In Reply to: Question to me from Jo.....& to anyone else too posted by Donny on July 07, 2003 at 22:30:03:
I had some support: no questions asked and room and board for about 6 months. In the meantime, I built a small business from scratch (provisioning skills were very handy). It didn't go too far but helped me restore self-confidence. Shortly thereafter I went into construction helping a friend and a couple of weeks later decided to accept a job with family benefits, etc. I worked there for the next 5 years, getting up at 5 am and going to bed no later than 10 pm. A few years later I decided to further my education and I have a fairly good (actually excellent) job. My wife didn't work at first but we saw earlier on that we wouldn't go anywhere without her working. Also, she as an independent person she was not cut out to be at home all day long. She also bounced between several jobs and now she is doing the kind of work she loves as a schoolteacher. Of course, she also had to go to school and all of that.
It was not easy and it took a lot of hard work. Support was not always there. Our families were OK for the most part but never wanted to get too involved. For most practical purposes and children's problems, etc. we were on our own.
We learned fairly quickly not to divulge our cultic past as friends and acquaintances would disappear immediately after. We tried some churches but they all had their own bent. Friendly only under the building but turned off after the service. We tried hard to be involved but the problem was lack of action or the action was directed to certain areas. The perfect example was from this church very willing to spend funds on missionary trips to Eastern Europe but unwilling to help with a neighborhood mission. I never could figure that out - but I have some ideas why. My wife stayed there for years, I visited only once or twice every so often.
We don't go to Church now but are involved in other social programs. Maybe as more people from Brazil and other places get out, we might decide to get involve. My only condition would be that those leaving are in fact leaving the cult and not just trying to get back the money Peter and Maria stole from them.