my rome city essay

[meganpenworthy]

In the small town of Rome City, Indiana off highway nine there sits a facility that was once a Kneipp Springs Health Spa. The spa, except for the first ten years, was operated by a Roman Catholic order called Sisters of the Precious Blood. Then in the late 1970’s it was purchased by a group called The Way International. They used the building to train individuals or couples and their families to teach the bible to others. I moved there when I was six years old with my mother.

The facility sits on 197 acres of land and has over 30 buildings. The main building had five to six floors, a full dining room that seats up to 500 people, a chapel that can fit more, dormitory style bedrooms that can house 500 or more people and lots more space for storage, exercise, and relaxing. The grounds have several courtyards, play grounds, a parking lot, farm, a full basketball court, and its own watertower. Down the front of the property are green grass fields next to two fish ponds, a waterfall, and tree lined paths to a place that we called Uncle Harry hill. Past the property line was Sylvan Lake. There were three houses that came with the property and although one was torn down, four decent sized townhouses were built. There was enough land for horses, sheep, chickens and fields of corn and strawberries. There are also a few acres of apple trees. The facility is near the small town of Rome City which has a small local population but is still not big enough to warrant its own high school. There is a small school that has kindergarten though eighth grade.

I lived there for five years in the middle of my childhood. The building, with all its space was the best place to grow up because it allowed us to use our imagination and be more carefree. I could not even begin to recant all the stories of all the things that I did while growing up there. My mom worked in the kitchen and as long as I stayed on campus, I could go and do anything I wanted. I remember playing in the attic on the mattresses that were stacked on their sides or in the exercise room with foam mats building mazes and forts or in the adjoining game room that had a pool table, with the teenagers. In the summers, my friend Sarah and I went swimming and she tried to teach me to do cartwheels. Her mom was my second mom and she watched me a few times when my mom went out of state. I have a picture of Sarah and I showing off the cakes that we had decorated, one summer. With all the different people that came to live and learn there, I learned to get along with many different types of people. Although I was somewhat sheltered from the world, I am a “social butterfly” now because of those experiences. Although The Way is considered a cult by many, I never felt that I was stuck or sheltered there. The facility is actually a peaceful place that I enjoyed living at. I have not been there in over ten years but if given the opportunity, I would go and photograph it for the memories.

[sirguessalot]

that is beautiful, megan. thanks. :)-->

i was in Rome City once for the advanced class

i'll never forget coming across this magical glade of thousands of butterflies during the day, which turned into this magical glade of fireflies at night

btw - i grew up Portland. got into the Way in Portland in 92. and just saw some things you wrote somewhere else about it that made me a lil homesick.

peace

[meganpenworthy]

i love places, i look for the positives and love a place for them.

[ex70sHouston]

MPW You are one of those people who can always find the good in things. Keep the good memories and learn from the bad.

I never saw the Indiana campus but it sounds like it was beautiful.

[def59]

Rome City was beautiful, no matter why time of the year.

In 1978, we had a limb/region meeting there. Ralph D. was our limb leader then. The day was a blast.

[Linda Z]

Nice job, Megan. :)-->

By the way, we built that game room you played in as our gift (Family V) to the campus or to the way or somebody.

It was just an old abandoned room when we started, and we ripped everything out and built it like brand new. We had a blast doing it. I've often wondered how our handiwork held up, but it looks like it lasted at least until you lived there!

You're right, def, it was a beautiful place year round. I loved the old buildings and the grounds and the woods. And the main barn was gorgeous inside.

Megan, I'm sure you were like all the other kids who lived there over the years. They knew every nook and cranny of the main building, and every inch of the fields and woods and grounds.

For the kids who didn't hate being in the Family Corps (and granted, some did, and it sounds like it got a LOT worse in later years), it was a great place to live. Heck, I wasn't a kid and I really liked living there.

When I was on HQ staff I didn't mind going to the dentist, because it was an excuse to go back to the Indiana Campus.

[Georgio Jessio]

"By the way, we built that game room you played in as our gift (Family V) to the campus or to the way or somebody."

The Family Corps-ner

[Belle]

Very Nice, Megan. :)-->

I feel like I was there.

[Linda Z]

Thanks, Georgio...I forgot it had a name!