technology

JERIAH MAST OUT ON BAIL
Numerous individuals contacted me earlier this morning to say that someone posted bail and Jeriah Mast is out. This comes as no surprise to me, as I anticipated it. The only thing that is surprising is that they waited this long.

For Jeriah’s church and family, this is an answer to much praying and pleading with God. To victims of abuse, this is a nightmare.

Bail was posted by Judy Skelley of Sly Bail Bonds. UPDATE: (It is confirmed that Mast is required to wear a GPS monitor, he must report weekly, turn in his passport (if he had not already), and have no contact with victims. The prosecutor is also filing a motion that he have no unsupervised contact with any juveniles). That they used a bondsman (or woman) was also expected. It is unlikely the same amount of funds have been invested in helping the victims, and knowing who posted bond would not look good.

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Also, just a reminder, that the present arrest and bond are specific to the five known victims in Ohio. There are, as of yet, no charges filed for the Haiti crimes, and the alleged 30 plus boys Jeriah Mast sexually assaulted while serving as a missionary through Christian Aid Ministries. That investigation, I understand, is ongoing.

To date Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) has not mailed out any notification of the Jeriah Mast’s crimes, to donors who are on mailing lists only. I applaud those individuals are taking it upon themselves to print off news articles and blog posts to distribute among those who do not have internet. Donors have the right to be informed.

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OPPORTUNITY TO HELP HAITI VICTIMS WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND MEDICAL AID
In the meantime a first responder, Rick Ashley, is in Haiti meeting with victims and helping them with legal aid. Rich adopted a young nameless boy of unknown age (approximately 8-10 years old), after the child sought treatment following the earthquake almost 10 years ago. Rick has provided for this young man ever since. The boy was found near the CAM site in Titanyen, chained up and and sold for sex by a woman who, they say, was obviously mentally unwell. She beat him with a machete, leaving him physically scarred for life, and the sexual assaults left him mentally scarred.

To learn more, and help with funding their legal counsel, here is the link to the GoFundMe Account: Sexually Abused Haitian Boys, Urgent Need.

Remember the victims.

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NOTE: The follow up blog post, to yesterday’s powerful word from a husband, will come out this evening.

As always…

With love,
~ T ~

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THE GATHERING, NOVEMBER 2, 2019, LANCASTER BIBLE COLLEGE:
One of the things we are working toward November 2, 2019, at THE GATHERING, is creating a place where we collectively invite God into our grief. It is exclusively for Anabaptist survivors of sexual abuse, and their trusted support persons to join together for a day of acknowledging the generations of suffering. We will cry out to God, together. The invitation is to ‘come as you are’ in your raw brokenness, if that’s where you’re at, or in your healed togetherness. The itinerary is simple. It isn’t about ‘who’ or ‘how’; it is about Jesus and a safe place to meet, to heal another layer, together.

NOTE: Anyone over 18 who sexually assaulted someone – whether child or other adult – is not welcome. This does not mean they are not forgiven if they have repented. It means victims should not fear being confronted with the source of their trauma on such a vulnerable day. Security guards will be present to remove any who show up and are identified as offenders by the victims.

Until August 1, 2019, registration for the day’s events includes lunch and attendance to the evening concert with Jason Gray, whose music had brought hope and healing to countless victims. Songs like “The Wound is Where the Light Gets In“, “A Way to See in the Dark“, Sparrows“, “Nothing is Wasted“, and many more speak a language we understand.

(More information for potential attendees is available under THE GATHERING Registration and for non-attendees at THE GATHERING Information.)

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If you are able to contribute to Generations Unleashed and our work with and for victims, you may donate via PayPal or e-transfer to info@generationsunleashed.com. Or visit Generations Unleashed Donate.

© Trudy Metzger 2019

As of this morning evidence has surfaced that Stanley Fox, of Pennsylvania, knew of the sex crimes committed by Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) staff member since sometime 2016-2017. In the evidence he admits that he knew and expresses regret at not having done more, that he didn’t think of the law at all, or even know what Haiti laws are on the matter. He thought the matter was taken care of, he says, [EDIT: referring to working with the victims to forgive. There was no action taken to remove Jeriah permanently from the mission field. As of yet, there has been no public acknowledgement. Nor was this admission produced by Mr. Fox; this surfaced as a result of exposure].

[EDIT TO CLARIFY: As of yet there has been any retraction of CAM’s misleading public statements, nor have any of these men publicly renounced that statement to tell the truth. That said, I just received word moments ago that a statement is forthcoming, though I don’t know when, exactly].

Personally, I do not know Mr. Fox, though I have heard the name. I am told he is a highly revered evangelist in USA and abroad, and that he leads CAM’s Biblical Discipleship Program (BDP) in Haiti, and branching beyond. (Also, I listened to his December 2018 Christmas message, and must admit, I could listen to him preach for days on end. He is dynamic, no question there! Click photo to listen to the audio.) And, certainly he was a highly respected leader connected with CAM, and is seen as “the face of CAM” by the people of Haiti. If you click the link, at 17 seconds in they mention that “Anabaptist pastors from the States are recruited to teach these life-changing three week seminars, on the subjects of: Old Testament foundations, Repentance, Moral Integrity, Marriage, Church Leadership, and more...”

Having taught these things, to see the leaders not living them, and not standing for truth when such failure took place *on his watch* , has sent ripples of shock and devastation through Haitian communities. One of Jeriah’s victims said they would like to see all who knew, resign, since they cannot live the Gospel they taught all these years.

It saddens me that so many leaders knew and decided ‘it was taken care of’, simply by encouraging victims to forgive. Please, spare us the argument that ‘he didn’t know the details, or he didn’t know it was ongoing’. Others were sent home — and this information comes to me from one of their own — for pornography, heterosexual sexual interactions between two adults, and other similar stories… after *one* confession, with no hope of returning. Yes, repeat offences and repeat confessions of ‘moral failure’ is met with an invitation to return?

Some victims reached out numerous times to different people over the course of several years, and were always brushed aside. ‘Until you, no one cared. No one listened to our story,’ is a message I keep hearing from the victims. And now that it is out in the open, they thank me that truth is finally acknowledged, but they add that they are in danger and have been threatened (not by the missionaries), so that they now live in fear.

As of the present, we have Harold Herr on record saying that he was told in 2012. We have him stating he sat face-to-face with Eli Weaver and told him at around that time. [I am told by a reliable source] there is a email evidence – or at least was, if it has not been destroyed – that Paul Weaver and Eli Weaver interacted on the matter around 2012. And now we have record of Stanley Fox admitting he knew several years ago. On top of that, now others in USA who know some of those involved have come forward and admitted this was known beyond that small circle.

Also this morning I learned that Stanley Fox is one of the individuals allegedly being recruited or considered for returning to Haiti to help the victims. This in the midst of some Haiti victims asking for his resignation.

Having learned that yet another top official knew, if I were in a position to advise Haiti right now, I would close the door to any new CAM-chosen missionaries, counsellors or aid workers to enter the country. And that would include deporting anyone who knew and covered. The first thing I would do is go to CAM and start interviewing and finding out who knew, and who didn’t. It would be a very forthright interview, with no beating around the bush.

Frankly, now that I know Harold Herr of LIFE Literature (LL) is being advised to lawyer up, I have no confidence that truth is of particular interest. (CORRECTION: While in Haiti I was told that LL is an extension of Life Ministries. However, I received a message stating that it became a completely separate entity some time after Lester Miller’s death. [I was sent a date of Jan 6, 2014, which I have been informed is inaccurate, therefore I have corrected this information]. Of interest may be that Earl Fox, Stanley’s brother, is LL’s chairman). Therefore, I’d go to LIFE Literature and do a bit of investigating there too. Lay staff who knew [and did nothing], get deported. Top officials who knew, would stand trial, along with Jeriah.

Next I would find those missionaries who knew and did the right thing – helping this thing come to light and then reaching out to victims – and I would ask them to help screen and bring in missionaries.

I certainly wouldn’t trust the Keepers of Dark Secrets to suddenly become the Warriors of Truth and Righteousness, or to recruit those who would expose corruption.

However, I am not an advisor for Haiti. So Haiti will need to navigate this criminal mess against one of the largest USA Christian relief work organizations – making the Forbes top 100 Charity list numerous times. It is not an easy thing to enter a legal battle. And it is even worse when you are up against religious people who are lawyered up.

And while they hire lawyers and avoid Haiti law — even while stating publicly they are cooperating with the law — some of the victims in Haiti are receiving death threats (again, as previously stated, not from missionaries). There really is no justice among ‘God’s people’ when this is how they respond

I wish Haiti and the victims of Jeriah Mast’s crimes the best in the effort to deal with this crime, and pray for favour on them.

#iStandWithHaiti
#iStandWithVictims
#AslanHasHeard

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Visit the link to read about the proposed “ANABAPTIST SEX OFFENDER WATCH LIST‘

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As always…

Love,
~ T ~