Just heard a song called Holy Smokes by Aesop Rock on one of my favourite shoutcast station. I had to type out a couple of the lyrics I thought were appropriate:

Holy COW!
you gotta be kidding, Jack - they asked you for money! Grrrrrr...I'd be pissed too. Yeah, that happened to us too. When we first left, we were out maybe a year or so and my oldest landed a job at a local pizza joint. He was about 17. I let them communicate with their dad in Thailand (you know who he is) and the jerk actually got my son to send him $20 and we were on welfare!!!!!! I was so mad I was spitting. I actually think TF as a group are the most selfish people I've ever met. They are about as opposite to anything Christian that I can imagine.

I'm sorry your parents aren't proud of you - but remember, they're on another planet - they don't understand what accomplishments are. Accomplishments in their world are judged by how inflated their stats are, i.e., how many people they can claim to have won for Christ -as if.

Someone once said, TF claims to have led so many millions of people in prayer to be saved - if that's so - where are they? So, they say a prayer, leave them and pad their stats and pat themselves on the back proudly thinking they are doing God service. Total deception.

My guess is, your parents may be out, techinically, but not really. They are still holding on to much of Berg's dogma. Maybe they will get over that in time. Let's hope so.

My daughter recently wrote me and told me she doesn't know what to say to me because we are in "two different worlds." That was heartbreaking. Sad thing is, she's right, but she doesn't realize it is her world that is out in left field. She doesn't understand why I'm not proud of her and all the shows they do, etc. Wow - it's so messed up.

Well, Jack, I'M proud of you! You have pulled yourself out of something so terrible the average person would have just folded.

Keep writing - I love reading your stories and stuff.

I just remembered... I had never made a phone call when I came to the US and I left shortly after we arrived. I had also never ordered fast food in my life.

We are survivors!!!
I am really impressed with people's stories... we were on a different PLANET for goodness sake!!!

I had a nother question:

In the Family, children's discipline was a high prioritiy. After leaving the Famiy, I realized how much the social climate has changed and how people just don't give their kids even swats in public and hardly in private.

All I remember about the changing social climate about discipline is when a GN would come out and say how the "system", "anti-christ", or the devil was persecuting us by making laws going against the Bible. One of the laws the "system" made was against CHILD ABUSE. Since the Family is/was guildty of this crime... we were brainswashed with Berg's antidote that it was all an attack of our way of life and faith.

*My question: how did you deal with living in the real world when dealing with your children's discipline? Berg said "discipline is training"... and especially for young children they need something more "training". How did you manage with your large families?

CONGRATULATIONS TO JACK - I'M DEEPLY IMPRESSED.
Hi -

I see I'm a little after-the-fact on this thread. I just read it and I was amazed at your accomplishments, Jack, and I am in awe at how you did it.

Here I sit, alone and friendless (and not having that feeling of "belonging" to anything or anyone) in a new city in the US after living abroad for 29 years (most of those years in the clutches of TF). I have no credit history, didn't know how to do anything when I got here, just wanted to put my kids in school. I still have no source of income and am watching my savings slip away day by day. Due to my current situation, I am deeply impressed with you.

Please take my pat on the back and congratulations for a job well done.

to Achiek
How did you manage? How did you do it? Maybe you've written before, if so, could you point me to a link?

I am struggling here and need all the advice I can get. Thanks.

Re: to Achiek


I am not Acheick but can relate to much of what you are dealing with. I left the family when I was thirty yrs. old with three minor children. I had no driver's license, had left the states as a teen, no bank acct., not even a social security number. I struggled a lot with very little help but learned some things in hindsight I wish I had known about then.
First, there are women's centers which can connect you to many resources. Since the Family was all about oppression of women, rape (in my case- I did not realize unwanted or coerced sex under fear of death or dire consequences for saying "NO" was RAPE) and being under a totalist dictator (Berg then, Maria now) plus the isolation in TF is similar to what battered women experience, WOMEN's CENTER's can help a lot if you let them know of your prior circumstances. You can go to http://www.rainn.org or call this National hotline for the location of a women's center nearest you: 1.800.656.HOPE
Once you have a residence which you may already have, most states have programs where if a woman is in school she can get grants to cover day care and expenses, books, tuitions, rent etc. One way to find out about these opportunities is via a financial consultant at a community college. Again, if you don't even have a GED, there are places to get assistance and grants while you are getting it. Women's Center's in your area probably have more details. OR as far as the educational grants go, Community colleges have that info. If you don't have a GED, many community colleges provide those courses and then ongoing courses towards areas you may be interested in.
This is very general, but i am not sure what your most immediate needs are. I wish you the best.

Re: CONGRATULATIONS TO JACK - I'M DEEPLY IMPRESSED.

Today's my birthday. I was feeling lame. You just made it a good day.