Notice from Mama and Peter -- January 14, 2005

Dearest Family,

Thank you for your continued prayers for us. We are praying for you as well.

We wanted to let you know that we are working on putting together some of the abundant instruction, counsel, and comfort that our Husband has poured out about the situation with Ricky (Pete, Davidito) and Angela, and we will be posting it for you on the MO site via GNs as soon as we can. As you can imagine, there is a lot happening right now that we have to attend to, but we wanted you to know that we have a lot of counsel from the Lord to share with you, and He has given answers and insight that help to shed light on this situation and will help us learn from it all we can, as well as partake of His perspective and comfort.

Mama and I want to thank those of you who have heard from our Husband for us and sent us the messages you received. We have been so encouraged by them. We’re very thankful that you have taken the time to do it, not only because of the great encouragement they have been to us , but also because the Lord has been able to speak to you and comfort you and help you to have His perspective on the matter, which is very important.

There is a lot of confusing information floating around about this situation, and there are some people who are exploiting this tragedy and trying to use it to their own ends to hurt Mama and me and the Family, and tear down our work for the Lord. Some of our detractors are trying to get as much mileage out of this situation as possible. As always, it’s your choice whether you’ll listen to those who are bent on destroying the Family, or whether, as a strong disciple, you’ll turn to our Husband and open your channel to Him to receive His perspective and counsel.

It’s natural to be curious about the details in a situation like this, but please be aware that you’re not going to find out the truth via the news media or the Internet. Unfortunately, the media is being contacted and fed extensively by some of our most hostile apostates; the reports in the newspapers are for the most part not giving the full picture, nor are they referring to the official studies credible academics have done and published on the Family.

Mama and I are interested in the truth, and we want to give you the truth. We are working on finding out what happened, so that we can inform you of the full story and also give you God’s mind on the matter. However, the media is being stirred up by rhetoric from our apostates and detractors, who are using this situation to their own ends.

I find it nearly unbelievable that some of our detractors will stoop to such low levels to blame Mama for what happened. Mama is the sweetest, most loving person I know, and has lived to give and sacrifice for others for as long as I’ve known her. And at a sad time like this, some people have the nerve to say that Mama deserves this, that it’s her fault. They’re trying to make Ricky look like an innocent victim, and even a hero and role model, ignoring the fact that he actually murdered someone. No matter what his motives might have been, and no matter how overcome by the Enemy and forces of darkness he was at the time, that does not justify his killing someone.

Ricky was 29 years old. He made his own decisions—decisions that Mama had nothing to do with. To the contrary, Mama went to every length she could to love Ricky, to try to communicate with him, and to pray for him. This turn of events is very sad for Mama and me; we never wanted Ricky’s life to turn out this way. But it did, because of his choices.

We explained briefly in the first notice posted on the MO site the events that took place surrounding this tragedy, but for those who have heard bits and pieces here and there from the news media and would like more of the full story, this is what happened.

At the time of her death, Angela was not in the Family. She had written Mama and me about a month ago, explaining that she was taking a furlough from the Family for a time. Approximately two months ago, she had left the mission field she was on, and had gone to help her aunt in the U.S. She was living in her own apartment in California. She was favorable and kept in touch with some of our staff and others in the Family who she was good friends with, but she wanted to travel around and have some time to think about what she wanted to do with her life. She wasn’t sure how long she wanted to have a break, or what her long-term plans were.

Ricky was at the time living and working in Tucson, Arizona, and had been there for several months. He was in contact with Mama’s relatives who live there, and had spent time with them over Christmas; he was friendly with them. He had recently gotten a job as an electrician. We had been praying for him to find something that he was happy doing. Communications from Ricky were non-existent in recent years and ours were limited to sending him Christmas or birthday greetings. Our last communication was when Mama and I sent him a card and present this past Christmas.

Saturday night, January 8th, Ricky and Angela met for dinner. Angela was in Tucson on a visit. She was on the board of directors for the elderly care home that Mama’s relatives run, and twice a year when they would hold board meetings, she would travel there to attend. While there she would do what she could to help out. During this last visit, she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to visit Ricky. She and Ricky had been friends before, so they made plans to go to dinner. She was not going on our behalf, nor did she have any message to give to Ricky from Mama or me. It was something she wanted to do. Mama and I were not involved.

At some time in the evening, we believe after they had dinner, Angela and Ricky went to Ricky’s apartment where he stabbed Angela to death. Then he drove to Blythe, California where he checked into a motel, and made some phone calls, then left the hotel, drove some distance away and then shot himself. He was found in his car in a parking lot early Sunday morning, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In one of the calls he made before he died, he apparently asked the person he was talking with to alert the Tucson police to check his apartment. Later the police found Angela’s body in his apartment, she was dead.

Mama and I, as well as the other relatives, were notified on Sunday, and on Monday stories started running in the Arizona and California newspapers.

Over the next days we began to hear from a number of different people that Ricky had made a video which he wanted sent to certain people. We have not yet seen this video, nor at this time do we know what it contains, though it is our understanding that he filmed it shortly before meeting with Angela and that it made reference to his intentions to do her harm.

Ricky had made public reference to doing harm to Mama and me in the past. In 2002, he posted on the site how he thought of returning to Portugal, finding Mama and me, and cutting our throats. Then five months ago on the Moving On site, this subject came up again, in which he talked about destroying the Family, and he was looking for people who wanted to join him in his mission. He said this would “probably involve a great deal of sacrifice, and would best be accomplished, by people who have nothing to lose, such as myself. … someone needs to put an end to it because only then can we feel some semblance of justice.”

Our detractors and ex-members are saying that Angela had gone to see him as our representative, that she was sent with an “ultimatum” from us, and that it was something she said or did that made him go into a violent rage and kill her. While we don’t know what transpired between them that night, we do know that Angela was meeting with Ricky of her own accord, and while he might have looked on her as our representative because she lived with us for many years and was very close to us personally, she had gone to see him of her own volition, and there were no ulterior motives that we know of, nor was she bearing any kind of message from Mama or me or WS for Ricky.

Others of the ex-member camp are saying (and it’s being picked up by the media) that this happened because Angela had abused him as a child, and so he had pent up rage against her. The truth is, Ricky and Angela were friends, or at least had been during their time in the Family. While they were from two different generations, Angela was very youthful in spirit, and when they lived together, they would often hang out or do things together. They had had a mutual friendship, and enjoyed each other’s company on a friendship level.

Angela was also never Ricky’s nanny, as some of the media and our apostates are insinuating. Angela was always a secretary in our Home. Much of the time that Ricky lived with Dad, Mama and me, Angela also lived with us. During all those years that they both lived with us (until Ricky was approximately 20 years old), he never showed any unhappiness with Angela at all. They had always been friends. They did things together. Angela had a boyfriend at the time, and she, her boyfriend and Ricky would regularly do activities such as hiking together, and he never showed any anger whatsoever toward her.

It’s possible that Ricky says on the video that the reason he did what he did is because of the “abuses” he “suffered” in the Family. We will not be surprised if he blames Mama and the Family for the murder, or if he explains this as his deserved “revenge,” but whatever his tack, we must not lose sight of the fact that he brutally murdered someone. That is never, under any circumstances, justified or right! He was not the victim; Angela was the victim. She was a wonderful woman who suffered a cruel and violent death!

As we have explained before, Ricky left our Home on good terms. He and Elixir left WS in early 2000, and continued on in the Family for a few months, first in a Home in Southern California, then at the Activated desk in England, then in Venezuela. Mama and I helped them all we could to get them set up in a Home, we gave them a gift and landing funds, and for several months we continued in fairly close communication with them, and they wrote some sweet letters that showed they were happy and wanting to be in the Family.

It wasn’t until they left the Family, and started having a lot of contact with some very vindictive apostates, that Ricky started coming out with accusations against us, complaints about his upbringing, and demands for money. At that point, Ricky started openly vocalizing his complaints and bitterness, including many that he had never expressed before. His contact with these apostates grew, and so did his complaints. This is the cycle of apostasy which we have explained before. (See “None of These Things Move Me”.) Eventually he told us that he didn’t want to be in contact with us at all, and to please stop writing him. So we respected his wishes with the occasional note at Christmas or birthday. Some time later, he came out with a physical threat in his post on the Moving On site, saying he wanted to find us and physically kill us.

Some of Ricky’s former associates apparently were aware of the seriousness of Ricky’s threats. They had heard him talk about his desire to kill his mother and they knew he had a penchant for knives. We can only assume that they tried, unsuccessfully, to convince him that this was wrong.

Unfortunately, however, there are a few apostates who don’t seem to have a problem with violence--not only tolerating it, but even saying such things as that’s what Mama “deserves” and, “Maybe it's callous to say it, but WTF [what the fuck], if he had to go, he might as well have taken one of the fuckers with him; it's almost too bad he only got one.” Another said: “Yeah it is terrible but I honestly couldn’t give a shit about the fam member/former personal abuser of him. I hope she died knowing why she died.” Or another said, “In Ricky's case, it was no more wrong to kill than it was to remove an annoying splinter from your thumb.”

We’re appalled that these apostates would publicly make such statements, and even more so that those who administrate the ex-member sites would promote such statements by allowing them to remain on their site. I would think that they and those who visit their site would be ashamed to associate themselves with those who speak so ill of someone who was so violently murdered.

There’s a whole lot more to this situation that happened in the spirit, which those of us who are blessed to understand and believe in the spirit world can comprehend—and we’ll be getting more of this information to you in GNs as soon as we can, as I mentioned earlier. But in the meantime I wanted to clear up a few of the rumors circulating, with the facts, for the benefit of those of you who are getting your information from the media. If I were you, I’d be very wary of believing most of the information that is circulating at the moment.

Besides giving you a bit more information on what has happened, Mama and I want to warn you about who you listen to regarding this tragedy. We are trying as quickly as possible to get the Lord’s Words to you on this, but in the meantime, we don’t recommend that you go online to find the “news” and see how things are developing. As more reliable information becomes available, we will communicate further with you.

Here is a short message that we’d like to share with you for your encouragement. This isn’t enough to cover the subject, of course, but as I said, there is more counsel from the Lord coming.

(Jesus:) Even though the Enemy has manifested his power in a very physical way, and desperately wants to cause fear and trembling as you hear of these events, let Me remind you, My brides, that there is nothing that I cannot turn for good in your lives, and in the lives of My children everywhere.

I know you have a lot of questions about how and why, and if it’s even possible for good to come of something like this. But watch and see, for My promises will be fulfilled, and the time will come when the Enemy will rue the day this attack was mounted, for all his intended evil will be turned to good, and he will have only helped to bring about a greater witness, a greater victory, a mighty strengthening. Even though he succeeded in bringing about death, those who died are in My hands, and both went straight to a better place—Angela to her great reward for her years of faithful service to Me, and Ricky to a place where he can slowly turn to face the light and begin to let go of his pride and rebellion, which has caused him so much torment. Both are My children, and though both came Home to very different rewards, yet they are both safely Home, where no harm can touch them again. That is one great and irreversible victory for Me.

This will also bring about persecution, media coverage, and opportunities for greater witness. For those who are ready and obedient, the persecution will bring blessing and open doors to get out the message like never before. It will fill the cups of iniquity of those who fight My children. It will wake up some in the ex-member camp who have been duped by the lies when they see how far the apostates and detractors have gone, to be taking a situation as tragic as this and twisting the facts to their own advantage and breathing out of threatenings. Their strong delusion will become apparent for all to see, and it will save many more from falling into their camp. It will wake up some of My blind and sleepy wayward children and cause them to turn away from the poison of the detractors and their evil words, for they will want no part in it.

It will also be a thundering wakeup call for you, My children of David, who are entering the year of strengthening, and will cause you to grow and mature and prepare in ways you were not anticipating. I will use it in each of your lives.

Many victories will come of this, until like I told you, the Devil will regret the day that he brought this attack to Earth, for it will backfire severely on his own camp, and cause him great defeat.

Be comforted, My loves, and know that I have much to speak to you about on this topic. Come to Me and hear My Words. Shun the ranting of those who have rejected Me and been given over to strong delusion.

Be comforted that as long as you stay close to Me, you have nothing to fear. Be encouraged to know that I will use this to get out the message like never before. Be encouraged to remember that I am a God of justice and righteousness, and the wicked will not go unpunished. Be encouraged to remember that I am the good Shepherd, and My sheep will hear My voice and follow.

What can you personally do to bring about good, you ask? Witness like never before, and give as many as possible the opportunity to receive and know Me personally before the great darkness falls upon all the earth. Prepare for persecution through having a solid witness, through strengthening your testimony, through obedience to Me in your personal lives, and through praying that I will hold back the wrath of man until it suits My purpose. Prepare spiritually through connecting with Me each day, practicing with the new weapons, and training for the war which is already upon you.

And then know, My loves, that though the time you are living in will wax even darker, yet My light will shine forth from you like never before. Though the accusations against you will grow more vile still, yet will your testimony become more and more spotless for all the world to see, and many will be drawn to Me. Though the attacks of the Enemy in both the physical and spiritual realms will increase with intensity, yet also will you be strengthened in spirit to face them fearlessly and without loss or casualties.

There is nothing to fear, nothing to worry about, but much to prepare for. So strengthen your spirits, strengthen your brethren, prepare, for we are at war! The victory is promised to those who persevere. (End of message from Jesus.)

Mama and I love you very much, and we appreciate your continued prayers for all those involved, including us personally. We know it is a miracle of grace that we are able to continue taking care of all that is facing us at this time, and we are thankful for your prayers which are giving us strength and comfort.

Much love in our Husband,
Peter

Here is a rebuttal that one of our Family spokespersons wrote to one of the negative articles that was published. Thankfully, after receiving this information, the same reporter then wrote a second more balanced article.

From Claire Borowik for The Family International

I am writing to express how appalled I am by the coverage your newspaper is giving to the deaths of Ricky Rodriguez and Angela Smith. I believe that it opposes all journalistic ethics, in its one-sided nature and its basis in unsubstantiated hearsay and rumors.

Both these deaths are cause of great mourning and grief to the members of our Fellowship and the families involved, and it is grievous to see them handled in such a callous way.

I would like to clarify the following in honor of Angela Smith, whose memory has been slandered by individuals who never met her, nor knew Ricky Rodriguez throughout his entire childhood. The blatant lack of respect for the loss of Angela's life is appalling--one would think she had committed the crime in this sad tragedy, rather than been a victim.

To set the record straight, Angela Smith was never Ricky Rodriguez's "nanny", nor was she "sent on a mission" to speak with Ricky. She was on an extended furlough from the Family and lived in her own apartment, detached from Family communities. From what she told friends, she believed Ricky to be on friendly terms with her, which is why she visited him. Ricky published several statements in the latter years of his life, after connecting with our vitriolic former members, but never once did he state therein that he had been abused in any way by Angela Smith throughout his childhood.

Ricky Rodriguez withdrew from The Family fellowship in 2000 in order to pursue his education and other interests. Although he departed on good terms, he later became estranged from his mother and sister.

After contacting some of our more vitriolic apostates on the internet, he began to manifest violent tendencies, which were encouraged by this circle of former members. A careful perusal of the site brings up a number of instances where hate and violence are discussed without restraint.

In searching for a motive for this tragic crime, journalists should take care to not casually write off Angela's death and justify the actions of an obviously disturbed young man. Our society is rife with violence--regularly the public is exposed to violent crimes of individuals that act out the violence they witness via the media, and discuss anonymously via the internet. Such crimes are not particular to religious groups; in fact such violence is shocking and entirely unheard of in Family communities.

As Christians, we deplore and are diametrically opposed to acts of violence and the suffering these inflict on innocent people. We believe that human life is sacred, and each person should be respected as an individual created in the image of God. It is our belief that God's love is the solution to all of man's problems, even in such a complex, confused, and highly complicated society as that of today. As Christians, our duty is to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39), and to share the news of God's love and salvation for humanity and care for the needy.

In 1994, The Family initiated a concerted reconciliation process to attempt to resolve differences with any and all former members who held grievances either from their time in The Family or from the lack of communication with Family members after they departed. In 1994 and 1995, in open letters to former members, Family leadership officially addressed concerns in regard to any questionable past actions of individuals regarding discipline, education, or sexual misconduct that any may have undergone from 1978 to 1985 before clear guidelines were articulated. These apologies were published and have been reiterated in official Family publications over the years. The Family's Charter (first published in 1995) also advises parents to assume responsibility for assisting their children through what can be a difficult transition from a close, nurturing, faith-based support system to an independent secular lifestyle. Ricky Rodriguez received ample financial and emotional support to assist him in this transition.

In 1986, the Family enacted stringent policies to ensure the safety and protection of our children at which point any inappropriate contact between an adult and minor (any person under 21 years of age) was rendered an excommunicable offense. All previous literature underwent careful scrutiny to ensure that it was in line with this position and any questionable publications were expunged.

The Family's success in protecting our children and ensuring their well being has been documented by independent and court-appointed investigations in the early 1990s of almost 700 children living in Family communities. After extensive physical, psychological and educational testing, all of the children were found to be healthy with no sign of abuse in a single case. This total absence of abuse speaks for the efforts made to safeguard children in Family communities.

We would suggest in future that you consult a broader base of third party resources regarding our Fellowship. Several reputable academic books have been published in the last 7 years, by researchers who have studied the Family and their research has been reviewed by their peers. (We would be happy to make these available to you.) None of these people have been contacted, nor has their expertise been sought out. Balanced journalism would require offering us a fair possibility to present our side of the story, as well as consulting unbiased third party sources who have performed serious research on our movement