New Forum User

[SimoneV]

]Hi all,

Yes im new too. My name is Simone Vanover-Garcia, I live in Tijuana, just across the San Diego border.

I took some time to read some of the intro post for other new users and well, my story may be a little lack luster compared to others. Nothing extreme or spectacular.

I was young, 17 when I met a guy by the name of Steve in San Diego, through my aunt who had been dating him. He was a believer and a wonderful person, also a corp grad I think. He had come to our house a couple of times and just had something about him. Of coarse he witnessed to both my aunt and I. She went to a fellowship and I didnt. It took a few months to get me to finally commit. Only after all my excuses were gone.

That was in the summer of 1987' By the holidays I was taking the pfal class and by the Rock of Ages 88' I left my family friends and home to disappear for a year as a wow embassador. I never kept contact with my family, my mother, because I knew that they would just send for me and get in the way of my walk with God or so I was told. The adversary would use any means to detour me from my goal, which was to walk with God. I separated myself and delved deep into my studies. Most of which took on the topic of demonoligy. LOl I think I made up that word. I studied and tried to identify all the demons and what they did. From devil possesion to spiritual influences in everyday life.

A lot was happening at the time. There was much discord and twi began to break up. Leaders were leaving, C Martindale was changing things that VP had established. People werent happy. We were in Toledo and close to Lima, Oh HQ. So we had the advantage of being in close contact with staffers and so forth. Much info trickled our way. Through the corp leaders and various other friends we had there.

Two of my wow house mates are still in. I talked to our ,house leader at the time, a few months ago and she told me that they were leaders of branches in Idaho and Georga. I had wondered what had happened to them after all was said and done. So I found her. We wrote a couple emails and I havnt heard back again, nor have I tried to contact them again. Once I told her I was no longer associated wth twi, I felt like she thought I was there to hinder them and took a defensive mode.

At the end of 89' I went back to San Diego and rejoined my twig at the home of the Tulak's. I lived there for awhile with a few number of other people. The splits and discord had trickled even further down and had been stewing for a couple years. Our twig leaders recieved a letter from HQ and CM asking for a stand within the ministry. A short time later my twig leader recieved a letter from twi once again, only this time telling him that they had chosen to separte themselves from us and a few others across the country for varios biblical reasons. (Which some of you may know, I wont go into that) I dont remember what year that was. Maybe in 91' or 92'.

It was a touph time. I gradually stopped going because the pain of all that had taken place was pretty hard. I wasnt really aware of being in a cult, or rather fanatically denied it. My experiances with twi were good ones and I feel Im am the better for it. I saw many works of God in those days. Oddly enouph many of those people who were manefesting these works were some of the first to leave or were asked to leave. Imagine that....

Now in retropect I see and understand why. Although I do miss that type of fellowship and intamacy, of which I have yet to find again, I dont think I could blindly sacrifice the accuracy of Gods word for it. [/font]

[bliss]

Welcome Simone,

Hola, como esta?

You are in good company. Muy bueno.

If you truly want to have an intimate relationship with God via His Word, then I would suggest you put all Way teachings aside. Get down on your knees and ask the Lord to show you what you need to know, and where to go.

Then, start from scratch. After you start allowing the Holy Spriit to teach you (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27), go back and look at the Way teachings with a fresh pair of eyes. Then, you can eat the meat and spit out the bones.

There is a beautiful life with God available to ALL those who seek Him.

The biggest thing that I have learned since leaving is that is KNOWING HIM is the key, not just knowing ABOUT HIM. In the Way all I did was know about HIM. Now I know HIM intimately.

God bless you! Via con Dios!

bliss doesn't know if she is spelling intim tam itely right.........

Edited September 27, 2006 by bliss

[Suda]

Welcome, Simone. We are glad to have you here.

Suda

[coolchef]

welcome simone

[excathedra]

hi simone thanks for your post

[Nottawayfer]

Simone,

Welcome!

I know what you mean about missing the type of fellowship and intimacy you had in twi. Trust me from my faily recent experiences in twi in San Diego. You won't find that anywhere in twi, much less twi in San Diego. I lived in San Diego when I left twi for good. That was in 2002.

I found a great church and an awesome small group in Tierra Santa. Finding that church helped me to understand that kind of fellowship and intimacy I had in twi was a farce. Their trashing of other christians was not christian. There are other christians out there who do enjoy great fellowship together. Don't let your euhporia of twi keep you form getting what you want. You will find it if you look for it.

As you read through experiences peopel had in twi, you will see it never really was what we were led to believe it was. TWI was a lie. There were many ungodly things going on.

Take care,

T