Way Corps training

[Twinky]

It would be interesting to consider what was “taught “ when and by whom. I’ve talked with WC who were there a decade or more before me and it seems they might have actually done something worthwhile. Certainly, they did a more academic sort of training than I did. But by my time, the fog years had been and gone, and so many, who may well have been scholars, left.

My WC study day was like this:

8-12 work or private study

1-5 private study or work

7-10 class – note that this comes after a half-day’s work, and also after physical exercise first thing in the morning (running, starting at 5.50am) or some time during the private study time (wood chopping))

What did my Corps do, for its classes? As best I can remember, stuff like this. I don’t have my class notes or any other notes that I made except for a few of my journals, which I can hardly bear to look at.

 First thing was to watch all the FNC, INT and ADV class videos. Later, we watched other videos of other TWI classes or from RoA.

 Everyone gave a 5 minute talk about something that we were skilled in

 Learned to make a succinct introduction/presentation about what God did for us (so that we were always ready to introduce God into any conversation)

 Watched a series of videos about the Renaissance (so that we could talk as if we had some knowledge) – they might have been made by the BBC but were old and dated when they were shown to us

 Watched a Martin Luther video

 Watched VP & Me (LCM’s video)

 Did some scraps of Greek (mostly about prepositions)

 Did some scraps of English grammar (the sort of stuff I'd learned by about age 7)

 Learned to floss our teeth and wipe our bottoms (yes, really)

 Song leading, TWI style

 How to introduce a PFAL FNC class

 Lightbearers (two weeks)

 Firearms safety

 The Three Rs of raising children

 Put on lots of events (when believers from the field would come in, for classes or events)

We DID NOT do anything along the following lines (unless it was in private study) - never even touched on

 OT history

 How the Bible was put together

 Early church history (eg, events from first Pentecost to say Council of Nicea)

 Anything to do with the Dead Sea scrolls

 Greek, Hebrew or any other language at any coherent level

 Biblical archaeology, geography or other cultural influences

 Orientalisms

 Consider the lives of any renowned historical Christian leaders, saints, missionaries or other examples (except for Martin Luther and his stand against the religious hierarchy of the day)

 Consider the movement, lives or actions of any other living Christians (eg, founders of hospitals, missions, teachers)

 Listen to guest speakers or anyone not TWI-trained

 Debate or consider any other points of view

 Consider people-handling skills

 Counseling people in difficulty (other than Give them the Word!) – eg, how to present what we had to say in the best way it could be received

 How to conduct a marriage, funeral, or other notable event

 Write considered essays on any topic

 Have any work examined, marked, or otherwise scrutinized

 Receive any training that might develop any skills that we might have (eg, in research, homiletics)

We DID sometimes learn something that might become a trade (eg, gardening, forklift truck, painter, handyman, office administration) and we learned a lot about getting ready for events.

Some of us had pretty good skills or professional training when we went in. We were rarely allowed to use those skills or training, as this was “sense knowledge.”

Basically, we were kept so busy “serving” that the lack of substance in the “classes” barely registered.

I would be really really interested to know what was studied and to what sort of level, in the earlier Corps. If you are able to post, can you also give an idea of when you were in? Did any of it really help you, for yourself or to help others? (Eg, a more rounded appreciation of the Bible because you did Biblical history).

[chockfull]

There never was a great deal of substance taught in the Corps training.

The first 5 years were inception years, no curriculum, great deal of contact with VP, work / study program like you had.

The second decade was Emporia years - when they were spinning up the College program they put together actual classes with a syllabus and teacher. Teachers had to have a degree and be a Corps grad - there were probably less than 20 faculty. This was when there were even defined classes with grades. I don't think there were any PhD teachers of classes - Don W was the only one I'm aware of.

The third decade was fog year recovery decade - this was when you went thru the family Corps it appears. LCM driven. There were a few unofficial classes during that time - history, Greek, public speaking. Little one to two day seminar types of things - song leading, etiquette, firearms safety.

Most recent training follows a similar course but the minutae is focused on. For example, 30 hours of working on a personal incident 1 on 1. To produce the refined but boring that is the mark of this administration of TWI leaders.

All in all, the program really wasn't to educate. It was to break down and indoctrinate. To build unquestioning loyalty to an organization and group of people (Directors). To set up a pecking order in an organization. And to place graduates on a hamster wheel of climbing over one another for position and title. Sure there were benefits to doing it - discipline, habits, reading the Bible consistently, praying consistently. It actually was an ingenious scam. The hook was the idea that you could build Marine-Corps-like commitment to God. The actuality was that they built Marine-Corps-like commitment to man. And those men, (and women), were less than stellar examples of a Christian life, to put it mildly.

[TheHighWay]

Twinky... wow, you pretty much encapsulated my years of in-rez corps training!

Although we did have some (minimal) training on people-handling skills, it was all based on the Dale Carnegie materials which were more about getting people to talk to you and about making a sale. NOT about how to genuinely listen to a person's problems and counsel them!

And I do believe we also received a brief overview on how TWI felt we should conduct a wedding, funeral, baby dedication, etc. Not really much help when it came time to actually perform one of these important ceremonies!!

I guess I should consider myself fortunate in that I also did the College Program when it was in full swing at Emporia. We did have classes on OT History, NT History, Early Church History, One God, Orientalisms, Counseling, etc. And even though the instructors were Way Corps many of them were not necessarily twi-flunkies. They came in off the field with a lot of energy and many of them were genuinely good teachers. We read a LOT of materials, wrote a LOT of papers, took a LOT of tests, and did a LOT of discussion activities. Obviously there was also a lot of twi indoctrination happening on campus and in class but the College Program was aimed at the non-corps crowd so it had a whole different feel to it. A lot less pressure to conform. A lot more fun. And of course, we were allowed to come and go on campus as we pleased.

Since I went in the corps during the last half of the fog years, our training was a mixed up jumble of "keep everything the same" and "fall back on what Vic did" the first year, and "purge the household" and "don't put new wine into old wineskins" the last year. But while the "feel" was very very different between those two years, the basic curriculum was exactly as you have described it.

I remember thinking a few times that I was expecting a lot more "in depth" training than I was getting, and trying to make myself focus on the "spiritual" side of the things we were doing. Like, how did the leadership know when to push us and when to let up and throw a dance? Yeah, I really thought they were walking by the spirit and I was going to somehow learn how to do that by paying close attention.

Man, what a profound waste of time, money, energy, youth, and enthusiasm that all was!!!!!!

(edited for typos)

Edited September 25, 2009 by TheHighWay

[waysider]

Fellow Laborer Training

"The one on the left is a turnip. The one on the right is a weed. Pull the one on the right."

:o

[TrustAndObey]

Fellow Laborer Training

"The one on the left is a turnip. The one on the right is a weed. Pull the one on the right."

:o

Darn it, it must have been on my other right.

[GrouchoMarxJr]

All in all, the program really wasn't to educate. It was to break down and indoctrinate. To build unquestioning loyalty to an organization and group of people (Directors). To set up a pecking order in an organization. And to place graduates on a hamster wheel of climbing over one another for position and title.

Nice summation...the waycorps program was the "Youth for Hitler" program for twi...

As far as "Christian education" it was a joke. If arseholes could fly, that place (Emporia) would have been an airport.

[Broken Arrow]

Fellow Laborer Training

"The one on the left is a turnip. The one on the right is a weed. Pull the one on the right."

:o

Excuse me...do you mean there's just "one" weed on the right, or that everything on the right is a weed? Also, when you say "pull", I think I saw someone actually "yank"...is that okay? I don't want to get yelled at during mealtime announcements. Maybe we need a "Weed Coordinator".

[waysider]

Maybe we need a "Weed Coordinator".

Congratulations!

You are the new Weed Coordinator!

Edited September 26, 2009 by waysider

[skyrider]

Teachers had to have a degree and be a Corps grad -

During my inrez years, many "teachers" were our peers.....NOT corps grads.

On several topics, cgeer was given the microphone to train indoctrinate corps. Remember, he and his wife studied every aspect of mr. and mrs. wierwille......eating habits, coffee tastes, drambuie-laced drinks, dog training, teaching forums, when he takes off his coat while teaching, need for evasive driving, security issues, reading material, motorcoach protocols, etc etc. AND.....SOME OF THIS STUFF HE AND BARB TAUGHT TO THE CORPS.

Please tell me......the corps program was NOT indoctrination.

<_<

[Broken Arrow]

Congratulations!

You are the new Weed Coordinator!

You know...it just dawned on me that "Weed Coordinator" can have a whole different meaning depending on one's perspective. I'll take the job!!

[waysider]

You know...it just dawned on me that "Weed Coordinator" can have a whole different meaning depending on one's perspective. I'll take the job!!

In FLO, it only had one meaning.

The "other kind" would get you bounced out in a heartbeat.

(Welcoming in debuhl spurts and all that kinda naughty stuff. Just couldn't have that going on.)

[hiway29]

I've recently had a peek at that way corps site, and I can only thank God with every fiber of my being, that I never entered the 10th corps as once planned.I only was exposed to one corner, and a hard core faction at that, that still seems to be 'living the dream', ( as well as spouting the same ultra right wing, Obama hating rhetoric that one finds 24 hours a day on radio and fox news).

I'm SO thankful I'm not under their iron thumbs anymore, and that as deep as I dove into the way pool, I never swam in that reek.

[Rocky]

I've recently had a peek at that way corps site, and I can only thank God with every fiber of my being, that I never entered the 10th corps as once planned.I only was exposed to one corner, and a hard core faction at that, that still seems to be 'living the dream', ( as well as spouting the same ultra right wing, Obama hating rhetoric that one finds 24 hours a day on radio and fox news).

I'm SO thankful I'm not under their iron thumbs anymore, and that as deep as I dove into the way pool, I never swam in that reek.

I'll give you a hearty AMEN to that, brother! :)

[waysider]

Currently, there is another thread that concerns itself with Twi's current numbers. In my opinion, this is simply another part of The Way that continues to exist even though it's peripheral in nature and its numbers aren't counted in the tally.

[skyrider]

I've recently had a peek at that way corps site, and I can only thank God with every fiber of my being, that I never entered the 10th corps as once planned.I only was exposed to one corner, and a hard core faction at that, that still seems to be 'living the dream', ( as well as spouting the same ultra right wing, Obama hating rhetoric that one finds 24 hours a day on radio and fox news).

I'm SO thankful I'm not under their iron thumbs anymore, and that as deep as I dove into the way pool, I never swam in that reek.

And lest we forget.....WIERWILLE was a subscriber to the Liberty Lobby and indoctrinated his captive audience (corps) with these views.

Liberty Lobby

[waysider]

This stuff is like an invasive weed.

Simply leaving the group, physically, does little to deal with the tangle mess of deep rooted beliefs

Edited September 28, 2009 by waysider

[Watered Garden]

Turnips? I thought that was a beet.

Actually, I received attention early on from the garden coordinator, who thought it marvelous that someone had come along who knew a radish from a weed.

I still have his attention after 32 years!

I do have to add that in spite of the forced nature of our labors, the garden was the one thing I truly enjoyed about that place. Made more sense than getting yelled at over someone sleeping in who'd specifically instructed us NOT to disturb him.

WG

[HAPe4me]

I've recently had a peek at that way corps site, and I can only thank God with every fiber of my being, that I never entered the 10th corps as once planned.I only was exposed to one corner, and a hard core faction at that, that still seems to be 'living the dream', ( as well as spouting the same ultra right wing, Obama hating rhetoric that one finds 24 hours a day on radio and fox news).

I'm SO thankful I'm not under their iron thumbs anymore, and that as deep as I dove into the way pool, I never swam in that reek.

you mean you don't feel the love?

[skyrider]

And lest we forget.....WIERWILLE was a subscriber to the Liberty Lobby and indoctrinated his captive audience (corps) with these views.

Liberty Lobby

Advanced Class attendees got a fair dose of this antisemitic/holocaust denial stuff as well.

Even those hq kids were forbidden to attend the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.

Twi's propaganda reached far and wide.......regardless of going corps or not.

[Twinky]

Thanks, Chockfull and TheHighWay for your responses.

I'd forgotten about the U/Life series. They weren't available when I was there. There may have been copies in the Library; but we were sooooo busy that there really wasn't time for that sort of private study.

Chockfull: Qualified teachers? Curriculum? Syllabus? Graded? Must have abandoned any idea of that when they couldn't get accredited. Of course, they couldn't get accredited because they didn't teach mainstream stuff. So it was said (… not because of the quality of the teaching or narrowness of the training program).

Yeah, public speaking. That was what they called the little presentation of What God Has Done for Me.

Most recent training follows a similar course but the minutiae is focused on. For example, 30 hours of working on a personal incident 1 on 1.

Thirty hours???? What a terrifying thought. Sounds to me more like 30 hours grubbing around in one's past, finding new buttons to press, wounded bits that are still healing, old childhood abuses that should never see the light of day again.

There was often talk of Marine Corps like dedication, jump when I say jump, and of course the first term till December was called "boot camp" with maximum restrictions and minimal personal freedom. We accepted that; we were training and learning to discipline ourselves. Except that in January we were still not good enough and so boot camp was extended…and extended… more and more strictly. Until things changed in the immediate preparations for RoA. For both years in rez.

TheHighWay: You were in 4 years earlier than me. Sounds like you got a bit more interesting "training" (such as it was worth) and you had the benefit of the College program.

We did have classes on OT History, NT History, Early Church History, One God, Orientalisms, Counseling, etc. … We read a LOT of materials, wrote a LOT of papers, took a LOT of tests, and did a LOT of discussion activities.

There might have been something interesting in the College program stuff you took; it wasn't available when I was in. If they could have run even taped classes along these lines, we might have been better educated. But no doubt all the classes were taught by "cop-outs" whose work could not stand in the fierce fire of TWI zeal.

But while the "feel" was very very different between those two years, the basic curriculum was exactly as you have described it.

I got the same stuff two years running. The "feel" for me was oppression followed by more oppression.

I remember thinking a few times that I was expecting a lot more "in depth" training than I was getting, and trying to make myself focus on the "spiritual" side of the things we were doing. Like, how did the leadership know when to push us and when to let up and throw a dance? Yeah, I really thought they were walking by the spirit and I was going to somehow learn how to do that by paying close attention.

Right with you there, THW.

Anything earlier Corps told me about the training was based on early years in Emporia, and they seemed to have genuinely learned helpful stuff (history, background, some Greek) and seemed deeply well-rounded and thoughtful people about God and his ways. Or perhaps I just met some great people.

I think they'd given up the sham of educating us by the time I got there.

Early Corps, about 8 to 15, anything to add?

Edited September 28, 2009 by Twinky

[Watered Garden]

Not early, not long, three months in 1993 BUT

When the motion picture Black Hawk Down came out, about Mogadishu, Somalia, and Marines being killed and all, I had no idea it was anything but fiction and was shocked to learn the incident had tragically happened, but in September, 1993, when we were shut away from "the world" learning how to line up chairs in the dining room.

I felt terribly cheated; I could have prayed for those people, that situation, the families, my country had I known. And it made it seem like an occurrence of such magnitude was belittled in the eyes of the Powers That Be; the awful possibility of someone hiding a bottle of Jack Daniel's in the trunk of their car and sneaking off for a snort at midnight was much more important.

I know I'm not wording this very well; I hope some of you understand. I guess some of it was I didn't realize at the time how totally cut off from everything and everyone we were, as I was immersed in culture shock, fearful, and harassed constantly.

WG

[TheHighWay]

I know I'm not wording this very well; I hope some of you understand. I guess some of it was I didn't realize at the time how totally cut off from everything and everyone we were, as I was immersed in culture shock, fearful, and harassed constantly.

I'm right there with you on that... between the college program, marriage to a twi-for-lifer, and corps training I completely lost 1984-1990. I don't know TV shows, music, politics, news-worthy events... nothing!!

Oh, hey Twinky... the corps took OT History with us (or we with them... whatever) my year in the College Program. John Sch**nh**t taught it, and it was really interesting and informative. Of course, once he wrote the paper on adultery he was OUT and there was no one who could teach it quite as well. (anyone remember his one-minute version of the OT?)

[Twinky]

That would have been interesting, TheHighWay. But no... J0hn S was long gone.

I used to enjoy W@lter C-mmins's articles in GMIR in the Way mag ... but they disappeared without explanation. Think he would have been an interesting teacher too.

We never produced any written work or had any private study checked, unless it was to see that we had all learned our retemories and such like.

The best bit for me was producing my research paper. I was given a topic by LCM and pursued it with diligence. It became really interesting, but probably not at all in the way he'd intended. I knew what he intended: but I ended up all over the OT and learned some really great stuff about what it meant to be a real leader, shepherd, carer, pastor, of God's people; and very specifically about leaders "walking the talk." The paper was quite widely read, apparently; several people who I hardly knew came up to me and said it was a good paper and they liked the bit about ... or ... (How had they seen it? Who'd showed them?)

Thinking back, though, I don't recall any acknowledgment from LCM. Certainly no "bless note" or written acknowledgment. Was just too busy to think about it at the time. Perhaps he was too busy too, with preparations for RoA, but hey, who was in charge of the timetable for getting everything done? Never got it back, either.

The thought just occurred to me that perhaps LCM never even read it, just hived the task off onto someone else to let him know if it seemed any good. But he personally had given me this topic and he knew my secular background. At the time, I'd wondered how much of what it might have ended up in some of his own supposed research, had I said what he'd wanted.

Since earlier Corps don't seem keen on posting about what their "curriculum" was, is anybody willing to tell what their research paper topic was?

[T-Bone]

It would be interesting to consider what was "taught " when and by whom. I've talked with WC who were there a decade or more before me and it seems they might have actually done something worthwhile. Certainly, they did a more academic sort of training than I did. But by my time, the fog years had been and gone, and so many, who may well have been scholars, left.

My WC study day was like this:

8-12 work or private study

1-5 private study or work

7-10 class – note that this comes after a half-day's work, and also after physical exercise first thing in the morning (running, starting at 5.50am) or some time during the private study time (wood chopping))

What did my Corps do, for its classes? As best I can remember, stuff like this. I don't have my class notes or any other notes that I made except for a few of my journals, which I can hardly bear to look at.

 First thing was to watch all the FNC, INT and ADV class videos. Later, we watched other videos of other TWI classes or from RoA.

 Everyone gave a 5 minute talk about something that we were skilled in

 Learned to make a succinct introduction/presentation about what God did for us (so that we were always ready to introduce God into any conversation)

 Watched a series of videos about the Renaissance (so that we could talk as if we had some knowledge) – they might have been made by the BBC but were old and dated when they were shown to us

 Watched a Martin Luther video

 Watched VP & Me (LCM's video)

 Did some scraps of Greek (mostly about prepositions)

 Did some scraps of English grammar (the sort of stuff I'd learned by about age 7)

 Learned to floss our teeth and wipe our bottoms (yes, really)

 Song leading, TWI style

 How to introduce a PFAL FNC class

 Lightbearers (two weeks)

 Firearms safety

 The Three Rs of raising children

 Put on lots of events (when believers from the field would come in, for classes or events)

We DID NOT do anything along the following lines (unless it was in private study) - never even touched on

 OT history

 How the Bible was put together

 Early church history (eg, events from first Pentecost to say Council of Nicea)

 Anything to do with the Dead Sea scrolls

 Greek, Hebrew or any other language at any coherent level

 Biblical archaeology, geography or other cultural influences

 Orientalisms

 Consider the lives of any renowned historical Christian leaders, saints, missionaries or other examples (except for Martin Luther and his stand against the religious hierarchy of the day)

 Consider the movement, lives or actions of any other living Christians (eg, founders of hospitals, missions, teachers)

 Listen to guest speakers or anyone not TWI-trained

 Debate or consider any other points of view

 Consider people-handling skills

 Counseling people in difficulty (other than Give them the Word!) – eg, how to present what we had to say in the best way it could be received

 How to conduct a marriage, funeral, or other notable event

 Write considered essays on any topic

 Have any work examined, marked, or otherwise scrutinized

 Receive any training that might develop any skills that we might have (eg, in research, homiletics)

We DID sometimes learn something that might become a trade (eg, gardening, forklift truck, painter, handyman, office administration) and we learned a lot about getting ready for events.

Some of us had pretty good skills or professional training when we went in. We were rarely allowed to use those skills or training, as this was "sense knowledge."

Basically, we were kept so busy "serving" that the lack of substance in the "classes" barely registered.

I would be really really interested to know what was studied and to what sort of level, in the earlier Corps. If you are able to post, can you also give an idea of when you were in? Did any of it really help you, for yourself or to help others? (Eg, a more rounded appreciation of the Bible because you did Biblical history).

There never was a great deal of substance taught in the Corps training.

The first 5 years were inception years, no curriculum, great deal of contact with VP, work / study program like you had.

The second decade was Emporia years - when they were spinning up the College program they put together actual classes with a syllabus and teacher. Teachers had to have a degree and be a Corps grad - there were probably less than 20 faculty. This was when there were even defined classes with grades. I don't think there were any PhD teachers of classes - Don W was the only one I'm aware of.

The third decade was fog year recovery decade - this was when you went thru the family Corps it appears. LCM driven. There were a few unofficial classes during that time - history, Greek, public speaking. Little one to two day seminar types of things - song leading, etiquette, firearms safety.

Most recent training follows a similar course but the minutae is focused on. For example, 30 hours of working on a personal incident 1 on 1. To produce the refined but boring that is the mark of this administration of TWI leaders.

All in all, the program really wasn't to educate. It was to break down and indoctrinate. To build unquestioning loyalty to an organization and group of people (Directors). To set up a pecking order in an organization. And to place graduates on a hamster wheel of climbing over one another for position and title. Sure there were benefits to doing it - discipline, habits, reading the Bible consistently, praying consistently. It actually was an ingenious scam. The hook was the idea that you could build Marine-Corps-like commitment to God. The actuality was that they built Marine-Corps-like commitment to man. And those men, (and women), were less than stellar examples of a Christian life, to put it mildly.

Nice summation...the waycorps program was the "Youth for Hitler" program for twi...

As far as "Christian education" it was a joke. If arseholes could fly, that place (Emporia) would have been an airport.

Great points Twinky, chockfull, & Groucho.. Yeah, as far as learning anything of real substance my mind draws a blank from Family 11 residency. Somewhat odd isn’t it – they touted themselves as a biblical research and teaching ministry and there we were in their leadership training program – you’d think they’d have a bunch of academically appropriate classes to prepare you as a leader in such a ministry.

Let’s see.. what “classes” or training do come to mind.. Christian Communications – that was a big deal – the power of the incident, “There I was.. .” “I know people in the Corps who haven’t moved the Word! Why? I’ll tell you why. It’s simply because they lack the ability to get things done.. .” oops, sorry – slipped back into a training session for a moment.. . Seems like it was geared to turning us all into salesmen.

The research paper was a joke. lcm telling us not to try an re-invent the wheel – just stick to something basic from PFAL.

Then there was the pajama party with vp showing his doggie porn video – under the pretext of preparing you for counseling – don’t want to be shocked by anything revealed in a counseling session.. . Funny, I have yet to run into a German Shepherd who wants redemption after years of service in the porn industry.

Seems like a great system for the perpetuation of a parasitic organization.

Another thing that chapped my hide. After I’m back out in the world, going to a professional resume company – there’s this little problem that pops up – wanting to list the Way College Indiana Campus on my resume, they check it out and find it’s NOT accredited! “You’re kidding!?! That’s not what they told me when I signed up!”

Chockfull nailed it! It was just a big indoctrination process – making sure you learned how to consistently do things their way.. and that you’ve “mastered” PFAL… and uhm that you could renew your mind to anything.. become so spiritual that something is not sin to you.. . how to be the best Nazi-parent in your branch.. . hey, if you forget the training – just run back-to-back PFAL classes – that makes you a superstar in anyone’s book.

Edited September 28, 2009 by T-Bone

[geisha779]

I'm right there with you on that... between the college program, marriage to a twi-for-lifer, and corps training I completely lost 1984-1990. I don't know TV shows, music, politics, news-worthy events... nothing!!

Big hair, shoulder pads, dark lips, purple eye shadow, leg warmers, Jordache jeans, Chinese flats, Michael Jackson, big hair metal, glam rock, rock ballads, Luke and Laura reunited, SNL Eddie Murphy, Alice, Cheers, Night Court, Growing Pains, Full House, Mash finale, Ronald Reagan, Bush Sr, Hands Across America, Stock Market Crash, Berlin Wall came down, Chernobyl, Baby Jessica, Exxon Valdez, Aids, Challenger, SF Earthquake, PTL scandal, Dirty Dancing, Brat Pack, Back to the Future, Karate Kid, Footloose, Vacation, Blues Brothers, Arthur, Bill & Ted, Ghostbusters, Rainman, Yuppies, Junk Bonds, Max Headroom, Garfield, Care Bears, Nintendo, Rainbow Brite, Madonna, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blossom, Dynasty. . . . and DollyWood opened.

Now you are caught up. :)