What a story ! Thanks for sharing so much of your life and congrats on your big family and master of divinity! I look forward to your input on Grease Spot.
Welcome, draw up a seat and be ready for a long yarn.
Mike, who posts here regularly, also says TWI saved his life by rescuing him from a life not unlike yours. I'm sure many others can say that too.
Your story is delightful. You were honorable with your WoW sister and didn't fall in or allow her to fall in with pregnancy/abortion "rules." I'm so pleased your kids have grown up to be great Christians.
With your Masters degree, I'm sure you'll be able to add much to our discussions here, especially in Doctrinal.
The title may sound crazy but it’s true. At the time I was introduced to TWI I was in to drugs and alcohol. I was using speed to wake up in the morning and downers chased with whiskey to sleep at night. I grew up in church but I saw no power there. It was more of a social gathering. I was only 23 but the drugs and alcohol were beginning to affect my heart’s rhythm. I knew I needed God in my life but didn’t know where to look. Then there was a knock on my apartment door. There stood two WOW ambassadors who had just moved into my apartment complex. I went to Twig a few times but my roommate and I had a disagreement and we both moved out. I moved back home but eventually was contacted by a Corps member and invited to twig run by MW. MW to me was an amazing teacher. We would go so deep into the Word. This was the first time I’d ever heard anything about Greek words. We talked much about SIT. I wanted that so much and never had to wait until the end of PFAL class.
I wanted to go in the Way Corps. I wanted to learn and serve with my whole heart, so to get there I went WOW to Chicago in 79/80. And here is where TWI saved my life. It got me away from all the friends and influences in my life that were killing me and gave me the time to become solidly implanted in the Word.
I went in residence with the 12th Corps at Emporia. I loved the experiences and have many good memories of the times with my brothers and sisters.
I was assigned was a WOW family coordinator in the Oklahoma City area 81/82. I had no idea of the pain and depression that was coming my way. The first member of my WOW family left the field within two months. Another left 3 months after that. We never ran one PFAL class. I was so beat up than when a member of our twig took an interest to me I fell to the temptation. About the time to return for final year she came up pregnant. I would not go back. It wasn’t right in my heart and mind to do this to someone. I stayed in OKC and eventually married her. We had a beautiful little girl and a son 3 years later. Sadly we divorced not long after he was born.
God does have a plan for our lives. There story behind how my present wife and I reconnected is good example of that, but that is a story for a later time. But she had 3 kids and I had my 2 when we married and now we have them and their spouses and 10 grandkids. Most of my kids are involved with missions work, solid in the Word of God. I have been abundantly blessed.
I am happy I missed the LCM years at the helm of TWI. I know so many were hurt so badly. Even when I was in the Corps I heard accusations about sexual promiscuity from the leadership although I never witnessed anything. I suppose I was too busy working on the lawnmowers or guarding VPW’s airplane to see any of that. I was an unremarkable Schmoo that helped put money in VPW’s bank account, but to this day I would not want anything I experienced to be any different. The Lord through TWI saved my life , put my feet solidly in the Word of God to the point I have an earned Masters of Divinity, have been a college age pastor and now continue actively in ministry to older folks.
This is something I’ve wanted to talk about for 40 years. It has taken the invention of the internet to allow it to happen.
Jimbo, great post! I am happy that you had a positive experience with TWI.
Thank you for your replies! I’m looking forward to sharing and maybe finding old friends and reconnecting with memories from TWI days.
Jimbo, I had some great times in TWI, but I also had some unpleasant ones. Please read through the threads, and you will probably be connected to some people you know, or think you do. However, please understand not everyone has kind things to say about TWI.
Hi Grace, most of my time with TWI was positive but of I did have some not so pleasant too. Just the name of this site tells an unpleasant part of TWI. We all lived that part. Thanks for the heads up.
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T-Bone
What a story ! Thanks for sharing so much of your life and congrats on your big family and master of divinity! I look forward to your input on Grease Spot.
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Jimbo
Thanks T-Bone
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WordWolf
Many of us have said we're thankful we got IN and thankful we got OUT.
Welcome aboard, I hope you enjoy your stay here.
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T-Bone
True dat !!!
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Jimbo
Couldn’t have said it better!
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Twinky
Welcome, draw up a seat and be ready for a long yarn.
Mike, who posts here regularly, also says TWI saved his life by rescuing him from a life not unlike yours. I'm sure many others can say that too.
Your story is delightful. You were honorable with your WoW sister and didn't fall in or allow her to fall in with pregnancy/abortion "rules." I'm so pleased your kids have grown up to be great Christians.
With your Masters degree, I'm sure you'll be able to add much to our discussions here, especially in Doctrinal.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Jimbo, great post! I am happy that you had a positive experience with TWI.
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Grace Valerie Claire
WW, bingo!! I am thankful that I got involved with TWI, but I am also thankful that I got out!!
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Jimbo
Thank you for your replies! I’m looking forward to sharing and maybe finding old friends and reconnecting with memories from TWI days.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Jimbo, I had some great times in TWI, but I also had some unpleasant ones. Please read through the threads, and you will probably be connected to some people you know, or think you do. However, please understand not everyone has kind things to say about TWI.
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Jimbo
Hi Grace, most of my time with TWI was positive but of I did have some not so pleasant too. Just the name of this site tells an unpleasant part of TWI. We all lived that part. Thanks for the heads up.
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Raf
Welcome to Greasespot, Jimbo.
While I am no longer a believer, I would be quite interested in the perspective of someone with a Master of Divinity over in Doctrinal.
We lost one of our more academic voices recently. Be nice to have some of that back. :)
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