Reep wrote:
I'm just sorry that I was so afraid to tell my therapist about the extreme control for so long. TLWF DOES sound like a cult, because it IS a cult.

Yes

Well, it wasn't lightning, but it will do...
From November of 2019:

Posted by: Imapurple
Date: November 26, 2019 07:23PM

I was standing outside with JRS one late night at Shiloh and he was looking at the water tower and he said , one day lightning is going to hit that thing and this whole damn place is going to burn down. Well, maybe it’s wasn’t lightning but it’s sure burning down. I truly believe that he was regretful of his openness to Marylyn and all the craziness that followed. I believe he knew it was wrong and knew God was never in all that. I’m not making excuses for him. I just think he knew he had been buying into his own BS and the BS that was always around him. On his bed as he was sick and dying he cried out asking Martha for forgiveness. He knew.......

Posted by: Imapurple
Date: February 02, 2020 12:04PM

The ongoing hindsight in all of this is so eye opening and painful in so many ways. It brings so many different emotions, some satisfying in seeing things come to an end and some sad over the pain of it all. I was close to so much of it as so many people have been. Being a kid growing up with John and with him when he died and everything that followed that to all that is happening now is an overwhelming amount of crazy thoughts and feelings. I like to think I’m free from it all but I realize I’m not. All of my friends and just about everyone in my life were or still are part of this. I say this because my heart goes out to those feeling the same. I’m working away at it. When you’re part of something so huge from such a young age and with it mixed with a great deal of good and bad it’s extremely difficult to sort it out. The evil I’ve seen with Rick, his mother and Gary goes without saying. Not to mention others like Scott, Steve and others. I just hope I can get past the hurt and pray others will be able to do the same.

Shiloh has been torched.

[thenews-ia.com]

One of the KVF fireman asked me last week if I knew any former or current congregants that would be disgruntled enough to shoot at them when they light it (Shiloh) up!?! I was shocked at the question and my first reaction from years of conditioning was, "oh it wasn't THAT bad" I stopped myself from saying it out loud. I told him that I honestly cannot think of anyone that would. But over the last 3 days all the times in middle & high school that I had defended it as NOT being a cult came flooding back. It was as emotional for me as when I first read Shalom's letters followed by all the other stories. Although I wasn't angry this time like I was 2 years ago. I am just very very sad. It was time for it to go.

Contrary to some stories; Sunday evening was picked as the day due to KVF being an all volunteer department and most of them have M-F jobs and there was a wedding on Saturday that about 1/2 of them wanted to attend. So let's not put twists where there aren't any :-)

Thank for you post, CARe

Although I wasn't angry this time like I was 2 years ago. I am just very very sad.

Yes, understandable

Contrary to some stories; Sunday evening was picked as the day due to KVF being an all volunteer department and most of them have M-F jobs and there was a wedding on Saturday that about 1/2 of them wanted to attend. So let's not put twists where there aren't any :-)

Were there people speculating about this, CARe?

Were there people speculating about this, CARe?

Yes, I saw a post on FB speculating about the significance of burning on a Sunday at sundown. In Iowa the wind typically dies down during the evening. It was rather windy yesterday afternoon and they contemplated delaying but ultimately decided to proceed. Ideally it would have been burned about 6 weeks ago but it was so dry here in August and September that they were afraid of embers falling in the woods even with no wind.

I had another memory of G&M's apartment today. I was only inside once when I was in HS, a classmate was purchasing a bra from MH before she was married to JRS. Apparently this was how MH supported herself. I went with my classmate to pick it up in JRS's apt and MH asked us if we knew how to properly put on a bra. The look on my face must have told her because neither of us said anything and she said "no you don't" She then told us how to put one on by bending over to get proper support but thankfully didn't demonstrate lol Come to think of it this was about a year before "Girls turn it off" (I did not see JRS while I was in his apt).

I worked at the switchboard a lot my last 2 years of HS and at that time all the calls went through the switchboard. Consequently I transferred calls regularly from MH (JRS's apt) to Phyllis or Moreen. Sometimes I would briefly wonder why she was always in his apt and wondered if she had a room in his apt??? But then I would quickly banish those thoughts because they were doing important work and who am I to question things? Time frame would have been '78-'79 which I believe the victory siege was happening then. Looking back I wish I had questioned things more but hindsight is always 20-20.

CARe, I remember Marilyn selling those bras in the Valley in the sixties. That's all I will say about that, except....EWWWW!

You wrote, "I worked at the switchboard a lot my last 2 years of HS and at that time all the calls went through the switchboard. Consequently I transferred calls regularly from MH (JRS's apt) to Phyllis or Moreen. Sometimes I would briefly wonder why she was always in his apt and wondered if she had a room in his apt??? But then I would quickly banish those thoughts because they were doing important work and who am I to question things? Time frame would have been '78-'79 which I believe the victory siege was happening then. Looking back I wish I had questioned things more but hindsight is always 20-20"

Same. I feel so dumb now. But we were trained not to ask questions and to banish all such thoughts from our minds. I was in the "upper room" twice in 1978, but not the living quarters. It was very confusing for the reasons you mentioned. I wondered why Marilyn was always there and seemed to be very much in charge. She had apparently become the gatekeeper for all conversations with JRS. Well, like you said...hindsight.

But, hey. I just remembered...the upper room and JRS' apartment are gone too. We're free, CARe. Let freedom ring!

CARe wrote:
Sometimes I would briefly wonder why she was always in his apt and wondered if she had a room in his apt???

Perhaps a safe room where she could practice putting on bras and taking them off? Just speculating.

changedagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CARe wrote:
> Sometimes I would briefly wonder why she was
> always in his apt and wondered if she had a room
> in his apt???
>
> Perhaps a safe room where she could practice
> putting on bras and taking them off? Just
> speculating.


Bummer. When I was in the San Diego (Coniah) church in the process elf “blowing out” one of the then “ministries” (Stuart Robison - if I remember correctly) said I needed to spend some time at Shiloh and get a “revelation” of what the lord was doing. Looks like I procrastinated too long - it’s too late now. You snooze, you loose, I guess.