anyone heard of any of these? i am looking for anyone who was affiliated with this group.

I was involved with "the move" from 1974 until 1977. I lived on an "end time farm" in northern British Columbia. Do you have questions?

Hi: THe questions i have are about mainly about finding old friends who are no longer participating with the group. I do have several questions about Sam Fife and the ministry. The farms I am familiar with are in the South altho i have communicated with some people from canada. I had many friends and would like to hook up again to share old times. I was a child/teenager during the time the farm was here in my hometown. I participated but not in any spiritual way. I am an atheist now and I am interested in talking to people who felt they were misled or abused. I am not looking to persecute anyone, however, 2 friends of mine, in two different areas of the country who were a part of the group were raped by ministry. I am researching the "administratrative" make up of the groups. I am interested in how decisions are made (other than at elders meetings) and how the elders are reprimanded or punished for misdeeds. I am also interested in the treatment of those with mental disabilities and how the treatment thay received at the farms affected them or how they were "healed". There are some genuinley helpful and sincere people who make up these groups and I really do appreciate the love i felt from them as a child. I know that my experiece is not unique and i also know that alot of things went on that were swept under the carpet. I would like to talk to someone who is willing to be honest about their experience, either bad or good.

Angie...I might be able to give you some info. I was raised in the Move from a small child and left when I was about 21. Major journey to say the least, but all is well. I left around 1982. I may or may not know some of the folks you are looking for. I am also searching for friends who may have left. I had some wonderful friendships that I still think about from time to time, but never know if they're still in there or not. I have even contacted a couple of friends who are still in there...but still don't get much communication. One of my close friends committed suicide after not being able to cope on the outside, and another has a wreck of a life. I can absolutely say that it had everything to do with the Move and them not being able to adapt to living in the outside world.

Anyone is welcome to contact me if you were in the Move and have left. One Note....I'm over the bitter/anger stuff. You're welcome to vent...but I probably won't be venting with you. I'd be glad to exchange info, I've been in contact with folks who are very familliar with the inner workings of the move and who have known and interacted with their leadership.

Yes, there is abuse, yes there is control etc... just incase you were wondering.

ExMover

HI: Thank you for replying.

There is a sam fife yahoo group that consists of current members and former members of the move. There is also a exsam fifers group. If you would like more info. Please reply.

There has been lots of activity on the two message boards in the last couple of months and some interesting things have been discussed.

There are some who are very pro-move and some who are very anit-move. The moderators do a very good job of keeping everyone civil. There are a few who find their opinions and ways of thinking to be the only way and sometimes they are a bit arrogant but we always try to keep the "free speech" going without too much hostility.

You will find that there are some who will stick up for those who have had bad experiences and there are some who will be downright rude to those who claim they were abused.

I am one who will stick up for the people who have stories of abuse to tell. I also stick up for the ones who had good memories. I had some good memories but I know of those who were abuses.

There is a great deal of healing going on for some of the posters and there are some who are still on that road. The moderators are very understanding and sensitive to the emotions and stories of all. I think that most of the time there is a good balance. No one tries to "recruit" anyone but there is quite a bit of "doctrine" and "religious belief" discussed. If that is not what you are looking for, just delete those posts! We have lots of fun too. We discuss all kinds of things related to the move. Old memories good and bad.

My goal in participating has always been to reconnect with some of the best friends I have ever had. I have been successful in that and I really do appreciate the help I have received from some people on the boards.

You just need a yahoo id and yahoo email address or other email address. I prefer using my yahoo address. You can yahoo email me at angietangerine17@yahoo.com and I will give you more info. You can be anonymous. Many people are keeping their identities a secret and that is fine. Your input would be welcome.

Hope to see you there.

angietangerine

I am glad to see there is a forum for talking about "The Move." My parents and grandparents helped start the farms in Ware, Massachusetts and Hoonah, Alaska, and I lived with them in Bowen's Mill for most of my adolescent life. My experience was not nearly as bad as many others, but I know I still have a lot of bitterness towards the communities and father ministry, as I'm sure many others do as well.

I recently found this group and as a former ‘move-ite’ I am interested in connecting and reading the stories and experiences of different individuals.

Hi kmack. I hope this reaches you. I was at Ware from 73-77. I really like to connect and ask some questions about that farm particularly if you’re able to answer them. Are you related to Donald McClain or Freda and Wasal by chance? Thanks!

Hey there. I grew up in The Move. I talk very openly about my experience. How old were you when you went in? What farm/s were you on? What years?

I was 3-14 / 73-83 first at Ware, MA then Delta Junction, AK

Thecolorloft Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recently found this group and as a former
> ‘move-ite’ I am interested in connecting and
> reading the stories and experiences of different
> individuals.

I was in The Move from around 1964 until around 1979. 8 years old to about 23 years old. I was on the farm, in Michigan, I was at Delta Junction in 1975, and have visited numerous farms throughout the US and Canada.

Do I believe that horrible things happened? Abso-freaking-lutely! Did I experience those things...can't say that I did. I can say that on some of the farms that I visited, there were what I would call 'weird vibes". Kind of a dark cloud covering the whole place. The people didn't seem to be happy or have any kind of joy at all. The elders on one farm in particular - the Blueberry Farm - didn't seem to want us (My parents, husband, and I) to mingle too much with the regular people on the farm. We were kept pretty isolated in one of the elder's cabins. On other farms, we were encouraged to go out and look around and to talk to whoever we came across.

Life on the Michigan Farm was really great, so when we got to Delta Junction, we faced a bit of a shock. My husband and I only managed to last 4 months up in Delta Junction, and I have to say it was an interesting experience. I found that I had the ability to lie and steal when it came to food. I hated that I was required to make pancakes for 85 people using 4 eggs, so I started sneaking into the supply tent and stealing extra eggs so the pancakes would taste good. People started wanting to know when my sister-in-law and I were going to cook because it "always tastes so much better" when we cooked. LOL! I also was so hungry that I snuck into our neighbor's tent and ate an entire jar of dry Ovaltine. So sad!

Those may seem to be small issues to some, but to me, they were HUGE because they were things that I would never have done in any other circumstance. My values and judgment of right and wrong seemed to be gone.

On the flip-side, I love that I had the experience of living in a tent for 4 months and cooking on a wood cookstove.

I don't think I felt the bitterness that others here have said they have dealt with, but then, my experiences were not the horrific things that others have faced. I'm truly sorry that those things were done to you guys.

Blessings to you all, and I'm praying that you find peace and the ability to move past the things that were so wrongfully done to you.