MK forum

XYZ,
I may be wrong here, but it feels like you are really hurting because of the "safe distance" your family is staying. If this is the case, I really am sorry that you are feeling alone in this. Support from others and strangers is great, but support from family means the world to some people. If I am wrong about what I read please forgive me.

[/quote]
On the other hand, in light of the severity of the GRACE report, wouldn't it look like petty retaliation to punish those who speak out in support of the abused MKs and the changes necessary to prevent further abuse>[/quote]

Nice logic.
But because NTM's left hand does not necessarily know what it's right hand is doing, ANYTHING could happen. There is more than the EB "leading" NTM. NO ONE has mentioned what we are experiencing. They don't dare. We are thankful to be invited to share here. It helped even if no one gets it. How could they? We have no voice yet.
But we stand with the MKs and applaud the Eagles and the VIA MKs, as well as all the others who have had the courage to come forward.
We applaud the courage and insight of Gene and Ornery/ Publius and others who are able to take action and plumb the depths of how all this could have happened.
We read/ pray/ hurt/ and are angry beyond words---for these others.
Now we go back into hiding. Until what we actually can do is done.

I'm glad to see that NTM has succumbed to logic yet.

They must be making Christmas Cookies.

How do we respond to people like Luther Fransen, who posted on the main page today?

I quote his post:

"We have been supporters of a NTM missionary couple in Senegal for over 20 years who served near Fanda. They chose to home school their daughter instead of sending her to Fanda. Our son actually visited Fanda, probably around 1996. I am greatly concerned about the venom that is saturating these posts against NTM and individual perpetrators of abuse. Personal abuse and damaging NTM pressure to enroll students in Fanda is not in question. My concern is the spiritual well being of you all, who were genuinely abused and perceived to be abused.
As one who is has terminal cancer, I am aware more keenly that I am particularly being watched by those around me and the angels to see how I respond to my incurable condition where cancer will end my life prematurely. Likewise, you all are being watched by many more people than you are aware of, like myself, and more importantly your parents who placed you in your situation. You may be RIGHT in your attacks against NTM, the abusers and your parents, but are you RIGHTEOUS? Are you not launching your own form of abuse to perpetuate what you experienced?
Being terminal, I have revisited several times my experience of salvation paid by the blood of Jesus. I am humbled and repulsed by my own personal sins which were placed on Jesus. If you all sneer at the mention of salvation in Jesus and fail to pause in repentive reflection and gratitude, then we have located a problem more severe than Fanda.
So I offer the following prayer for you all:
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
(Philippians 1:9-11 NIV)
Lu Fransen"

Maybe the pain this causes me goes back to my deep-seated people-pleasing MK nature? Is this website really saturated with venom? Really? Are we truly unrighteous, and do we seem to be sneering at salvation in Jesus?

I am very, very sad about this perception. I don't even know what to say to someone who believes we fail to pause in repentive reflection and gratitude.

With tears I am asking Jesus to reassure me that this is not how He sees my broken heart.

I do not think this site is filled with venom. Sometimes people express strong angry feelings, but that does not equal filled with venom. Concern over what observers would think did not seem to deter even Jesus from expressing anger. I do not think we need to worry about making God look good. I think we need to worry far more about being real, making sure our insides match our outsides. God is a "big boy". He can handle it if our journey in dealing with abuse and its consequences looks messy to others.

Actually there are many, many very gracious posts here too, which is just amazing in the face of so much pain. So don't be discouraged and don't be silenced. Keep on keepin' on.

Venom? Sneer at salvation? Nowhere do I see any of this.

How about righteous anger towards harming little ones? Being angry at the things that anger the heart of God is right.

Many can't handle integrity of emotions. Read Psalms. Full of hard, authentic cries of emotion. Allender's book on the Psalms "The Cry of the Soul" reveals that "often our attempts to control our emotions - far from an attempt to be Christlike - are really a form of rebellion against God or an attempt to flee from Him."

Life-changing book to face honestly emotions through the Psalms.

You know, I really just discount posts like that one and assume those with their eyes open will see through them. I felt sorry for that poster, who seems to have a shaky grasp of the gospel. What a different Jesus I know, who loves justice and tells us that to truly love we must take the hard road, and fight for the weak.

Venom? Sneering? What is happening here is so opposite from that that I don't even know how to respond, except to say, please read the blog and the forums. I don't think you have.