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Corps Training: A Peek Behind the Curtain


skyrider
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this may be slightly off topic, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I never went in the Corps, despite being a Twig Leader, class instructor, way home 'head',wow vet, etc-the pressure was there, but I couldn't stand the thought of being told where to be 24 hours a day-and the thought of sleeping in a room with several people, and having to keep everything perfectly organized terrified me.

What I've been wondering is-what happened when someone got sick while in residence. I'm sure the pressure to suck it up, believe, and just soldier on was huge-but what happened when someone was really, knock down, flu bug, puking, fever sick ? Was there even a 'third aid' office? Were sick people shown any compassion at all ? Sure, most everyone was young and healthy, but even the strongest go down once in a while-especially when you're constantly pushed, and barely getting enough sleep. I'm assuming anyone with a chronic disease, needing to take medication would not last long. I guess I've been thinking in light of the Crohns disease I contracted right around the time I left the way, and thankful I never had to put that to the test.

I also wonder about simple humanity in residence. I will forever regret that I didn't cross the country for my grandmother's funeral while I was out wow. I got crap from the coordinator about leaving my commitment, and I should have just gone. Were way corps even remotely treated like real people with real lives outside the compound ?

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jeeze hiway i'm trying to remember. i know it was very very very difficult - if not impossible - to leave for family things. i remember being told soldiers at war don't get to leave....

god i'm trying to remember about if you were really sick. i know sometimes bless patrol would come try to find people who weren't in attendance wherever they should be and then they found they were lying in their bed sick as a dog

oh my mind is gone i guess. i'll let you know if i get it back

but you were so smart not to go in

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this may be slightly off topic, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I never went in the Corps, despite being a Twig Leader, class instructor, way home 'head',wow vet, etc-the pressure was there, but I couldn't stand the thought of being told where to be 24 hours a day-and the thought of sleeping in a room with several people, and having to keep everything perfectly organized terrified me.

What I've been wondering is-what happened when someone got sick while in residence. I'm sure the pressure to suck it up, believe, and just soldier on was huge-but what happened when someone was really, knock down, flu bug, puking, fever sick ? Was there even a 'third aid' office? Were sick people shown any compassion at all ? Sure, most everyone was young and healthy, but even the strongest go down once in a while-especially when you're constantly pushed, and barely getting enough sleep. I'm assuming anyone with a chronic disease, needing to take medication would not last long. I guess I've been thinking in light of the Crohns disease I contracted right around the time I left the way, and thankful I never had to put that to the test.

I also wonder about simple humanity in residence. I will forever regret that I didn't cross the country for my grandmother's funeral while I was out wow. I got crap from the coordinator about leaving my commitment, and I should have just gone. Were way corps even remotely treated like real people with real lives outside the compound ?

One of the jokes we talked about in residence was that no matter what was ailing you, you were told to fast. Whatever it was, fasting seemed to be the order of the day. At Emporia we had Third Aid. Another joke was that no matter what the problem, Third Aid would always give you golden seal and cayenne. The would tell you to fast and to not take the herbs on an empty stomach. This confused many of us but we just went with it. One of my friends called Third Aid,"Third Degree". Personally I got so tired of the hassle that I just decided to never go my final year in residence. Fortunately I never got sick enough to need them.

Honestly, some of the folks in Third Aid were nice people, others seemed to think there was something wrong with your character if you allowed yourself to be sick. Of course, they would say the problem was your believing.

If you were really really sick? Well, you were encouraged to "suck it up", but if it was too much you could get excused. If it went on for too long they would "allow" you to go to a doctor. You had to get approval to go to a doctor. You couldn't just go on your own and you could never ever leave campus without permission. I knew a guy who had a cyst removed without getting approval and he got reamed out for it. ("I run the Way Corps...NOT YOU!!!" That was at Gunnison) If you went to a doctor it was required that you adhere to the prescription to the letter. We were told there were only a few doctors in Emporia who would even see Way College students because Way people were in the habit of flushing prescriptions down the toilet. That made TWI look bad so they made everyone stop it.

Still, if you were so sick and injured that you couldn't do the program for a very long period of time, your status was changed to LOA. That stands for "Leave of Absence". This was of course unless you were one of the privileged few. While I was in residence there was someone there who was injured while he was working during his in-residence year. He was engaged to someone who was very well thought of by TWI so he pretty much stayed in his room and his meals were brought to him by his fiance. He didn't do the work program or go to any of the meetings. I think maybe he came to Corp nights. Skyrider and Excie probably know who I'm talking about.

As far as funerals, I can personally vouch that I was allowed to attend my father's funeral while in-residence and I was also allowed to stay as long as I thought was necessary within reason. I think I was gone for like 4 days.

I do remember a few meetings, though, where the Corps would get yelled for the number of people that were seeing Third Aid. One night I remember JAL reading the names of the people on the list. One guy had been on a long time and he was publicly rebuffed. The poor guy's throat was so clogged up he couldn't talk. I was also told the Mrs. Bob Moneyhands at Rome City completely disbanded Third Aid. However, there was a dentist at Rome City who was a believer. However, a bunch of Corps from Emporia got permission to go see him and the night before they left they were publicly rebuffed for not having their dental issues addressed before coming in the Corps.

Well, there you have it, that's what I remember, it might even be accurate.

Edited by Broken Arrow
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Two times during the Fall Block at Emporia in 1984, large numbers of the Corps came down with Strep Throat. It passed quickly from person to person because we lived so closely. Both times the campus was quarantined for a few days. Those of us that were sick (I was both times) were put in rooms together, usually on the same hall, so that those that were not sick would not get sick. John Lynn was in the Rotary Club with one of the pharmacists at the drug store nearest Owens Hall (there was one on the other side of the campus near Emporia Hall also) .. and arranged with the guy to get antibiotics for ten days for anyone who had Strep. We were responsible to give a note with our name on it and $5, including a special note if we were allergic to penicillin so that we could be given an alternative antibiotic. The meds were delivered to us with our name on them. As I said, this happened twice.

People came into the rooms where we were staying with our meals, wearing the bandana over their nose and mouth that had been required on the What to Bring list, looking much like the outlaws that robbed banks in the Old West. The Corps program closed down for about three days both times, as I recall.

Previously, when I thought I had strep throat and had been given raw potatoes to eat by Third Aid, I got dressed, walked across to the other pharmacy and asked for what I wanted, explaining to them that my father had been a pharmacist (he died just before I came into the Corps in 1982) and owned a drug store (which he had) and that I knew penicillin was what I needed. He gave it to me for $4 for a ten-day dose. Evidently, the Rotarian made a bit more of a profit.

Edited by DogLover
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Corps or no corps, failure to operate the mystical, magical "law of believing" was always regarded as a sign of spiritual weakness, especially for those in leadership type positions. I've seen people try to "believe away" chronic illness, cancer, severe injuries, volatile domestic situations, toxic (physical and/or psychological) work environments, and more. Because the law of believing is equally as potent as a handful of fairy dust, it usually doesn't have a happy ending.

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Corps or no corps, failure to operate the mystical, magical "law of believing" was always regarded as a sign of spiritual weakness, especially for those in leadership type positions. I've seen people try to "believe away" chronic illness, cancer, severe injuries, volatile domestic situations, toxic (physical and/or psychological) work environments, and more. Because the law of believing is equally as potent as a handful of fairy dust, it usually doesn't have a happy ending.

I remember one time, while in the Corps, when I operated mystical, magical powers that worked. It was a Sunday morning. (Remember Sundays?! Worst work-day of the week!) I woke up, not sick, but just plain tired. Exhausted. Bone weary. I prayed, "Heavenly Father, I'm tired. I need rest. I'm rolling over and sleeping as long as I need to. Please keep those who would F@#*s with me away."

I woke up late afternoon. I got dressed for the Sunday service (already in session) and quietly walked in. Nobody ever said a word to me - like they hadn't even noticed. It was truly a Sabbath miracle ;)

Edited by Yanagisawa
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Oh it pretty much was an exercise in who would obey orders without question, and developing that particular characteristic. Half a day in menial labor, scrubbing toilets, peeling potatoes, being a farm or ranch hand. The other half immersed in studying the blue book over and over trying to glean some new inner insight into something VP probably wrote an outline for in an afternoon, was eloquent one night talking about it, and some underling transcribed it so we could study it for hours and hours. I say blue book, but that is pretty representative of everything studied including classes. More of the repetition type of study than true like Bible study and discussion.

Also it was to establish a pecking order. This order would remain as a control point well after graduation. Peer pressure, a pecking order, and indoctrination. Constant evaluations, and all speech is monitored by informers seeking to be seen as spiritually mature by informing on some minor infraction of their classmates. A lot of fear - people failing a lot all around you and leaving. So everyone else is much more compliant even down to the minor details.

It was basically a Pharisee training camp. Some were conformed more than others. I think God did preserve the hearts of some who had a soul, others it was basically a sellout path.

I remember one time, while in the Corps, when I operated mystical, magical powers that worked. It was a Sunday morning. (Remember Sundays?! Worst work-day of the week!) I woke up, not sick, but just plain tired. Exhausted. Bone weary. I prayed, "Heavenly Father, I'm tired. I need rest. I'm rolling over and sleeping as long as I need to. Please keep those who would F@#*s with me away."

I woke up late afternoon. I got dressed for the Sunday service (already in session) and quietly walked in. Nobody ever said a word to me - like they hadn't even noticed. It was truly a Sabbath miracle ;)/>

Awesome. Miracles like this protecting the pure in heart from the little knives of the Pharisees are probably among the only signs miracles and wonders seen around TWI.

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There were all sorts of claims that pfal and so on were about learning how

to read the Bible and study for ourselves. However, as you went up the

ladder, that changed. On the field and out of sight, each night, nobody cared

we did exactly that. However, when a higher-up heard that a handful of us

were planning on going over the basics of Bible study and do some basic

study for ourselves, he strongly discouraged it and pushed for us to reread

the collaterals, instead. That really was ingrained and obviously what he'd

learned when HE was in the corps.

Learn to do Bible study? Good thing.

Actually DO Bible study? BAD thing.

Remain dependent upon what vpw already published.

At local fellowships, we always benefited most from when we studied on what

WE needed and not what was SCHEDULED. Seriously, scheduled, canned studies

reminded me of the church services we were supposed to scorn, and vpw

lampooned in pfal.

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There were all sorts of claims that pfal and so on were about learning how

to read the Bible and study for ourselves. However, as you went up the

ladder, that changed. On the field and out of sight, each night, nobody cared

we did exactly that. However, when a higher-up heard that a handful of us

were planning on going over the basics of Bible study and do some basic

study for ourselves, he strongly discouraged it and pushed for us to reread

the collaterals, instead. That really was ingrained and obviously what he'd

learned when HE was in the corps.

Learn to do Bible study? Good thing.

Actually DO Bible study? BAD thing.

Remain dependent upon what vpw already published.

At local fellowships, we always benefited most from when we studied on what

WE needed and not what was SCHEDULED. Seriously, scheduled, canned studies

reminded me of the church services we were supposed to scorn, and vpw

lampooned in pfal.

The corps BECAME the brown shirts.....er, the enforcers of twi-mandates.

The corps BECAME the indentured servants of the ruling, self-entitled class.

The corps BECAME the workers and herders of the hireling wierwille.

No wonder the scriptures WARN of seducers and deceivers.

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Oh it pretty much was an exercise in who would obey orders without question, and developing that particular characteristic. Half a day in menial labor, scrubbing toilets, peeling potatoes, being a farm or ranch hand. The other half immersed in studying the blue book over and over trying to glean some new inner insight into something VP probably wrote an outline for in an afternoon, was eloquent one night talking about it, and some underling transcribed it so we could study it for hours and hours. I say blue book, but that is pretty representative of everything studied including classes. More of the repetition type of study than true like Bible study and discussion.

Also it was to establish a pecking order. This order would remain as a control point well after graduation. Peer pressure, a pecking order, and indoctrination. Constant evaluations, and all speech is monitored by informers seeking to be seen as spiritually mature by informing on some minor infraction of their classmates. A lot of fear - people failing a lot all around you and leaving. So everyone else is much more compliant even down to the minor details.

It was basically a Pharisee training camp. Some were conformed more than others. I think God did preserve the hearts of some who had a soul, others it was basically a sellout path.

Awesome. Miracles like this protecting the pure in heart from the little knives of the Pharisees are probably among the only signs miracles and wonders seen around TWI.

I worked at I-Hop with a 6th Corps woman who was a raving bitch. I prayed for a break from her and the next schedule had us not working together for a week.

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I worked at I-Hop with a 6th Corps woman who was a raving bitch. I prayed for a break from her and the next schedule had us not working together for a week.

Yessss!!!! Keep them coming, we are on a roll.

I remember one week in res where I was up a lot with little sleep due to nonsense (I know, I know, like always right?) I prayed for complete peace not sleep as I didn't feel that was realistic. Coincidentally, I didn't run into the CC's wife all day long, nor any single one of a handful of "Reprovadors" (whole other story believe me).

God is magnificent. He just doesn't fit into a box.

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  • 1 month later...

When I was diagnosed in 1994 with Type I diabetes, the kind that requires insulin full time, we had been kicked out of FWC the year before, 1993. During that three months in residence, I got very very sick indeed, like the worst cold/flu/whatever ever experienced. I was offered bentonite and allowed to rest for an hour or two. This was undoubtedly the initial infection with the mystery virus that eventually caused my body to kill off my islet cells (type 1 is an auto-immune disorder but that's not the point).

Fast forward to ROA 1994. I had been exhausted for about four months, unable to eat or do much of anything. I'd gone from 140 lb to 111 lb in six weeks without diet or exercise. The morons who were our fellowship leaders were no help. We went to the ROA 1994 and I was completely unable to move or much of anything and ended up in the hospital with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and a blood glucose of 702.

We got me straightened out and on medication and back in Washington. I went out to lunch with M&ry Somebody, who is Donna M's sister. I probably still looked like death warmed over. The first thing out of her mouth was "Do you understand what it is THAT YOU DID that caused this to happen to you?"

I was floored. I had never once considered that God had given me this disorder (HE didn't!) I had never once considered that it was my fault.

This was the prevalent attitude then. If you were sick you had done something to deserve it. I went through holy screaming hell until we left. The crowning joy was when we got a SNS tape from LCM which opened with him stating, in a very portentous tone. "If you have a chronic disease in your life, it is because YOU have chronic sin in your life."

I think we were already out and back home when we got that. I was only too happy to write a letter to HQ saying I didn't any more tapes, magazines or other BS from them.

I've struggled with this concept for years. It's not exclusive to TWI; the Mars Hill church plant we attended also teaches illness is the result of an unknown and therefore unconfessed sin and that all sickness and disease come from God to punish believers.

It's sad the crap people teach in God's Name. I don't think He likes it much, either.

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How could they condemn people who got sick? Aren't we all in corruptible bodies like The Word says? How come VPW could get sick and no one condemned him? Don't we all eventually succumb to disease and die? (If we don't get into an accident that kills us) Does that make it our fault that we end up dead? If we could avoid sickeness by not sinning, we could live forever in our mortal bodies. Didn't Christ come to deliver us from our corruptible bodies?

For a biblical and teaching ministry they sure didn't pay attention to God's Word in that area.

I'm sorry you had to put up with so much condemnation through no fault of your own, which I'm sure made your suffering even worse.

Edited by outandabout
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It was supposed to be your own fault because it meant you weren't believing correctly. It meant you were spiritually weak. No one wants to be accused of being the spiritually weak person whose negative believing is dragging down the twig, branch, training program, whatever. I know of people who literally died (as in left the planet) or came dangerously close to death, trying to believe their way out of serious health problems or physically dangerous situations. Then, after they died, they were publicly denigrated for failing to believe for deliverance. Isn't it bad enough their false doctrines caused people to die? Did they really have to lampoon their character, as well?

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It was supposed to be your own fault because it meant you weren't believing correctly. It meant you were spiritually weak. No one wants to be accused of being the spiritually weak person whose negative believing is dragging down the twig, branch, training program, whatever. I know of people who literally died (as in left the planet) or came dangerously close to death, trying to believe their way out of serious health problems or physically dangerous situations. Then, after they died, they were publicly denigrated for failing to believe for deliverance. Isn't it bad enough their false doctrines caused people to die? Did they really have to lampoon their character, as well?

They can condemn all they want, but they will end up dead themselves one day.

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