September 4, 2009
I am making this webpage out of desperation.
My name is Lisa Ornberg. I live with my wife Colleen, my two nephews, two nieces, and my mom. To round off the family we have our three toy poodles who we adore.
We are in need of some financial help. Let me explain our situation.
I live with Colleen. We have been married 4 years now. But the story behind that is one out of a fiction book. But I assure you that all of this is real. I’m going to open you up to my world.
I met Colleen back in summer camp when I was 16. Love at first site. You know how it goes. She grabbed my heart then and has always had it. She has made my life very interesting- though not in the conventional ways you hear about. No. Colleen made things interesting by being unknowingly lured into the cult Opus Dei. We were in close contact until one day when she was 17 the recruiters from Opus Dei told her she had a calling from God to join their organization. And if she didn’t she would go to hell and nothing would give her happiness in this life. She was weak and they brainwashed her – and I didn’t hear from her again for 20 years. They kept her hidden from me. She was allowed minimal contact with her family and no contact with me. For 20 years she cooked and cleaned and took care of the people in that cult. All the money she earned she had to sign back over to Opus Dei. All her possessions she had to give to them. All gifts- everything.
I looked for her always. Then 4 years ago I got an email from her. That’s all I needed. I got in touch with her and she told me where she was. We set up a time to meet. The people in Opus Dei found out and moved Colleen form Mass to Washington D.C. I thought I lost her again. But I didn’t give up. I found the address of some of their houses in Washington and I drove up there and waited. I tried to find her. I was outside parked in the street I saw a woman take colleen and place her into a van. She had bags packed. (They were moving her again I would fine out later, to NY.) I followed the car and when the driver stopped at a pharmacy and ran in; I knew it was my chance. I pulled up in front of her car and walked to Colleen window. She nearly fainted when she saw me but was in so much fear about the woman inside that she was paralyzed. She was trembling. I pleaded with her to come with me. She was so scared of that woman. She was still brainwashed and I had to grab her and walk her to my car. Once inside we drove away. I finally had my Colleen back- but she was still brainwashed. I had set up a mtg. with a deprogrammer in Virginia and we went there to meet Mary Alice. She worked with colleen for a week and finally Colleen was able to see all the years that had been wasted. She was used, made to slave for this cult, beat herself in the name if God, and she lost all relations with family and friends. But I had her back. And I loved her. And I married her in Cambridge Mass. She was penniless.
Before I found Colleen again my two nephews, Dale and Lewis needed help. My sister Karen was a drug addict and was unable to care for them. Their father was abusive and wouldn’t let me adopt. He dove off a bridge and broke his neck and drowned. I fought for those boys three years in the courts and finally when the boys were 8 and 10, I was granted a direct consent adoption. I have loved and cared for them ever since. When Colleen came back to me, she stepped right in as a mom. She’s great. (I’m more like the dad) The boys are doing well.
Then my sister had more kids and the same thing happened but with a different father. The father is out of the country and Karen could not take care of the girls. We took them in too. They are wonderful kids. Jamie is 10 and Jasmine is 8. No financial help from mom at all.
We love all the kids and hope that they will be able to forget the bad parts of their childhood before they got to us. Love conquers all I hope. It’s all we can give.
My mom had surgery for a tumor in January. It wiped her out. She was a very independent woman but couldn’t take care of herself after the operation. We took her in too. She lives with us now and is transitioning from independence to needing assistance. As I write this letter she is back in the hospital having another surgery. Mom has no money. She worked had after she divorced my abusive dad. She was a cook at a senior center and loved the job but was unable to continue after her operation.
I‘m disabled. I suffer from bi-polar and multiple personality disorder. I can’t work. I can only take care of my family the best I can. I am still waiting for disability to be approved. Money is very tight. Bills are piling up. I have lived on credit for many years and now the credit is all used up. I owe 30,000. Most of that money was spent on the kids, the deprogrammer for Colleen, or for medical issues. We do not spend money frivolously. We count each penny.
We found out that I, my mom , and my neice have celiac disease and have to eat gluten free foods only. It's very expensive to buy pre made items so we have tried many different recipes. I have some of my favorites linked to this page. They are really good.
That’s me and my family in a nut shell. I’m asking you if you have ONE DOLLAR you could help us out with. If we were able to reach many people who gave just one dollar- think of how the weight would be lifted! If there is a corner of your heart that no one has yet claimed, I pray that you have the compassion and willingness to help us. We would be so grateful for anything you could do.
Sincerely, Lisa Ornberg
pay pal account WOHELO@HOTMAIL.COM
45 COURTLAND DRIVE
NARRAGANSETT, RI 02882
Thank you!
