Twinky

From the newspaper article: Scholarship from whom? I'm wondering if they aren't such "faithful ministers" of TWI that they in fact paid for it - to tie him in even more to them.But then - it took him 5 weeks to get a job. Clearly had never been WoW, where one was required to have a job within 2 weeks (as well as a home and whatever was needed in the home). What was he doing for the other three weeks? Italicized bit: Work, then get blessed? Isn't that a bit like earning a blessing? Surely just to get the job is itself a blessing? After that come further blessings, advancement, promotion, more finances? Where exactly does believing God fit with this self-help outlook? Bold bit: Actually this is precisely what TWI did teach. Instant results to prayer. Not the sustained prayer of a faithful man, sometimes over months and years. Concurrently they did teach (and fair enough) that we didn't need to buy things that cost a lot of money, like houses and cars, but there was merit in saving up. TWI was never into teaching that a better budget might mean outlay on a deposit then time payments, which could result in lower outgoings (like a car purchased over time might do a better job than one purchased a repair at a time - an old junker) but it was "one size fits all needs."

*28. Give us your money.

I love this about the church I now attend. Every January, the treasurer goes through the whole church accounts, the sort of thing you would find on a company balance sheet, showing everything in and everything out, the funds pledged, the tax back on money pledged, contributions to/from the diocese, the budgeting for forthcoming projects, gross salaries ... And it is presented so kindly and lovingly. Yes, I recall TWI saying that anyone who ... can't remember the qualifier, might have been "Adv Class grad" or might have been "faithfully tithed" or might have been something else - anyway, they could inspect the books. Can't remember when or where I heard this; SNS? I did think about asking when I went in rez. I never did ask. They were nice enough in the Finance Office but always seemed so busy; but somehow the atmosphere wasn't conducive to enquiring. And frankly there is enough to do in residence without chasing the bank accounts and balance sheet of this secretive organization. We were never presented with balance sheets TWI-wide. It would have been easy enough to publish an abridged sort of version in The Way Mag, which after all is not the kind of thing the general public actually does buy. And so what, if ordinary public did have sight of the documents? They are technically documents of public record anyway. Like everything else, it's hard finding out real specifics about anything connected with TWI.

Women, you could have been helpful here. Quite a good way to get rid of head lice is to smother one's hair in conditioner and leave it in overnight (a bathcap might make this less messy on the pillow). Smothers the critters. Rinse the hair in the morning and you have nice hair, too. Little cost because you'd already got the necessary in your toiletry bag. Can't have been very nice for you all, though.

Well, good for them. And being able to use their "secular degrees" as well. Congratulations. How the times are a-changing. But they have degrees, and decent jobs. How many others were dissuaded from continuing in secular education, discontinuing degrees, professional careers, etc, but were driven into McDonalds/ waitressing/ cleaning/ other low paid jobs, and thereby unable to build up a 6 month nest-egg? (What is this couple doing contributing to 401Ks and not giving all that surplus money to TWI?) Maybe they have had this article written about them (well, they wrote it themselves, basically) - it's still only half the total article so if TWI forwards it to all fellowships, it'd be honest if they forwarded the whole article.

I grew up in a brewing town. Hate the smell of the stuff. But here's an ad for some beer (not brewed in my home town or even home country!): http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1o9R6T4d4GU This product's adverts have attained near-icon status...good fun. PS I can't speak for the quality of the beer but that's probably not much to write home about

Great post, Steve, especially your final paragraph. There are many witnesses to deviant behavior of the higher-ups at TWI. Yet some others who post here simply do not accept that witness. They prefer to accept the perpetrator's version of events.

People who still had two brain cells to rub together.

I honestly don't believe this. So many have posted negative comments. Yet those who were ready to see, could see God at work during their WoW year. Some people chose to go out several times. Please don't be always looking for the worst. It's fashionable on this site to knock TWI - and there is a lot to knock! - but there was also some good stuff. Musta been, else we wouldn't have stuck around. There must have been more people who had enjoyable or at least interesting experiences during their WoW years than have posted on this thread. Hey - some of you have posted on other threads about things that happened in your WoW year. And some of you went out several times. Never mind the success (or otherwise) for TWI. What about your personal successes? Oh, and yes, the video clips are before my time but nonetheless scary - aargh! Save the nation - huh, where d'ya get that, Cheranne (barf!).

Well, I have worked out that Tuxy is not fat. She's just a pig. Now that they've been on Go-Cat, she chows it down like there's no tomorrow. Then she gets thirsty. Then she drinks...and drinks...and drinks. And the Go-Cat expands...and expands...and expands. To three or four times its original volume. Her tummy was soooo hard. It must have been quite painful. And what goes in must come out...and out...and out...and out...and out... ... ... Presumably she will empty soon. They are now not getting food down all the time, to help themselves. And they are getting it mixed with an equal quantity of supermarket-own, to make it a little less desirable.

I've often thought this, too, Waysider.

Success? For whom? If you mean for TWI: as has been mentioned above - it was all profit, no expenses. If for the individuals: that has to depend on what the individuals' goals were at the outset and how well they went about what they did. It also depended on the Wow Family Coordinator, and some of you have referred to bossy FCs who made their lives a misery. I mostly enjoyed my WoW year and it was a good fun time, mostly. It was my practicum year assignment so obviously I was coordinating, but all of us were enthusiastic and we had some fun. We also ran several classes, two of our twig went WoW the following year, and other twiggies became deeply committed to God. We had a lot of good times because we all (not just me, but everyone, including the 7 year old) had a voice in planning our day, our week, our goals, our expectations. Right at the beginning of the year, We decided what we wanted to achieve and set what seemed realistic goals. We all decided what we wanted in the house we would find to live in; the work we wanted to do; other things we wanted to do. When I am enthusiastic or passionate for something I really throw myself into it, and I think I made it hard for some in my family to keep up with me. My energy level and expectations were higher than theirs and sometimes I didn't take them into account as much as I should have done. For that, I am deeply sorry. And we did see God move quite spectacularly in some things. We simply taught people to love God and although we were in the program, it never became TWI-worship. I know for several individuals, whether or not they stuck around, we were able to give some considerable heart-healing. I think my experience may well have been much better than others because I was in another country, and it was the pilot program so not too much interference. However, this took place in the early to mid 90s when legalism was significantly increasing. One of the next-year WoWs won by my Family couldn't stand the legalism of the people he was with the following year and ran away in the middle of the night. He had been such a great guy, too; he'd come such a long way with us - you could see his life really opening up and light shining in his heart. For those of you who went out WoW 3 or even more times - hey, it can't have been all that bad. It really can't have been.

Hi Pond. I don't think pregnancy's an issue with the girlies. They weren't strays. Their mother (a pet) was brought in pregnant with the litter - the kits were born just a few days after the mother was brought in. When the Cats Protection League carer realised how heavily pregnant the mother was, she decided to let her have the litter, not have it taken away. The mother was terribly wild and would not allow human contact and defended her kits violently. They could not be handled during the crucial first 6 weeks which accustoms them to human contact, and cats after that period often have very great difficulty in accepting human contact though they can turn into nice cats to have around (I didn't know that till later!). The CPL lady managed to extract the first pair of kittens, then the second pair, but then she really defended very violently the remaining two (mine). She left big bite and deep scratch marks on the CPL carer. My first sight of Tuxy was a terrified cat rushing round a wire cage at head height, and clinging to the wire trying to escape. Both of them like to be near me but they do not like to be touched. So the learned behavior of my kittens (now adults) is that humans are to be fought off. They are not violent cats, just terrified, but getting much better. There are minute signs of progress every day, very minute, but generally going forward and not back. I liken it to perhaps myself being fondled by a huge gorilla. No matter how benevolent the gorilla might be, it's still vastly larger and more powerful, and I still wouldn't trust it not to attack me and would always be on my guard. I very much agree with spaying stray animals. There are too many unwanted animals and not enough homes for other animals. Animals definitely do have emotions about their offspring. I believe they do suffer grief at the loss of their young; also pride and delight in their young. Another little cat we had had a litter of three; one died very young, another was given away, and the third stayed with us. The mother, who had been so very proud of her litter and urged us to handle them right from birth (!) took against the kitten who had stayed with us and made its life a misery: we think she thought the kitten had killed the siblings. The kitten grew to be an adult cat but died at only about 9 years of age, cowed, miserable, and almost broken hearted. The mother cat was always hitting her though our other animals treated her nicely. I should say, my girlies got no opportunity to become pregnant before being spayed. Though they may well have come into season at least once, if I got their age right.

Y'know, we were told right from the beginning that there are no members of The Way. Did it say that in PFAL? I remember VPW saying on film that you couldn't "join" the Way but you were welcome at twigs, meetings, etc. Just the BoD are the "members" - the ones with control. Kinda gives a new meaning to not being a member, really, when you realize how few rights we had and the non-existent voice to speak up for the general direction of the "ministry" and use of the money. (Not that everyone in an organization having at least a 5 figure membership should have an equal voice, down to the newest "twiggie".)

Hmm, Pond, yes, the females are the hunters and catch the prey, etc. Tuxy is definitely the dominant one. What she wants, she gets - food, place to sleep, toy to play with, attention. Crypto is quiet and submissive. But as I posted earlier, seems to yell for food even if she never touches it. Crypto is scared and will run off if anything is unusual, a loud noise, a sudden movement. She seeks approval, in a hesitant sort of way. But she is shocking if she sees a fly or spider, a real terror. When I let them out I think she will be the better hunter. Not that Tuxedo will be any slouch. I understood them to be 15 months old when I got them. They were the last of the litter of 6 and the mother to be rehomed. All the other kittens and the mother have made nice cats and have settled well into their new homes, apparently. Just my two, unhandled till I got them, are difficult. They had just been spayed and their skin was shaved and the stitches still present when they arrived.

I recall one time I took a principle from the Blue Book, thought about it, and "translated" it into terms I myself might use, visual imagery that fit better for me and for people round me. I got the opportunity to teach this principle at a twig. It was met with bemused or blank expressions, raised eyebrows, pained looks, polite smiles... It wasn't that I got the principle wrong, it was that I wasn't using the required language. Although nobody said anything, the message I got quite clearly was: stick to the text of the Blue Book. Don't go putting your own "private interpretation" on what's in it. Speak the same language as the rest of us. Don't go thinking for yourself. As to what principle I was endeavoring to expound - I have no idea now. I just remember the reception. And I wasn't invited to "teach" again.

Can I borrow him for a while, see if he can teach The Girlies a thing or two?

Jeff: I really think "make it your own" meant "make my [VPW's] thinking your own" - learn to think exactly what VPW did. After all, the 1st century church was exhorted to follow (imitate) Paul; and then as the 1st century church in the 20th we were exhorted to follow (bleah) our father in the Word. He was getting us to indoctrinate ourselves. Find scriptures that supported what he had told us the "whole word" said. But you know how promptly any dissention, any individual thinking, any "could you explain how this fits with x, y and z" was met - one wasn't spiritually mature enough to understand. Easiest to say what it didn't mean: don't think for yourself. Don't think anything but what VPW said. Michael: there are several threads here about Way doublespeak. If you use My Assistant above and enter "doublespeak" it should show you a few older threads which you could pick up and add to, if interested. No need to start another thread.

Why??????? :blink: How many songs can you sing about spit, anyway? (LOL) But seriiously though folks: looks like this has gone as far as it can with a date. Possibly mid 70s. And tacitly approved by VPW. I would be so interested to know LCM's take on his catchphrase nowadays, but doubtless we will never know. Being as he himself is a grease spot.

I think Bob was PNG (M&A) by the time I got more deeply involved with TWI. So that would have been a while back.

Michael, I have two doors that need painting. I worry about how to paint without also painting the cats. Here are some pix of them in their new bed. You'll see it's a sort of enclosed thing with removable cushion. Once both parts have their own scents, I will put them together as one unit. Tuxy is Queen of the house in the "bed" (note how possessively she has her paw on the enclosure and her legs sprawled out to maximize the space she needs) and Crypto has the cushion in their box. They really love this cardboard box, which doesn't usually have anything but a cat in it. In true Crypto style, she is licking the fabric trying to suck the catnip spray off.

Wow, Potato, that's a bit of a turn-round. Musta been after they got really scared by LCM's shining example. No, wait, his example was to mate everyone in the household. I have a dim recollection somewhere (CFS??) of VPW saying that some rules applied when we were younger but not necessarily when we were older. You tell a five year old not to do something (for his own good - like not crossing the road alone) but you don't need to tell a 25 year old, who has by now learned how to cross safely. I think the inference (don't think it was explicit) was that sex was out for young kids/ teenagers but for adults it was a normal part of life. Sound familiar, anyone?

Well, dunno, they managed with that Youtube video. Which they quickly got pulled. God: "Just ... stop ... please, just...stop."

While they were singing, of course, George. Anyway, I agree with Bolshevik. 47. Ah, wait, isn't that that answer to the universe or something? I just looked where I keep my pins but there are no angels in there.

A man got blamed for something? :blink: Potato - "All were expressly forbidden" - ????? C'mon, don't make me laugh. Or do you mean, forbidden in the sense of whetting the appetite to do exactly the opposite?