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Rebekah Pearl Anast Part Three-Life After Marriage

This article will be slightly different then the previous two. Although I am still using her own quotes to highlight Rebekah Pearl Anast's life, I am not following a specific chronological order. For the most parts these quotes can be found on a site called WWW.7XSunday.net which she and her hubby run.

Since her marriage, Rebekah has moved to a Navajo Reservation outside of Gallup, New Mexico. The couple have six children named, Joseph Courage, Ryshoni Joy, Hannah Sunshine,Elijah Music and Chaiyah Eve. In addition to 7xsunday, Rebekah runs a site called Dreaming Awake in which she details the dreams that she has about a apocolyptical future for our country. Together she and her husband also run another forum called Urban Exodus.

Rebekah and her husband, Gabe, had a much greater part in Debbi Pearl's book, Created to Be His HelpMeet then I had thought. This is from a thread on 7xsunday. Debbi Pearl seems to be the author of this acknowledgment.

My son-in-law Gabriel Anast and my daughter Rebekah Joy Anast gave me the idea and much of the information for the section on the three types of men, which made understanding men so much simpler. Beka also provided examples, ideas, and Scripture included in the other parts of this book. I consider her co-author of this book.

In a plea for money from the followers of his site, her husband writes:

However, recently, since February, I have been studying full time. I have not been working anymore. All I’ve been doing is studying the Word. And I did that because I think God told me to. It’s not because I wanted to... it really scared me. And we were really poor for those months. And a handful of people have supported us here and there by giving us a bag of wheat or food a few dollars. And that’s fine... And we’re happy to live poor. We’ve done that our whole married life, Rebekah and I. We’re good at it. And I should say more or less; we haven’t always lived as poor as we are now, we certainly have had more money in the past, but that is not the point, I’m just going through the situation...

As the sole provider for his family, it would seem that Gabe Anast would not want to voluntarily surrender his income. When he wrote his plea, Rebekah was pregnant with their sixth child. Neither parent appear to have held any paying job during her pregnancy.

Later in a thread entitled, How Is Beka, Rebekah confirms that the family is without electricity.
Gabe's quote of my statement "the kids need clothes" has to be put into American context. Nobody is running around naked. Yeah, so what the electricity got cut off (in the summer). We cooked outside and had a big time doing it. Gabe takes our needs to heart because he wants to give me everything; and does give me all that matters.

During previous pregnancies she self medicated with herbal treatments. What follows is her opinion on the preeclampsia which she believed that she was experiencing with her other five pregnancies.

The short version is that I believe preeclampsia is a condition that is secondary to inflammation (at least, in my case.) During my last pregnancy I used Bilberry tonic to control it, and even reverse it to some extent until the baby was born. There is a thread on WTM on dealing with preeclampsia on which I posted some of the research.

As someone who loves to write, the following saddens me for Rebekah. Apparently, her husband can choose to take time off from supporting his family, but she can not engage in an activity that she enjoys. Even worse are her references to her husband as her Lord.

http://www.7xsunday.net/forum/index.php/topic,21637.30.html

In fact, if your worship of God IN ANY WAY short-changes your husband or son, or makes them feel shut out, then IMO, it is not in spirit and in truth. This, I believe, includes time "writing to God" when your husband is sitting beside you. :-\Remember that your husband is your lord. Would you write about your King's bad temper whilest he sat on the throne watching you and frowning?

I know that in my own life, I would have to be majorly sleep deprived to maintain the American idea of "time alone with God" and meet my family's needs. I have learned to subscribe to Christ's version of a good Devotion and worship God in spirit and in truth wherever I am, all day long. This also helps me stay cheerful, because my time of devotion to God is over all and in all that I do. Not that I am perfect, but this is what I am fighting for and trying to attain every day.

Also, if your writing (like mine) alienates your family, you may have to lay it down completely. I love to write. It is my favorite thing in the world... second to my family. If writing about them, or about anything, makes them feel second, or in a waiting line for my attention, or like I am telling on them... then I quit. I don't write about my family these days. I don't keep a diary like I did all my life and for the last 2 years I haven't written much at all except for an occasional post on WTM or 7XS at my husband's request... Soon my family will be grown, and my writing days will bloom again. But I know I won't regret laying aside the pen/keyboard for these few years.

Now remember... count the mistakes you haven't made. God bless your journey forward!

I do not have any problems with women choosing to give birth at home if they are under the care of a qualified professional. On another site called, WellTell me, Rebekah posts under the name, Forever Girl. This quote is number fifteen in the thread.

http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,353.0.html

Now, I have had 4 "unassisted" homebirths. It did save us 20,000 dollars all told, and has been a thrilling and bonding experience for both my husband and I. With just the two of us, I feel free to pray out loud at the top of my voice (or scream as the case may be), *dress* comfortably, do whatever is comfortable, and be in my own surroundings. If I had a medical condition, we'd make the appropriate adjustments.
Since writing this on February 24, 2007, Rebekah has had two more children. It appears that all six of her children have been unassisted home births.

In this statement Rebekah Anast takes passive aggressive rudeness to an entirely new level. A mother had asked how to handle a set of parents who refused to listen to her advice to follow the Pearls' training methods. This is Forevergirl's(Rebekah's) answer.

It is our policy, when bombarded by foolish people, to pull together as a family. We keep our kids with us. We tell them why. I do not engage in personal or entertaining conversation with the woman. I stay close to my husband and children and focus entirely on meeting his needs, and keeping my own children orderly. I read books to them quietly. If the woman asks me a question, I answer briefly and cheerfully, and go back to my "duty." If she engages in being a mother and help meet... then I interact with her and help if she needs help. If her focus is on herself and getting me to focus on her, then I disengage and go back to focusing purely on my family. If we are at a playground, then I play with the children... staying with them at all times.

This makes "hanging out" very pleasant for a woman whose goal is to be a help meet... it makes hanging out miserable for a woman whose goal is to get attention. She won't want to come back.

We also try to meet at a public place and keep it short... and do not engage in conversations that are pointless and erred. We don't disagree or fight, we just cease to engage

Can you imagine being treated this way by someone whose house you were visiting? Jesus met with prostitutes and tax collectors but Rebekah won't talk with a woman with unruly kids.

Rebekah seems to have absorbed her father’s irrational fear of homosexuals. This is what she claims to tell her very young children about homosexuals.

This answer comes with as much of an answer as I CAN give:
"Sodomites are men that like other men instead of women... like sleeping with each other... and women that like other women. Sometimes they dress as a woman instead of a man... not the way God created them. Sometimes they also want little kids instead of a regular wife. This is very evil. It is safest for you to stay away from them and stay near Daddy. God hates their sin and destroyed a whole city with fire because of all the sodomites that lived there."

This is said without much emotion, but with gravity. It is my intention to answer curiosity and dispel fear...

In an effort to prevent her from feeling competitive with her six year old daughter, Rebekah notes that she remembers that everything belongs to her husband. (DH means Dear Husband)

It really helped me to remind myself "this kitchen belongs to DH, the food belongs to DH, the meal is all about DH, and both me and our daughter are helpers for DH..."

With this in mind I can tell my daughter "yes, you can cook dinner for Dad. Remember he likes everything cleaned up as you go... let me know if you need any help." In this way, my daughter has a focus: Dad. She is learning to please a man, not herself. She is learning to be a help meet - not just a cook.

Also, in this way my daughter has the freedom to grow and mature as a woman that is learning to please a man... rather than a girl who is a slave to her mother. She isn't my helper - she's Daddy's helper. This perspective will make a girl WAY happier to stay at home longer... not in such a hurry to get married.

I thought that Christians were not supposed to have idols and yet Rebekah does sound as if she is advocating a type of husband worship. Her fear that she might one day be jealous of her daughter is troubling also. The little girl is only six!

On a strange note, Rebekah and Gabe have were sued by the Zuni Indian Tribe of the Navajo Nation over water rights. I have no idea what happened with the case or why the Anasts are allowed to live on the reservation.

http://www.zunibasin.com/documents/2142.pdf

The Pearls point to their children as examples of the adults that their methods will produce. Yet, Rebekah does not seem like the type of person that I would want my children to emulate. Not only does she appear paranoid but I wonder if she is suffering from postpartum depression. I find it difficult to believe that loving parents would want this future for their children.

I apologize for being late in getting this information up but sometimes digging for the information on this group leaves me feeling emotionally worn out.

Rebekah's Form Letter.

Here is Rebekah's form letter. I wrote some comments about it, if you want to read them, my post follows this letter.


My name is Rebekah Anast, I am the firstborn daughter of Michael and Debi Pearl,
I would know (I am their daughter) whether their techniques are violent and unjust, or loving and temperate. I would know if the result is an emotionally damaged and fearful child, or a creative, successful, happy adult. I would know, yes, better than any one of these angry people, whether Michael and Debi Pearl are barbaric child abusers, or loving, successful parents.

Every type of abuse leaves evidence to prove its occurrence, whether it be a mark on the spirit or the body. Let me give you the evidence that is me:

I am 32 years old, married and the mother of three children. I am the happiest person I know, and my life is full of fruit; my own three very happy, balanced children who are completely sound in body and mind.

I have written articles, books, screenplays, and traveled the world for 4 years, meeting new people, eating new food, ministering to those in need, and loving life. I always returned to my favorite place and my favorite people... my family.

I married a wonderful man who is worth every moment of reverence and honor I give him; he is my best friend and only lover.

I have very few bad memories of childhood, all of which I can recall clearly; my dog dying, my hand getting cut on a fresh pine board, my brother being stung by bees, and my father’s grief over a friend’s suffering. That’s all that I can recall.

I remember only one spanking. I remember it because I laughed all the way through it, and so did my Dad. I had played a prank that was dangerous, but funny, and fully deserved a spanking for it, but my parents were unable to spank me without laughing. That is the only spanking I clearly remember. The others were so well-deserved my conscience was able to write off the memory once the deed was paid for.

I was never injured in body or spirit by the training I received. I was never “struck” in anger. I did receive non-injurous spankings on my fully clothed backside with a willow switch when I had clearly transgressed a known “law” of the house. These spankings did not leave bruises or abrasions, or emotional distress.

I learned by the gentlest way possible that foolishness has consequences and wise choices make life comfortable. This training has literally saved my life and I am eternally grateful to both my parents for using a literal rod to train my flesh to make wise choices.

My brothers and sisters were my best friends growing up. We did everything together; swimming, playing, working. We usually got in trouble together too, and when spankings were due, they were due all around. However, trouble was hard to find, as either Mom or Dad was almost always with us, joining in the fun, the projects, and the learning. From dancing in the rain, to building forts, to learning to ride a bike; they were there, so much a part of my life.

A person is innocent until proven guilty. I have proof that Michael and Debi Pearl are wise and loving parents: I am the proof, and every one of my siblings would agree with me.

Almost everything we (my parents) have ever written is available online for FREE on nogreaterjoy.org; and everything else is as inexpensive as possible while still allowing No Greater Joy to operate as a non-profit organization, geared toward helping thousands of parents and children.

A lot of information about the Pearl’s on the internet is simply taken out of context or completely misquoted. Look up the quotes on nogreaterjoy.org for yourself and make sure your source isn’t lying or misconstruing the truth. It’s important to the homeschool movement that we be accountable for our views, instead of blindly following the loudest sensationalist, or giving them credibility of any kind.

Rebekah (Pearl) Anast

I give full permission to reprint or repost this article in it’s entirety in any format

I Got Rebekah's Form Letter.

A few years back there was an outcry in the British Homeschooling community over the possibility that the Pearls' might visit the U.K. and spread their abusive parenting practices. In response, Rebekah Pearl Anast wrote a form letter that she sent out to many bloggers saying how great her childhood was. This morning I started to moderate my blog and discovered I had been sent that same form letter.

I have several thoughts about this letter. One of the reasons that I feel comfortable in writing about Rebekah, who I believe was horribly abused as a child, is that she has put herself out as the defender of her parents. Here is a woman who has had options in life. At one point, she did get away from her family's control. So, I don't believe for an instance that she is unaware of how abusive her family is.

I will admit also that there are parts of her letter that strikes me as odd. She points out that Gabe Anast is her only lover. There is no reason for her to make such a statement in the letter. Nor does it add anything of value to her point. To be honest, I do not care how many sexual partners another person has had and unless, we are having a conversation about it, I don't want to know. That seems like very intimate information to give out to strangers.

Also, Rebekah claims to be the happiest person that she knows. Unless she is psychic there is no way that she can know who is happy or not. There is also the fact that as a child, she has been told to always be cheerful. How can we trust what she claims to feel when we know that she was whipped for not showing joy?(see To Train Up A Child) Her claims to be the happiest person that she knows is so extreme that I wonder if the opposite isn't true and she is trying desperately to cover up her unhappiness.

Another odd point in the letter is how Rebekah clearly contradicts herself. In one paragraph she writes that she was never spanked, but then she continues to describe her thankfulness that the rod was used against her. I was never injured in body or spirit by the training I received. I was never “struck” in anger. I did receive non-injurious spankings on my fully clothed backside with a willow switch when I had clearly transgressed a known “law” of the house. These spankings did not leave bruises or abrasions, or emotional distress. Notice the plural use of the word spanking. So, she did receive more then one spanking. Either she is a horrible liar or Rebekah has some weird definition of corporal punishment that the rest of us do not share.

Because of my childhood, I feel empathy for Rebekah. My own mother was mentally and emotionally abusive but she combined her cruelty with moments of kindness and generosity. I am certain that lots of abused children have a very confusing relationship with their parents. Parental cruelty is often sporadic and twisted in with claims of love and even attempts by the abusing parent to win their child's affections. Its not always easy admitting that you were an abused child. I know. I have been there.

But when my mother turned her abuse toward my children, I had to cut contact with her. Protecting my children was more important then my denials about my mother's actions. I include my own story to make a point. Rebekah Pearl Anast's childhood sounds like the religious version of my own. She probably has some of the same scars that I do.

On the slight chance that she ever reads this blog I would like to talk directly to her. Rebekah, your parents' advice is responsible for creating a adversarial relationship between parent and child that can lead to abuse. By defending them you are as culpable for their actions as they are. When innocent children are hurt, you need to stand up and admit that the myth that your family has tried to create is not true.

Rebekah, it doesn't matter what your parents tell you, or Gabe. You have to live with your own conscious. Every time a child is whipped or their spirit is broken, you are partially responsible because you have not spoken out but have tried to hide the truth. Anyone reading the first part of this series can tell that you had a rotten childhood. A woman as obviously intelligent as you can not be unaware that she had an abusive childhood. I had to stand up to my mother to protect innocent children, now you need to do the same thing. Grow a set of ovaries and be a woman.