Age: 19
Location: Tijuana, Mexico

To all those reading this,

What happened here was a tragedy, a horrific, senseless taking of life that cannot be justified. I am deeply saddened. If a life wasn’t yours to give, it certainly isn’t yours to take. I didn’t know either of the people involved but I did know of them and honestly I can’t believe how someone like Ricky having grown up with the knowledge of the Bible, which is the Word of God, and its specific do’s and don’ts could do something like this. It’s really tragic and my heart goes out especially to the family and friends of Angela and I offer my deepest sympathies to them and share in their grief and sorrow. From every single testimony I’ve heard and read, I know that Angela was a great person, and her life certainly should not have ended in such a tragic death. I’ve not been brainwashed into believing this; I am perfectly sane and can make up my own mind in believing what I feel is truly right and factual.

For someone to think they can speak evil of the Family that I have grown up in and base my life around is something I consider to be a nuisance and extremely annoying. Really, don’t you guys have something better to do than to spend your time attempting to destroy and slander the Family? Let me warn you…if this work (the Family) be of man it will come to naught, but if it be of God nothing you or anyone else like you try to do, will be able to stop it and I will tell you in advance, you’d best beware lest you be found to be fighting against God and believe me, that will be no fun!

My life in the Family has never had a dull moment, and I doubt it will ever have. I grew up in Indonesia doing a variety of things, participating in programs for orphanages, nursing homes, rehabilitation and drug centers and a wide variety of other activities. I traveled all around the country doing plenty of relief work, living with and helping refugees, and bringing medical aid to the poor and needy. In fact, I am on my way back there within the next couple of days to help with the tsunami relief work.

In order to get to Mexico I did some part time work as an English teacher and a Kindergarten teacher while still continuing the different volunteer programs I was a part of. I was 18 at the time and freshly out of high school—I have been home schooled all my life, and I am proud of it! I got higher pay and better recommendation than many of the others working at the job, all of whom had been there a long while, some for many years, and I had numerous offers of employment. This does not happen to someone who has been abused all her life and cannot think for herself as no one can work at a job for you and “prove your worth” so to speak.

Here in Mexico where I have been for the past year I have been involved in a great variety of volunteer work and I am happy, fulfilled, and most of all I’m thankful to be in the Family and in the service of my God and Creator; it’s the best place in which I could hope to be.

I pray for all of you who have yet to find your life’s calling and I hope you don’t make it yours to go ruining the lives of others who are trying to make a difference in this world by devoting their lives to helping others. I pray that you don’t find yourself standing before God and having to give account for your unloving actions. Violence is never justified!

Michelle William is a second-generation member of the Family International.