Close Encounters of the TWI Kind

[JavaJane]

My husband ran into an old fellowship "friend" a while back. He had a nice conversation with the guy, decided they would get together to hang out with another one of his old friends. He came home and I told him - "watch out." Hubby said, "no, they wouldn't try and get me back in! They see the problems with the ministry, he said they understood!"

I told him that the problem won't be with his friends, it will be when they tell the leadership they want to hang out with him. I told him that they think they are saving him from the adversary's evil ways…

First of all, you need to understand that my husband is the one who got me out of twi. He left before I did. He is not easily manipulated, he is not weak. He encourages me to think and question him when we don't agree. He taught me how to stand up for myself and gets upset when he thinks I am being too much the sweet little woman that I learned to be in twi. That's what makes this all so very very strange.

Anyway, he got a call from his buddy the next day asking if he wanted to go hang out at a restaurant. I warned him again to be careful. He said we had nothing to worry about. He didn't come home that night until after midnight, and he was not the same person he was when he left - it was like he was drugged. Apparently the local WC had "just happened" to be in the same place sitting at another table. They introduced themselves and stayed at the other table for a while before leaving. I asked him if he considered this strange - he said it was, but that he had such a wonderful time with his buddies… oh, yes. It was so good to talk about "the Word"… they had told him how the fellowships they had were so much better than they used to be. That they weren't legalistic, that "the Word" was moving and people were getting delivered. My husband was so excited. It was as if he had forgotten all the horrible things we had been through. He said he wanted to go back to fellowship, "just to check it out."

I then asked him if his friends had sooooooo much freedom to run their wonderful fellowship, then why did their WC overseers have to come and babysit them when they met with him? Why couldn't they be trusted on their own? Was it really just coincidence that they just "happened" to show up at the same restaurant??

The entire thing was completely and utterly surreal. The next day he called his friend and told him he would still like to be friends with them and hang out, but he would not be coming to fellowship, and he didn't want to hang out with the WC people.

The guy never called him back.

Anyone else have this sort of experience when running into those still in?

[TrustAndObey]

Wow.. Thanks for sharing.. Hehe.. I have had many a meetings with many of old friends still in and many now out but in other churches.. But those in TWI and its offshoots, I always liked how they elevate "THE WORD" above it all.. With phrases like, we shared "the word" with one another, or "the word" was moving and hot, or you need to know "the word", it's the power of "the word" in your mind! I'm mean, are we talking about the living word, Christ, or is it this here black and white printed book?.. I mean, really, it seemed like the black and white words were coming alive and dancing after conversations with them. Kinda creepy

Last TWI encounter I had, well it was a couple of them all at once (after a funeral of a prior believer that had left).. I let the TWIers ask the questions since I didn't want to look like the guy trying to pursuade them against it. If they didn't ask, I wasn't pushing. But they usually bite since they usually are trying to push their beliefs and get you to come back.. So I had this one friend, honest guy, ask me why I left, so the door was open. But wouldn't you know, Mr. I am in charge of this group of TWIers come over and told my friend, "Don't talk to this guy. We need to go.". So I tried to diffuse the guy, telling him this was a free country. That only got him more upset. Course, he got so upset he just walked off angry cause he knew I wasn't backing down and it only made him look more like an ar$e. And continued on explaining why I left and what I saw. Didn't pursuade him to leave, but he agreed he saw the same issues, but the local fellowship was sweeter. Yeah, well, not interested! I saw the "I'm in charge" guy a few more times in following week (meeting of friends of the deceased) and each time, he was sure to stay far away from me.. Acted like I had cooties or something! lol..

[Gen-2]

First of all, you need to understand that my husband is the one who got me out of twi. He left before I did. He is not easily manipulated, he is not weak. He encourages me to think and question him when we don't agree. He taught me how to stand up for myself and gets upset when he thinks I am being too much the sweet little woman that I learned to be in twi. That's what makes this all so very very strange. (& etc....)

Good for him! He married a woman and not a puppet!

Anyone else have this sort of experience when running into those still in?

Yes. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to tell that story.

[What About It]

I saw J@cque H*rney at the grocery store a couple weeks ago. She was in a hurry and we chatted for a couple minutes, but she made it clear to me: I like you less now than even the little bit I liked you when you were in residence and when we worked together in the same department at HQ. It wasn't anything she said, but it's just the way she is. She has "pets" as we used to call them when I was in residence, and if you weren't one of her pets, then you were always on her $#1t list. If you were her pet, then you could do no wrong. If I see her again, maybe I'll ask her about arranging the women for the man of God to boink when he came to Gunnison. Then we can see if she likes me even less.

Edited June 14, 2010 by What About It

[OldSkool]

If I see her again, maybe I'll ask her about arranging the women for the man of God to boink when he came to Gunnison. Then we can see if she likes me even less.

I understand she used to arrange certain women work in guest housing or do housekeeping in Cabin 12 when The Forehead needed to be serviced. Anyone add some substantiation to this?

[chockfull]

I saw J@cque H*rney at the grocery store a couple weeks ago. She was in a hurry and we chatted for a couple minutes, but she made it clear to me: I like you less now than even the little bit I liked you when you were in residence and when we worked together in the same department at HQ. It wasn't anything she said, but it's just the way she is. She has "pets" as we used to call them when I was in residence, and if you weren't one of her pets, then you were always on her $#1t list. If you were her pet, then you could do no wrong. If I see her again, maybe I'll ask her about arranging the women for the man of God to boink when he came to Gunnison. Then we can see if she likes me even less.

Ah yes, the madam of Cabin 12.

[OldSkool]

Ah yes, the madam of Cabin 12.

You see, I have a theory. Her having pets was all part of the selection process. Go ahead shoot holes in it.

[Bolshevik]

sometimes I see those yellow stickers on the cars in parking lots . . . sometimes I have to talk myself out of stuff . . .

[TrustAndObey]

Well, you guys, I don't think we should be tossing these rumors around.. I mean, there is no verifiable proof of her helping the forehead to the endless amount of in-res and staff women coming and going through.. Or even that she herself might have had relations that ended in progeny.. Honestly.. All speculation until it comes out in court.. So maybe we shouldn't talk about such things..

Course, it has been whispered. And we all know how those whispers might have some form of truth..

[OldSkool]

Course, it has been whispered. And we all know how those whispers might have some form of truth..

A rumors not a rumor that doesn't die - from The Usual Suspects. Great movie. I don't want to plagiarize yanno!

[waysider]

I understand she used to arrange certain women work in guest housing or do housekeeping in Cabin 12 when The Forehead needed to be serviced. Anyone add some substantiation to this?

Oh, limb leaders had "cleaning ladies", too, who assisted with various household duties when said limb leaders' wives were away on ministry business. (1970s)

[chockfull]

sometimes I see those yellow stickers on the cars in parking lots . . . sometimes I have to talk myself out of stuff . . .

Because yellow of course is coincidentally the same color as egg yolks.

[Ham]

Ah yes, the madam of Cabin 12.

I thought she was one of loy's "pets"..

[OldSkool]

I thought she was one of loy's "pets"..

I have heard that from those in the know as well.

I was also told by folks who were in-residence when this went on that she used to arrange situations.

[Ham]

ya know.. this was supposed to be a freaking CHURCH for crying out loud..

we sent tithes and offerings into a brothel..

[OldSkool]

ya know.. this was supposed to be a freaking CHURCH for crying out loud..

we sent tithes and offerings into a brothel..

Well now that about sums it up, my friend.

[Ham]

I would have been better off driving through downtown flint or detroit.. rolling down the windows, and throwing the money out..

at least nobody would have confronted me or thrown me out of town or anything..

[OldSkool]

No, and getting shot probably has a shorter recovery time!

[Ham]

But as far as close encounters of the TWI kind..

*they* never gave me an offer to come back..

its almost comical..

there is one family I run into a member at least once a year..

They say.. "say hello to so and so (the ex).."

I say "wonderful.. how is so and so doing? (they kicked own kid out of the house.. )"

"oh, they are doing FINE..."

[Ham]

its really, really weird..

like some kind of strange waltz..

strange dance..

Natives had a name for them.

José Grecos de Muertos.

anybody who gets that reference.. wins the boobie prize..

The flamenco dancers of death..

[Gen-2]

Because yellow of course is coincidentally the same color as egg yolks.

There goes my fam-ah-lee, I know they are,...

I can tell by the yellow bumper sticker that is stuck, On their car,...

I take my keys out, I start to smile for a long, long while

but I don't key'em when I know I could, I got style.

[Bolshevik]

Or you could just leave printouts of GSC under the wiper blades . . . like stories about the motor coach . . . don't know if that's classy . . . but I get a chuckle . . . not about the near future

[Abigail]

Not too long after I left, I foisted a close encounter upon them. They were telling people I had taken a break and was coming back. The branch coordinators even told a friend of mine I had been invited to their son's open house and would likely attend. Of course, I never received my invitation, but seen as how I heard it had been extended, I decided to show up. The fear on their faces was worth the trip. :) They knew that I knew, they knew I had been on the internet. They were terrified I'd take others out with me. I didn't have to, they managed to do that all on their own. :)

My twig coordinators' had a son same age as my oldest. Both boys played soccer on different teams. One night the two teams were playing each other and there they were, acting like they didn't see me. I walked up and said hello, asked them how they were. They squirmed. Never saw them at a game after that, even though the two teams played several more against each other.

Of course, that was all a long time ago. I haven't run into anyone still in TWI in probably 8 years now. Not sure if TWI even has anyone left in this area.

[Abigail]

Here's the thing though. I was able to do what I did because I was mad, I was amused, and I was afraid. I was mad because at that point I was pretty darned sure I had been had. I don't like being conned, not out of money and most definitely not out of 10 years of my life. I was amused, because I knew they would be afraid. They lied, liars are always afraid. And I too was afraid. I had that little nagging doubt, pestering me, "what if they were right and I was wrong?" I had to face that fear and find out. I couldn't spend the rest of my life with that fear eating away at me.

[JavaJane]

I still keep in contact with a couple twi innies, but it's long distance and neither of them trust WC enough to let them know they keep in contact with me. I don't usually hear much about twi from them other than b!+ching. And the occassional weird "believing" or "believer" remark.

I'm thankful I don't live in an area where I would run into people I know are involved. The IHOP people are enough to give me the occasional flashback!

Btw, Abigail, you rock.