Upon our 2010
arrival in Nicaragua, we were blessed to be able to meet many phenomenal missionaries
here in Nicaragua. As some of you well know, we had our house robbed of nearly
everything, and it was about that time we were referred to Timo Miller, for PC
assistance.
The Miller
family are Mennonite missionaries, and I have to tell you, they’re some of our
favourite people. Timmo grew up in Honduras, speaks Pennsylvania Dutch (along
with Spanish and English) and now lives with his wife and 5 kids in one of
Managua’s poorest communities (Once, just as I had left them in my car, I was
pelted with rocks by people on the sidewalks).
I’d like to
share with you some of Timo’s story. Having been detained in the US by the FBI,
the Mennonite community rallied around him to share in the burden of his court
case and journey. The following information is posted on a website made for
Timo’s family, by a fellow Mennonite man. (http://timomiller.org/index.htm) Whilst I know some people may be offended by
some of this story, please understand that Timo is a man who works fervently
for what he believes is right, along with his wife, Joey, and their kids:
“On Monday morning
April 18th of last year, Timothy Miller, or Timo as he is known to most,
boarded a flight bound for Washington, DC from their mission station in
Nicaragua . Traveling with him was his wife JoAnna and their four young
children. They were returning to the States for a short break from their
service there, as well as to attend a close friend’s wedding.
When Timo’s landed in
Washington, FBI agents were awaiting his arrival. They arrested Timo, and took
both Timo and his wife for several hours of questioning. The charge? A federal
felony - aiding an international parental kidnapping, threatening up to three
years in prison. After spending two nights in prison, friends were able to post
bond, and Timo was able to rejoin his wife and children again, although with
restrictions…he’s not allowed to travel freely, and he’s not allowed to discuss
the case with his wife.
The federal charges,
filed in Vermont, stem from a lesbian “civil union”. Vermont is one of a
handful of states that allow lesbians “marriage” rights in this way. As a
result, homosexual activists have filed strategic lawsuits in Vermont to expand
the rights of civil unions to include “parental rights” as part of their “civil
union” rights.
Since God has not
intended for two men or two women to raise children as a family unit, they
can’t produce children on their own. This creates a problem in their agenda to
create the perception that homosexual behavior is normal. Thus they resort to
adopting children or using artificial insemination from a male donor in the
case of a lesbian relationship. Can you imagine being a child growing up in the
middle of such an environment?
Isabella was born into
the middle of a lesbian relationship through artificial insemination. Her
biological mother is Lisa Miller (no relation to Timothy Miller), and her
father remains an anonymous sperm donor. When Isabella was about 18 months old,
Lisa Miller realized the emptiness of her lesbian lifestyle, and her mother’s
instinct alerted her to the danger that lifestyle posed for her young daughter.
She chose to leave that lifestyle, repented of her immoral ways, and began a new
life. Unfortunately for little Isabella, the lesbian activists decided the
situation was an opportunity to further their agenda. They filed lawsuits on
behalf of Janet Jenkins (the former lesbian partner) to force visitation rights
and eventually gain custody of Isabella in an attempt to prove that their
“civil unions” have parental rights.
The legal drama that
played out over the next 7 years was filled with twists and turns. Virginia
courts (where they had lived as a lesbian couple) decided her former lesbian
partner didn’t have parental rights. Vermont courts decided she did, and
aggressively worked to shut out the Virginia court’s decisions. Eventually
Virginia appeals courts washed their hands of the situation because of some
legal technicalities that allowed Vermont to claim ownership of the case. Lisa
fought long and hard, taking the case to the Vermont Supreme Court to protect
her daughter. She initially complied with the visitation orders, sending
Isabella alone as ordered by the court to visit her former partner several
times. Isabella came back from those times begging her mother to prevent some
disturbing things that took place during those visits. The emotional and
psychological impact and toll on her was obvious to her mother.
Finally, after one of
those visits, Lisa decided it was too dangerous to allow her daughter any
further contact with her former partner, or the lesbian/gay community. In
November 2009, she was to appear for the final time before the Supreme Court of
Vermont. She had lost an earlier appeal at the exact same court several years
before, and in the face of a very strong homosexual lobby, she must have
considered the possibility of losing again.
A mother goose will
fight to the death to protect her young. So will a robin or a mama bear. God
has put instincts into a mother to protect their young. Lisa must have felt
terribly desperate, and did the only thing she knew in an attempt to protect
her young child from what she perceived as very imminent danger...she took her
child, and fled.
Lisa left the US
before the order was issued by the Vermont Court transferring primary custody
of Isabella from Lisa (her biological mother) to Janet Jenkins (the former
lesbian partner). The court that ordered the transfer of custody to the lesbian
partner based on the civil union offered a huge win to homosexual activists;
the “rights” of a lesbian partner had been placed above the biological mother’s
parental rights.
The criminal complaint
against Timo Miller says he aided in the removal of a child from the US in
order to interfere with “parental” custody. It accuses him of arranging
tickets, and picking them up at the airport.
To those of us who are
observing the situation, the accusation begs a question. How can a biologically
unrelated individual who has not gone through the adoption process even have
“parental” rights in the first place? Homosexual marriages are not recognized
federally, nor are they recognized by most states. In fact, most states have
specific prohibitions banning homosexual marriage, helping to prevent a
situation like this from occurring.
Timo is a dedicated
Christian and a pastor in the Mennonite Church. (Beachy Amish-Mennonite) He
sincerely loves God and seeks to live a simple life in practical obedience to
God’s Word, and believes we should strive to obey the authorities, courts, and
the laws of the land in every way.
Historically,
Mennonites have been a peace-loving people, who seek to practically obey the
commands of Christ to help all men, to love their enemies, bless their
persecutors, and pray for those who despitefully use them. Tim & JoAnna
desire to continue that faith by displaying the love of Christ to all involved
in this situation.”
In addition to all of
this who-har, you cannot imagine the life Joey has led. Joey lied, swore, and
fought. She smoked in secret and shoplifted when she had half a chance. And she
was only a child. Her mother was too sick to notice. Her father too busy to
mind. Joey ended up in the cycle of foster homes, was abused and neglected, unloved
and unwanted. But, Joey was a fighter and although she lived a life that was
akin to something on a Jerry Springer show, she desired a life of freedom and
love.
To read Joey’s story, please buy her book
today, aptly named “Joey's Story.” If
you love non-fiction, you’ll love this account of an Annie-come-Mennonite
missionary. It is available on Amazon, and you will not be sorry you spent the
$13.50.
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