Re: Legal Case Mexico, 2000
Hi, I was actually in THAT "home" when it happened, I know it comes sort of late...but is there any specific questions you might still have on that?

Re: Legal Case Mexico, 2000
do tell all. what's your perspective? and what was the communication like with the VS's, or higher up sheps? was there any repremanding for being out of the lord's will or what? Did the folks communicate with your home (via their secretary of course)? do you have copies of any "prophecies" that were sent to your home that weren't mailed out to the entire Family?

Re: Legal Case Mexico, 2000
No, I never kept any copies of anything when I left. I think people who leave at the beginning are trying to break away completely and have nothing to do with the group, on my side I got rid of everything that had to do with it (unfortunately some of my family remains in). We didn't get a "reprimand" per se but we did get a "you should have been more aware of how you were doing things", aside from that "Mama maria" did get in contact with us via e-mail and through the "media team" that was working on geting the adults out of jail, although it was basically "we're sorry you're going through this, we're praying for you" and a couple of "profecies" or so...I was sort of caught in the middle of it all but I felt like we were more of a headache to them than "brothers", it was like: "I hope none of this got into the papers", "let's try to fix it asap and get out of here". As far as the "case"....it all started because every weekend the kids would go "witnessing" downtown because they were allowed to keep a percentage as pocket money they really looked forward to it, the problem was that some of them didn't speak spanish so they had a whole speech written on a piece of cardboard and they would show that to people to get money in return, also the adults ALWAYS took them to the exact same spot wich was like smack downtown so they were bound to get some attention...there was also another bizzare story: Joseph had a daughter that was black but he was as white as can be and there was a girl in the home who lost her baby shortly after the birth so someone on the "outside" thought that the black girl had been abducted and killed (because of the funeral) anyway, that certainly pushed the authorities to go in and check. It was like a mega-mix-up so retarded, there was never any abuse going on(except for the forced check-ups the authorities gave the kids after they kept them for nearly 24 hours), I think The Family's past reputation made it all the more "interesting". The 3 men that were taken were the only men "registered" as living there and they wanted all the adult males out. In my point of view, they wasted their time, ours, and hurt little kids just because of allegations that have been overshadowing the Family for years. If there was ever any innocent people in the group I'd have to say it was them. HOWEVER, I know that just like there's good people everywhere there's also bad people mingled in between, I have some of my own bad experiences with more than a few abusers that to this day REMAIN in the group...(perhaps it will come up in a future book...I'm considering options right now) and to them I have nothing good to say. In my perfect world they would be "excomunicated" and some of them jailed for what they did...but that's another story. In my experience most of the abuse happened very long ago and NOT to everyone (I think some people within the group knew when something was wrong and not to do it even when their leader outrageously encouraged it. To which I am very grateful for) ,I've noticed that most of the kids writing in their "testimonials" about how great TF was and is are under the age when all the abuse took place, they only know the "good part" they never saw anything nor experienced any of it so it's very easy to say with conviction "It's NOT true" because it is, as far as they are concerned anyway. Also most of the ones who were abused have left and they sort of have been "forgotten" by TF so the "newer generation" has no inkling as who they are or what it was like back then and how much most of us really looked up to them because they were the "leaders of tomorrow", and TF has no desire to let them know either, I remember a pile of "letters" being written about "our detractors" and "liars" etc. But I never saw THEIR side, they told us that we had no need to "get our minds dirty with all these lies" and what they said was taken as law (no one would FORCE you but you would be "marked" if you didn't "obey". I also didn't know WHERE to find the other side's accusations...internet use was limited, I didn't know what google was, and there was so much to do day after day), so we never knew exactly WHAT was so wrong about Mo, Maria, and their leadership. If you've never been in a sect or cult it's nearly incomprehensible how much power their leaders can have over you without you even knowing, going back and reading some of the "mo letters" we read back then I am SO shocked that I never saw anything wrong with them when now they couldn't be any more oviously sick! wow, I have sooooo much to say...have to go though. I hope it helped somewhat, It might be a dissapointment if you were hoping that the Mexico case was "guilty as charged" but I'm here to speak the truth, I don't see why inocent people should pay for the guilty ones, and to the guilty ones, I would very much like to see them punished! Any more questions?

Re: Legal Case Mexico, 2000
I saw a docmentary tonight on the Michael Travesser cult. really scary similarities to TFI. i was shocked to see those teens born in the cult and the things they said. it was just like me back in the day. woah! some aspects of the life i led and how strange it was didn't sink in until tonight when i saw that show.