MK forum

What I like about this website is the pic of the Filipino wearing the green t-shirt that says "Today is my lucky day" and there he is in the middle of total destruction.
If he was a westerner he'd probably have a t-shirt that says "I'm having a sh^tty, week, please donate to my website or mobile phone".

Having already raised almost $230,000 for the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund, NTM has decided to raise their project goal amount to $500,000. A half million dollars! That is an insane amount of money!

I wonder how many generous Western donors are asking for a full accounting of how this money is being spent?

It is not that I am questioning the vast needs in the Philippines. But I have been reading accounts of mismanagement (non NTM related), and evidence that aid is not reaching the people who were actually devastated. Bags of relief goods from other countries are being sold on the open market in places like Manila, far away from the damaged area. People who truly lost their homes and family members are still living in flimsy shelters and going hungry. Politics and greed have influenced far too much of what has been going on ... or not going on.

A relief effort is so necessary, but is also extremely difficult to handle wisely. Having spent 19 years in the Philippines myself, I can well imagine the challenges. The rich will become richer, and the poor will continue to be neglected.

It makes me very sad, and I am struggling with the fact that NTM has placed itself firmly in the disaster relief category, a role it has not customarily played in the past. This puts them in the role of rich benefactor ... not an easy part to play with integrity in a country like the Philippines.

A half million dollars. Over 22,000,000 pesos. Yes, that's insane.

And when $500,000 has been reached, hey presto another target will be set. This is a windfall for NTM, they can look like they really care, collect some money and only the brave will bother asking if it is really going to where it should be.

But we know that NTM is hopeless when it comes to caring. We still haven't had any answer if they have done anything for Scott Kennels victims. Simple reason why, no one can give an answer on that one, it's because they haven't done a damn thing folks. So if we know that NTM doesn't care about the people they work with who one of their own has raped and they don't care about the other victims of rape, beatings, molestation, namely their own MKs, what one earth is going to make them care now? Money!!!!!!

So which of us are going to get off our backsides and ask the Red Cross and the Philippine Embassy how much is really getting to the people who need it. And who is going to tell the Brazilian Embassy that NTM had a paedophile working in their country and still hasn't done a damn thing for the victims?
Probably no one. But I'd like to be proved wrong.

Have a Merry Christmas and spare a thought for those less fortunate, who have little to celebrate this Christmas.

Remember this little thread, begun in November, 2013?

There are few things that will make me madder faster than evidence that so-called Godly organizations are manipulating naive, hard-working people of God into forking over their money for seemingly great causes, only to find out those organizations have NOT kept their word, and are NOT being honest.

I believe another word for that is dishonesty. And another word for that is lying.

Why do I care? Well .... I actually do care very deeply about the people of the Philippines. And I care deeply about some people I love who are still enmeshed with New Tribes Mission.

I am very angry about deception and manipulation. I am trying to expose NTM for what they have become. I no longer recognize this organization I was a part of for so long. I am furious, and I don't think I should be the only one who is furious.

OK ... let's review a bit....

Remember this assurance, from NTM's own fund-raising website?

"Any funds collected in excess of the needs of NTM's direct involvement in relief efforts will be forwarded in their entirety to reputable relief organizations that NTM has verified are doing relief work in the wake of the typhoon."

Now: Please read this article from the Philippines, written in Dec., 2014. Unfortunately it has only recently reached my attention. (Underlining added by me.)

http://ptvnews.ph/bottom-news-life2/13- ... ya-airport

Thursday, 18 December 2014 13:34

Palawan govt inks MOA with New Tribes Mission for soon-to-be built Agutaya Airport

Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez has signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with representatives in the Philippines of the New Tribes Mission (NTM) for a partnership project involving the construction of an airport in Agutaya town in the northern part of the province.

Provincial Information Officer Gil Acosta said Wednesday that Alvarez and Agutaya Mayor Mary Jane Raguin signed the agreement with Philip Le Roux of NTM on December 16 at the Provincial Capitol Building.

The international, theologically evangelical Christian mission organization NTM based in Sanford, Florida, USA is willing to help the Palawan government with P12 million for the construction of an airport in Agutaya.

It can be recalled that the NTM with Le Roux, Werner Scneudmiller and Joe Morris met with Alvarez on October 13, to present their proposal.

The proposal, according to the information officer, was based on the NTM of Alvarez’s pronouncement that he wanted to construct airports in several municipalities in Palawan to help their tourism industry for better local economies.

Acosta said the planned construction of the airport in Agutaya will be sped up with the help of the NTM, a group that spreads the gospel of the Lord.

In the said meeting, Scneudmiller, spokesperson of the NTM group, told Alvarez that the P12 million was the remaining fund from their solicitations to help the Yolanda survivors in Palawan.

The representative added that using the amount to help construct the airport in Agutaya has the blessing of all donors because it will also help them reach the town with ease for their religious mission.

Acosta said Alvarez, on the other hand, assured the representatives of the NTM that their donation will not be squandered, and will be used to construct the airport.

The governor also reportedly told them that the provincial government will allocate funds and other support for the construction of the airport, such as heavy equipment for the construction and for land development.

The information officer said the airport's construction is expected to start in 2015. (PNA)

********

12 million Philippine pesos equals $256,700!

I don't know how much of the $500,000 NTM was trying to raise for typhoon relief was actually raised, but we do know that by Dec. 18. 2013, $230,000 had been raised.

And they handed over $256,700 of those funds to the little island of Agutaya, north of Palawan, for the construction of an airport to help their tourism industry. (Oh, and to help NTM reach the island with ease for their religious mission.)

"ANY FUNDS COLLECTED IN EXCESS OF THE NEEDS OF NTM'S DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN RELIEF EFFORTS WILL BE FORWARDED IN THEIR ENTIRETY TO REPUTABLE RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS THAT NTM HAS VERIFIED ARE DOING RELIEF WORK IN THE WAKE OF THE TYPHOON."

I am livid.

Are you???

I was thinking that ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) might be interested in this, but it appears that NTM has never been a member.

I am still in shock over the information that New Tribe Mission handed over more that $256,000 to the Governor of Palawan and the Mayor of Agutaya!

This seems like a financial decision that is perhaps without precedent in the history of NTM!

I spent many years living in provincial areas of the Philippines, and considering what I know about how politics -- and money -- works in that country, this story defies belief!!

Though of course, (Provincial Information Officer) Acosta said (Palawan Governor) Alvarez "assured the representatives of the NTM that their donation will not be squandered, and will be used to construct the airport".

Which should make all of us feel a TON better.

I would like to know if all those who donated to this disaster relief fund were consulted about this drastic change in plans. New Tribes leaders decided that people whose homes and fields were destroyed, fishing boats sunk, schools flattened, and food sources cut off were doing just fine now, and obviously no one would mind if $256,700 would be handed over to local fat-cat politicians instead?

"The (mission) representative added that using the amount to help construct the airport in Agutaya has the blessing of all donors because it will also help them reach the town with ease for their religious mission."

Who said that? Philip Le Roux? Werner Schneidmueller? Joe Morris?

I really, really would like to know which of you men made that claim, and just what you have to back that claim up.

*****

Am I a little oversensitive about this issue?

Oh you betcha! I am indeed!

The Philippines and its people remain very close to my heart ... and that is why I care!!

GAAHHH!