Laura Silsby, Where’s Your God Now?
So these ten missionaries from Idaho, apparently led by a woman named Laura Silsby, show up in Haiti last week, in the devastating aftermath of the massive earthquake which leveled most of the capital city.
Their mission: To stock the orphanage they are developing in neighboring Dominican Republic with children who were left orphans by the quake. Silsby quickly makes contact with a local religious leader who just as quickly sends out the message that there is a humanitarian group preparing to take children to safety and better living conditions. The families are told that this is a camp, not an orphanage, that their children are not to be given away and that the families will be permitted to visit them.
Thirty three children, from several months to teenagers, are rounded up and placed on a bus, along with the missionaries. Silsby is apparently warned by a Dominican representative that she doesn’t have the required Haitian paperwork. She does have Dominican paperwork.
When the bus reaches the border, guards search and soon discover that the bus is loaded with undocumented children, who Silsby declares to be orphans headed to their new home. Interviews with some of the children reveal a different story, and the entire group is detained.
A few days later the entire group of ten are charged with attempted kidnaping. They remain in Haitian custody.
The pastor of Silsby’s church said this:
“We believe that the very best thing that could happen - not only for our loved ones who we miss dearly, but also for the people of Haiti - is for their government to release them as quickly as possible, allowing the world’s attention to be focused where it should be, on helping a nation that experienced a devastating earthquake.”
Former President Clinton said this:
“I think what’s important now is that the government of Haiti and the government of the United States to get together and go through this because the government of Haiti, as I understand it, is not looking for a fight. They just want to protect children.”
First, the government of Haiti is getting exactly what they want and need from all of this publicity: Awareness of the awesome and awful problem of child trafficking. Nefarious agents swoop into situations just like this one and steal children away to lives of labor or much worse.
Silsby and her cohorts had no such motives, of course. No, their motive was much more pure: To take as many children away from the world of Voodoo religion and bring them over to the world of Christianity. They weren’t “technically” orphans, but wouldn’t they be so much better off in a different place, learning proper religion? Weren’t Silsby and her cohorts on the side of Right, on the side of God?
Laura Silsby, where is your God now?
What sort of sick, psychotic God would let you get all the way to the border, inches from Dominican soil, where you would be free to enact your plan - only to have you instead detained in primitive and hostile conditions, indefinitely, charged with serious crimes?
Oh, what a sick God He is. What a terrifying prankster.
Or perhaps he’s locked in an existential battle with Satan, represented in this case by the Haitian government, protectors of the Voodoo religion. Poor Silsby and cohorts, stuck in-between God and Voodoo, left to fend for themselves, seen by both sides as important chips in a game which is so much larger than these mere humans.
Who were, after all, only trying to do Good.
So the children get brought back, re-united with their families. Silsby and her cohorts find themselves locked in one of the few buildings still standing, the local jail. Oh, the irony. And murmurs start to gain strength: These are people of God. They meant no harm. Their intent was to save children. Who can fault that? They should be freed.
There’s been talk of failed bribe attempts. A lawyer has been fired. This mess seems to get deeper by the day.
On the other hand, there is some sort of fairness in Silsby and cohorts being stuck in a Haitian jail. After all, ALL Haitians are stuck in the quake’s aftermath; ALL Haitians have instantly been transformed into the most primitive of humans, lacking access to even the most basic elements of civilized life: food, shelter, waste disposal, electric power.
It is somewhat fitting that Missionaries who considered Haitian law to be non-existent are now caught up in the reality that they were wrong about that. Haiti gets to demonstrate their sovereignty, their ability to protect their citizens and defend their borders. They get to demonstrate national pride. They get to kick somebody in the ass.
Silsby and cohorts should go through the proper Haitian legal process, however long it takes. And the government of Haiti should enjoy the immense publicity this case has brought them, to allow them to remind the world that this is still a viable, functioning society that, much like New Orleans a few years ago, just needs some time to get back on its feet.
February 7th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Please read, on Jan 30 the West Valley Baptist Church was soliciting funds for "OUR team" in Haiti to be run through the CHURCH's bank account which is non-profit
http://myweb.cableone.net/rmarler/Haitian%20Orpha...
Rescue Team Needs $2000 in 24 hours
Greetings!
We need to raise $2,000 in the next 24 hours for our Haiti Rescue Team. We have already had $10,000 committed to this mission. Please help us! Call the church office and bring your gift in right now! Some of the team members have already left today and more team members will be heading out Friday and Saturday. The need is immediate! You may be able to make a large contribution or a small contribution. This will take all of us working together!!
–From Pastor Clint
We have sent a team to Haiti to assist with the relief effort. There are many needs. One of our church family has been working on building an Orphanage in the Dominican Republic for rescued orphans from Haiti. NOW the need is even greater. We are sending a team now and leasing a temporary building to house them until the orphanage is built. Ask God what you can do to help. PRAY? GIVE? GO?
–From Carla Thompson
UMMMMMMMMM, Carla Thompson writes, "We have sent a team to Haiti to assist with the relief effort." Carla Thompson is IN HAITI with Laura Silsby and their other fellow cohorts and holds the title of MISSION COORDINATOR for West Valley Baptist (sidebar)
February 7th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
At least they are completely up-front with their intentions:
"
New Life Children's Refuge
Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission
Purpose: Rescue Haitian orphans abandoned on the streets, makeshift hospitals or from collapsed orphanages in Port au Prince and surrounding areas, and bring them to New Life Children's Refuge in Cabarete, Dominican Republic.
The Urgent Need: The number of Haitian orphans is estimated to have increased by 300% as a result of the catastrophic earthquake this past week. Thousands of children have lost their parents, and are injured, hungry, thirsty and alone with limited chance of survival without help.
"
Nowhere do they mention going through the proper channels.
So, why were those proper channels averted? Silsby must answer for that, as well as for her declaration that these children were orphans.
She presumably presented Dominican paperwork. If this paperwork asserted that the children were in fact orphans, then the Dominican government would have permitted these children who already have living parents to be adopted, almost certainly by Christians.
And that's where the plot really thickens.
February 7th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
The church has to answer for this Walt because it is the CHURCH running the funds through their own tax exempt account and it is their own MISSION COORDINATOR asking for more funds and is in Haiti herself. Everywhere they write about "OUR team"
http://swanville.net/cvbc/newsletters/pdf/nl_116_...
Now eight of them passed a lilly livered note saying they were "lied to" and Laura Silsby is trying to control them. She isn't the church's MISSION COORDINATOR and and it's the CHURCH collecting funds. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way taking blame off of Laura Silsby, I'm pointing to the fact that the attorney in Haiti, (who got fired) and everyone is saying it was ALL her fault. Our own justice department should be looking into the church's culpability in this as well. I realize it was a catastrophe, but the US should have laws in place concerning processes for any US entity to go through before they can put out a "God call", hop on a plane and then go break laws in other countries. At least that is my own humble opinion. An ounce of prevention is always worth more than a pound of cure.
February 7th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Robin,
What you're saying is that you'd prefer that they were in an American jail, subject to American laws.
It would be appropriate to explore Silsby's role further. Is she a self-promoter? Is she hungry to make a big splash, and convinced that if she invokes God and convinces others to do the same, she must be in the right?
I would call that delusional.
Well, cooling her heels in a Haitian jail might help to snap her out of her funk. Yes it's a damn shame that others got caught up in it, but maybe this will wake up many others just like them, who foolishly follow foolish leaders straight into a foreign jail in the middle of a maelstrom.
February 7th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
No I'm not saying that at all Walt. They certainly should all face Haitian justice. But I am reading that Clinton is securing all but Laura Silsby's release. If this is true, and he achieves this, then Carla Thompson in particular will get off the hook. The others as well but her direct involvement and culpability is more than obvious. What I am saying is that I don't think that Silsby is the only one to blame. She isn't the leader, the CHURCH is the leader in running the funds through their bank account and having their own mission coordinator there. Pastor Clint holds full responsibility as well. I don't think it is very "Christian" of them to not take their own responsibility in this fiasco. Furthermore, ya know what? CNN has all this information and they are choosing not to air it. I called Atalanta on Friday and the woman who I spoke to said they knew all this. That the church was running the funds and that they refer to this group as "our team". Is CNN reporting this? NO! I asked her why not and she simply said, "We are not reporting on this right now". WHY Walt? Because of our government trying to secure their release? All you're reading in the media is Laura Silsby this and that, while West Valley Baptist is holed up refusing to answer media questions and only giving SHORT press releases. I wonder why! Laura Silsby sure is "interesting" but WHY isn't the media reporting on the church's DIRECT involvement and Carla Thompson's DIRECT involvement as the mission coordinator? It's all a bunch of hooey! They all need to stand trial in Haiti including Pastor Clint! Put him on a plane to go minister to his flock and let's have the Haitian prosecutor call him as witness.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Well we clearly agree that each of those who went to Haiti must answer the charges, and a proper investigation would, we hope, uncover who had what role.
But of course the church itself is insulated. Pastor Clint broke no Haitian laws.
It's not clear to what extent the church itself is culpable. Silsby seems to have indeed been on a "mission"' as I understand it, she was the one who used the earthquake as an opportunity to "speed up" the process, and she seems to have been the one who made the decision to cross the border without Haitian documents, despite the warning from the Dominican representative.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Follow the money. Donations for this escapade which was referred to as as "our team" were made to the church, run through their bank account and then sent to the Dominican Republic for whatever purposes they served, including securing the supposed hotel where these "orphans" were to be housed and the van used to attempt to transport them there.
If it is "our team" and it most certainly is a mission, then the mission coordinator for the church is Carla Thompson, not Laura Silsby. If Thompson handed over what duties she had as the mission coordinator for "our team" to Silsby, too bad, so sad.
The IRS could get involved with this one would think. If the church was running the monies, and not doing the proper paper work to grant the money to New Life Children's Refuge (which taxes would have to be paid on by NLCR since they are a corporation WITHOUT 5013c status) , or if indeed they never even turned the monies over but were handling all the financing from their own church office, OH MY. Note that all you have heard the media say is that NLCR apparently does not have tax exempt status. Have you heard them say BUT THE CHURCH DOES and the monies were being funneled through there? No.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:18 am
All of which is about what goes on here, and which may need to be delved into further.
What I think is important is that we respect Haitian law and the Haitian legal process. Let the New Life Ten think about where they went wrong in that regard.
I get that you have issues with the church as a whole, and with good reason. On the other hand, nobody made these ten adults hop over to Haiti and attempt to steal children and pass them off as orphans.
And evidently nobody in the group stood up and said 'This is not what I came here to do."
Now, was that because they were lied to? And granted, perhaps Thompson has a larger role, but the apparent leader of the group was Silsby. So, the trail starts there for the Haitian investigation, and I absolutely agree that they should follow that trail wherever it leads, however long it takes.
And I want to underscore: Calling yourselves "Missionaries" and declaring that you are doing "God's work" is not a defense, certainly not when you entirely circumvent a nation's sovereignty and declare God the sovereign, and especially not when your true intent is religious conversion and perhaps illegal adoption.
February 8th, 2010 at 5:44 am
Here's a document from Central Valley Baptist dated January 21
http://swanville.net/cvbc/newsletters/pdf/nl_116_...
The other is the Haitian Orphan Rescue being spearheaded through our local church.
As early as next week, we will have a brand new ministry opportunity located in the
Dominican Republic. Pray for our team that is sacrificing in every way to be there. Pray
for their physical safety and their emotional well-being.
These ministry opportunities are but a small way to help fight for life…a battle that
every Christian must engage in. The future of our culture is at stake!
See You Sunday,
Pastor Clint
The other document I linked to first gives a timeline. So this one was published the day before "our team" left for Haiti.
JAN. 22 (Friday/Saturday): NLCR team fly to the DR
JAN. 23 (Sunday): Drive bus from Santo Domingo into Port au Prince, Haiti and gather 100 orphans from the streets and collapsed orphanages, then return to the DR
JAN. 24 (Monday): Bus arrives in Cabarete, DR at New Life Children Refuge
Does that sound to you like this was all Laura Silsby's doings? It doesn't to me Walt. Because Pastor Clint spelled it out, "As early as next week, WE will have a brand new ministry opportunity located in the Dominican Republic"
Silsby and West Valley Baptist were PARTNERS. His church handled the financing and provided the bodies, she was supposed to be handling whatever it was she was supposed to be handling while the mission coordinator didn't seem to be doing anything except going along for the ride because that was her TITLED role and duty.
The only reason he isn't in a Haiti prison is because lucky for him he stayed behind. Otherwise in my book he is every BIT as responsible as her because "our team" from HIS church consisted of ten people (5 from CVBC) with yahoo Silsby leading the way and him signing the checks while looking forward to HIS church's "ministry opportunity" to children snatched off the streets. He might not ever be brought before a judge Walt, but he better watch out for the big guy in the sky that he claims is on his side. And Pastor Drew? Read this link for what he has to say about the opportunity this disaster provided.
Not one single one of them questioned Silsby because they had their OWN agenda-the perfect partnership/storm of kidnapping for "Jesus", with or without the proper paper work.
February 8th, 2010 at 6:27 am
With all of the above being plausibly true, we are left with Pastor Clint talking about legitimate orphans, and nowhere does he indicate that they should bypass proper channels (although it certainly looks as though he implies it).
In other words, he is well insulated and I suspect he will stay there. There seems to be a choice: Silsby can take the rap for bypassing procedures (and possibly for more serious crimes) or others in the group can share that culpability. I see no chance that (a) all Ten will walk nor (b) anybody else being implicated, for the simple reasons that (a) there is a lot of political hay to be made by taking this thing to the limit and (b) those who weren't "caught" seem to be in no rush to implicate themselves nor tie themselves too closely to the fates of the Ten.
It's clearly every man and woman for themselves.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Yeppers, and I read one of them, can't remember which one, is hiring his own attorney. You're right, Pastor Clint didn't say go do whatever it takes, even break the law if you have to, no he did not say that. But nevertheless they were partners in the venture with him handling the donations through his church account with 5013c status. One has to be RESPONSIBLE when doing something such as that, needless to say he mobilized not just the donations but the whole thing as HE stated "the Haitian Orphan Rescue being spearheaded through our local church" He had souls to save and orphans to round up!
Here's the icing on the cake for the evening. If you don't read Spanish, run it through Google Translate
http://www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=1306...
Aint that just the irony of ironies? With Catholocism being the main denomination of most Haitians(although many practice Voodoo right along with it) I wonder how many of those 33 children had been baptized Catholics who to Southern Baptists are heathens even if they don't practice Voodoo. As you said, the plot thickens.
February 8th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Good job noting that there are many "Christians" in Haiti already.
We know nothing concrete about the motives of the Ten. It would be good to hold off on firm conclusions until more is known.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
No conclusions Walt, only not accepting the innocent victims of Laura Silsby excuse being given by her own cohorts. Those "Christians" had their own agenda which partnered with her. They ALSO rummaged the streets of Haiti looking for orphans to take to the Dominican Republic to fulfill their "new ministry opportunity". CHILDREN. With everyone of them praying for EACHOTHER and raising funds to take ADVANTAGE of a disaster (read Pastor Drew's explanation of how disasters are wonderful opportunities to gather up souls for Christ). Mix with that, the church using it's tax exempt status to facilitate fund-raising for this venture, now hiding behind their God who they are praying to for their TEAM who is being held in a Haitian prison for breaking Haitian laws.
Here's my point Walt: They were everyone of them of the same MINDSET. Just because Laura Silsby didn't secure the proper documents, their GOALS were one in the same. If they had not been stopped at the border, this venture would have gone to it's next step in the leased hotel in the Dominican Republic. News reports are stating that the parents were told they visit their children there. $7000 per month was going to be needed to cover the lease alone. Were parental visits going to be part of the budget? Who was going to continue paying for this? If it was their ministry opportunity as clearly stated, then the Central Valley Baptist Church was going to continue financing this endeavor.
What would Americans do if the same were to occur here, a "well intentioned group" went into the poorest of the poor neighborhoods and took the children away. Would that even be fathomed here?
Absolutely NOT. So once again, whether or not Silsby secured the proper paper work is almost a moot point because her own lack of dealing with the pesky details undid her and THEIR "call from God" THAT was the sign from God, their collective crime was halted. Ironically Laura Silsby should be thanked for her oversight.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Robin,
I hear you. The entire thing is quite sordid.
We seem to agree that painting the Ten as "do-gooders" would be to ignore the facts.