|
My heart has been so heavy with all of this lately. I'm overwhelmed with sadness for my friends who have suffered so long in silence. I also long to talk, Via Wings, and I'm angry, like you, Community_organizer! What happened at Fanda, at Via, and many other schools, is unspeakably tragic! I'm humiliated by it all, by being associated with a mission (during my growing up years) that did not take the steps necessary to protect its most fragile members- the kids!
I have lots of good memories of Via- hikes in "the valley," games on the "quadra," retreats, camping trips to "jaguar falls," meals and parties in the "refei" and long talks with friends on the porches of the dorm and the school's front steps. I miss the sunsets, the friends, the people that made my Via experience what it was.
But, I too, remember crying myself to sleep many nights, missing my parents, carrying burdens beyond my years, struggling within myself- and having no one to talk to. I remember running halfway across "the Land" for a long awaited phone call from my parents, only to have an "adult" listening in on our "private" conversations. My parents assumed "all was well" with their kids in the dorm, thousands of miles away. But all was not always well. Frankly, in my nine years at Via, I had 9 sets of dorm parents. To a child, of any age, that says enough. We had no real stability, no semblance of "family life" while separated for months at a time from our natural parents. (And yes, community_organizer, the place for a child is with her/his parents! No "ifs, ands or buts!" The price is too high, otherwise, and the risks for abuse too huge!)
I was in High School when I began to hear things regarding the abuse that had happened to kids in the "Little Dorm." Suddenly, the dorm dad was removed from the dorm, and a new set of dorm parents were put in their place. No explanation, no announcement, nothing. My brothers and sisters, still in the Little Dorm, never did get an explanation, until one of us told them. The scenario was "hush, hush. Don't ask, don't tell. Rebels cause waves, yada-yada." The "little kids" were never questioned about their own experiences- whether they might have something to say was never considered. And what about the many kids that passed through the dorm in previous years- the graduates that had already gone from Via? When and how do their stories get acknowledged? When do they get "closure" from their past and move on to healing?
The Mission says that they have "handled the issue," and "let's trust God to take care of it." To drag the issue up again is "to harbor a spirit of bitterness- to live in rebellion." I would argue that the issue was never dealt with appropriately to begin with! There are "kids" (now young adults) whose lives still hang in the balance. That the issue has been "dealt with" does not hold any weight with them! Their trust was violated, their spirits were wounded, their lives forever altered by events that took place. They can't escape the effects of the abuse! Why should the Mission?
I don't have many answers. I only know I'm saddened beyond words. I hope that the victims of sexual and physical abuse will begin to share their stories so that no victim will continue to feel alone. I hope that sharing the stories will lead to healing at long last! I hope that New Tribes will come alongside the MKs and acknowledge their pain, and their part in it! I hope it will lead to counseling for the victims, so that FINALLY, they can begin living victorious lives.
Let's get down and dig in the DIRT. Let's dig a big hole, dig out all the trash. Then, fill it up again with healthy soil. Let's plant seeds -some seeds of hope- and watch them grow. Let's start living again!
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
