Georgio Jessio

"okay i gotta tell this one. a fellow i "got into the word" ha ha ha ha ha ha was a virgin it seems. he got revelation that i should undershepherd him in all his ways...." Did he turn out to be a big shot leader, cuz he definetly had the requirements down.

Well I think healing is available but is not "the norm". AFteer all, we are born to die. But I believe miracles can happen. What I don't believe is that TWI's borderline televangelist apporach was genuine. I had been "ministered to" by people who were trying to impress myself and way leaders. That kind of motivation won't impress God and in the end is totally dishonest. They were nothing more than long winded pseudo prayers laced with descriptive visions that were allegedly revelation. I was a kid and I knew it was crap. Also remember that Thomas's post said "I don't know what the heck he thought about what had just happened, but I bet he was healed" So we don't even know what happened there. I will say this: I was hit by a car on the WOW field and the entire Northeast WOW program had a prayer vigil (sp?) and my healing baffled the doctors. Prayer can work, healing can happen but not all prayers are answered and not all christians are healed of all maladies. Don't let my incident of false prayer tell you anything more than: we were in a cult and weird things happened.

When I was a kid in the WOW program my naive 19 year old WOW siter brought this obviously gay guy to tiwg. I mean this guy wore clogs, had a lisp, wore a purse and gestured like a 12 year old girl. He sat thru twig and giggled at evrything, almost cried laughing at the SIT's. Then afterwards he was flipping thru "The Queering of America" issue of Heart Magazine. The one that says that Cagney and Lacey were secretly lesbians and had a gay looking Uncle Sam on the cover. He laughed at that and left. When he left my WOW family was trying to figure out where we went wrong, why he didn't want to take the class or come back to twig. I was 11 years old at the time and said "maybe because he's a homo". Everyone looked at me like I had three heads. This was 1981 , before the Political Correct era, so it wasn't because I said "homo". It just never occured to them that this guy was gay. Next day my WOW sister comes home from work and says she spoke to the guy and he told her he was gay. Calls wen out to out Limb leader and an announcment was made "Georgio got revelation!" People cried tears of joy and wonderment at how amazing it was that a child could be so in tune with God. It was declared that I had a heightened ability to discern the "spirit of homosexuality" Rediculous.

I remember several times being prayed for when I was sick and having some blowhard get "revelation", close their eyes extra tight so they can visualize my ailments and say things like "Lord I rebuke the excessive white blood cells from clogging Georgio's corpusles, I thank you for clearing the waves of nerve damage in his precious little head and for removing the clotting membranes in his lungs so he can breath freely and rejoice in your word. I pray that you heal the damaged arteries that are hindering oxogyn from flowing to his extremities and I thank you for restoring the damaged cells that are attacking his immune system and causing the pain that has been building behind his neck. I thank you for restoring the flow of calcium to his bones and for seperating the poison in his systen from his healthy blood. blah blah blah" I would be thinking "I have a sprained ankle dude." Meanwhile my mother would sit there crying at the amazing insight this guy had, seeing my illnesses and rebuking them. he was really "walking". Freakin rediculous. I remember this happened once at a healing service at ROA where some total stranger wouldn't ask you what was wrong and would just launch into these irrelevent vision induced healing prayers. I remember thinking "when I am 18 I am SOOOOO out of here".

"And quoting JB's private communications like that is no way to gain credibility... with anyone. It puts a face of deceit on all of us here. I know I will think twice now before I ever send a intended-to-be private e-mail to GJ. " Well I guess I'm gonna need a new pen pal then since Mike is out. But seriously folks, learn now that emails are NOT to be assumed to be private. If I wanted to broadcast what someone says to me in snail mail, a phone conversation or any other form of communication, I can. There's no assumed contract of privacy. Especially with email, which can be snooped on and forwarded. That's what the "FORWARD" and "BCC" buttons are for. If you want privacy (secrecy) then stick with your close friends and hope that you can trust them. There was nothing in my conversation with JB that was so sensitive that it should be hidden from the public. He didn't tell me anything personal about his private life. We were discussing his "public" website and message board. If you don't want people to know what you said then don't hit the SEND button because after that it's out of your hands. Also, I did not print it to "gain credibility". I posted it because it was entertaining and informative. Mostly because it was funny and relative to the topic. "It puts a face of deceit on all of us here" Crap. I didn't deceive anyone and didn't put any kind of face on anyone here. We are individuals, I didn't do anything in the name of this site or, especially in the name of Mike. "I congratulate JB for what good he tried to do, and I hope they at TWI try again. But many here have given them a reason to give up." They have plenty of reason to give up but it has nothing to do with G.Spot Cafe. "Forgetting, or refuting, or killing the past, and reaching forth to the future, is a Christian concept, and those who practice those things shouldn't be condemned for it." Yeah unless you are pretending that what's in the present is in the past. "Old news, 20 years ago" is pretty much an all out lie. And Christians shouldn't be telling fibs.

Ok here's my conversation with JB: JB: I haven't ignored your request for a mail address at familytables. There has been some turmoil on the website with many critics coming in being rude and disruptive. That occurred about the time I intended to make some major changes for the one year anniversary of the site. I put parts of it "under construction". The new stuff coming will be a great improvement. Can you tell me a bit about yourself. Most request for a mail address have come from people that I know or at least know their names. Who is a region leader in Boston? Who is your Branch Leader? How are you enjoying the current teaching theme? Bless, webmaster Me: I have no idea who my region or Branch leader are. What was said to be rude or disruptive? Very curious. JB: I was honest with you and asked you specific questions. You ignored my questions and responded in an arrogant surely manner. You can't possibly think I would grant your request with this sort of behavior, can you? mail address request DENIED Me: Oh my. I was honest with you too. What did I say that was "arrogant and surely"? I didn't realise that not knowing my leaders was a deal breaker! You ignored MY questions and I'm not mad about it at all. I don't know what I said to upset you. All I was saying was: you were critisized, so what? As Christians, main stream people are going to give us crap. I welcome it. I'm not bothered by critics. It's the internet. If you want to avoid critics, them cyberspace is going to be a tough place for you. Please explain why you're so mad at me. I don't get it! Your reply shocked me! JB: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Who We Are: We are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and participate in the fellowships of The Way International. The familytables website is about sharing that common bond. The definition of our ministry is printed in the table of contents in every issue of The Way Magazine. It is reprinted here: The Way is a fellowship of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ for the manifestation of the more abundant life. A follower of The Way is filled with and manifests power from on high, holy spirit, and freely avails himself of fellowship meetings for spiritual nurture and growth. The Way fellowship is cemented together by the Spirit of God with each individual believer being transformed by the renewing of his mind according to the Word of God. The Way International has a website where you can learn more about this ministry: http://www.theway.org This is who the website serves. You are free to look around but a mailing address from this site is reserved for the followers of The Way Int. Again: Who is your Way ministry region leader? Who is your Way ministry branch leader? Me: Well John I am not a member of this church and I have no idea who my region or branch leaders are. Perhaps you can direct me to them so I can learn more. I looked at the website and didn't see any info on how I join. How do I join? Now, you have ignored my questions twice. I also asked what I said to upset you. Yet I didn't call you arrogant and surely ;)--> JB: We have no formal membership, just active participants. If you would like to be contacted by some one in The Way in your area, let me know. Something can be arranged. Most of our activities revolve around fellowship meetings in homes, and larger meetings every month or two. The familytables website is done by followers for followers. It's not an official function of The Way International. Hence it does not officially represent anything but some of us followers. The site was conceived for young people ages 13 to 29 although many adults have visited as well. When we stated the website, we had not actually prepared for non-followers to participate on the website, just didn't think about it. Recently some pseudo-Christians and anti-Christians came and began to post messages of animosity toward our Christian kids, the Bible and even promoted homosexuality to the kids using the site's interactive features. It wasn't just critics... it was an attack. I have to sort out who is who. I'm sorry but perhaps you can see my dilemma. I have been forced to become distrusting. Check out the website below and let me know if you would like to talk to some one in Boston about The Way's fellowships and activities. Me: Well I have learned about many disrurbing things about The Way and will refrain from being involved. Thanks. JB: Old news - very very old 20 year old news. Most of those people didn't look to the Word of God, instead they focused on people. Always a disappointment. Most of those websites have not been updated for years. Some people are still harping about very old history. I am not ignorant of the past. I lived through it. I know what occurred and why. It's not about people, never was, it's about the Word of God. It's a spiritual battle. Make up your own mind about people who still are bitter 20 years later. Believe what you will but focus on the Word of God, not people. What is your center for truth? The Word of God or people's opinions? Me: Well when it comes to God my center of truth is The Bible. But when it comes to an orginization made by men, and let's face it that's what churches are, I feel I can speak to people about their experiences. After all I am speaking to you to get the other side of the story and you're giving me your opinion. I can't read the Bible to find out if The Way is the answer to my search for truth. I am not sure that all of these problems are from what happened 20 years ago. There are several current law suits involving sexual mis conduct and another one about ex members trying to visit their child's grave. Not everything I know was 20 years old. Plus The Way is just not accessable. Their own website is vague and doesn't include contact info. What is that about? I have questions and can't find answers. That's just odd. Tell those guys to get with the future! JB: If you have questions There is a snail mail address on The Way's website. The Way is very analog. They have very little presence on line and don't even do a lot of email. Most of their business they take care of via snail mail and phone calls. Also, a lot of information about events is disseminated via its own structure in the form of announcements at meetings. I forwarded your contact info to our state director, Rev. M**n***n, full time staff South East Region. He will get it to Rev. G******h who is full time staff in the New England Region. How or how fast, I don't know but requests for a local contact person are not unusual. As to you other comment. "And tell those guys to get with the future! haha." There are some of us who have been saying that for years. However, The Way H.Q. in Ohio is super conservative about spending money on infrastructure. It took several years to get them to put up a website. It is probably done by the magazine staff, where they have editors and artists but not really web-savvy people. I suspect that it is an after-hours volunteer thing as well but I don't know who actually does it.

I tried to join and got an email form their webmaster that said "who is your area and branch leader?" I wrote back and said "I don't know" He wrote back and said "You are surly and arrogant: access denied." I am really tired but I'll post the entire conversation tomorrow. it's hilarious. he refered me to my former family corps coordinator (BM) and told me to write a letter to HQ if i wanted to join the forum. yet the site is allegedly not associated with TWI. When I asked him for an email adress at HQ he replied "The Way is very analog,use snail mail" That's a great excuse to avoid communication. "Sorry I'm very analog"

I never got a reference but I did find out that my associates degree in theology is useless.

The Way has no members , only followers. They still use that one.

"it didn't matter if you didn't have feelings towards the other corps person, any two believers could make it together especially corps." I saw this practiced. It was so obviously an absured idea I can't belive we bought it. I saw some people who had no business even dating , get engaged. There was one woman who would hook up with someone from Emporia who would be at Rome City for a semester, she'd end up engaged and it would break up within months. I also used to work the "corps weddings" every year. Two years in a row a couple called it off the night before. So we had to make new programs, a new cake, new seating chart, adjust the menu, etc with a few hours notice. We always pulled it off but what a pain in the butt. If any two corps can work it out then why didn't they? Many many break ups, many divorces. One of the many reasons I'm happy to be OUT is that I had a nice wedding that ceebrated our love and our families. Not some mass wedding full of perfect strangers.

so did I.

I've posted either here or on Waydale about the incompetence that left my mother with a forever broken back. She's never recovered and was chastised because she wasn't "walking in the spirit". She walked right off of a mountain side and took a violent fall because a LEADer told her, a middle aged woman from The Bronx, to go back to camp to retrieve something, take a left at the oak tree and a right at the maple tree. She tried to tell them that she didn't know the difference between trees an she was reproved for not remembering what she had been taught. She obediently went , misunderstood the difference between trees and took a terrible fall. She came home early from LEAD and I wasn't told that she had returned or that she had been in an accident. We had "sub parents": Fellow corps that kept an eye on the kids while Family Corps parents went lead. They knew she was back and didn't tell me. They continued to act as my parents while my mother was being kept away from me. I heard thru the grapevine that she was back and had gotten hurt because "her believing wasn't there". I demended to see her and get some info and finally was allowed to see her days later. I couldn't sleep knowing my mother was hurt, I wasn't allowed to see her or have any info. It was torture. Many were talking about it in front of me, making my mother look bad without regard to my feelings. She wasn't allowed to go to a doctor until she reached a level of pain that was turned around on her as a lack of believing. It was all her fault. She was never treated and now her bones are fused incorrectly. Oldies man: It is neglegent and unreasonable to require people to hitch hike across the country.

I am in touch with CS. I knew Barb and the Chriscolli's but have no idea. Do I know you? I was f9 and am in touch with junior corps grads from f7-f11. Drop me a line. email in my pofile.

I saw him recently on the Tower of Power tour. He also travels doin drum clinics at music stores. You might be able to contact him thru this site: http://www.bumpcity.com/bandmembers/garibaldi.html

"When cgeer "pulled the curtain" in 1986.......he only pulled the curtain PART WAY. Standing center stage, exposed for all to see, were craig, don and howard.......just as cgeer had planned." It's a testament to Craigs lack of brainpower to allow that to have happened. He was humiliated in front of the entire corps. It was surreal. And, yes, Geer was enjoying himself.

"Which tape is this?" It was a tape sent to all corps after thre stick really started to hit the fan. It was ominous when it came in the mail, with "Tape to Corps" as the only info on it. By then, in my late teens, I wasn't in the habit of rushing to the tape player when a tape came in the mail from HQ. Usually some teaching that I could get to later. But this tape was so ominous looking that I popped it in immidiately. As soon as it was done , my decision was made. Bye bye TWI. He was deranged on that tape. Very weird. I know I have a copy somewhere.

1983. He was sleeping with a girl barely out of jr. corps and also asked my mother to "help him pee" and exposed himself. Yet we stayed for 3 more years...

Interesting article that relates tho this topic... http://www.precastconcrete.org/~messiah7/rec_geerclone.htm

And he carried a gun to corps meetings, bragged about it. Yikes don't miss that dude.

With all the crap that was going on, the last straw was Geer's "Tape to Corps" that was the last straw for us. He basicly gave the entire corps an ultimatum. We took option B. He was so arrogant on that tape it blew my mind. I still have it and at first, when I thought I was making a mistake leaving TWI, I would listen to that tape and say "oh yeah, they're lunatics". The next to last straw was Craig at Corps Week, taking an abusive tounge lashing fro Geer in front of everyone culminating with Craigs prayer "Well Lord, we sure are sorry..." It was a ocntest between a psychopath and a baffoon.

May have mentioned this before. Anyone know Martha Leberge? She got married , Leberge is her maiden name. She was a wow with me in Boston in 1980...

Jeez Oldiesman , I might know you. I was in the Bronx in then 70s. Boglioli, Vuto, JAL era. As For Me ANd The Bronx We Shall Seve The Lord. Stilll have that shirt somewhere. Also was in Spanish Twig with The Valez's. Anyway I went to 20 schools from K-12. About 2 scools per year. This did wonders for my social life. I was ALWAYS the new kid. Keep in mind I was in Rome City for two years. I went WOW four times, lived in four non WOW Way homes and was relocated during one WOW year. Fun.

The Guest Book and Message board are down. The last thing they want is the free flow of ideas. There were some funny posts on the guest book about Craig being gone and "is it safe to come back to TWI". They were deleted and soon the whole board and guest book were yanked. Must be sad to require one to shelter one's self away from the world.

"I don't think he treated him that way. I think he thought he was taking the man's ideas and pursuing him." There was definetly a period towards the end of VPW's life that Craig and the Trustees treated VPW like an old man who was out to pasture. They ignored and even mocked him.

I have thought about this at length. When Craig was picked , people were surpsised. But since it was 'revelation' people accepted it. Now, since it's obvious that no revelation occured, what made Vic chose Craig? The answer is, I have no idea and can't figure it out. The only thing I can think is Craig talked him into it, lobbied for the job, made the other candidates look bad and yes conned Vic. There is no defense to treat vic the way Craig did. BUT I was around Vic at that time and the general 'backstage" perception was that Vic was losing it, senile, alzhimers, whatever. Even members of Vic's family would talk about how Vic was losing his mind. That gave Craig more power and an excuse to write off his 'mentor'.