(From Natacha, 30, mother of 4, second-generation member of the Family International)

I don’t have much to say but what I have to say I say it with all my heart for it is my life and what I know to be the truth.

I was born and raised in The Family and now I’m raising my own 4 children in the Family because I believe without a shadow of a doubt that this is the best place to raise them.

You may say that the reason for this is because I don’t know any other lifestyle since I’ve never ‘left’ The Family, but I don’t believe you have to ‘leave’ in order to know that you’re in the right place doing the right thing for a good cause.

I have plenty of friends and even relatives who are not in The Family, who have left for their own reasons and I’ve taken a good look at their lives and I know it’s not for me.

I can’t say that I haven’t been tempted at times to ‘throw in the towel’ for want of an ‘easier’ life, but for me I know the truth and I can’t deny what I know is right.

In The Family we are taught to think of others and be ‘our brothers keeper’, to care for those around us and be concerned. I know that I wouldn’t be able to just live for myself, think only for myself, and do things to only make me happy, this would only be selfishness and it’s just not for me.

I love taking care of others, especially children, I see how much a little love, care and tenderness can go such a long, long way. I want to help others so that when the day comes that I go to meet my Savior, it’ll be said of me ‘She hath done what she could’.

I have a hard time grasping how someone can go so far as to voluntarily and willingly hurt someone especially to the point of killing them, I just cannot understand it, to me it’s truly inhumane and morbid. I feel sorry for Ricky for stooping so low and then going to face the Lord, what a terrible thing to have to give account for.

Natacha is a second generation member of the Family International.