meganpenworthy

i love places, i look for the positives and love a place for them.

In the small town of Rome City, Indiana off highway nine there sits a facility that was once a Kneipp Springs Health Spa. The spa, except for the first ten years, was operated by a Roman Catholic order called Sisters of the Precious Blood. Then in the late 1970’s it was purchased by a group called The Way International. They used the building to train individuals or couples and their families to teach the bible to others. I moved there when I was six years old with my mother. The facility sits on 197 acres of land and has over 30 buildings. The main building had five to six floors, a full dining room that seats up to 500 people, a chapel that can fit more, dormitory style bedrooms that can house 500 or more people and lots more space for storage, exercise, and relaxing. The grounds have several courtyards, play grounds, a parking lot, farm, a full basketball court, and its own watertower. Down the front of the property are green grass fields next to two fish ponds, a waterfall, and tree lined paths to a place that we called Uncle Harry hill. Past the property line was Sylvan Lake. There were three houses that came with the property and although one was torn down, four decent sized townhouses were built. There was enough land for horses, sheep, chickens and fields of corn and strawberries. There are also a few acres of apple trees. The facility is near the small town of Rome City which has a small local population but is still not big enough to warrant its own high school. There is a small school that has kindergarten though eighth grade. I lived there for five years in the middle of my childhood. The building, with all its space was the best place to grow up because it allowed us to use our imagination and be more carefree. I could not even begin to recant all the stories of all the things that I did while growing up there. My mom worked in the kitchen and as long as I stayed on campus, I could go and do anything I wanted. I remember playing in the attic on the mattresses that were stacked on their sides or in the exercise room with foam mats building mazes and forts or in the adjoining game room that had a pool table, with the teenagers. In the summers, my friend Sarah and I went swimming and she tried to teach me to do cartwheels. Her mom was my second mom and she watched me a few times when my mom went out of state. I have a picture of Sarah and I showing off the cakes that we had decorated, one summer. With all the different people that came to live and learn there, I learned to get along with many different types of people. Although I was somewhat sheltered from the world, I am a “social butterfly” now because of those experiences. Although The Way is considered a cult by many, I never felt that I was stuck or sheltered there. The facility is actually a peaceful place that I enjoyed living at. I have not been there in over ten years but if given the opportunity, I would go and photograph it for the memories.

My class, we were 8th graders, was the class that they freaked out about it over. April 1994. I went to DC 4 years later and had the opportunity to visit the holocaust museaum. I enjoyed it as much as one could enjoy that, it is a dreary topic and all. what was messed up about the whole dc trip was that I'd asked my mom for guidance because it is a deep topic. She never thought about asking that it be removed from the trip plan but I think that either M Stout's(father ran ROA) or T Maxson's(played piano on SNS) parents realized it was on the agenda and freaked out like literally a few days before we were leaving...

I'm taking college geography. my teacher wants us to write about a place. for some odd, and i don't know why, i had the desire to write about a place i haven't been in oh at least 16 years. Rome City. I don't have a good picture so I am asking anyone that has this if they could scan and email me a picture of the front. I'd *prefer* a copy of the drawing that someone did that was put on cards for people to give to friends/family. if you know what i'm talking about :)--> It is odd, its been so long since I've been there but I remember it so well. I played everywhere from the attic to the basement(i was 6-11 when i lived there). Maybe someday I'll visit. maybe. someday.

i loved Shaun of the Dead. Such a great movie. I recommend!!

wow, that many? I met a gal who had been involved with the way but her step dad was kicked out for not paying enough tithe or something.

Please tell me you're kidding. Cause they are over 300 blocks from each other. 185th west side to at least 200 blocks eastside and you're getting closer to Oregon City. 185 and Baseline is far out Northwest and Oregon City is DEEP DEEP Southeast. But I don't believe Portland has ever had a large following and so you probably did travel that far to fellowship.

She and I lived in Beaverton-hillsboro area i believe. I'd have to ask, but I do know on one place we lived, a way home, near the corner of 185th and baseline.

I was probably in kindergarted with him then. I don't remember anybodys name other than Sierra Lee Harmon. If you saw her, you'd recognize her but it has been almost 20(!!) years so...

No, that's about the time she got involved and moved into the Way Home. We went Wow 83-84. Stayed in MS and then went way corps 85-87.

I was mini family 12. I was 6 when we went in in 1985. My mom is Vivian Eastman. She worked in the kitchen mostly.

My mom had the same issues. I think she just explained in a short consise way that made them not want to ask much more. She's been at Nike now for 8 years(on staff)+1 year as a temp, so it's not really an issue. But not having a rent/work history that is positive(the way won't say if they'd hire back/rent to person again) makes that probably the hardest part for people to leave. They have to pay potentially enormous deposits and w/o a verifiable job history... The way did a number on people that served in the way on-staff and in-residence. Help to control more...

I live in Portland. I love this town. Pot smoking is popular here because the "crime" has been decriminalized. Less than a pound is just a misdemeanor. And we have medicinal MJ. Not that we're the first or only state to allow, cause we weren't. Portland had a good bubble in the late 90's and early early 2000's. But we hit a low in employment and a high in unemployment. Because in 2003 we had the highest unemployment, we got extra funding. But we're bouncing back. Shellon, if you decide to move here, have a job first. http://portland.craigslist.org is you friend. Find home, job, friends there. Also, http://www.livejournal.com their community "damnportlanders" is a great resource too. Livejournal was started by Brad, a guy I went to high school and graduated with for 3 years. Very popular site. The weekly Willamette Week http://www.wweek.com is a good resource for finding jobs. Also. http://www.oregonlive.com has all the classifieds from the Oregonian Newspaper online and easily searchable. If you're still here, make sure to get to portland on the weekend and head downtown to under the burnside bridge to saturday market. http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com Portland rocks because its fairly liberal(which I am for). We have one of the best public transportation systems in the country with more lines added each year (http://www.trimet.org) We had great people, lots of cool breweries like Rock Bottom, McMennamins, and Bridgeport. Many non-corporate coffeeshops like Coffeetime, Annabananas, Portland Coffeehouse (both of them), Cafe Vivace, etc. Personal telco is working on making portland internet wireless. So, those who have wireless cards on their laptops can head downtown and other places around the city to be online, for FREE!! Portland is very liberal and gay marriage was okayed in Multnomah county(where Portland is). There are many gay, bi, lesbian, transgendered, transexuals and more living in this fine city. I know in the way, people were kicked out for being okay with them or being gay, bi, lesbial etc...but in Portland, it is good to have an open mind and heart. They are people too. love :)-->