SHIELD & REFUGE BLOG - The Crisis in Eldorado, TX!
April 20 | April 15 | April 13
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April 20 - Back Home in Salt Lake
Thanks to all who prays for and prayed for the Texas Raid on the FLDS polygamist compound.
Susan Schmidt and myself left for Eldorado on Friday, April 11th. We returned yesterday afternoon (Saturday 19th)
We visited the First Baptist Church on Sunday, in fact was invited to speak about A Shield and Refuge Ministry on Sunday morning and to share our respective experiences of being raised in a polygamy group. Sunday evening the church showed the "Lifting the Veil of Polygamy" dvd. We were inundated with questions about our own lives but also about the FLDS practices. On Wednesday evening we also shared with the Presbyterian church in Eldorado. They were also full of questions shaking their collective heads in wonderment of the odd practices of polygamy groups.
The situation with the women and children is heartbreaking. However, from all the reports and information we gathered while there, everyone was and is treated with love, compassion and respect. I was told that when most of the women were taken back to the compound last week, one of the ladies said to someone who had helped in Eldorado during the first couple days of the raid: "Tell Eldorado Thank You!" Folks, that surely says something about how they were treated and says a lot about the faithful people at First Baptist Church and Eldorado citizens of the sweet treatment they gave in this touchy situation. Praise God!
Susan and I had wanted desperately to be able to minister to the women and children, but that wasn't possible. No one was allowed to see or be with them at all. But we were able to present the ministry to CPS and the Child Advocacy program folks while there. We are hoping and praying that God will use that as an open door in the future. We did get to witness to one lady from the compound and 2 young men who were guarding the gate to the Ranch. We gave them the "Is Polygamy Biblical" booklet. They took it and walked away thumbing through its pages. Please pray for these two that whatever might touch their hearts, God would be pleased to bring it to their attention.
I will be reporting more on this trip in May's Newsletter. If you do not receive our Newsletter but would like to, please respond with your mailing address.
Thanks to everyone who sent in monetary support to make this trip possible. I believe that whatever God wanted us to accomplish in Eldorado/San Angelo, we were able to do - may He alone be glorified and bring forth fruit from this event.
Please pray that whatever is hidden be brought to light.
Pray for Christian foster homes for the children.
Pray that their "service plans" will include Christian ministering to them and their moms - to help them "unlearn" the false plan of salvation through polygamy that they believe.
Thanks and God's blessings!
APRIL 15, 2008 - Eldorado, Texas
Greetings from Eldorado!
Susan and I visited with the child advocacy people yesterday; they are not a government agency and were happy and encouraged to talk with us. We were free to talk spiritual healing through Christ during our entire conversation which lasted at least an hour. We left them the biblical polygamy booklet, dvd and brochures and they said they'd contact us if they needed out help.
We then headed for the CPS, was warmly received by a woman who had been called into that office from otherwhere, which has happened with dozens of state CPS worker. There is also well over 300 private attorneys being brought in to represent the children. This woman wasn't as impressed with our "spiritual" viewpoint, but WAS interested in our stories nonetheless and willingly took the dvd, booklet and brochures. She said she'd give this info to the "decision maker", if they needed further help from us, they'd contact us.
Mary Mackert will not be coming down while we're here, she's coming on the 19th, will be in San Angelo a few days, then off to another part of Texas where she's going to raise more support for her ministry. This is good timing for that.
The dvd showing on Sunday evening at First Baptist Church went very well. We were told that more people came there for a Sunday evening event than has for years. There were probably about 50 or 60 folks there. Lots and lots of questions afterwards. We then went to their fellowship hall, where they had kept the women and kids, and continued to talk and answer questions. What a wonderful group of Christians at that church.
Tomorrow we speak at the Lion's Club in Eldorado, then at the local Presbyterian church tomorrow night. Thursday we go to San Angelo to see if there will be room for us in the court house for the hearings.
Our host took us for an all you can eat Catfish and fried pickles dinneer after our day yesterday! Wow, mmmmmm good. I had never even heard of fried pickles before, but they were pretty darn tasty. We headed back to Eldorado but stopped at the YFZ ranch before going home. There were 2 young men manning the gate into the property. We stopped, Susan and I got out and introduced ourselves as having come from a polygamy group, and wanted to share the bible study I did on polygamy. We offered each of them a book and they took it. They were early 20's probably, looked so sad, quiet types, I told them we understood their sadness and that God loves them - that we prayed for them and many many people were praying for them. We shook hands, they were thankful for our prayers. Then we left! We found out later that we had just missed the return of the women to the ranch!
Again, our hosts are so wonderful, a certain "God thing".
PLEASE BE PRAYING for this situation. If we didn't serve a loving, sovereign God, it would be tempting to be discouraged, when we look at the whole situation. There is no way around it--it is a difficult thing, the women and children are suspicious, frightened, and upset by all that is happening. Pray for the authorities responsible for their care, that they act wisely and even lovingly toward these people. But most of all, pray that the love and comfort of Jesus be made known to these hurting, frightened women and children. After all, that is why we're down here--because we want them to know the love and freedom of Jesus.
Serving the Master-
Susan and Doris
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April 13, 2008 - Eldorado, Texas
Hello Folks:
Susan and I left SLC on 4/11/08, the flight was an hour late to leave but we originally had more than a 3 hour layover in Houston, as a result our layover was only 4 hours. Actually, the plane in Houston was a prop puddle-jumper and the pilots oxygen mask was inoperable, so we had to wait a very long time, on board the plane, for replacement oxygen mask for him. We got into San Angelo after midnight and in bed at almost 2 am, very tired.
A couple, Rick and Vickie Schewiening, from First Baptist Church in Eldorado volunteered their hospitality, they met us at the San Angelo airport, drove us to their lovely home on a Texas ranch, and we’ve been bathed in Texas size hospitality ever since. We spent Saturday resting and getting acquainted with our hosts and their family, as well as another couple who owns the local newspaper, a low key but very honest, faithful Christian couple.
Sunday:
We had been invited to speak at the First Baptist Church in Eldorado, which we did The folks at this church have been very gracious, receptive, soaking in the information that we were able to talk about. A young lady whose mother had escaped the Colorado City FLDS polygamy group in the 80’s, introduced herself to Doris after the service elated to meet women who had escaped the abuse and find joy and fulfillment in their lives. I asked her if she had made the choice for Jesus yet, she hasn’t but says she’s in the process. She hugged and clinged to me, didn’t want to let go, she had tears in her eyes as she told me that her mom left with the kids because she didn’t want her little girls to suffer the abuse they’ surely have if she stayed.
In about an hour we will be leaving the quiet of this home and go back to the First Baptist Church in Eldorado to show the “Lifting the Veil of Polygamy” dvd tonight and be available to answer questions of the viewers.
After the morning service, a reported from PEOPLE Magazine wants to do an interview sometime in the near future for a “special” feature story. We also was asked by a very quiet, unassuming, AP reporter and spent some productive time in an interview with him.
We have not agenda yet for the rest of the week, waiting for God to take care of that for us. We want to drive past the YFZ Ranch, although we already know that it’s roped off and guarded so that no one can get in, but we are going to go by it anyway. Monday morning a reported from a Missoula independent newspaper is calling me for a short interview, he wants to do a story which he hopes to incorporate into a larger one that will or can deal with the polygamists in his area.
We plan on going on into San Angelo Monday to see how we can fit in.
Prayers:
We have a HUGE concern because they are unable to find the girl who made the initial phone call – please pray God would bring her forward.
Pray this will not backfire in any way, that God’s purposes to free the captives will be real in these events
Pray that the plans of the big, powerful, rich, atty’s the FLDS have hired will not prevail.
Pray that we can get in to see and talk to the FLDS women. So far NO ONE outside of the government workers have been allowed to do this.
Well folks, guess that’s all. I will try and send you more information as it occurs, although I can’t promise regularity in this.
Serving the KING.
Susan and Doris
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