Belle

Hey y'all! I hope you're all doing well! This is surely an exaggerated number? I can only imagine what goes on in the office of The Sydney Daily News when these roll in over the fax machine. TWI birthday press release.

Apparently, TWI is sending out this postcard to people. I did not get one but only learned about it. I don't know what it says on the back of the postcard. I think it could be very triggering to receive one of these. How desperate must they be in New Knoxville?

Good to see you (((Skyrider)))!

Awwww...thanks, y'all! DWBH, that was a nutso situation! So good to "see" you! Brainstormer, I hope things are going well with your family and that you're making progress.

(((((Twinky))))) It's good to "see" you! Hard to believe it's been 10 years! The time has flown and it's amazing how close we get to people we haven't even met in person. You were also very helpful to me.

Thank you. I don't know why they think having leadership in a particular area helps with growth unless it's because they are there to intimidate and pressure the people to bring in new sheep. It's certainly not because the leadership does.

(((((T-Bone!))))) Good to "see" you! The wonderful folks at WayDale and Greasespot helped me realize I wasn't just paranoid and that things weren't as bad as I suspected....they were worse! I can't imagine how much longer I would have been subjected to all the abuse or how much more damaged I would have been if it hadn't been for the fine folks who post here.

Welcome to the Café! Sounds like you were able to get away unscathed. That's great! I wish I had been that smart.

Hey, BlueCord, I'm late to the party but wanted to chime in and say hello. I hope you and your wife are continuing to enjoy your extra free time spending it how you choose and with the people that you choose. With regards to the teachings - this thread on actual errors in PFAL may be of some use. And this one. I will be forever grateful for the work that these people put into dissecting the class and teachings and helping untangle so much of it. I also read a lot of Elaine Pagels, particularly "The Origin of Satan" because we were taught to trace everything back to the original, right? ;-) I'm very happy that you and your wife were able to leave together. I spent five years trying to get my husband to see how bad it was but he insisted I was just being a contentious wife. I left and he stayed in. He even went back to work at the compound in New Knoxville and is still there for all I know.

Thanks for the update. Do you know why the move and why they sold the other property?

Welcome!! TWI canvased the whole area asking every single person about online posting and whatnot trying to uncover who I was when I first started posting here, so please be very careful with any personal or current information that you post here. Please feel free to send a private message to me or anyone else you feel comfortable with to share that information. That fact alone should be a warning/red flag to someone that things aren't right within that group. Feel free to ask any questions or share anything that you'd like. Everyone here is ready, willing and able to help in any way we can.

I am so stinking glad I don't have to look at those ugly posters any more! shortfuse, I'm going to have to send you a bill for the keyboard I ruined by snorting my drink all over it.

I'm late to the party but wanted to share what I can to help you, Brainstormer. My heart goes out to you. I was in my early 20's when I got involved with TWI and my local fellowship was also butterflies and rainbows. I felt like I had a home away from home and a second family. They made me feel all warm and fuzzy and fully supported which was real nice for someone many miles away from home and out on her own with not many friends in a new city. TWI was able to answer every one of the questions I'd had about God and the Bible that the Baptist Church I grew up in couldn't answer. They showed me chapter and verse and I read the answer right there in black and white with my own two eyes. It was intoxicating to feel like I was learning the Bible and would eventually know more than any minister in any other church. ('cause us in TWI are so smart, doncha know?) The encouragement to learn more - to do more and to be more was always there and with my desire to please and succeed it was definitely tempting to join the ranks of leadership or outreach programs. It's a very slow process, though. Kind of like putting frogs in boiling water or putting them in cool water and ever so slowly increasing the temperature till they boil to death. The people in my direct fellowship were successful business people who made decent amount of money but there were far more I noticed the longer I was in, who were living paycheck to paycheck and at a financial standard much less that what I had expected and desired with my college degree. They have an answer for everything and are very good at justifying how/why they teach about the "more abundant life" but so many of them don't seem to be living it. My parents actually considered hiring a "deprogrammer" to get me out but my dad was afraid if it didn't work that I would never talk to them again and they'd lose me forever. I don't know if he was right or not but .... probably. So they kept loving me and calling to check on me - visiting for holidays and vacations when I wouldn't/couldn't get up to see them. My daddy was excellent at asking questions that provoke thought without being offensive or even letting on that he was asking these questions with ulterior motives. I was getting bored with all the same ole - same ole teachings because after a while there is nothing new that they talk about or teach. Always having to be at a meeting or going out witnessing or just never having time to veg and couch potato was getting old. Mom said every time she talked to me I was exhausted because they manipulated every waking moment of our lives. When the lawsuits against Craig Martindale were made public and they told us to stay off the internet or we would be possessed by devil spirits I knew they were hiding something. That's when I found this wonderful community of people and yet it still took me another five years to fully extricate myself (but I had a husband I was trying to get out, too). Two books that helped me tremendously are "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" and "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves". Please feel free to PM me if I can help in any way.

Coincidence or really based on The Way?? According to the Hulu.com blog, the show, which will be produced by Katims' True Jack Productions, will center around a faith-based movement that causes all kinds of controversy. The show will follow a family caught in the thick of this controversy, and viewers will see how it affects their relationships, marriages and power dynamics. Read more: http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/54867/20150324/the-way-new-faith-based-drama-coming-to-hulu-from-the-team-behind-parenthood.htm#ixzz3VMSh4vIO

Hi Guys!! I hope everyone is doing well and happy! Rascal is in town and we met up for dinner last night. I got to see her beautiful daughter, Z, and can't believe we were in the chat room while Rascal was in labor with her nearly 15 years ago! Where the heck has the time gone?