Easter

Some victory on the road to spiritual recovery. My family went to church on Easter. It was rough getting there. We were battling some physical illness and general negativity that morning. Silently, I thought to myself that a spiritual battle was taking place. I knew we just needed to press on. We did. Honestly, I wasn't spiritually moved by my church experience but I considered the fact that I didn't even think of the Rojas family or our former church until halfway into the worship service, a victory.

It seems silly to say that being at church and actually not thinking about the Rojas family is a victory but because of all the betrayal from our spiritual leaders, their families, our church family and the way the word was twisted, it is a huge victory. We had been indoctrinated into some "almost truths." The kind of half truths that are so close to the truth that it's easy to miss that they are not really the truth at all.

Since all of this I have so many mixed emotions about church in general. For starters, is attending church even biblical? Fred knows what I mean. Anyway, that is another issue that I personally do not have the energy to debate. All I know is my understanding of what it means to be a "Christian" and to have a relationship with Christ has drastically changed since our family was victimized and betrayed from within the body of Christ. I know I do not need to attend a church to be a follower of Christ or to have a personal relationship with my Savior.

Why do I keep trying to go back? I am not really sure to tell you the truth. Not sure if I really want to or if I feel pressure from others to. I know that with very few exceptions that is what most of my Christian friends are quietly waiting for. I can't foresee ever having the love of church that I once did. I believe church will always be tarnished for me. That reality brings me to tears and to the end of this post.

Click on this link to hear this song: Your Hands by JJ Heller

Be Aware

I have unfolded our story over many posts. I realize if someone is just discovering this blog it would take hours to completely read it. There are many layers and many players involved in this part of our story. The story is real. The players are real. The injustice is real. The facade is real. The epidemic of childhood sexual abuse is real (even in the christian community.)

Things you should be aware of or know:

--> Patrick David Rojas is a level 2 sex offender. He is off probation and not monitored by anyone. Last I knew he had a sub-contractors license. Patrick lives in Port Orchard, Washington. Patrick lives with his older brother Jairus Rojas. As far as I know Jairus Rojas also has a contractors license along with a photography license. I noticed on Jairus's photography web page a number of pictures of children. Now if you would allow me to speculate somewhat, since Patrick and Jairus live together I bet Patrick has access to these photos. Does Patrick go on photo shoots with Jairus? Do the individuals that hire Jairus to take photos of their children know that Jairus has supported his convicted sex offender brother practically speaking and even to the extent of keeping his past molestations a secret? On his information page he refers to "we" but only lists him self as owner operator. I sense danger here! Someone hiring Jairus would believe they were in safe hands. Jairus professes his desire to glorify God in his photography on his web page. He looks good on paper. The clients would have no idea that danger was lurking in the background waiting for just the right scenario. Just the right child to victimize. Just the right family to groom.

--> I have been notified of the location of Eddie Rojas and he is in Israel. The community that Eddie is living in is starting to become aware of the true nature of the reasons that brought them to Israel. Legally nothing will be done to Eddie until he is state side.

--> Childhood sexual abuse of any kind should never be kept a secret! When a victim speaks out they are most likely saving someone else from being abused in the future. An adolescent child is NEVER-EVER responsible in any way for the abuse.

--> A person should always ask questions before supporting someone being accused of a crime. Call the police department and speak to the detective in charge of the case. Call the prosecutor in charge of the case. When appropriate (if you have a relationship with this person) ask the victim (victim's parents) about the crime. Don't make assumptions. Be very cautious and inquisitive before writing any kind of letter of reference for someone accused of a sexual crime. Individuals accused of these types of crimes are usually very secretive and very good at appearing to be someone other than who they truly are.

-->I know we can't go back in time and change what happened in my family. But I also know that if we kept our story a secret it would only help the offender. I have hope that sharing my story will touch someone else that may have been a victim or a mother of a victim. Our story might actually prevent someone from falling into the lure of Patrick's facade. My persistence might also uncover a greater evil in the Rojas family and help the children that are trapped in that family. Things are not always as they seem, that I know first hand!

-->We have real names and real faces to put to our story. Our story is not fiction. But remember there are thousands-literally thousands of pedophiles and sex offenders out there. Be aware! Be wise! Listen to that still small voice!

No Feedback

No feedback. I have heard nothing out of Israel since I posted the specific location of Eddie Rojas. Not really sure what to make of it. I know the leadership at the church they are attending has the facts. I know that some that attend the church know the true story about what really brought the Rojas's to Israel. I can tell from my site tracker that many people in various parts of Jerusalem are viewing my site daily. The information is reaching the community. What I find curious is the non response (no comments/ no e-mails) from anyone of those individuals.

Israel, what are you thinking? Do you not care what brought the Rojas's to Israel? Do you believe I am exaggerating? Do you believe that Eddie is doing the right/biblical thing? Is this just too much for you to deal with?

Also, the views from Missouri have jumped. (Missouri is where the Rojas family has a lot of extended family.)

Missouri, is the news of Eddie and Kathy in Israel new to you? What do you think of all of this? I know Eddie and Patrick flew to Missouri just prior to Patrick's sentencing to solicit letters of support from family members to supply to the sentencing judge. Do you still believe their version of the story? Do you still believe it was just "inappropriate affection?" A simple misunderstanding. Do you support Eddie and Kathy hiding in Israel? Are you concerned for your granddaughters/nieces? Do you see me as the enemy or the "Rojas hater" as Kathy has referred to me? What are you people thinking?

Think of the girls.

Remember to focus on the girls, the victims. People sometimes focus on the wrong part of the story and forget about what is actually happening to the girls (taken away from their friends and community and into hiding and the abuse they endured that has not been dealt with by anyone outside the family.) By Eddie protecting his son from further prosecution by hiding the girls he is not only communicating, "Nothing really big happened to you to the girls." He is ALSO putting others in harms way by allowing Patrick to live freely in society. Patrick is not properly labeled (he should be a level 3 sex offender) and he is not being monitored.

Think about that for a minute. How selfish is it to allow others to be victims of Patrick because Eddie wouldn't allow his daughters to be questioned by a very qualified, very nurturing person who is trained specifically to minimize the trauma of a child going through this process. The interview is recorded and in no way what so ever can the interviewer "lead" you into an answer. If by some mistake a child is lead into an answer that specific answer would not be accepted by the courts. The state wants kids to be innocent. There is not an agenda to get the Rojas girls into the interview room and turn them against their family. The agenda is/was simply to verify that in fact they are the victims of Patrick and hold Patrick accountable for those actions and properly label and monitor Patrick in-order to keep other innocent children safe. The state would have also made suggestions of ways the parents could get assistance in helping their girls recover from all that they had been through.

Let's not forget...If Patrick would have named his victims in the first place the state was prepared to plea bargain all the additional charges. There would have been NO need to interview the Rojas sisters. It's worth mentioning again, there must be more darkness to this story that we are not aware of. I believe the darkness extends beyond Patrick. It just doesn't make logical sense for Eddie to flee the country with his family. To live in hiding. Unless Eddie his self has something to hide. Too many unanswered questions. Think of the girls.

Until it is clear that there is nothing left to say...

I realize if you don't know me by reading my blog you may think that my life is only focused on the Rojas family. Let me assure you with six children and a husband the Rojas family and my blog only get a fraction of my attention. What Patrick did changed me. What the leadership hid still effects me but it does not define me.

I could have just let this fade away. I didn't have to start a blog. It was scary to start my blog. It was close to a years time of thinking about the blog before I made my first post. I originally thought I may post a few things and then be done with it. There have been two specific times when I thought I was done posting. I layed it down before the Lord. Each time after a time of reflection it was clear what I was to post next. I wish I didn't have so much to say. I wish this wasn't part of my life. But at the end of the day I want to be able to say, "I fought for you." "You" being my daughter, "you" being the Rojas girls, "you" being the unsuspecting family. I want to be able to say I did all I knew how to do within the restraints of my life circumstances to help "you" and to warn "you" and to bring about justice for "you."

This is my driving force. This is what keeps me going. Until it is clear that there is nothing left to say. Until Patrick and Eddie Rojas cooperate with the police in the ongoing investigation of Patrick's additional crimes I will continue to post. Until Patrick is properly labeled and monitored I will continue to warn others. Until then I will continue to share my story and what is on my heart as it pertains to this part of my life.

Eddie Rojas is in Israel. Seemed impossible until now.

Eddie Rojas is in Israel, with a standing warrant out for his arrest in the U.S.

What can be done? Really, other than notifying the community that Eddie and his family are living with, there is not much that can be done legally. Eddie is safe from prosecution while in another country for which I am sure is no surprise to Eddie. Eddie being in Israel has always seemed like the most far out possibility. I wasn't kidding when I said, "Our story seems like a poor made-for-TV movie."

Eddie,Kathy and family have been in Israel since at least May of 2008. They have been able to establish relationships and become part of the community in Jerusalem. Eddie does not have a job in Jerusalem. I know that the community in general has not been aware of the felony warrant out on Eddie here in America.

That alone shows that the cycle of secrecy has continued in the Rojas family.

I know that Kathy and Renee are helping women give birth as doulas (labor coach.) To be a part of someones birth is very intimate. I feel for these women who they have helped. Kathy was a doula for me in two of my births. Maybe you can start to see with the emotional ties plus the spiritual mentoring and family relationships how completely shocked and devastated I was to learn that Kathy had all along known of Patrick's pedophilia behaviors. Yet she still allowed and even encouraged Patrick's ever growing relationship with my family.

Man's justice cannot be gained with the knowledge of where Eddie and Kathy are, but knowledge of who Eddie and Kathy are might save another family who are in harms way.

Eddie's in Israel. What now?

Immediately after I learned of Eddie Rojas' location in Israel, I contacted the Kitsap County sheriff in charge of his case. I assumed nothing could be done to bring Eddie back to the states, but wanted to confirm that fact. After confirming, I took some time to consider the next step.

The least I could do was to make sure that the community in which the Rojas family was living was aware of the circumstances that brought them to Israel. The leaders of the church there were alerted about a week ago and now know, although they have not responded to this notification. Something about the lack of response of any kind from the leadership feels familiar. And concerning, to say the least.

It seems it's time to let the viral world do it's thing. If you know people in Jerusalem, I would strongly urge you to make sure they are aware of the Rojas story and familiar with their picture. Let them know who and what they are dealing with. Let them have a chance to guard their family and a chance to urge Eddie to return to the states, turn himself in, and cooperate with the ongoing investigation into Patrick's additional crimes.

Let other families know. Give them the information they need to empower them to choose how to respond. We never knew. We didn't have a choice.