I am posting this for a friend, since the Internet is not her "friend"
I only became aware of this forum on Friday. Since my folks left the mission in 1958 I have been totally out of touch with Tambo and NTM. I am out raged and shocked at what I am reading. I can't even begin to tell you how my father who was the director of NTM in the fifties would have reacted. I do know that if he had been aware of any abuse it would have been addressed and it was at the field level during my stay at Tambo during the mid-fifties. I was a high school student at Tambo for 3 years. During that time I was subjected to sexually explicit conversations by the principal which involved some touching. Fortunately a field director's wife I had known for years visited the school and I felt I could confide in her. The principal was removed. To confirm what Batty has said there was another girl who was sexually abused and possibly more girls. We were also subjected to unannounced visits to the girl's dorm rooms during the day and frequently caught changing clothes. All this seems very minor compared to some of the abuse I am reading about.
For all the students who have suffered abuse I don't understand why no one heard/saw or listened. Where was that one staffer with a soul? There are so many kinds of abuse, some more subtle than others. And where were the parents? In my case my step-mother took me to task for what happened to me. I was the victim not the perpetrator. This can be very tough on a kid's self-esteem. When I related details of my encounter to the field director's wife my chest was so tight I could hardly breath. I was shaking. I guess the thought of retribution never crossed my mind when I spoke out. I was so relieved to be free of this entanglement. I was asked for forgiveness which was given. But predators never change and just move on unless someone higher up takes responsibility to out them. My experience at Tambo doesn't even begin to compare with what has happened to too many students. My brother was also at Tambo but my dad pulled him out of school for a year because he was having a tough time.
Parents should listen and trust their kids until proven otherwise.
I applaud those who have given their real names especially those who have had such painful experiences at the hands of very sick people. I hear you when you talk about the loneliness and abandonment felt by all ages. I did not use my name when posting comments yesterday. Can't find the post now. Maybe it evaporated like stuff does on computers when you don't want it to - a little posting challenged here. I was more concerned about who might be hurt by my comments. For them I am truly sorry.
My father became director of the mission when the founder was killed in a plane crash along with my mother who was on the same flight. It was a devastating loss for me and my brother. We were too young to really understand what running a mission was all about. Our father was not available much of the time because he was busy doing mission work. I can't speak for him now but knowing who my father was I trust he would not have been a part of the cult or corporate mentality which I keep reading about. He was a humble, very caring man who met you where you were, never judgmental and always had a twinkle in his eye. He was a refreshing example of what it meant to be a Christian. He was also a very bright man with an engineering bent who tired to find better ways to get the job done. After we left the mission I got to know my dad better. He was always in my corner no matter what.
I encourage all of you on this site to use your real name. Do not be intimidated.
Sandra Garber