smitty

Thanks for the replys! I forgot to mention that I did have my share of crap like everyone ! I was just thinking about all of the things that have happened in my life as a direct result of my involvement in da vay. Yea, we got out before LCM's reign of terror.

I have spent a lot of years coming here to read others experiences and learning how to move on. I would like to list the major changes that took place in my life as a result of my involvement with The Way. 1. I was a reefer addict and had done many other mind altering substances for many years. My involvement gave me the desire and strength to get cleaned up. You people who have been addicted know how deep the pit can be... 2. I was given the opportunity and avenue to leave my home town and become a man on the WOW field. We had to learn at least partially how to depend on God for much of everything. 3. I met my wife of 33 years on the field and as a result, I am the proud parent of three beautiful daughters who each love God and demonstrate in their own way. My wife and I have shared unbelievable journeys and adventures together. 4. While at Rome City I had the thrill of working the farm, tending livestock and experiencing the hitch hiking to LEAD. I saw God's beautiful creation up close and was pushed as hard as I had ever been pushed. The saying"whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." is applicable here. 5. We were assigned to twig coord in Lakeland Fl. The adventure of getting there was unreal. We had $1000.00 and a 68 chevy van. We left WV with my 56 chevy in tow. By the way, Nancy was 8 months pregnant. 6..I learned a trade while in Fl that has sustained my family for 30 years. I am a paperhanger with a college degree! It is as if I was made to hang paper. I still love to go to work! 7. Nancy gave birth to 2 of our children in our bedroom with no problems. We relied upon God because we simply had nothing else to rely on. Our third was our miracle baby that God saved alive who today is a strong wonderful woman. 8. We were sent to SC where we have been since 86. We left the Way in 87 and haven't looked back since. There are many more thing to write about, but none of these things would have occured if Donnie Fugit and crew hadn't come to town in 71. Sure my life would have been different, but I kind of like the way it has played out. Sure I have some regrets, but so far so good. I no longer believe much of anything from PFAL. but God is real in my life and heart. So I guess you could say that my experience. however uncommon or different from some of yours, was ok in the long run. I detest many of the things that happened in the way, and my heart regrets how much of a follower I became. Am I wiser? I hope so! But I love my life and take the time to thank God and praise Him for it! I can't help or change what happened in my life or in any of your, either, so I am just another dude on the planet who's life is so out of my ability to control it that I am just livin it day to day... I am rambling now. Hope to see many replys!

An awesome rendering, history of what it was, thanks for sharing

Does anybody know of the location of Jeff and his lovey wife? They were 1st corps I think. Were in West Virginia in 72 before Mike Smith came. Thanks....

Great thread! Nancy and I will be celebrating 30 years in August. She is my best friend and companion. Old love is la beautiful thing, all of the pretense and doubts are over and a calm settles over. You are free to be yourself and you have someone to be yourself with! We met as WOWS in Davenport Ia in 75. She was my branch leader, 5th corps and I was a mere West Virginia hillbilly. Now she is no longer my branch leader, even though she my try to tell me what to do! LOL

Pond, A well said treatis! It IS Finihsed! He is Lord and Savior. Thanks for the excellent post

LEAD A death defying, hitchhiking, leap of faith, that may include any or all of the following; Freezing, hunger, danger, latrines, sunburn, no smokes, dirty hair and body, carrying used toilet paper in a baggie all day long to be thrown in the campfire at night, no coffee, heavy backpacks and a oneday and night "duo" with God.

Leaders Meeting... A mind numbing waste of time where a "leader" bloviates for hours on end oblivious to the fact that most of those present HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW!!! Same definition can apply to, "Twig Meeting", After Glow", and " Branch meeting".

Well said!! I should be so wise as to be able to put that into such powerful words. I hope that I don't sound flip or silly, but I feel exacly the same way!! Thankyou for helping me see in writing what I have been thinking for some time now! Sincerely, Smitty

I want all to note that John and Hope paid me well for wallpapering at their home. We also had a card party or some game and drank some beers! I remember the LC's being surprised when I presented them with a bill for wallpapering at their place. I seem to remember that they paid me later,, but weren"t too "blessed " about it! You guys need any papering done? I'm retiring in a few years and won't be available!!!

I remember at Corps week long ago, a buddy of mine got reproved for not having a good attitude while working in the breakfast tent. He replied " Hell, I paid good money to work here!" I remember laughing at that TRUE statement, we paid with blood, sweat and tears, not to mention our most valuable asset, time!. I worked on limb cars,bc's cars, twig leaders cars, wallpapered rooms,, raked leaves,painted houses,repaired plumbing, fixed roofs, etc, but all of that labor added to the things that I can do well for myself and others WHEN I WANT TO!! Sorry for yelling.

Now this is the kind of stuff that keeps me coming back again and again! Just when I think that I am all over it and don't want to think about Der Vey, a topic like this comes up and with it comes some of the most wacked out ideas that I have ever heard! Thanks for the great enertainment CK!!!

How about the all important teaching called "jet packing" ? I still use that skill when I travel. I was also taught how to sweep out a horse stall at Rome City!!!!

Thank you to all of you who posted. You know that we all have mixed emotions, feelings, and memories. I have friends here in South Carolina who have never lived anywhere other than here, and who have never had a LEAD moment, pushing yourself beyond what you thought you coluld do, stepping out into space, trusting God to take care of you. I am thankful and unthankful about all of it at the same time. We are all the sum total of everytrhing that we have done, and I am in a happy place in my life as a reult of all that went before. Do I sometimes wish that some things were different? Sure I do. I wish I had some hair on my head!! I must say that in all of it, I don't blame God for anything. He has directed my paths and still does. I remain thankful for it all.

It was about this time of year in 1971 that I had my first meeting up with some cool folks from the Way. They came to West Virginia to get some people for a film PFAL class. Man was that an exciting time! I was sure that I had found the truth! I rate this pivital event as having the most profound affect on the rest of my life as anything I have done before or since. Getting a college degree, first car, first kiss, first "all the way", pot smoking ,LSD, all pale next to getting involved in the Way. For the next 17 years, where I lived, what I did with my time, who I married, what I did for a living,a nd how I prepared for the future, were all done in accordance with what I felt God wanted me to do in the confines of the Way. Now that I am "out " longer than I was" in ," I can still feel the tugs of wrong teaching coming up in my mind at times., Nancy had two of our children in our bedroom, because we had no money to get a doctor! All turned out well with the births, thanks be to God, but we had to do that because of the depth of our involvement with "moving the Word'. That is just one example of how powerful the grip was by the Way. I am sure each one of you all have similiar stories to tell. I can't think of anything else in my life that has had so powerful of an affect on so much of my life other than my marriage to Nancy.