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1992
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1986
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WELCOME...
Friday, May 30, 2008
when ever Williams wrote Susan, he wanted one thing...
2001
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1992
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1986
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1992
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1986
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Hephzibah Investigation in 1985
The Warsaw-Union-Times
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Letter from Pastor Williams to Co-Laborers
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Williams rebuttel
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Letter from Pastor Williams to Co-Laborers
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Williams rebuttel
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Susan's Story...
My name is Susan Grotte. I am writing to state officially that I was abused at Hephzibah House from February, 1981, to July, 1983. I realize that this is far in the past, and nothing can be done. However it has come to my attention that girls are suffering under the same cruel conditions right now. The state of
I was beaten with a paddle until I was black and blue. My skirt was pulled up, and I was laid out on the flour. One adult sat on my back and tightly held my arms, while another sat on my feet to keep me from kicking. A third wielded a paddle and beat me. I was beaten nearly every day for the first three to four months when I was there. After that time, I was sufficiently broken and docile, thus only receiving two to three per month. These beating were so severe that they left blisters, hurt my back and twice I fainted. I still smell that carpet and feel it against my face.
I was so hungry all the time. The Williams ate very well, while they denied the girls sufficient, healthy food especially considering the energy we expended. I lost nearly 40 lbs in four months-- dropping from a normal 128 pounds to a mere 88. This in spite of the fact that we were not allowed to turn down any food offered.
I was menstruating normally before arriving at Hephzibah House, but ceased until I left in 1983.
I did heavy, back breaking labor. There was emotional abuse in the form of humiliation and isolation. Hephzibah House denied any form of contact with the outside world including media and notice of my grandmother’s death, as well as censoring letters from my parents. The rare phone calls from home were tightly monitored. Communication with other students was supervised and very limited.
The saddest part is that the Hephzibah House staff managed to convince me that they loved me. They taught us that we would go to hell if we ever would betray them, or "rise up against God's man."
Williams recently contacted me. I was shaking when I heard his voice. He asked me to write a letter to his lawyer stating that I was never abused, nor had witnessed any abuse while I was a resident. He was asking me to lie for him. I step forward now to defend these poor girls who cannot defend themselves.
Hundreds of girls have suffered because I did not have the courage to speak up then. This clear violation of normal human rights should not still be happening, 25 years later, in
It is important to point out that I had never shown any aggressive or violent behavior, had never experimented with drugs or alcohol, never been with a boy. My crime was never disclosed to me. I never had a trial, I never had a voice. I was 15.
In Christ alone,
--Susan Grotte
The Wedding Contract
This is the tract that was sent to Susan as a reply to her wedding announcement. Please click on the page to enlarge. Thank you.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Excerpt from Hephzibah happenings July 1982
Click image to inlarge-
COMPLICATED OPPORTUNITIES
Since our last newsletter, we have had trouble with the State
Welfare Department.
It started with a teen aged girl from our ministry who ran from
our
program. When she was found, we returned her to her father. She
later went to live with her mother. Shortly after this, she made
allegations to the State Welfare that we had abused her, and had also
abused eight other students in our program!
With this information, we were visited by the State Police, a
Welfare Investigator, Welfare Nurse, and Welfare Consultant. They
demanded entrance to our facilities, to speak to our girls and certain
staff workers.
We refused to honor their demands without benefit of legal
counsel,
and we all ended up in our attorney's office. We later discovered
they had assembled a "task force" to "save the children" at Hephzibah
House.
Our attorney (a Christian gentleman) wonderfully worked on our
behalf and prevented this invasion of our privacy
We later were questioned for over six hours by the Welfare
officials. They later questioned certain students we had sent home
because of this crisis.
As of this writing this matter is not resolved.
We greatly need your intercessory prayer over these complications,
that Caesar would leave us alone to do our job for the Lord.
The Bureaucracy has within its power to do great damage to the work,and
we are obviously asking God to remove this intimidation and pressure.
COMPLICATED OPPORTUNITIES
Since our last newsletter, we have had trouble with the State
Welfare Department.
It started with a teen aged girl from our ministry who ran from
our
program. When she was found, we returned her to her father. She
later went to live with her mother. Shortly after this, she made
allegations to the State Welfare that we had abused her, and had also
abused eight other students in our program!
With this information, we were visited by the State Police, a
Welfare Investigator, Welfare Nurse, and Welfare Consultant. They
demanded entrance to our facilities, to speak to our girls and certain
staff workers.
We refused to honor their demands without benefit of legal
counsel,
and we all ended up in our attorney's office. We later discovered
they had assembled a "task force" to "save the children" at Hephzibah
House.
Our attorney (a Christian gentleman) wonderfully worked on our
behalf and prevented this invasion of our privacy
We later were questioned for over six hours by the Welfare
officials. They later questioned certain students we had sent home
because of this crisis.
As of this writing this matter is not resolved.
We greatly need your intercessory prayer over these complications,
that Caesar would leave us alone to do our job for the Lord.
The Bureaucracy has within its power to do great damage to the work,and
we are obviously asking God to remove this intimidation and pressure.
Excerpt from; Hephzibah happenings July 1982
Click image to enlarge-
Excerpt from; Hephzibah happenings July 1982
We Have Beds
Desperate and pleading phone calls from all over the nation are
received at our office so often that we would literally need "barns" in
which to house all the troubled teen-aged girls prompting the calls.
We quite obviously are limited are limited by facilities, staff, and
finances in how many souls we can receive. Therefore, we must make
decisions about whose daughter in desperate straits we can help.
In Galations 6:10, Paul states our broad responsibility to do
good
to all men, but particularly emphasizes how believers are to
specifically aid other believers. This bible injunction is responsible
for our mission policy of helping Fundamentalists first with their
daughters, and secondarily the children of unbelievers, apostates, New
evangeicals, etc.
Because of a series of unusual circumstances in recent weeks, WE
HAVE A FEW EMPTY BEDS. It is our desire to help those Fundamentalists
who may need this type of ministry with their daughter. The daughters
of preachers, missionaries, deacons, and other pillars of the
church often find their way to our doors. Pray that those the Lord has
chosen of God's people would providentially brought to our doors. We
are particularly interested in helping those who have seen their
failure and sin from Gods perspetcive and who are now willing to obey
Him.
Excerpt from; Hephzibah happenings July 1982
We Have Beds
Desperate and pleading phone calls from all over the nation are
received at our office so often that we would literally need "barns" in
which to house all the troubled teen-aged girls prompting the calls.
We quite obviously are limited are limited by facilities, staff, and
finances in how many souls we can receive. Therefore, we must make
decisions about whose daughter in desperate straits we can help.
In Galations 6:10, Paul states our broad responsibility to do
good
to all men, but particularly emphasizes how believers are to
specifically aid other believers. This bible injunction is responsible
for our mission policy of helping Fundamentalists first with their
daughters, and secondarily the children of unbelievers, apostates, New
evangeicals, etc.
Because of a series of unusual circumstances in recent weeks, WE
HAVE A FEW EMPTY BEDS. It is our desire to help those Fundamentalists
who may need this type of ministry with their daughter. The daughters
of preachers, missionaries, deacons, and other pillars of the
church often find their way to our doors. Pray that those the Lord has
chosen of God's people would providentially brought to our doors. We
are particularly interested in helping those who have seen their
failure and sin from Gods perspetcive and who are now willing to obey
Him.
