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Posted by: spanner ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 03:50PM

Our missing mishie is on the run in Palmy. I suspect he will have moved on unless he has a friend here. Looks like he outsmarted his companion, I had to laugh.

"Fellow missionary Elder Teaupa, said something had offended Ragan, or he had been having a bad day the morning he went missing.
He had been studying that morning where he wrote a letter, which he then left folded on the table, getting up and walking into the shower.
It wasn't until about half an hour later, after he failed to respond to attempts to talk to him, someone managed to get into the shower and found he was gone."

The lad is showing them! Good on him.
Alec, if you Google this and need support, there are exmos throughout NZ (the Underground Missionary Railroad). Reply, start a thread or email Susan I/S ( ExMoLight@gmail.com ). We can arrange contact off the board.

Edit to add link:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/7981328/Missionary-missing-in-Palmerston-North



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2012 03:51PM by spanner.

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Posted by: atheist&happy:-) ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 04:01PM


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Posted by: spanner ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 04:32PM

I suspect he would not trust it. He is probably being inundated. If he comes here, the admin know our history at least, and he can see the board and posting history and that we are not trying to trap him.

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Posted by: atheist&happy:-) ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 05:05PM

because he left them for a reason. If he has doubts, the people he has to turn to for help are the same people who are causing his distress. Unless he searches his own name, and reads through more than one google search result page, he won't find the posts here - unless he already knows about RfM, and if he is questioning. Using the word "offended" to describe his mindset implies that, but who knows?

Someone familiar with the area, who does not mind being outed, could message him with admin information, but more importantly information about where to go for help - agencies, embassies, etc. I don't know why genuinely helpful information about agencies would be suspect.

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Posted by: spanner ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 05:21PM

I am not that familiar with fb, i will have a look. I had forgotten you can send private messages.

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Posted by: Mormoney ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 04:13PM

I wonder if he read up on the Book of Abraham or something.

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Posted by: ozpoof ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 05:19PM

We need to mention his name if he Googles it. Alec Ragan, take care and take control of your life. You have the right to take back your passport and other documents and leave New Zealand, or even stay and see the country.

Look after yourself mate.

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Posted by: motherwhoknows ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 05:48PM

I've been thinking about this young missionary.

I hope he is not "offended" enough to be suicidal. Let's hope that there's a loving family or group, in New Zealand, helping him.

Okay, this makes me so seriously mad, that I'm going to use this word on every Mormon I meet up with, in some way: "Did you get my Christmas card, or were you too offended to respond."

No the service at Macy's isn't bad at all--you were just offended."

"So, your dog ran away again? He's probably offended."

"You are blocking my driveway, again, with your truck. Did I do something to offend you?"

We are here for you, Alec Ragan. Congratulations on your escape via the shower. Smooth move. ((hugs))



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2012 05:49PM by motherwhoknows.

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Posted by: Rebeckah ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 05:51PM

It's a worrisome situation and I don't even know the poor fellow. But I'm a Mom so it's easy to imagine a child of mine in a similar situation (except for the part where they would call me instead of disappearing because my kids know that no matter WHAT they are doing I will drop everything to help them.)

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Posted by: spanner ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 07:34PM

I did send a message in the end, but he has just been found:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/7989774/Missionary-found

Did not realise there was a search on and was walking out in the countryside. He was "unhappy" to be found, but is back with his Mormon "support group". The media need to ask why he ran away, where was his passport, and why he had to climb out the shower window. Cripes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2012 07:34PM by spanner.

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Posted by: Surrender Dorothy ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 08:12PM

From the article you linked:

"However, spokesman for the church Richard Hunter said yesterday that they had been told Ragan had been seen at an internet cafe in Palmerston North ''looking well'' on Wednesday night and he believed he was ''taking some time out'' from the church. "

Are you f*cking kidding me?

''Taking some time out'' from the church?????

Yeah, because missionaries are just allowed to take some time out from the church whenever they feel the need. No problem, kid. Take the day off. Makes it sound like it's a perfectly fine thing to do. It's not. It's the equivalent of a prison break. Good God, they are masterful at lying and half-truths.

I hope his mom goes all A_musing Grace on them and rescues her kid.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2012 08:13PM by Surrender Dorothy.

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Posted by: Adult of god on another keyboard ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 10:16PM

Amen to this!

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Posted by: Stray Mutt ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 08:15PM

I didn't know controlling a person's life and making him feel like unworthy crap was "support."

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Posted by: gentlestrength ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 12:13AM

I think this is the crazy thought on how thy give support.

Eternal support, they are invested in making sure he has all his eternal dreams they told him he can have come true. It's the best thing ever, even better than a nice mortal life.

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Posted by: michael ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 08:49AM

I also sent him a message via facebook, but I've not heard anything. Hopefully he's OK

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Posted by: shannon ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 08:05PM


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Posted by: NotExMo ( )
Date: October 17, 2013 05:54PM

Hi guys, just was Googling around, and let you all know that I'm fine, thank you all for your concern.

I was not "offended" while studying! I was depressed, I turned to the scriptures (Bible, Book of Mormon, D&C, PoGP) for comfort at times...but not that day.

It was a temptation to leave, which I followed. MAN the NZ woods can be ominous at times! Still beautiful though, like the rest of that wonderful country! So glad I could see it.

The Book of Moses is my favorite book I think, but Abraham is also quite good.

I was unhappy to be found, true, but in retrospect I'm glad I was. Indeed, I did not feel well.

My reception at the airport was great, a good memory to have, my family is so awesome!

I've been attending my YSA chutch meetings every Sunday so far, nervous at first, but I know it is where I should be.

Just thought I'd give an update, whether or not you believe it is me.

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Posted by: squeebee ( )
Date: October 17, 2013 06:10PM

Well if you are the real Alec, good to hear you're back safely.

Now get off the anti-mormon board before your bishop catches you! ;)

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Posted by: spanner ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 08:44PM

He was walking down the road near Shannon. That is on the road to Wellington where the embassy and international airport are. It is a pity they gave him back to the church and not to the embassy.

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Posted by: matt ( )
Date: November 22, 2012 09:00PM

One even posted from his mission home.;o))

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Posted by: forbiddencokedrinker ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 12:25AM

One of the problems with law enforcement, in that dealing with adults, one is often faced with the dilemma that you are returning a victim to their abuser. Problem is that adults are allowed to do whatever they want, once out of custody, and abusers, or their enablers, often show up and start talking to the victim, until next thing you know, the victim wants "to do the right thing," and go back with their abuser. Normally this happens in abusive relationships between a husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend, but a kid running away from his mission would fall under the same category.

While I was not there, I can only imagine some NZ policeman talking to the poor kid, and telling him, "look you don't have to go back with the church people. It's obvious you don't want to. We can find you someplace to go for the night, and in the morning you can get in contact with your embassy and work out something from there." I then imagine the Mission President or a Zone leader walking over, and having a conversation to the kid about duty, and respect, and how no one back in Bumhole, Utah will think much of him if he doesn't come back now, and the poor kid giving in, and the cop cussing and telling the Zone Leader he is something rather unkind, then shaking the kids hand, then tells him how he can call various groups for help if he wants to leave.

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Posted by: baura ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 02:57AM

forbiddencokedrinker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of the problems with law enforcement, in that
> dealing with adults, one is often faced with the
> dilemma that you are returning a victim to their
> abuser.

From the Wikipedia article about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer:

"In the early morning hours of May 27, 1991, 14-year-old
Konerak Sinthasomphone (the younger brother of the boy whom
Dahmer had molested in 1988) was discovered on the street,
wandering naked, heavily under the influence of drugs and
bleeding from his rectum. Two young women from the
neighborhood found the dazed boy and called 911. Dahmer chased
his victim down and tried to take him away, but the women
stopped him.[31] Dahmer told John Balcerzak and Joseph
Gabrish, police officers dispatched to the scene, that
Sinthasomphone was his 19-year-old boyfriend, and that they
had an argument while drinking. Against the protests of the
two women who had called 911, who recognized him from the
neighborhood and insisted that he was a child and could not
speak English, the officers turned him over to Dahmer. They
later reported smelling a strange scent while inside Dahmer's
apartment, but did not investigate it. The smell was the body
of Tony Hughes, Dahmer's previous victim, decomposing in the
bedroom. The officers did not make any attempt to verify
Sinthasomphone's age or identity, nor locate someone who could
communicate with him, and failed to run a background check
that would have revealed Dahmer being a convicted child
molester still under probation.[32] Later that night, Dahmer
killed and dismembered Sinthasomphone, keeping his skull as a
souvenir."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Dahmer

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Posted by: baura ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 03:00AM

This is positively Orwellian.

An adult guy goes AWOL from a religious cult. The cult gets the
police and media to help find the guy and coerce him to return
to the cult that he is "unhappy" to return to.

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Posted by: Ragnar ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 08:45AM

He was just having a bit of a 'walkabout'...

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Posted by: rescueranger ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 09:09AM

If he gets sent home, there should be a great show of support from the ex mo community at SLC international airport, he's going to need support, cause we all know how the reception will be for him from the tbm.

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Posted by: GC ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 09:28AM

Reception at airport is a great idea. I went through what this guy is going through many years ago and I'm just sick right now thinking about what he's going through.

You guys are great for trying to help out!

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Posted by: ThinkingOutLoud ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 09:21AM

Are any of you here an RM? Did any of you have your passport taken from you when you "worked" for the LDS church while living abroad for your mission?

Can one of you RMs or someone in NZ who knows the score about how missionaries are treated and what the church heriarchy is like, contact US citizen services? Do it at either the consulate in Auckland or the Embassy in Wellington, and tell them that while you do not not know this young man, you know the LDS church enough to know the reason he went out the window and without his passport, is because that is the only way he felt safe in doing so--or was the only way he could leave on his own terms?

http://newzealand.usembassy.gov/service2.html Auckland

http://newzealand.usembassy.gov/contact.html Wellington

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Posted by: dazed11 ( )
Date: November 23, 2012 09:26AM

He was "unhappy" to be found but didn't know anyone was looking for him. He had to have known and that is why he was unhappy they found him. He should have told the farmer that he is an adult and does not need help. He could have told him just to tell the police that he saw him and that he is fine. I think it is interesting that he got offended while studying. Maybe he read the institute manual where they talk about how they found the scrolls Joseph Smith owned and that Egyptologists say they are just ordinary Egyptian funerary texts. I wish I had gotten offended when I read that on my mission. I should have disappeared and gone to see some of the sights I always wanted to see in Europe.

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Posted by: FredOi ( )
Date: October 17, 2013 06:18PM

He's a kid, needs a bit of space, and support.
Blame gets nowhere.
I was 19 on my mission in NZ too.
I understand everything about this kid.
God bless buddy, soon this will all be in the past and you will feel great again.
I'm sure your family live you and are proud of YOU.

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Posted by: squeebee ( )
Date: October 17, 2013 06:22PM

Actually this is a year in the past at this point, the thread just got revived is all.

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