willingly made available the records that we have, in an effort to see the truth established about what took place at Vianópolis so many years ago.

We want to express to each one of you personally our apology, our indignation, and our grief for what you went through in a school that was meant for the care and education of MKs. Our desire is for each one to find healing. We hope you will accept this humble apology. We recognize that a letter like this is not the ideal way to express these things. We apologize for this as well, but we do want to express to you our heartfelt sorrow for all that you have suffered.

We want to express this to the parents and the former students who studied at the Vianopolis school between 1981 and 1994 but we are lacking a number of addresses. If you know of someone, maybe your brother, sister, parents or child, who should receive this and didn’t, if you have their contact information you can send it to us at: mntb@mntb.org.br

Sincerely,

the MNTB general and eastern field leadership teams

*I changed it to my Forum name, but they wrote to me using my real name. It was weird because they addressed me by my first and middle name which I only went by for a few months when I first got to Via and then switched to using just my first name since it was the same as my dorm mother's name at the time.

Here is how I will answer their questions:

Tell us the truth. I want to know why it didn't stop with ME. I want to know why the board didn't do anything back then. There are still way to many details that we don't know nor understand and to help some of us to heal, we need answers. Yes, it's been many years, but we would like to know how it was missed for so long and why things were dealt with or NOT dealt with even back when it all came out with Frank. We need a full disclosure report at the end this investigation. I believe we deserve the courtesy of knowing the results of this investigation. I do believe Via hasn't been a priority here because most of us who were abused at Via have long since left there. It's been over 20 years for me, but it's still a part of my life and something that I have carried with me all these years.

I do understand that NTM might not have fully comprehended the extent of abuse at Via. I think that you may be somewhat in shock over this forum developing and how widespread the abuse was at this school beyond Frank.

I also personally think that a retreat for each specific school would go a long ways to helping many who are still hurting and need to connect face to face, not just through a forum. Though the forum is healing and writing and sharing is healing, a touch, shared tears, hugs are so much more healing. People need to connect and know they aren't alone. They need validation.

In Christ Alone who is my Healer and Comforter,

Memories[b][/b]

Oops, the title should be, Post subject: My New Letter from NTM

@ "Memories": I cannot begin to fathom the "why" of the board's inaction, other than sin being deeply rooted in the human heart. Perhaps you are asking why, when the evidence was so plain, did men charged with spreading the Good News of the Gospel, tolerate "the cancerous tumor of sexual abuse" and corruption that pervaded their midst? If you, like me, have read many of the posts on this site, I believe the answer can be found by looking at the effects of sin, and the disconnect engaging in sinful practice births in people. Many of us have commented upon the organizational set up of both NTM and MNTB. Both organizations were set up in ways that, in the beginning were well-intentioned, but through distortion and autocratic-like behavior dissolved into a shocking, disgusting parody of what it should have been. Teachings on forgiveness, repentance, and restitution went the way of the dodo bird, and any resemblance to those concepts were so distorted that even satan himself laughed with derision, while reaping the benefits of such distortions and doctrinal errors. As that occurred, you and others were abused.

Power entrenched, becomes only more intractable. Power that is abusive desires to keep the secrets and amass more power so those secrets remain buried. When such is swept under the rug, successive generations either become broken individuals or themselves abusers of others. You ask how the board could hear what you said, see the evidence brought to light, and then knowingly and intentionally cover it up, all the while "publicly" saying it was "dealt" with . . . well, I would suggest the verse, "the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked". That may not be the answer you are looking for, but it is the only one I can see that can explain why they did what they did way back when (yes, even though, for you I bet it still seems like yesterday).

Praying for you . . . .

Very wise words, Publius, and well-said.

I wonder if the reason NTM is shying away from using GRACE for further investigations is because they DID call to task not only the actual child abusers in Senegal, but also other people in positions of leadership and responsibility who disregarded, minimized, covered up or even destroyed evidence of abuse. This wide spreading of the net of accountability has made many people very uncomfortable. The retroactive termination of well-respected leaders who are now in retirement has upset their friends and families.

I sense the genuine remorse in the letter from NTMB, but such letters must not be used as a way of shifting blame or focus from people who should have responded differently to concerns about the abuse of innocent children. I myself am prepared to accept whatever blame or penalty that is meted to me for my own failures to protect innocent children. I think others should be willing to accept that too. Our children have paid, and paid, and paid for our inattention to their needs. We, the adults who should have known/done better, must be willing to pay as well.

Thank you, all.
This bears witness with our spirit.
Keep asking for truth.
And keep looking to Jesus.
A winning combination that really does go together.
Memories, we hope each school gets a retreat. A wonderful idea!

Is there anyone who *didn't* get this anonymous form letter?!

My take: Classic NTM. Blameshifting, emotional manipulation, making a problem personal rather than trying to work through it objectively, NTM being it's own Bronze Serpent. I think that NTM does not have the capacity for the paradigm shift needed to deal with this and all its other messes properly.

Just sayin'...

Who is on "the MNTB general and eastern field leadership teams"?

Dear ONTB:

We don't want to see humility.

Or shock, or sadness, or aghast-ness. We want to see change.