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Way Disciple Weekly Report Form in 2000


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OK, I still have more to say. I can't help it.

So, after they cancelled the WOW program, they recommended we find believers in another state and move there to move the Word (even without a formal program) I had met Meg and John(?) Kish from Florida. They suggested I go there. I did. It was made pretty clear in a few months that I was expected to go out WOW the following year if they did one again. I was pressured to go and felt like I'd be a big disappointment if I didn't. The details of my year in Florida are crazy. Both happy and abusive and dreadful all at wildly unpredictable intervals.

Anyway, the next Rock, they unveiled the Way Disciple Program. I dutifully signed up.

I'd like to write about my experiences as a Way Disciple Guinea Pig, but I'm running out of time.

It was not a very happy time for me. It was quite stressful almost all the time. There were TONS of the loudest foot chewings you'd ever hear in the Way, plenty of tears, a lot of condemnation, and plenty of confusion.

The form referenced at the start of this thread was created (ha ha ha, you can't stop me from using that word) in 95 on our program. I remember all those details sheets. I think our household coordinator filled most of them out, although I remember seeing it. I think she even made more.

We did the crazy index cards. And the follow-ups. And the follow-up follow-ups. In person, on the phone. We sure badgered anyone who showed the slightest interest.

We did the 2 mile radius crap. Then we did the 2 mile radius crap two months later. Our program was only four months long. But four months in hell is like an eternity.

We witnessed to businesses, even presenting them with BS mini-classes on the Word in your business. What do they call those groups "Prosperity Groups." I can't remember. It's basically where your driving force to doing the Word is to get stuff "from God."

Oh, and our focus wasn't on the saving and helping people. It was that whole "Confront the Illogic of the World" fervor that Craig whipped up. I guess he concluded that everyone in the world had their chance to believe the Word we spoke already, and they passed, so we were then supposed to confront everything they did. We'd ask leading questions that we knew would only lead to us drilling a person. "Do you believe in the Trinity?" "Is that an angel pin?"

"Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God?"

"Yeah??? WELL YOU'RE JUST SPAWN OF SATAN THEN, BUDDY! GET THE F#CK OFF YOUR PORCH! GO BACK IN YOUR DAMNED HOUSE OF LIES. Thank you for your time. :)"

It sucked.

On top of that, we had no class to offer, since they stopped the PFAL class the year before.

And I still hated witnessing. I became adpet at figuring out how NOT to witness, and make it look like there were just no "doors of utterance." That was fun. Whenever I got partnered with the other guy and girl my age, I'd just try and make them crack up.

I knocked on the door and from inside, someon actually said "I can't come to the door, I'm not dressed." I just replied "That's OK." My friends cracked up.

Then I'd go home and get yelled at for having no contacts.

A few times I accidentally made some contacts, which was cool. Kept the heat off me for about a week. We all took turns being the golden boy each week it seemed. It was the only way to get through it.

I have so many crazy stories from that time.

But yeah, it doesn't sound like anything has changed. Other than when I went out, we were a small army. Now it seems they can't even get enough to form a bowling team.

I noticed they haven't been teaching that whole Rise and Expansion crap in the last few years. Just the same old "stay tight with the household crap."

Wow, I'm so glad we got out when I did.

My wife was way disciple Group III. I met here when I joined the Air Force and was stationed in Idaho. She was assigned to Boise. I happy for that at least.

She has the same type of stories.

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Oh, and our focus wasn't on the saving and helping people. It was that whole "Confront the Illogic of the World" fervor that Craig whipped up. I guess he concluded that everyone in the world had their chance to believe the Word we spoke already, and they passed, so we were then supposed to confront everything they did. We'd ask leading questions that we knew would only lead to us drilling a person. "Do you believe in the Trinity?" "Is that an angel pin?"

"Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God?"

"Yeah??? WELL YOU'RE JUST SPAWN OF SATAN THEN, BUDDY! GET THE F#CK OFF YOUR PORCH! GO BACK IN YOUR DAMNED HOUSE OF LIES. Thank you for your time. "

OMG! I thought the WOW program was crazy! I bet you ran lots of classes, lol!

Whatever happened to the "contacts" after we left? In both WOW and Way Disciples way people who lived in the area weren't suppose to contact the "ambassadors." So, it wasn't like the new people knew the established twigs. Were they just left to fend for themselves?

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Thanks Nato for sharing. Congratulations on finding your way out and finding your wife. :)

I remember well that decision by LCM...to can the WOW program. I remember thinking, "What about all those people that rearranged their lives to go WOW. Well, I guess Craig got revelation and everyone will be taken care of." Or something like that. (barf)

I read in My Story that you know Bek. How wonderful to find each other again!

I am recently out of TWI (almost 1 year ago), and it seems I would know more about WD, but I never really inquired about the program itself. A few years ago (2002-03) one person went WD from around here. He/she stayed at his/her assignment for the remainder of the year and then came back here. This person definitely came back changed with more self righteousness, legalism, and judgementalism. Granted, that was part of this person's personality when he/she went out. The program apparently fed it.

The first fellowship I attended in this person's home when he/she got back was....hmm...uncomfortable. Chairs were lined up in rows (for 8 - 10 people!). I walked in, saw the room arrangement, felt myself tighten up, and my heart sank. I led the meeting that night and felt this person's and another WD vet's (that came back with this person) eyes scutinizing every move I made. I thought it was just ME and my tainted misgivings :asdf: . At least I spoke up about the arrangement of the chairs and it was taken heed to. Interestingly one other person had called the BC about the same thing. Got me to thinking, "Oh, it's not just me."

I do know from this WD's sharings, that the WD's are less confrontational (of course) than the WD I wave. Thus I'm wondering if maybe the paperwork/record keeping/policing has lightened up in comparison to the link I posted in post #1.

Thanks again. :)

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['Sep 29 2006,

Pretty sure the weekly report persists. There was something similar for WOW's back in the 90's. You wouldn't do less in the Prevailing Word would you? Seriously though, I'm almost positive they still do it. "Quote"

The Reports on us kids go back to the 80 s I was W.O.W in Auburn Wash in 1981-1982 Core C had to write reports at least 1 a month maybe more times .

Edited by andy Bear
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Nato, I laughed too. :biglaugh:

My theme 4 the WD was Ephesians 4:15, "Speaking the Truth in Love".

Well we could have did that if the Top Brass from twi would have left us alone.

Organized, committed, Obey, hah. If u were in the way in 2001, u could handle yourself. I've nev'er been in the Marine Corps. But that's how I perceived twi then.

It was a month after 911 when I went WD. Our whole country was wandering whats going on. That was our topic 2 discuss with people. I forget the specific preplanned topic we were to bring up. But it was about the bombing and, we wanted to get people to tell us how they felt. The top Brass at twi thought people around the area were afraid, because of the bombing. Duh, everybody was. :blink: The top brass was afraid too. That's why us 8 WDs went Way Disciple at headquarters. They were afraid something might happen to us when we were out there witnessing. :confused:

I remember When we 1st all arrived at headquarters, all us WDs were their in the lobby outside the dining room. We was all hanging out waiting on our next instruction. :who_me: Then Rivenbark comes in our presence. :who_me: OOhh, holy ground. The four Apprentice Corpoops in our WD group started getting antsy. I don't know how it happened but their was sort of a circle formed around Rivenbark. We were just chatting. I guess I took it personally that they had us 8 go WD around headquarters because the Top Brass of twi was afraid something might happen to us Little WDs out there witnessing. In front of the whole group I told Rivenbark that I was"t afraid to go witnessing. Nobody said anything. Rivenbark was looking at me and didn't say anything. They probably did say something, I just don't remember. But I remember Rivenbarks face was red as a beet. :red-face:

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Nato:

Out in the non-WD world, it wasn't much different during those years. Our Way Corps leaders focussed a lot on "confront-the-illogic-of-the-world" witnessing as well.

We had a "plan" to witness to literally every household in this city of 200,000+ in a year. I think that if every adult wayfer went out twice a week for about 3 hours it was actually possible. We all had our maps, with a master map at the BC's house with areas covered marked in ble or something.

We started to hit snags right away. We started with apartment complexes, but had to go back repeatedly when a majority of the people didn't answer their doors. the official answer was that God knew from the foundation of the world that we would be witnessing that night, so if people weren't home it was because they wouldn't have wanted the Word anyway. :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink:

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Nato:

We started with apartment complexes, but had to go back repeatedly when a majority of the people didn't answer their doors. the official answer was that God knew from the foundation of the world that we would be witnessing that night, so if people weren't home it was because they wouldn't have wanted the Word anyway. :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink:

Oh yeah, we did that too! That's funny.

My WD friend Todd and I once knocked on a door, and this HUGE bodybuilder in a towel answered the door. Like freaking Arnold in his steroid-use days huge. With nothing on but a towel. Awkward. We gave our speil. To our suprise, he wanted to keep talking. He asked us some questions, then told us to come in. Being dutiful little Waybots, we did. I don't remember if he put some clothes on or if he talked to us the whole time with a towel on. We looked around his living room and there were tons of bodybuilder pictures, all in those marble-holder speedos of course. The more we talked, the angrier he got. We started to get scared. A hostile bodybuilder who we suspected to be gay, yelling at us about God. He was clearly angry. He didn't want to hear what us two stupid young kids with all the answers had to stay. He asked us why God let evil happen. I mean he yelled it at us. We were so scared that we blanked on our pat Way answer and said nothing. He eventually let us go. Todd and I looked at each other when we got out, like "what the F just happened????"

We recounted our story to our team. "You have to go back." Excuse me? That guy had veins puling on his neck and forehead. "You have to work the Word on that subject until you've made it your own, and then you have to go back and tell him." Ugh.

We went back THREE times, and thank Superman he was never home. You see, I think God knew from the foundation of the world that the guy would freaking KILL us if he went back, and therefore he was never home.

Yay God.

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You see, I think God knew from the foundation of the world that the guy would freaking KILL us if he went back, and therefore he was never home.

Yay God.

:biglaugh: That's funny :dance:

There were so many hooops to jump through, so many forms to fill out. I was a Twig Coordinator through some of this. We had to talk to "our people" every day to find out how many contacts, how many phone numbers, how many follow-ups, how many brought to Twig...

One guy I just knew was making up numbers, but I dutifully reported them anyway.

During the first year that the Corps were on full-time salary, our BC's were ordered to witness for something like three hours every day (maybe more, I forget). they were also instructed to take some of us civilians with them to "teach us" how to witness. Now at this time we had a goodly number of "old timers" who had taken the PFAL class in 1970 - 75, who had been WOW, been around in the days of incredible growth in the early 70's, had run classes and signed up dozens for PFAL. People who knew how to witness. But they had to be taught :rolleyes:

I went on one of thse excursions. We were in a Target or a Wal-Mart or something. Mr. BC was real agressive until we ran into a Mormon family. Not to be out-witnessed by the likes of us, Mr. Mormon started witnessing back! :o Finally Mr. BC, frustrated at his lack of success literally yelled at the top of his voice, "You are INSANE" at the Mormons.

:confused::CUSSING:

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