A letter from another student who says she was in Mountain Park for only a week...

Mountain Park was a nightmare for me and the other new students who were arriving everyday. (even though I was not supposed to acknowledge them) I still saw how much everyone there went through. I was only there for a little over a week. But I noticed even the girls who said that they liked it there and that I would someday feel the same, I saw it in them to. Fear and pain. I will forever call Missouri "the great state of misery."

I am so glad to be home with my family. Mountain Park scared me into reality. And it made me think about my life, and how I want to live my life. But it also led me away from Christianity. I look at people in a much more distrusting manner now. I don't even trust my own family as much as I know I'm supposed to. But I am not complaining.

The school did not tell me that [a relative] was coming to get me until the day she arrived. And when they finally did tell me I didn't know how to react. Was I supposed to be happy or sad? It was like I forgot what emotions were. And which one was appropriate for which time.

As soon as my "orientation guide" and I packed up my things, a member of the staff came and took me into the kitchen area. She had to get out her keys to unlock the door so that I could go into the lobby.

I saw [my relative] for a few seconds before she was pulled into another room where I couldn't see her. The woman told me to sit down and wait. So I did. After she left the room other staff members came in. They all told me the same thing, "You know the truth now. You will never be able to deny god. We will all be praying for you. I wish you could stay for just a little bit longer, so that you could learn the whole truth." I don't really know what they meant by that. And quite frankly I don't care. I really didn't care at the time either. All I cared about at the time was getting out of there.

I felt like some kind of survivalist. All I could think about was how to get out. How I could escape. Who would be the easiest hostage if I had to take one. Things a normal 15 year old girl should never have to think about.

After Mountain Park I dropped out of school. I became deeply depressed. More so then I was before. I lived with [a relative] for a few months before I finally went home. And home just didn't seem the same. I wasn't as happy there. I didn't feel as safe there either. I kept thinking that the people from Missouri would come to my house to kill me because I "knew the truth." Or decide to kill in Gods name. I was really paranoid. I always looked around the house late at night to make sure no one was there. I would constantly look over my shoulder. And even now, an entire year later I still do. I still have nightmares about it. And I was only there for a week. I hate to think about how it would have been if I was just now coming home.

... I only wish that there were some way to just completely shut down all of these types of schools....