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1 Adventist Heritage Center Frm: Sent: T: Subject: The Hpe f Survivrs <help@thehpefsurvivrs.ccsend.cm> n behalf f The Hpe f Survivrs <help@thehpefsurvivrs.cm> Mnday, September 26, :02 AM Adventist Heritage Center Mbile Versin--Octber 2016 HpeSpeak Newsletter Need Answers? Need Help? Fr the Church Are Yu a Pastr Languages Crprate Calendar Stre Media Dnate Dear Friends, They are there. They mve amng us, almst imperceptibly. Yu dn't knw their stry and they are afraid t tell yu. Afraid f what yu might think f them. Afraid t relive the pain. Afraid f their wn part in the events that have altered their life and scarred their image f Gd and His church. They are hurt, angry, bitter, depressed, discuraged, afraid, vulnerable and they need ur understanding, supprt and cmfrt. Yet unless they are secure enugh t pen up t smene, we may never knw the weight their heart is trying t carry. 1

2 Thse wh have been victims f clergy abuse have a difficult time acknwledging that fact. But even mre than that, they have a difficult time trusting a spiritual leader again and even participating in a church family again. That is where The Hpe f Survivrs (THOS) cmes in. THOS has been called by Gd t minister t thse wh have been victimized by the very nes wh were t prtect thse wh were already needing restratin in a sinful wrld. Instead, the evil ne has detured their jurney t whleness in Gd by wrking thrugh the manipulatins f an impure spiritual leader. THOS cmes alngside victims t bring cmfrt, healing and aid in the restratin prcess. It's wrkers and vlunteers understand because they have been there befre, they have heard the stries, they have cnfrnted thse wh have cmmitted wrng in the name f right and they have std up fr and alngside thse wh dn't knw if they can cntinue n in the jurney f faith. THOS seeks t restre victims with hpe and faith. And thse that they have served are s grateful. We are grateful fr yu. Yu wh supprt and enable THOS t cntinue the prcess f educatin t prevent clergy abuse and the prcess f healing fr thse wh have suffered frm clergy abuse. Yur supprt and yur gifts are a testimny that the bdy f Christ des nt write ff thse wh have been wunded, but will stand alngside f the weak, the fragile, the wavering, and assure them that Christ still claims them as a child f the King and will restre them t whleness. We thank yu fr yur gifts t THOS and ask that yu cntinue yur supprt, that yu encurage thers t supprt the ministry f THOS, and that yu lift this ministry up in yur prayers every day. Gd bless yu, Ray Hartwell Bard Chairman "I Just Can't Frgive Myself!" By Martin Weber, fr NPUC Gleaner, Octber 2016 "I Just Can't Frgive Myself!" By Martin Weber fr NPU Gleaner, Oct "Maybe Gd will frgive me fr what I did, but I can't seem t frgive myself." 2

3 We've all heard that lament and prbably viced it after sme serius failure. But here's gd news: We are nt the judge f all the earth, s we have n right t cndemn urselves r t frgive urselves. That's Gd's rle. And He jyfully accepts all wh cme t Him thrugh Jesus: "Wh dares accuse us whm Gd has chsen fr his wn? N ne fr Gd himself has given us right standing with himself" (Rmans 8:33). S "there is therefre nw n cndemnatin fr thse wh are in Christ Jesus" (verse 1). N cndemnatin in Christ! We all knw it's wrng t cndemn ther peple. But did yu knw it's just as wrng t cndemn yurself, when the judge f heaven has accepted yur cnfessin? Read Mre... A Time t Speak By Rita "The Lrd is clse t thse wh are f a brken heart." Psalm 34:18 My birth family was envied by many and lved by thusands. We were well knwn in the ministerial wrld f Seventh day Adventists! "Yu are s lucky t belng t that family!" I ften heard. I have fnd memries grwing up: Vacatins t Niagara Falls with all 5 f us kids and ur cusins; An abundance f lve, laughter and jy; Family wrships that left me lving Jesus and desiring t be like Him; Wnderful meals arund the family table; Sitting prudly as Dad preached and tld stries abut us when we were little; Lving church families wh adred ur family. The list ges n... I was 4 ½ years ld when I heard my parents discussing "schl" fr me. I remember feeling sme cncern but went abut building my castles in the sand 3

4 bx. One mrning Mm wke me up earlier than I was use t. "Get up, Sweetie, I am ging t take yu t schl tday!!!!" She sunded cheerful but I wanted nthing mre than t play in my wn back yard, climbing trees and explring. Read Mre... Testimnials "I'm s sure that Gd hates me. I'm trying desperately t find a gd cunselr wh can help me but I can't find ne. I fund yur site, which has given me sme semblance f sanity. Can yu help me? I'm lst and I'm angry at Gd right nw. I'm nt even sure he exists. Thank yu." Victim "Yur hnesty and encuragement is s precius t me right nw. Knwing that yu have been in the same situatin keeps the feelings f lneliness and islatin frm extinguishing my hpe fr healing. I think f yu thrughut the day when I feel insecure and I truly feel yur prayers and supprt....yur wrds f encuragement, supprt and understanding have saved my life, and I am incredibly grateful fr THOS." Victim "This is incredible. Yu bth are abslutely amazing at expunding n every reflectin r abstract thught I'm chewing n, and articulating what I'm unable t understand. It's really mind blwing and extremely cmfrting. I am blessed by yur hnesty and willingness t disclse the darkness and the light....michelle & MJ, yu are my light n this path. The feeling f cnnectin and genuine understanding has been s blstering t my self esteem, that I literally feel like I have an army f supprt....thank yu bth s much. I have read each f yur letters multiple times and fund smething inspiring each time." Victim "Yu knw, in a cuple days it will be exactly ten years since I wrte t yu fr the first time: February 26, Ten years since life was turned upside dwn, and Gd stepped in and freed me, and many thers, frm a big mess. It has given me a lt f thughts as I have thught back n it. Sadness fr the tragedy f it all and the fellwship it destryed..., and thankfulness that I n lnger have t deal with him. And gratefulness t yu and Steve fr the rle yu have played in saving A. and me and s many thers. Thank yu frm deep inside my heart fr sharing yurself with me, and teaching me, and giving me HOPE alng the way. I treasure yur friendship, and wish it didn't have t be s lng distance!" Nrway 4

5 "I wanted t take a minute t say Gd has blessed me in finding this site and ing/wrking with MJ. Because f her fllw up s I have started cunseling and cnfided with a very clse friend my stry. I hnestly had been blaming myself fr years and nw realize it wasn't because I learned what grming was and hw it applied in my situatin. THANKS fr keeping up this site and all the supprt. If I can ever be sme type f vlunteer t give supprt by let me knw. Gd gives gifts in s many ways in life." NC "I want t thank yu bth s much fr being there fr me, even thugh we're s far apart I keep yu clse in my heart. I wuldn't be here withut yu and yur Gdly influence. Yu lved me when I culdn't lve myself. Yu've given me the greatest gift f all by pinting me t the Savir. Yu have taught me s much and inspired me in ways n ne else culd. I'm terrible with wrds but I speak frm my heart when I say hw truly grateful and blessed I am t have yu bth a part f my life." Australia "Thank yu fr this website. It helped me t pen up." CT Read mre... Calendar Octber 29, 2016 Newcastle, WY Abuse Preventin Seminar Newcastle Seventh day Adventist Church 78 Old US Hwy. 85, Newcastle, WY Time: 11:00am and 2:30pm Pastr Steve will share a biblical message abut abuse at the 11:00am service and then he and Samantha will present a seminar n abuse and preventin during the afternn. All are welcme t attend. Nvember 24 27, 2016 Have a wnderful Thanksgiving! The ffice will be clsed during the hliday. December 2016 Latin Divisin Benefit Cncert. Details t cme. December 4 7,

6 Huntsville, AL Pastral Evangelism & Leadership Cuncil Oakwd University Church 5500 Adventist Blvd. NW Huntsville, AL Time: Sunday, 4:00pm 7:00pm and 9:30pm 10:30pm; Mnday, 9:00am 7:00pm and 8:00pm 10:30pm; Tuesday, 9:00am 7:00pm Jin vlunteers frm The Hpe f Survivrs at this cnventin Sunday Tuesday. Fr mre infrmatin abut the cnventin and ldging facilities, please visit the PELC website. All are welcme t attend and stp by the bth t visit. We lk frward t seeing yu there! December 23 31, 2016 Have a blessed Christmas! The ffice will be clsed during the hliday. Steve & Samantha will be ut f the ffice. Hpe & Healing victim's cnferences are currently being cnsidered in varius lcatins thrughut the United States and abrad and will be scheduled when funds becme available t cnduct such prgrams. T schedule r spnsr a cnference in yur area, call (866) Check ur web site fr additinal details and the mst current infrmatin. The Hpe f Survivrs, 843 Bradway, Snma, CA SafeUnsubscribe ahc@andrews.edu Frward this Update Prfile Abut ur service prvider Sent by help@thehpefsurvivrs.cm in cllabratin with Try it free tday 6