By Kris Haas ~
I am an artist with a Brain Injury Disability and on August 8th, 2014 my born again christian brothers tried to convert me to their religion. Below is a background of my predicament leading up to the situation.
Back in March I was asked to give a presentation about a survivor living with a Brain Injury. Because of my desire to give a well thought out and enlightening presentation I worked on it for over three weeks in which It took so much out of me, my regular work chores with the business side of my art business suffered greatly. I got 6-7 weeks behind on getting orders out to customers, listing new merchandise, and basic shop maintenance suffered. I went from selling the most I ever had to very little over the next 3 months. Needless to say, I got behind one month in listing fees which closed my main source of income (my Etsy shop) to close down, which in turn caused me to get late in rent which now brings me to sitting in a motel room after being evicted from my apartment.
When I learned a month ago about the impending eviction I called David and he had offered me his son's old room. Many convo's and emails later as of Friday, August 8th, David and Dale had an approximately 15-20 minute conversation with some one named Johnni at a Union Gospel Mission, in Beaverton. David told me what it was about and how they thought this would help. I called and spoke to someone named Dana, briefly, since Johnni had left for the day. I told her about my Brain Injury symptoms and how I can't filter out stimuli which is why I live alone and at home most of the time. She seemed a little confused since the shelter was a three month "program" designed to help battered spouses and addicts, which I am neither. She said that this would not be the place for me because of my Brain Injury. I called the next day anyway and spoke with Johnni and told her my Brain Injury symptoms. She said (and I even wrote this down right after she said it) that I would be "set up to fail" since the environment there is very high stimuli with 21 women and 16 children. After talking with David she he said she said the opposite. I called her back and she said "you think, you will be set up to fail." She did a reverse psychology number on me (something a friend of mine in the building said is pretty normal at places like that).
Anyway, last Wednesday, August 13th, David & Karen were gracious enough to help me load up most of my art, where it is safe and sound at my sister's and her husband Mike's house. There intent after the art was loaded was to take me to the Union Gospel Mission in Beaverton for battered women and drug addiction. I had told David many times this was not the right pace for me to go because of my Brain Injury. I told him about my doctor saying it was not the right place for me and a friend of mine from a Brain Injury Support group also said it was not, and how she had talked with someone at the UGM named Danielle and even Danielle said it was not. I have to take a medication for my Brain Injury and this is not allowed there. They also will not take people who do not want to be converted. This was clearly not the place for me to go since I have neither problems and which was why I was so confused a week ago last Friday as to why David was so adamant about me going and he said that he and Dale had a 15-20 minute conversation with Johnni and they went behind my back and thought it was the best place for me because I could stay there for 3 months and be a part of a 3 month program designed around the above mentioned things. What they didn't say (and this is something I found out later after googling and researching what was really going on) they were trying to convert me to be a born again christian because the younger of the two brothers, Dale, thinks I am going to go to hell because of my last relationship was with a women.
So on Wednesday, when it was towards the time for me to leave my brothers were there, expecting me to go with them. They would only take my cat if I went to there UGM. I ended up going to a motel and on Thursday afternoon I ended up at my Brother-in-laws place. My sister was out of town but she had talked with my brother David and was convinced as well to go to UGM, based on David's info. On Friday morning my brother-in-law was as well ready to take me to UGM since he had only talked with my brother as well and saw no other alternative. Faith, my friend from my Brain Injury support group ended up calling and after talking with her, then with my brother, he had completely changed his tune to helping me find a temporary place to live.
I just find it very sick and disturbing that my brother's are so brain washed and blinded by their own self righteousness and ego that they would let their disabled sister live on the streets or by their rules. I really don't know what else to say because I am still in shock over the whole situation and I don't understand that kind of mentality. Also, something else and I am hoping to get feed back on this particular item. Has anyone found a family member will lie, for whatever reason, just to manipulate someone. I had never even considered my brother David a liar but he told Mike that I never called anyone at UGM, when I told him I talked with Johnni twice and with Dana three times. I even wrote down a couple of things she said.
Looking forward to anyone's replies.
Thank-you so much for your time.
Back in March I was asked to give a presentation about a survivor living with a Brain Injury. Because of my desire to give a well thought out and enlightening presentation I worked on it for over three weeks in which It took so much out of me, my regular work chores with the business side of my art business suffered greatly. I got 6-7 weeks behind on getting orders out to customers, listing new merchandise, and basic shop maintenance suffered. I went from selling the most I ever had to very little over the next 3 months. Needless to say, I got behind one month in listing fees which closed my main source of income (my Etsy shop) to close down, which in turn caused me to get late in rent which now brings me to sitting in a motel room after being evicted from my apartment.
When I learned a month ago about the impending eviction I called David and he had offered me his son's old room. Many convo's and emails later as of Friday, August 8th, David and Dale had an approximately 15-20 minute conversation with some one named Johnni at a Union Gospel Mission, in Beaverton. David told me what it was about and how they thought this would help. I called and spoke to someone named Dana, briefly, since Johnni had left for the day. I told her about my Brain Injury symptoms and how I can't filter out stimuli which is why I live alone and at home most of the time. She seemed a little confused since the shelter was a three month "program" designed to help battered spouses and addicts, which I am neither. She said that this would not be the place for me because of my Brain Injury. I called the next day anyway and spoke with Johnni and told her my Brain Injury symptoms. She said (and I even wrote this down right after she said it) that I would be "set up to fail" since the environment there is very high stimuli with 21 women and 16 children. After talking with David she he said she said the opposite. I called her back and she said "you think, you will be set up to fail." She did a reverse psychology number on me (something a friend of mine in the building said is pretty normal at places like that).
Anyway, last Wednesday, August 13th, David & Karen were gracious enough to help me load up most of my art, where it is safe and sound at my sister's and her husband Mike's house. There intent after the art was loaded was to take me to the Union Gospel Mission in Beaverton for battered women and drug addiction. I had told David many times this was not the right pace for me to go because of my Brain Injury. I told him about my doctor saying it was not the right place for me and a friend of mine from a Brain Injury Support group also said it was not, and how she had talked with someone at the UGM named Danielle and even Danielle said it was not. I have to take a medication for my Brain Injury and this is not allowed there. They also will not take people who do not want to be converted. This was clearly not the place for me to go since I have neither problems and which was why I was so confused a week ago last Friday as to why David was so adamant about me going and he said that he and Dale had a 15-20 minute conversation with Johnni and they went behind my back and thought it was the best place for me because I could stay there for 3 months and be a part of a 3 month program designed around the above mentioned things. What they didn't say (and this is something I found out later after googling and researching what was really going on) they were trying to convert me to be a born again christian because the younger of the two brothers, Dale, thinks I am going to go to hell because of my last relationship was with a women.
So on Wednesday, when it was towards the time for me to leave my brothers were there, expecting me to go with them. They would only take my cat if I went to there UGM. I ended up going to a motel and on Thursday afternoon I ended up at my Brother-in-laws place. My sister was out of town but she had talked with my brother David and was convinced as well to go to UGM, based on David's info. On Friday morning my brother-in-law was as well ready to take me to UGM since he had only talked with my brother as well and saw no other alternative. Faith, my friend from my Brain Injury support group ended up calling and after talking with her, then with my brother, he had completely changed his tune to helping me find a temporary place to live.
I just find it very sick and disturbing that my brother's are so brain washed and blinded by their own self righteousness and ego that they would let their disabled sister live on the streets or by their rules. I really don't know what else to say because I am still in shock over the whole situation and I don't understand that kind of mentality. Also, something else and I am hoping to get feed back on this particular item. Has anyone found a family member will lie, for whatever reason, just to manipulate someone. I had never even considered my brother David a liar but he told Mike that I never called anyone at UGM, when I told him I talked with Johnni twice and with Dana three times. I even wrote down a couple of things she said.
Looking forward to anyone's replies.
Thank-you so much for your time.
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