Losing the Way Part 2

[rascal]

Kristin, thank you. I know that it couldn`t have been easy to share all of this stuff. ' Thank you for sharing this stuff that will open the doors for others to escape.

I know that I had long left twi physically, but was still completely bound mentally for many years.

If folks don`t know what kind of guy vpw was....the man behind the persona presented to the public...it makes it so much more difficult to break away from the damaging doctrines and impossible standards that he insisted were our duties as believers.

Excathedra was the first to have the courage around here to show what vpw was...for years she has had to endure the snide inuendos that she was a liar or she wanted it or nobody held a gun...that she an others who protested their treatment were perpetually whining victims...etc.

Your testimony coroborates her story.

When the rest of us find out how wierwille was messed up ... that he was quite self serving and cruel...we (me anyway) finally can permit ourselves to break free from the *ifyoulovegodyouwilldothis* prison of twi doctrine that still kept us from healing.

In telling your stories...the rest of us ...those who have dark dirty little secrets of our own hidden away in the back of our minds of experiences that we are so deeply ashamed of....no not this same one perhaps but others as gruesome and harrowing.....it helps to know that it wasn`t just us or that we weren`t spiritual enough to handle it..or we were possessed.

Finding out who and what vp was finally opened the doors to the dark little prison that twi doctrine had placed me in.

All I can say is thank you.

Edited June 23, 2008 by rascal

[Thomas Loy Bumgarner]

Kris, thanks. Your book like Karl Kahler's will expose the hidden and hideous truth about The Way International. BTW besides Williams and John Juddes, there were other books about TWI written in late 70's, but not to the level known being told.

[pawtucket]

Here are some links that Kristen recommends.

www.healthyminds.org/multimedia/domestic violence (has a list of good resources)

www.way2hope.org/domestic violence (has many resources)

www.christianrecovery.com (for recovery from abuse of all kinds)

www.thehopeofsurvivors.com (for recovery from clergy sexual abuse survivors)

www.faithtrustinstitute.org (for sexual and domestic abuse recovery

also feel free to give my e-mail address (kskedgell@gmail.com) as a resource as well as www.losingtheway.com

[JeffSjo]

i think one reason sometimes it's hard to talk about what happened to you (me) is that you have no scripture to back it up -- that was a "funny"

i honestly thought that you, white dove, and you, oldies, would take the higher road and leave this one thread alone

that's why i reacted and said what i did do you, white dove

i just can't argue logic and/or scripture when it comes to the deepest hurts/betrayals experienced in life

and i do believe life is something we all experience -- and i have no scripture to back that up -- do i ?

well maybe that one about there is nothing new under the sun....

You've got friends dear Excathedra. I'll gladly "be your frankenstein" to quote the popular song.

Or any of many friends I think would be oh-so-happy to back you up I'm sure!

(edited for grammar)

Edited June 25, 2008 by JeffSjo

[Mercedes Benz]

Kristin, Excathedra, I am so terribly sorry for the crimes committed against you.

Thank you for your courage.

You ladies are my heroines.

[excathedra]

thank you so much, you're a peach

but really, i'm just older now and realize how screwed up i was

but he was way worse ha !

and i have to stop feeling shame because that's silly, stupid, wrong, and on and on and on

but sometimes your head is so -- i don't know -- from when you were little and growing up and all that

[excathedra]

if i could re-do his tombstone from "i wish i was dah dah dah"

TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF. I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT BEING ALIVE.

geer, you listening ? any of you other offshoots? anyone with a brain ?

[Mark Clarke]

I'd almost forgotten about that epitaph. Perhaps it should read, "We wish he were the man he claimed to be."

[chockfull]

Please forgive the crude humor in advance. I'm in a mood today.

I was thinking instead of changing the inscription on the tombstone, we could just leave it as it is.

Except we could carve the picture of a very small penis right under it.....

[pawtucket]

Has anyone gotten the book yet?

[excathedra]

Please forgive the crude humor in advance. I'm in a mood today.

I was thinking instead of changing the inscription on the tombstone, we could just leave it as it is.

Except we could carve the picture of a very small penis right under it.....

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

no, paw

[tonto]

I just checked the shipping status on Amazon and it said the shipping estimate is today, so no, haven't received it yet (but looking forward to reading it).

[justloafing]

I just checked the shipping status on Amazon and it said the shipping estimate is today, so no, haven't received it yet (but looking forward to reading it).

I got mine on Saturday. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it. A great read and shows what happens fom not only her perpective but if no one knows about twi they will get a good picture of what it is like. I'm not going into details or my feelings on the book so you can all read it without knowing anything else than what the radio interviews detailed. It is a good read and sure brigns back memories.

Edited June 30, 2008 by justloafing

[Eyesopen]

I got mine today and am zipping through it. She is an excellent writer. It's very easy to read and yes it brings back memories. I cant wait to read more.

[Mark Clarke]

Justloafing and Eyesopen,

Are they good memories or bad? Do you find it painful to read? I have been hesitating about whether to read it for fear that it might be too painful. I know I was emotionally drained just from the interviews here.

[pawtucket]

Mark,

It allows those that haven't been in TWI, to get a feel for what it is like to get involved. So reading the book brings back many of your own personal memories. I read it over a period of about 3 weeks. Some memories were painful to dredge back up, but it was good to process them.

So yes it can be painful, but I believe it to be cathartic also.

[nyunknown]

Kristen I have heard all of your interviews with paw. You are a very brave lady. I hope this book has helped you to heal. I am from the eastcoast myself. I will order it myself very soon. You are amoung friends here.

[penworks]

Has anyone gotten the book yet?

I did. One thing: Because she writes it in present tense, I think the snippets of conversation at the start of each chapter are a good way to show the reader the thoughts of the "present day" Kristen. The story moves along fast, except for the times I have to put it down and mourn over her ordeal for a few minutes.

Edited July 4, 2008 by penworks

[Kit Sober]

Just listened to it.

(Because of my bad ears I can't really "listen" to much without closed captions, but I got a pair of really good earpieces and tried them out on this interview and I could hear.)

Me too. I felt nauseated and wept at the same time. Not sure why it evoked such strong emotions in me, as I'd heard about what he did before.

I felt similar. I think because all the exposure I have had to the vileness of vpw had been internet, it seemed somewhat surreal to me. I mean I prayed for vp every day. I grieved when he died. (Remember that poem, "If no one is left to love you, you will know that I have died"? Well. I believed it. Horrible now to look at it.

But hearing Kristen speak from her own mouth was pretty undeniably personal.

Thanks so much for the kind and sensitive interview.

Took my healing from the cult mentality to a deeper level.

Sincerely appreciate it.

[Eyesopen]

Justloafing and Eyesopen,

Are they good memories or bad? Do you find it painful to read? I have been hesitating about whether to read it for fear that it might be too painful. I know I was emotionally drained just from the interviews here.

Both and neither. Her memories do not mirror mine. But when she quotes VP or LCM or mentions an event that I had heard about...things like that trigger memories. Now some of those memories had been buried pretty deeply and others are there just lurking below the surface. Some of them are bad or lead to bad ones but that is the way with my experience in twi. I have both good and bad memories. What I liked about the way that she wrote was her justification (as it was happening) for the bad that was happening, it really showed how many of us simply accepted what we saw or did because of some ridiculous teaching. In your case only you can determine if the memories that you have buried are too painful for you to want to bring them up again.

The book itself is an enjoyable read. Her manner of speech is simple to follow, light and enlightening all at the same time. Certain incidents are difficult for me but only because I experienced similar. But then again I have found a bit of self therapy in writing my own autobiography and getting my own lingering pain down on paper.

[Sushi]

Has anyone gotten the book yet?

***POSTED BY ABIGAIL - OOPS AGAIN!!*****

Got it yesterday. Ordered it from Amazon through the link on the front page of the cafe last Thursday. I'm looking forward to reading it tonight!

Edited July 8, 2008 by Sushi

[cheranne]

I removed posts by White Dove and oldiesman. They took an important subject and did a bait and switch which they are both good at doing. It violated the forum rules and mission of GS. Their utter disrespect for a victim is sickening.

Thank you Paw,they are sic puppies and stop the healing process for many others who are beyond

there petty attention seeking little minds.

[excathedra]

I'm very very thankful for Kris and her book

She has told a story for many many ladies (and of course men, but you know what I mean)

I haven't read it yet, but I'm still saying this -- a huge thank you.

--

oh, not a "story" a real account of what happened

[Mark Clarke]

I'm very very thankful for Kris and her book

She has told a story for many many ladies (and of course men, but you know what I mean)

I haven't read it yet, but I'm still saying this -- a huge thank you.

--

oh, not a "story" a real account of what happened

Excie,

A "story" is not necessarily fiction. Merriam-Webster defines it as "an account of incidents or events" or "a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question." So you were correct in calling it a story.

I remember they used to make a big deal about that in TWI. We weren't supposed to refer to "Bible stories" because that supposedly implied they weren't true. We were supposed to call them Bible "records" which always sounded kind of cold and clinical to me. A "fictional narrative" is only one of the "usages" of the word story.

So I'm thankful to Kristen for telling her story.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Mark Clarke

[excathedra]

thanks, i must have had a waybrain scare there