Category Archives: Markeli Family

Without me life is impossible

16 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by in Cards from the Captive Children, Chassidah's Letters, Markeli Family, Pfeiffer family, Poetry, Witness of Creation

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From our children in Argentina…

in honor of Shifchat-jah

Without me life is impossible

Because everyone needs company
To be able to be in harmony
And have a bond that is imperishable.

Wherever I go, I spread sweetness
as a comb dripping honey
Faithful I will always be
You will not fear for I am steadfast.

If you want to be with me
easy to reach you must be
and love your enemy
You must be friendly!

Can you tell who I am?... Friendship!

From Shifchat-jah, first posted January 14, 2014…

A life without love is lonely,

A life without hope is cruel,

A life without trust is empty,

but a life without good friends is no longer life.

http://news.twelvetribes.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2014.01_Brief-schifchatjah-an-nechonah2.jpg

Dear Nechonah,

How are you doing? I am doing o.k. I know it is not very easy for you right now, but endure. Our Father has a great plan for us.

Are you alone right now? Are you in a foster family or an orphanage?

I just want to let you know that I appreciate you for enduring. We were always good friends and we always liked each other. Now it is very different — through the use of the Jugendamt we don’t see each other anymore.

Isn’t it true, that a life without parents and good friends is no longer life? Often I think of the nice times we had together going swimming or milking goats together…

http://news.twelvetribes.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2014.01_Brief-schifchatjah-an-nechonah1.jpg

I wish we could just live together. We need to endure. I love you sooooooooooooooooo much! I miss you very, very much.

Your best friend forever,

Shifchat-jah

P.S.        I try everything so that I could visit you.

 

Yes, this is Shifchat-jah, the young girl

who ran away from foster care

to return to her family in the Community,

writing to her friend, Nechonah

who also ran away from foster care

to return to her family in the Community.

May our Father keep and bless them!

They are best friends!

Almost two years after violent privation of children, local court has not started to collect evidence

24 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Controversial Issues, Court Decisions, Krumbacher Family, Markeli Family

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Reposted from Foref

Twelve Tribes:
No fair Proceeding,
OLG Munich criticizes Delay

Stabenfest Parade

Eva and Besorah, two youth of the early christian community “Twelve Tribes”, protested during the traditional Stabenfest parade in the Bavarian Noerdlingen. They criticize the controversial action of the German authorities against the community.

MUNICH, 22.05.2015 (FOREF) – Altogether 40 children of the Christian religious community Twelve Tribes were separated from their parents in September 2013 and put into state custody (see FOREF- report from 01.01.2015). This action was justified by a temporary order of the local court of Noerdlingen, and carried out by a police raid. The Higher Regional Court (OLG) Munich recently criticized the family court about the unusual length of the procedures. Until now only 22 children were allowed to return to their parents. Most of them were old enough to run away from their isolation.

Eva, a youth member of the Twelve Tribes, was one of the 40 children and youth, that were separated from their parents during the police raid and brought to juvenile shelters (Jugendheim). Sabine Riede, a so called cult expert from the FERCIS affiliated Cult Info NRW, urged for this order, since she suspected systematic child abuse in the community. No evidence for abuse in the Twelve Tribes has been brought yet.

After half a year Eva fled from the strict isolation and prison like control of the juvenile shelter and returned back home. Her younger sister however still finds herself in state custody.

My little sister was torn out of our family”, said Eva. “There’s no evidence for abuse. Our parents always loved my little sister very much. (…) She was and is truly a treasure. We want to have her with us again. We will take good care of her. That’s why I fight for her”, the youth explains determinedly.

Together with Besorah, her sister of faith, Eva protested at the traditional Stabenfest in Nördlingen on Monday, the 11.Mai 2015, with signs and fliers against the stigmatization of their community. The fliers, that they distributed, had the title: “What the director of the district court, Mr. Beyschlag, failed to tell you”. Helmut Beyschlag, who is also the press spokesman of the court, wants to initiate an examination concerning a possible violation of the right of assembly, in reaction to the spontaneous demo. Beyschlag does not want to comment the ongoing proceedings concerning the custody of the affected parents.

Chassidah, another seized child who ran away from the juvenile shelter, also turns to the public now, since she wants to point out the improper procedure of the authorities. She has not been abused by her parents in her life, but she feels put under massive psychological pressure by the Jugendamt since she was separated forcefully from her parents. There are still police raids irregularly on the estate “Klosterzimmern” of the Twelve Tribes in Germany. Since she escaped the institution Chassidah lives in “constant fear”, that the Jugendamt wants to separate her from her parents again.

By now the irregularities of the court proceedings in the case of the Twelve Tribes even attracted the attention of the OLG Munich. In the most recent decree of the OLG from 20.04.2015 it was pointed out that since the separation has been going on for almost two years, the collection of evidence has not taken place yet. This had been decided by the district court in September 2013 already. The OLG reminds the district court about the importance of a speedy trial in family cases, for through the almost perennial process duration a “return to the child to the parents is would be complicated more and more” and the possible consequences for the psychological development of the children are to be considered. Besides that, the proceeding of the district court in Nördlingen seems to be problematic from the point of view of art. 6 (worthiness of protection of marriage and family, parental rights of upbringing) and art. 20, par.3 (the obligation of jurisdiction to statute and law) of the constitution for the republic Germany.

The ruling of the OLG realized, that the repeated and explicit desire of the children, to live with their parents, makes the “temporary court order” from September 2013 increasingly questionable.

In a press release from May 19, lawyer Michael Langhans, who represents eleven families of the community before court, explains that the responsible family court Nördlingen ordered psychological evaluations not until one and a half years after (!) the violent separation of the children from their parents. However most of the evaluations are not available yet. Apart from the long process duration of the present case the medical examinations already at the time of the first police raid provided no evidence of abuse of the children of the early christian religious community. The children should have been sent home on that very same day.

In the meantime two children of the community can live again with their parents, who live in Spain. The concerned family briefly lived with the Twelve Tribes in Wörnitz as guests in September 2013. This decision was consensually decided from the parents, the Jugendamt, and the lawyer Langhans in a hearing before the OLG Nürnberg. Thus the first appeal at the OLG was negotiated successfully for the Twelve Tribes.

Lawyer Langhans is confident, that within the next months more rulings in the proceedings about the custody battle can be expected.

The Turning of the Heart

26 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in From the parents, Markeli Family, Pfeiffer family, Religious Freedom

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And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:6

Being taken captive by the State of Germany made this turning difficult, but not impossible. Being set free by their own courage in escaping bondage – their own personal reenactment of Israel leaving Egypt – made it possible. But the actual doing entailed the deep turning in each heart, parent and child, that love demands but cannot compel. Only those who belong to Him can take comfort in this promise, “He will turn the hearts.”

Two of those who belong to him are Nechonah, the daughter of Sharat and Sh’mariyah, and Schifchat-Jah, the daughter of Shua. They have experienced, against all the power of German society, this very turning. They are thankful. Here are their words, and the words of their parents. Truly, like Abraham and his seed, they have become “daughters of the commandment” (bat mitzvah).

Nechonah-Sharat-Sh'mariyah

Nechonah

Nechonah’s song is very revealing of what they have gone through:

Verse 1:

When the baby eagle is pushed off the cliff

he has to come to have no fear

absolutely trusting, having confidence

that his mother would catch him.

Chorus 1:

Our Father saw it was time to push

us off the nest.

We had to come to have no fear –

absolutely trusting Him, having

confidence that He would catch us

Bridge:

Being gone from under your care was

a hard suffering,

waiting on our Father

you fell into His hands

and He returned me again.

Chorus 2:

The struggle is not over – we have a

lesson to learn.

He knows the right timing

to bring about His will

His greatest desire is: we would fly

without fear.

Verse 2:

Thank you for being my wonderful examples.

I want to follow in your steps,

taking on your heart and running with it.

I want to honor you.

From her parents

I’m very thankful for my precious daughter Nechonah. She is a very courageous girl, overcoming whatever separates her from our Father’s life. She ran away two times out of state custody. She also waited patiently for the day of her Bat Mitzvah. Before the raid I had already started to prepare her, but even after she returned it still took more than a year until her heart could be confirmed in a covenant with our Master. She went through many tests in this time, but she always trusted, patiently waiting for the right time. Our Father honored the courageous stand she took with salvation. Shall He not much more deliver her from the hand of the German government?! We continue to trust.

Sharat & Sh’marjah

Shifchat-Jah

Shifchat-Jah-ShuaI am very thankful I could make a covenant with our Master and with you all at my Bat Mitzvah. I am one of the children who escaped the orphanage and I am still on the run.

Still our Father saw my heart and prepared a way for me to become a true Bat Mitzvah, together with my friends Nechonah and Hannah, daughter of Kepha.

Since Nechonah and I were out in the world for half a year, we were also used to the culture of the world which is, especially, disrespectful to parents. I am thankful for the people who, before the Bat Mitzvah, saw what we struggled with and helped us to see it. I was very thankful that our Father was merciful and that we could change and be different when we saw it, but still I knew that I could only truly overcome it by our Master’s grace. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit will help me to overcome my iniquities.

I am also thankful for my friend Besorah, Abijah’s daughter who taught me that the Bat Mitzvah will only be a ritual if there is anything in my heart that I didn’t confess.

Greetings to all my friends,

Schifchat-Jah

From a thankful Imma (mother)

I am so thankful for the wonderful heart of my daughter, who – no matter what we went through the past 1 1⁄2 years – never wavered in her steadfast desire to be “where my family and my home” is.

“Out here I see a lot of damaged souls – some of them don’t even know how they can continue living – but I am thankful to know a place where healing is…” she wrote in one of her early letters from the institution she was taken to. When her dear companion Debeqah was released, but not her, life got increasingly unbearable for her and her pleas to social workers, lawyers and judges became more and more urgent to let her go. As all her hopes turned out to be of no avail, a sprout of faith yet started taking root in her, that despite her young age and the seemingly invincible environment she was in, our Father could give her grace to find a way to escape… trusting that our Father would protect her. (See her “Open Letter to Judge Frau Roser” for the reasons why.)

Once at home, life has never been the same. We have seen the deliverance of our Father, His sovereign protection – He has hid her in His palm, not allowing one hair to be touched. It is such a miracle.

“Love is our home,” has come true in so many ways, as we met His love in His people in various places and it’s because of this love that we found that healing and rest also to our souls. Even to the point where Schifchat-Jah’s heart would not only turn to her parents, but also to our Master in a greater way.

Giving our brothers and sisters the authority in our lives to guide our path has led us in many ways through uncharted wilderness – only to find the springs of eternal life that we reach in Yahshua and

I know it wasn’t mystical for Schifchat-jah to meet the requirements of the gospel in her life to leave everything behind – her homeland, possessions, even her own family in order to obtain the pearl of great price. Nothing could stop her from expressing again and again: I want this life, the Twelve Tribes are my home, and I need Yahshua to save me from my iniquities.

It is such a great and awesome miracle to me that our Abba could bring this about, greater than all I expected and I am so thankful for restoration and the sweet fellowship I can enjoy with my daughter again and again because we have forgiveness. I know we could have never reached this milestone without precious true friends who stood with us and who encouraged us step by step – it was our Father who led us all the way so far, from minchah to minchah (our daily gatherings together, morning and evening, to give thanks and praise to His name), and it gives me much hope that He will continue and finish what He began with all of us.

I want to especially thank all our very special friends in other places for your love for us – you are all very dear to us and we are forever bonded to you in our hearts. Thank you all for your wisdom and great loving kindness – every single one of you; we love you so much… and so we press on to learn to run together, side by side… your friends forever in Yahshua.

Shuah and Schifchat-Jah

In closing

So we see that love is stronger than hate, especially the love of parents for their children and children for their parents. It was not love for the children that separated them from their parents! Such love between parents and children as these families have is the natural result of parents turning their heart to their children and fulfilling Proverbs 13:24:

“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”

Children naturally and instinctively recognize such discipline as love. Our Father made them that way. Equally, they know the lack of discipline as hate. Rebellion is the natural response to such hatred. No law can undo the truth of human nature or alter the unchanging reality of the Word of God.

Tsel Shaddai: Raised in the Twelve Tribes

09 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in From our Youth, Markeli Family

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From August 2013
TselAndBeulah

It’s important to know that I am with my God in purity and that I have lived for. It is what I have been created. The heart of our Creator you get to know by people—it’s not mystical. That’s why you need friends—people who give their heart to their Creator and His love. I can only pass on the love that has also been proven to me. For this I must have a clear conscience and know that I am pleasing to Him: how I am and what I do. This is reflected namely in my relationships. I want to share my life with others and let them know that God loves them and cares about them.

To me it is important to be close friends with someone that you are on the same wavelength with, with whom you feel needed as a person, not only in the practical work, but also mentally, where you are in the exchange and can hear each other. I do not care what work I am doing, but the relationships that I tie up with it are important to me. But that would not be if we did not have the Son of God as a spiritual role model.

I believe in Him, without Him, our lives would make no sense. He gives me hope that we can all be one and that we can be cleaned from the things that divide us. This process we experience every day. It is important to me that people feel loved – no matter where they are.

This requires a lot of humility, because in order to be one, you have to doubt yourself. I mean, you must have the freedom to express yourself, but also be prepared to hear from others and esteem them for their own opinions. You must be able to hear the heart of man, what does he really mean? If I assume that he actually has the same heart as I do, then I can listen to him.

 

Updated information about Tsel Shaddai

Tsel Shaddai is the oldest daughter of the Markeli family. She spoke of her pain in not hearing anything from her little brothers and her little sister in this post, “Because of the Way he was Raised.” TselAtDeiningenIt was her who was refused medical treatment by a local doctor, reminding her father of another people fading in the shadows seventy years ago. He wrote about it in, “Had they not been their neighbors after all?“

It was her brother, Chayim, who spoke of “A Family Torn Apart” by the Jugendamt in the Raid. And it was her sister who wrote many moving letters to her parents and her judge, precociously wise in her words such as, “I have not been born for this place,” and “Everyone in Germany can choose his own religion and live it out? (Not  me!)” Here is a picture of that precious girl and her equally precious friend, both of whom courageously fled the oppression of foster-care.

04_03_14_Nechonah_Chassidah

Nechonah (riding, age 12) and Chassidah (walking, age 11)…after their escape from captivity.

Because of the Way he was Raised

03 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in From our Youth, Markeli Family

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Honoring a Valiant Warrior

The story we tell is of one young man, just a small but significant part of his story. His parents are German, and he grew up much of his life in Germany, but he was born in America. Recently he spent some time with us where our communities began – Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was a youth taken in the September 5, 2013 police raid on Klosterzimmern.Why did he not come to love the world he was thrown into and hate the world he was ripped from?

Perhaps, after all, force cannot turn love into hate.

This must be such a disappointment to those who authorized the Raid on our Communities.

Chayah Markeli returned to the Community, “voting with his feet” which place was best for him — German society or the Twelve Tribes of Israel — after he turned eighteen. Conflicted whether to come home or stay because of his desire to protect his little brother, Addar, from the abusive treatment he was receiving at the institution they were both at, it was no easy decision for him.

(You can read of what he went through — the dishonesty and oppressive treatment at the hands of the Jugendamt — in the post, “A Family Torn Apart.” He waited in vain for a visit from the Jugendamt official he and his parents knew personally, whom they counted as a friend.)

Addar Markeli at the St. Nikolaus Improvement Center where he was held. Addar was freed on March 12, 2014.

For the last few months, the clan of Chattanooga had the honor to serve shoulder to shoulder with Chayah, the son of Boaz and Shua Markeli. Like a well trained son, he served us relentlessly. Day and night he was always ready to serve. There was no job too small or great — from making our Yellow Deli cornbread to helping repair vehicles. From making smoothies by night to lawn care during the day, he was willing and eager to give all that he could.

The days seemed to fly by and before we knew it, the time was upon us to send our faithful friend back to his tribe of Levi in Germany. Seizing the opportunity to give honor where honor is due, a celebration was called for this noteworthy son. (We now spell his name Chayim.)

ChayimbenBoas

Chayim Markeli

The children prepared a song, a throne was made, a delicious meal was prepared, a beautiful banner was painted, and best of all, hearts of love overflowed.

The theme of our evening was honoring a valiant warrior. Like a wounded soldier returning from battle, Chayim stood among us faithful and true. Though he was afflicted he remembered the purpose for which he was born.

His life was compared to an untold hero returning from the battlegrounds to tell his story. Although marked with battle scars, pain, and even at times a bit disoriented; still his heart filled with gratitude to fight and stand for a worthy cause. Much appreciation was bestowed upon him for his courage to stand. It was made clear to all that his stand was only possible because of the good things put in to him by his wonderful parents.

TselAtDeiningen

Tsel Shaddai Markeli

Tsel, his older sister, spoke in tears about the day of the raid. For weeks no one heard anything about the children. All we could do was pray earnestly, even crying out to their God. Finally, after six long weeks, small communications began.

Tsel spoke of her deep gratitude and love for her brother that he endured through this time and longed for a way of escape. It was very special for the Tribe of Benyamin (southern United States) to have both Tsel and Chayim together for a time. What honor they brought their parents!

It was no coincidence that Chayim came to Chattanooga at this time in his life. He came right to the place where it all began. At this time in Chattanooga there is a small band of nucleus who lived in the original Vine House. They have stood the test of time, knowing the purpose for which they were called. These are those who bear the marks of the loss and pain of the battle, but still remain loyal.

The greatest time of testing is yet to come. But, day-by-day we are closer to our goal. And like the words that rang out long ago from the heart of one of those loyal ones in the first Vine House:

“We have come to join an army,

One that has been marching forth for years.

But, we know the one we march for and we have grown to love His cause.”*

Chayim stood to his feet that night, tears streaked his face as he responded in love. He looked around the room, his eyes fixed upon our faces, as he peered into our eyes. Filled with gratitude he gave thanks for the opportunity to come to the place where this life first began. He thanked us for our love, encouragement, and gentleness towards him. A bond had formed that has the strength to cross into eternity.

Chayim, we love you. Thank you for standing with all of us. Keep on standing…

That which crosses over into eternity

There is a postscript to this moving story. Thrust back into the pressure cooker of life in our Communities in Germany, Chayim had a wonderful opportunity to speak up on behalf of his parents, our life, and his friends. It was at a town meeting on September 4, 2014:

Chayim ben Boas (ben = son of) was really able to show them that it was not that the children in Klosterzimmern had no hope in the future. When he was taken the day of the Raid, 5 September 2013, he and his brother were separated from their little sister and put in a home for youth who are hard to handle.1

His social grace, his diligence, respectfulness and trustworthiness stood out to all the instructors there and to the other young people confined there.2

He related that they rolled out the red carpet for him to have every opportunity to get set up with an apprenticeship and receive support from the government because of the way he was raised. But he chose to continue to further the life that his parents had entered into some 30 years ago. He told them that the only reason why they gave him all those opportunities was because of the way he was raised, because there were many other youth in that home who weren’t being given the same opportunity since they lacked such an upbringing.

But who listens to our children who love the Community of Faith their parents raised them in?

Like Chayim, we are thankful for the struggles we go through. Indeed, they are essential to enter the Kingdom of God!3 And like him, we press on. He is a hero to us, as are all our brothers and sisters there.

As they said in in the September 4, 2014 town meeting:

“To close the evening we again sang the song, “In The Golden Fall,” but this time first telling them why we wanted to sing it to them – that we wanted to communicate that we were going to receive from our Father whatever He had for us and that we believe in Him and that’s why we are still here and we are not divided and not devouring one another. If He prunes or if He takes away, still from our heart comes a song – a song of joy and not of pain, a song of victory and gain, a song of peace.”

This faith is what will cross over into eternity.

 

 

* Listen to the entire song, “I have come to join an army.”

  1. It was the Förderungswerk St. Nikolaus in Dürrlauingen. ↩
  2. See Newsletter 24, “Behavior Unworthy of Human Beings” ↩
  3. Acts 14:22 says this very clearly: (Paul was) “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” ↩