Letter of Apology
Try Spirits
Salvation
From Cult to Jesus
Who Is Going to Hell
Jesus Christ
Blessings after leaving
Mistakes I Made
Talk to me
Brad's Memoirs
The Narrow Way
Freedom
What I used to believe
Cult Terminology
Novels
Mark Huddle
Ever wonder about
Why I left the cult
Hell
Suggestions
Donate
Memoirs of Brad Lewis
My family
Just so you know who I am. My name is Bradly Joel Lewis.My father's name is Joel Marion Lewis or Joel Lewis, the son of Marion and Lois Lewis.
My mother is Lynda Lewis, daughter of James and Mabel Beck.
My father's brothers are Don Lewis, Jack Lewis and Jon Lewis. My father had no sisters.
My mothers siblings are Russell James Beck and Donald Beck.
My grandmother Lois Lewis continues with 2x2 cult practices (as does my mother) and lives in Sandy, Oregon.
My grandpa Marion Lewis has died.
Both my grandparents on my mother's family have died, James and Mabel Beck.
Don Lewis is married to Kathy Lewis (Kathleen Lewis) who wrote the book The Church Without a Name.
Jack Lewis has married and divorced at least twice and I don't know his situation now.
Jon Lewis married Renee Lewis and they live in Sandy, OR.
Donald Beck is deceased.
Russell James Beck lives in southern California.
1971
I was born in Washington in 1971 and raised in Gresham, OR USA. I have one sister, Pam Lewis or Pamela Jane Lewis(maiden name), who is married now to Bryan Rank in Montana.1981,2 Professing in meeting tested by Grace Ploegsma and Willa Dahlin
I professed when I was about 10 or 11 years old. Grace Ploegsma (sp?) and Willa Dahlin were in the field. We lived in the Gresham field. The workers preached their gospel at a Grange hall on Division st. I think it was Grace who tested the meeting. The sang some song, don't remember which, and I stood up right at the last. I had talked to the workers about professing before, and they had tested a meeting for me, but I couldn't stand up then. But I did that time. I remember crying on our drive home. Mother or father asked me what was wrong. I think somebody said I was crying because I was so happy. I don't know. It's all messed up if you ask me.
My mother told me that Willah Dahlin is in a mental institute now. Grace Ploegsma is now dead.
Baptism into the workers way
I was baptized by Stanley Sullivan. It was at a creek in Boring OR I think. I remember mother and grandma being there, and Pam, my sister. I remember the "in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost" and getting immersed. That was about it. I remember someone bringing me a towel too. I don't remember how old I was. Maybe 14 or 15.
Mother's nervous breakdown (or two)
Sometime when I was young, mother had a nervous breakdown. I think maybe two. She would just sit in the chair and cry. My sister and I didn't know what to do. We would tell her we loved her and she would cry. I'm sure this was a result of the cult's contradictory beliefs. I think she tried to please my father to get praise and love. I don't remember my father being loving. She later told me that her father (my grandpa) had several nervous breakdowns. Grandpa was in the cult too.Sexual hugs from Fat lady
There was a fat lady that went to our Sunday AM Meeting at Bob and Evelyn Brands. I don't remember the fat lady's name, but she would hug me after meeting and rub me against her breasts. It made me very uncomfortable and I didn't know what to do except cringe. After the meeting, mother was talking about it and she laughed. After she made it clear that she thought it was funny, I distanced myself emotionally from my mother. I think that is sick for a grown woman to try to get sexual pleasure with a kid that way.Father left care of family for better paying job
From what my mother told me, my father started a traveling job so he could make more money.My father traveled when I was young. Saw him about 1 or 2 days on weekends. I found out later how important it was to have a father figure. My folks didn't teach me much of anything growing up. I played out in the woods, built forts and built electronics stuff in my room. I felt like I was more of a nuisance to them.
Neighbor's concern for how I was being raised
The neighbor up the street was concerned that we didn't have a TV at home. They invited me up to watch "The Black Stallion".
1986
I got picked on by students in middle school. There were about 4 of them. My "best friend", Jeff Grimes was one of them. He would be friends after school, but join the gang during school. They spit on me, called me names and laughed at the way I dressed. My mother took me to martial arts classes. That helped build some confidence, but didn't help with the emotional aspect. I finally talked to the counselor and she had a talk with all the kids and their parents. I later learned that these kids were having trouble at home. One of them was abused by his father, another had his parents going through a divorce and the other was a troubled neglected son of a preacher. The fourth was my after school friend and estranged friend during school. Father and mother had trouble raising me. I think they were having trouble getting along themselves. They tried talking to the workers in desperation about their marriage and parenting troubles. That was kinda useless. One of the workers told me to empty the garbage when my mother asked me to. Then I think he asked my mother to not make me empty the garbage while I was busy with my electronic stuff. I think it was mother who asked Everett Swanson to have a visit with them. We all had dinner together and Everett gave his advice. Nothing really changed in the house. Everett had never been married and didn't know beans about relationships from what I've heard later. I've learned since that worker's advice in general is useless because they demonstrate time and again that they don't believe in following what Jesus clearly taught.1988
I was struggling with something that was scary. During my sadness, I felt compelled to be guided by some spirit to write down some weird writings on a letter and mailed it to the workers. Everett Swanson and his companion came and had a visit with me. I felt very scared and didn't know what was going on. I hated my life and took a 64 pin IC chip and rubbed it across my wrist. I had thoughts of suicide but didn't talk to my folks. I didn't know my folks and I felt life had no meaning.Everett Swanson
Everett Swanson was in our area preaching. We played ping pong together and I really looked up to him. He was a religious leader and very good at preaching and seemed to command respect wherever he went.Since my father wasn't around much, I started looking up to Everett as a father figure. I became more zealous in the 2x2 movement.1988 Teacher's concern for my welfare
I remember that the teachers at my high school were concerned about me. They thought I was a religious nut. They knew I was a loner and got picked on in middle school. One teacher told a story to the class about a kid who died because he was so sad. She said that the students should try to befriend others. I got three awards that month. The awards were designed to recognize people who did a good job but were otherwise unrecognized.Losing interest in "natural" life
I was struggling through high school began to hate things. I began losing interest in classes and feeling dejected. I struggled with self esteem. My father was still traveling and I had no real relationship with him. And no relationship with my mother either. I think they preferred it that way. I worked washing dishes at Black Angus Restaurant. I bicycled home about 3 miles at night and would get home about 1 or 2 AM.1989 Health issues
During the end of my senior year, I was working two jobs. One was at Senn's Drive-in Dairy in Gresham and another building green houses in Beaverton. I was sick. I was tired. I didn't know what to do. I had no plans for the future. I was struggling from food allergies from wheat/gluten and dairy and also from depression.Why I Went Into "The Work"
I think the reasons I went into the work was: gain place, feel needed, respected, be part of something that I had grown up in, fulfill my belief that the 2x2 way was the only good thing in the world. I didn't think of the logistics of : not providing a useful service in society, lack of education, no marketable job skills, no preparation for future. All that was on my mind was that this god was calling me into the work. I believe I created this god from what I was taught and had come to believe.
Manahattan Convention
My family went to Manhattan convention. I had been "struggling" with the thought of going into the worker's ministry. I believed that if I didn't go, then I was a failure, going to hell because I had rejected god. I always had many plans and great ambitions but couldn't follow through. I had no discipline and strength to see things through. That night at convention I prayed to what I thought was God, "If it is your will, I will go into the work. I give you my life. Use me. I had no doubt that the worker's ministry was God's will. The workers had told me it was of God. It was the only right way. Everything else was false. I believed it, and was going to tell others the same.Offering for "the work"
I offered for the work when I was 18. It happened at Manhattan convention grounds. I talked to Howard Mooney. I told him how I felt. I remember walking into the house. The house was owned by the Jacobsens. It was new to me. I had never been in the house. It was for the workers. They invited me in and were nice to me. I waited for a while. I remember seeing a shoe buffer there. It had a long handle and fluffy black and red polishing wheels. That is my recollection. I don't remember much of my talk from Howard. It must have been inconclusive. I remember him kind of listening and nodding is head. Later people would brag about me being the youngest worker currently in the US.
At a restaurant I told my folks that I was going into the work. They both cried. My sister Pam was there too.
I went into the the Worker's Way at age 18. Everett Swanson was in the Gresham field. He was wondering if I would be accepted into the work that year. He asked Howard. Howard must have said Yes. Some thought it a mistake. I wanted to go in the work so bad that I would've chosen a companion myself despite Howard. But they let me go. Everett Swanson asked Rosalie Davis to sew me a garment bag. I guess that's standard issue for workers. Everett told me to buy a nice watch. In fact, he was going to pay for it. He said it's important to be on time and have a nice watch. I chose a watch that was more expensive that he wanted to pay. I paid the difference. Later I came to dislike the watch. It was not me. Later I gave it to Randy Russel, my first companion.
Aug 1989 Stanley Sullivan asks for all my money
I went to the convention grounds. When I got there, I was greeted by Stanley Sullivan. He asked me if I had sold everything. I said "Yes." He said that I should give him my money. I told him that it talked about giving money to the poor in Bible. He said "You can give it to us, we're poor". I since wrote him a letter asking him to return the money because the scripture he used was twisted by him and meant something different. He did not reply. I have since talked to his relatives who have contacted me through this website and they are embarrassed about him and the workers' way.I meet Randy Russell
I "started out" in the "work" at Boring, OR. I had become one of the 2x2 workers. Boring Oregon is about 30-40 miles East of Portland, OR. They told me I would be "starting in the work" with Randy Russell. I'ld never met Randy Russell, the worker, before. Duncan and Irene Hunter owned the convention grounds at the time.Poisoned by Salmonella and denied medical attention at 2x2 Boring Oregon convention grounds
I got salmonella within a few days. After one of the pre-convention meetings I felt very cold. I put on almost all the clothes I had and went to bed in my top bunk in the workers quarters. I was shivering frantically to try to stay warm. Randy Russell came in and saw me all covered in clothes and shivering. He asked what was wrong. I told him I was very cold and tired. They immediately moved me to a little trailer away from others so they wouldn't get sick.
But I got more sick. I started vomiting. I couldn't keep any food down. I had diarrhea. I didn't know it then, but I had gotten salmonella from some tainted food served in the Boring Oregon convention kitchen. Several people actually got Salmonella. The workers knew it, but they didn't tell me what it was.
They fed me saltine crackers and water. I vomited up the saltine crackers. I was visited maybe two or three times per day. Convention started and there were people all around my trailer. I had no privacy if I left the trailer. I hadn't showered in days. There were no men's restrooms. I had to go outside at night and defecate in the bushes at night. I was too weak to walk the 100 yards down to the men's restroom. They didn't want to take me to the doctor or hospital because they didn't want the authorities to know where I had gotten it. They were afraid they would close the convention kitchen during the convention. I lost weight quickly. I couldn't keep any food inside of me and soon quit eating. I began to be dehydrated and that's when I started to shake all over. A couple times a day, someone would come in to visit. None of the workers stayed with me to watch out for me. I guess they didn't want to get sick like me. I was feverish and kept shaking. There was no restroom in the trailer. They came in to check on me to see if I could speak my turn at the convention. I was fed water and saltine crackers. I prayed to God, "this must be a test, I must be willing to give up my life for you" I was willing to die from this sickness so the friends could have their convention. Hundreds of people were milling around just 50 feet from my trailer. I could hear them. I could hear the meetings. I wondered why no one came to visit me.My mother demands that I be taken to the hospital in an ambulance
My mother finally came to the convention. She asked where I was and they led her to this little trailer where I huddled shaking. She saw me pale and trembling. She asked me if I could stop shaking. I tried to do that and calm down, but I began to shake all over again. I was cold inside. I asked her if I could use the restroom. There was no way I could use the restroom with hundreds of people around and the closest mens restroom was about 100 yards away. I hadn't showered in days and was a mess. They made way so that I could use the women's restroom. They made sure no women were in there and let me in. I think she asked them how long I had been this way and what they had done. She started to make a scene and called an ambulance right away. They took me in an ambulance to the closest emergency clinic. They asked me questions on the way, "What is the name of the president of the United States?" I did not know. I told them I didn't keep track of things like that. I remember them asking me more questions. They took me to an emergency care facility and they said I needed to go to an hospital because they weren't able to give the help that I needed. They wheeled me out in a wheelchair into another ambulance and then I passed out. Some time later I woke up in a hospital bed. I heard that they had taken Tama Brown (another worker) to a hospital and also Ruth Stevens(? another worker). One of them (I think Tama Brown) had to be fed by IVs she was so sick. I talked to Tama about it later and she said she would rather die than go through that again. I agree, it was awful.Fall 1989, Beginning preaching at the 2x2 meetings
Our first Sunday, Randy told me that we needed to prepare for meeting. He told me the best way was to get on my knees and pray with my Bible open. So I did. That was when it dawned on me that I would be speaking in meetings. I had never thought about that when going into the work. Now that's funny/sad. Sad now realizing the overseer accepted someone so unknowledgable to preach something they didn't know. After a gospel meeting, Randy told me to try to speak as to strangers in the meetings who didn't know what we meant by special words like "friends" etc.Taking collections after meetings
There were many firsts in the work. I learned that you actually did collect money at meetings. People slipped 5's, 10's and 20 dollar bills in your hand as you said goodbye after meetings with a handshake. If it weren't for such handshakes I'ld have been more broke. Randy got much of his money through letters in the mail. I didn't have such a program going.Socializing
Most of what we did was socializing. We just talked with people about things to pass the time. For the most part, we didn't teach about Jesus or help people understand what Jesus taught. I got tired of all the sitting around and talking and eating.Working the system
We traveled from house to house. The people usually gave you money either when you arrived or when you left. So financially it makes more sense to move around.Huge stress causes physical side affects
This was the first time when I learned you slipped toilet paper in your britches before speaking at meeting so as not to stain your shorts (which other people usually washed).This was the first time that I learned to eat a little before meeting but not too much so you didn't vomit after speaking.
Cliques and favorites
The first time I learned about what goes on between workers and some of the "friends" when workers "let down their hair". Because we didn't have our own home, we had to find people that favored us who we could talk about things to. JoAnne Waldo (Albany, OR) was one of those people.Testing the meeting and someone professes
One young man professed in our meetings. His name is Jeff Beattie, son of Maynard and Peggy Beattie.Fitting in and ignoring scripture to please overseer
Also Will and Phillis Smith professed. Randy got Howard Mooney's approval for them to profess. They were both divorced from previous marriages and had married each other. They were trying to find a church that would accept them.Fundamental doctrines
Also Aaron (cannot remember his last name) was baptized. Cannot remember if he "professed" in the meetings or not. He wanted Bible Studies to get up to speed, so Randy and I met with him. Randy indoctrinated him with the importance of the 2x2 ministry and meetings in the home from notes that I think he took from Harold Bennett. This was my first time to realize the fundamentals of the 2x2 movement. I remember Jay and Karen Nelson. We stayed at their house a time or two. I remember Jay Nelson telling me that it wasn't fair that we stayed in their houses and preached about their faults at meetings. He laughed. Jay was the one who disconnected the odometer on his car so that he could resell it as a low mileage car. I remember Leslie White, which I think was related to them, come over while we were staying at the Nelson's house. I think some little girl was telling him about someone and he asked her if they were "professing". That is such a common question that it really stuck in my head. We all needed to know if someone was professing so we could know if they were good or bad, with us or against us.1989,90
I remember being at Dorthy Harris's house and Wayne Harris there. I remember Howard Mooney coming to visit. This was in 1989 or 1990. I remember Howard telling about worker(s) that were caught putting their hands into the panties of little kids. I remember Howard Mooney talking about a worker going into a room where a couple kids were sleeping and masturbating and the parents finding out about it. I remember him saying that the parents wanted to sue the workers but that they were convinced to just let it go. Randy and I did not discuss doctrine. When people say that the beauty of younger workers with older workers is that they can be taught, well, that wasn't my experience. I was told what he believed and that I should show unity. He told me it was important to be in unity on things so that the friends in the field would feel comfortable. Again, we did not discuss what was right or wrong, only how things looked. You would think that in the first year that doctrines would be taught, the younger learning from the older, but it was not that way. Again, I repeat, younger workers are not trained in sound doctrine of Jesus Christ, rather they are taught to "fit in" and conform to the workers. I remember Randy asking Howard Mooney if a divorced and remarried couple could profess. They claimed to be Christian already. Randy told me it was OK for them to profess. I did not agree. The couple had to profess in a meeting, so they did. Then they were required to be baptized again even though they had been baptized by Christian's before. The workers didn't believe in a baptism that wasn't performed by workers.Divorce in the field
In the field, there was a woman going through a divorce. Randy spent time alone with this divorced woman. After the things that had gone on between him and her, Randy told me not to tell other people about what happened between them. That is too cruel to ever tell someone to hide such a thing and not resolve what happened between a married woman and a worker.A Professing Man Assaults his Wife
Randy and I went to a court hearing of a 2x2 man and his wife. His wife was had filed a charge of spouse abuse. He had struck her in the face and her parents made sure it went to court. They said they wanted to scare him. He was scared.Aug 1990
The next year I was at Boring convention again. Conventions were a pain. It was like the workers were playing house. Younger workers are given the dirty jobs. I asked why and they said that they had to do it their first year. -Insert conflicts at preps here. excess breaks, not doing things, should be sleeping not playing volleyball etc-
I remember reading about angels at preps with Nathan Barker. We were trying to figure out how tall the angel was. An older brother worker told us not to talk about that stuff or get involved with it.
I remember Jay Wicks and I setting up the men's tent at Boring preps. He told me that I should put God first, my companion second, the field third and myself last. He said his companion taught him that. Well, I know better now. I'm supposed to put God first and take care of myself with help from God so that I am able to help others. This is a basic teaching of Jesus about getting our own vision cleared first before trying to help others. I had no idea at the time how wrong his advice was.
My next companion was Craig Jacobsen. He was all about appearances too. I got really sick of that. It frustrated me trying to find out what the problem was. I didn't discover it for years. It was the fact that a portrayal of loving Jesus was put on but actually teaching by insinuation self-righteousness.
I came to hate wearing ties. To me, wearing a dress shirt and tie make me repulsed because of what was going on. It made me claustrophobic thinking of the hypocrisy and how they would try to look nice but I knew inside that something was really wrong.
I wore tennis shoes and dress clothes without a tie to Special meetings in Hood River once. :) Harold Bennet said I had to wear a tie and change my shoes or I could not speak at the special meeting. That must have just floored him looking back on it now. 
During special meeting rounds, we were in The Dalles area of Oregon. I remember being in the car with Randy Russel and Harold Bennet after the special meetings. Harold was telling Randy about some "troublemakers" in the field. I had a miniscule grip on the Bible at this point and so I told Harold that however they handled it, they should follow the scripture. Harold told me "I resent that". When I told other people about it, they said that he should have said "I resemble that" (not following scripture). I was learning that in the work there are two flip sides. One is how workers really feel and the other their appearance to the friends. Workers either live in a constant state of denial of their own feelings, or they let it all out and are ridiculed by other workers. I found also that workers are very competitive and egotistical when you get them alone or around just workers. They all know their kind.
~Fall 1990
Craig Jacobsen and I went back to our field in Oregon City. We went on a hike and that hike did me good. I slept so hard on the drive home. The physical exercise was something that I needed. I started to realize things in the Bible. I realized that I needed to obey God instead of men. I realized that I shouldn't be in the work. It didn't make sense to have a 19 year old teaching other people who I thought knew their Bible and had more experience in life than myself. I asked one of the elders to lead the Sunday AM meeting instead of me. He nearly cried. I could see the whole thing was messed up, but didn't know how or why. I didn't know how to put it into words. When I was with Craig Jacobsen in the Aurora field, I got tired of shaking everyone's hand at the door before they left. I wanted to visit with the friends, not just the "Hi" shake hands, "bye" thing. So I went over and started visiting with some people that I knew and were nice. We were carrying on really great and I was starting to get into touch with reality and learning about real life stuff. Then Craig comes over and rebukes me for not saying shaking hands with everyone as they left. Now, it dawns on me why workers cannot visit with people like that after meeting. We made most of our money when people slipped us tens and twentys into our palms after meetings were over. That's why workers stand between the people and the exit. If Craig and I didn't do that, then we wouldn't have much at all for living expenses. Ha ha, that is so funny now that I think about it. Poor Craig. Here I was trying to make some friends and learn about life and forgot my job collecting money at the door! LOL Craig knew I wasn't fitting in and was trying to find answers. He took me to have a visit with Howard Mooney. Howard told me "turn not to the right hand nor to the left". That didn't mean anything to me in the context of our conversation. It was during this time that my uncle Don Beck left his family and lived like a street bum. He used to have a meeting in his home. He wouldn't come to meetings anymore and refused to go back to his job. He later starved himself to death somewhere (I think) in Australia. He left a good sum of money to his kids. He used to be a 2x2 and I think now that it was the weird doctrines and hypocrisy of the workers that messed him up.March 1991
Later, I couldn't take it any longer. I didn't know what was bothering me and what was wrong. I didn't know how to talk about how I felt and I didn't have any friends that I felt I could talk to. I talked to Craig about maybe going to work in Ecuador or some other primitive country. We both agreed that this was not a great solution. Craig took me to my folks place to rest. My health was nearly destroyed. Emotionally I couldn't handle anything. I had been ruined by the very thing that I had placed my faith in. The 2x2 way did not work.~Spring 1991
Craig Jacobsen dropped me off at my folk's place to get better. No counseling, help, housing or financial support was offered while I was sick by the workers. My folks didn't know what to do. I stayed at their place. I was emotionally confused. My physical nervous system was overstressed. I didn't know how to react to things after years of being told to "be nice" and "fit in". I didn't have any emotional wisdom or maturity to know how to express my hurt feelings in a productive way. I was in the work for 1.5 years before becoming so sick from stress that I left. I'm really thankful that I got sick. I'm glad my mother recognized that I was at the beginning of a nervous breakdown. For those of you that don't know what this sickness is, I'll describe a little. A nervous breakdown is similar to ripping a muscle. Imaging you lift a weight in your one arm. Same repetition each day. Only you don't get to sleep, so the muscle never heals. And then you keep increasing the weight but force yourself to lift it. You reach a point where the muscle tears because it cannot heal and has no way to rebuild to increase strength. Nervous breakdowns happen when you are living a lie. You say one thing, but you're doing another. You say you're happy, but you're not. So you start thinking. But there's too much to think about. With thinking, we do it night and day whether we want to (mostly) or not. Every person has to go through and reconcile what's going on around them with what they believe. Either they change what they believe to justify themselves or they change what they do. I started to change what I was doing. I started talking to people when handing out invitations. I started talking to preachers. I asked questions. They didn't like it. I started doing stuff like asking elders to lead the meeting, because they had more experience. After all, why were people always serving me when I should be a servant to others? All these contradictions were killing me and I couldn't stop thinking about it. So, here's some details of how a partial nervous breakdown physically feels. So basicly before it happens you're just confused as ever, no worse. It's the confusion that is making you physically sick. And when I say confusion, it just means an overload of thoughts that you don't have enough time or energy to sort through yet. So I'm talking to Kurtis Jacobsen, the only person that came to visit me when I was sick (except Craig Jacobsen who came to ask for some money back, a $20 bill that Vic Green gave to me and wanted back). God bless Craig Jacobsen and Vic Green for that. It helps show how righteous they really are. Anyways, I was talking with Kurtis and I feel what's like this blowtorch on the back of my neck. Only my neck isn't hot and there's no blowtorch behind me. And it half feels like someone is tearing the skin off the back of my neck, but not on the surface, it's really deep like the spinal column. And so I tell my mother I'm not feeling good. And she says "You need to go lie down and not think". She says, "If you start thinking, tell yourself to stop and just think about nothing". Well, that was hard, I was a thinker all my life and still am. But I did that and the burning stopped. Now I was fortunate. Thank God my mother was there. From what I remember, mother has been through a full nervous breakdown. I remember when she was sitting in the lazyboy and we'ld come kiss her eye-lids and say "I love you mommy". And she would just cry because she couldn't do anything. In fact this is about the first time I've really talked about this and I really appreciate someone bringing this up. So now I was saved from a full nervous breakdown where it (the feeling of a torch on the back of your neck) goes completely up the back of your neck, over the top of your head all the way to your forehead. My father needed a cabinet built in the garage, so I built a functional cabinet with shelves. I discovered that working with my hands was healing and made me feel better. I didn't know why. I didn't know what was bothering me nor what to really do about it to get better. I started asking my father questions. He didn't know the answers and seemed distressed at the questions. Later he told me that both he and mother were scared and didn't know how to help me.OSPIRG
I worked for OSPIRG (Oregon State Public Interest Group) for a while and had a studio downtown in Portland.~1992? Montana
I moved to Montana with my sister. I lived in a house with several other of the "friends", which included at one time or another: Dellas Waldo, Dallas Brown, Stan Parsons, Stan Parsons younger brother, Russ ? and Dave Brown. The "friends" over there were different. Different customs and different doctrines. One of the Bible studies elder's wives started a food fight (spaghetti and meatballs, hello?) at my birthday celebration. Everett Swanson was in that field. A lot of the younger people there had no clue as to what the Bible said on things. I used to ask them questions that I knew they had been taught otherwise on. When they would come up with answers, I would ask them where that was in the Bible. They couldn't find anything. Asking questions is a great way to wake up 2x2s. They think they know a lot and that they're right but they usually don't know beans and quickly contradict themselves. While I was in Montana, a few of the friends were kicked out for believing that Jesus is God. That's about all I remember about that issue.Central Oregon
I moved to central Oregon on way to go to college at Mt. Hood Community college. Bob Neary needed some help on his farm in central Oregon, so I agreed to help. I spent all the money I had on gas to get there. I worked outdoors in central Oregon for a while. I built fence, tended to bighorn sheep and llamas. I worked for Bob and Yvonne Neary. I didn't like the way Bob Neary used people and some things that were going on and so I continued to move the rest of the way to Gresham where I grew up. I had purchased a diesel VW rabbit from Bob Neary. I stayed with my folks for a while. While taking off the non-working air-conditioner, I dropped a nut which happened to fall into the timing-chain. That was a mistake. I didn't see where it went. When I started the engine, the timing belt splipped and destroyed the valves. The engine was basically toast then.From Central Oregon to Gresham
I rented a room from Ralph Siedelman. That was a mistake. One time he walked into the bathroom when I had the door closed and blocked me from exiting. I asked him to move aside so I could get out and he refused. He just stood there. I called to a room mate, Justin Wicks. He hollered up "I don't want any", but came up anyway. Ralph finally stepped aside. He was probably the weirdest 2x2 I've ever met. On a humorous note, Ralph had irritable bowel syndrome. Since he ate so much ice-cream, he would become horribly constipated. I wanted to help, so I bought some aloe laxative. He took the drink with a big bowl of ice-cream. I told him that the ice-cream would negate the affect of the laxative. He didn't care. So next time I increased the dose to counteract the ice-cream. Little did I know that this time he didn't eat his ice-cream with it. Do I need to explain the results. I could hardly keep from laughing every time he had to use the restroom. He never would take anymore! I hope he finally figured out how damaging ice-cream is. I got a job at Custom Dental Prosthetics delivering teeth to dentists. I enjoyed this work and was good once I learned the routes and the roads. I moved out of Ralph Siedelman's place. I had no place to stay. I couldn't find a place to stay either and my folks said I couldn't stay with them. They said I needed to learn how to live on my own. Never mind that they only taught me maybe a dozen things in life, like how to empty the garbage or how to bake angel food cake.Dominos Pizza
So I lived in the back of my pickup and got a job delivering pizzas at Dominos. At night I would park in a vacant lot and pull up a plastic tarp over some bent plastic pipe stuck in the pickup bed stake pockets. I borrowed money on a credit card to get a little 4 x 8 utility trailer. I built plywood sides on it and hauled it around behind my pickup. It was 4 feet tall. I put a bed and shower in it. I parked out past Sandy in a Forest Service road. In the morning, I would go down to the stream and get water. I had a propane burner that I would heat water in and boil a couple eggs. I would then take out the eggs and pour the hot water from the pan and some cold water from a stream into a milk jug. I ran a little clear tube from the milk jug to my wash cloth. That's how I showered. I kept working for Dominos pizza. It hurt me horribly that my parents didn't care. That verse came to mindLuk 20:9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. Luk 20:10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.I realized that there was just no fruit here to be had. But I didn't know what else to believe in. So I kept on. I realized that I couldn't keep living this way. I wanted to get away and have a decent job. I prayed to God that he would help me. I read in Proverbs where it says
Pro 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.I prayed to God that He would keep his word. This was probably the first time that I had ever asked God to do something "natural" for me.
Truck Driving
I was good at my job at Dominos and worked hard. I found an add in the paper for truck driving. I called them up and they said to come down and fill out an application. I lived out of my little trailer for 2-3 weeks and passed my driving test easily. They thought it was really interesting that I had to live out of that little trailer. I lived out of that little 4 foot wide by 8 foot long by 4 foot tall trailer in their parking lot throughout their training program. Shortly I was out on the road, all by myself. Just after I graduated from their truck driving school, the state officials shut it down, since they were not an approved school. But I already had my license, so it didn't matter to the state. Driving that huge semi-truck alone for the first time was a huge experience for me. There was no one by my side and nobody to tell me what to do in case something happened. That was really scary at first. But I got used to it. I drove for May Trucking through the 11 Western states for one full year. I payed off almost my full pickup loan and a lot of my bills.Dr. Brouse
I got a job doing technical audio work for Dick Brouse. I didn't have enough money to rent a place . I lived out of the back of my truck again but this time I had a canopy. Dick and Jenny Brouse invited me to stay at their place. I stayed their for a while. They were much nicer than any 2x2 folks I had ever met. They were different too. They didn't always go to gospel meetings and I remember from being in their field as a worker that that frustrated the workers.Truck Driving for JB Hunt
Later, I lived in Dallas Texas where I drove for JB Hunt and drove the 48 contiguous states. Then I drove for Schneider National in the lower 48, Canada and down by the Mexico border. I went to gopels meetings in almost every state in the US. I saw a lot of different things and heard many stories. When you travel, the 2x2s will tell you things that they wouldn't tell anyone else. One man who owned a convention grounds (in Ark I think it was) told me how the workers approached him and asked him if he would like a bigger barn. He said that he didn't have the money. They said they would pay for it. And so he got a bigger barn for the convention. I could tell he was very proud of that. While I drove for Schneider National, my grandmother Mabel Beck died. Then Grandpa Jim started going downhill in his health. Mother took care of Jim and moved down to AZ for many weeks. Shortly afterwards my grandpa Jim Beck died. [part about woman offering to "console" Jim by having sex with him goes here][Part about woman worker afraid of overseer here]Jim Beck left a great sum of money (made in stock market) to my mother. Mother would never read the will to either Pam or I. From what I remember, father wasn't even allowed to see the will. It was kept secret. Her brother Russ Beck, threatened to sue and to send the police after her. Mother was very disappointed because she was hoping Russ would profess. I got a safe driving award from Schneider and was selected to open up a Truck Driving school in Dallas Texas. I worked there for 6 months and then moved up to Portland, OR because of allergies to plants prevalent around the Dallas, TX area.Kelvin Naef
Kelvin Naef. Refused to take him out to lunch. Told me not to speak on certain verses in the Bible because their were people living in adultery in the Sunday AM Meeting place. Elder didn't even know what adultery was. Incident of elder not knowing what adultery was goes here, convention grounds, changing meetings. elder wouldn't allow me in meeting because workers didn't want it
I went to a different Sunday AM Meeting about 1 hour drive away.2001
I move to Portland because of allergies in Texas and lived in an apartment complex. I studied the Linux operating system with horrible book system that has examples that did not work. Went to Alaska on vacation trip with my father. I got a job with Stream International. I worked for Stream International INC for two years.Grandpa dies
It was around this time that my grandfather Marion Lewis passed away.Credit Card Fraud
I don't remember exactly which year, but my sister commits credit card fraud. She uses my information and social security number to get a credit card in my name and has the statements sent to her address. She is working for Macey's (or it may have been before Macey's bought out this company). She initially apologizes and then later she denies that she got the card.Roy and Barbara Wright
Rented room from Roy and Barbara Wright's place. Roy was sick with cancer. Helped Roy get on diet to make him well. He started doing better. After YEARS of taking heart medication for high blood pressure and after 8-9 days on new diet he was able to quit taking his heart medication. Roy goes off diet, takes radiation treatment and dies quickly of cancer (within weeks). Lynda Brist and Lisa Brunette in Gresham/East Portland field. I take man in wheelchair to meetings. Hurts my back so I quit doing it. Phu Nguyen calls me and tells me that his wife has separated, he is sick and needs someone to live at his place to at least be some company to him. I encouraged him to talk to the workers to get some help, and tell him I will think about it. Linda Brist requests I give her support money in cashier's checks. Lisa Brunette appears to beginning nervous breakdown. I have great sympathy for her.~2003
My mother had promised to help me get a degree using the money from my inheritance from Jim Beck. She promised that she would help if I stuck with it, got my degree and didn't get married while going to school. I agreed to this. She asked me if I wanted the contract in writing. I thought that it would be a waste of time to hire a lawyer for this and I trusted my mother (because she was professing and also my mother). Also I had agreed to pay her back when I was through with school. I was living in a 18 foot recreation trailer at Bruce and Jane's place in Mollalla OR. I would get up in the morning, drive about 40 minutes to school, eat and do my homework at school and then drive home.Phu's third call
I got a call from Phu Nguyen. Phu Nguyen asked me to come stay with him because his wife Hoa had separated from him and he wanted someone to be around. (Years ago Phu and I had worked on a half acre organic garden together.) I told Phu that I would think about it. I prayed to God and talked to my folks. I agreed that if Phu called a third time, then I would go to stay with him while going to school. Phu called the third time and so I moved up to Portland. In following paragraphs, I'm just going to through some memories to sort out for later, so please pardon the spelling and grammar etc.Phu confesses all
Phu tells me problems. Phu and I read Bible together. I realize Phu doesn't understand the Bible., Phu and I pray together. I show Phu what Bible says to do. Phu makes lists.Phu confronts his wife
Phu revises list and gives to his wife. His wife rejects lists, Phu is sad. People in field start talking. Milo wicks has special bible studies with Phu's wife, Phu's jealous because Milo Wicks is going out at night with his wife.My Sunday AM meeting Testimony
I give me testimony on Matthew 18 how Jesus taught us to deal with offenses of a brother in the church.Jeff Uding's Phone Call
Jeff Uding calls and tells me that Matthew 18;15-20 don't apply to Phu. I told him that he will need to talk to Phu if he thinks Phu should not apply them. I offered to take a message for Phu. He keeps telling me that what Jesus taught there does not apply to Phu. I was scared by the way he was talking to me. It was like he was playing back a recording that didn't make sense and he wouldn't listen to reason. I told him that I was encouraging Phu to do what Jesus taught. I repeated that he needs to talk to Phu about his business, not me. He consents. Phu calls Jeff Uding. Jeff tells him that those verses don't apply. I encouraged Phu to ask them why those verses don't apply. If those verses do not apply, then which verses do?Phu talks with Ken Beckman
Phu told me that he had peace in his house after Ken Beckman stayed in his home several years ago. I told him that if he trusted Ken, he should probably talk to him. Phu talked to him. I talked to Ken Beckman too. He encouraged me to keep reading and praying with Phu. He thought it was good for Phu to go and talk alone with Milo about the issues.Phu is Strengthened
After confronting his wife and talking with Ken Beckman, Phu gets emotionally stronger. Phu tells me about his issues with Milo Wicks and how Milo has behaved towards him. I tell him that I can't do anything about it. He needs to talk to Milo. I encouraged him to make a list of reasons why he is upset with Milo. I encourage him to narrow it down to three of the most important things to keep things simple.Phu confronts Milo Wicks
Phu calls Milo and tells him that he would like to speak with him. Milo agrees to meet with him. Phu is excited and goes to visit with him. He later comes back very disappointed. He said that Milo did not remember meeting alone with Hoa (Phu's wife). He said that Milo scratched his head and said "when?" He said also that Milo did not consent to his request of not being alone with Hoa (his legal wife) and to stay away from Hoa. Milo doesn't care and tells him ~"It's a free country. I can do what I want. If you don't like it, move back to Vietnam". Phu comes back from visiting with Milo alone and tells me. I doubt Phu but don't say so to Phu. I am shocked.Duane and Linda Forsberg
I talk with married couple, Duane and Linda Forsberg in Washington. They tell me several times Milo has made racist and derogatory remarks to people. My mother tells me to stay away from Dwayne and Linda Forsberg, but I don't because they know about things that I don't and they are at least talking with me about the issue. Afterwards Dave Nealon gives me looks as if he hates my guts but is a coward to talk. So after a gospel meeting, I give him a piece of paper with my phone number and tell him to call me if he ever wants to talk about anything. He says he will.
Late he calls me and we set up a time to meet after a gospel meeting.
Talk with Dave Nealon After Sunday Gospel Meeting at Odd Fellow's Hall
(The following writing was copied down after the visit) While I was visiting with Dave, Phu was visiting with Milo. I told Dave Nealon that Phu and I were reading and praying together. He didn't seem to like that. I asked him if he would like to know what we had read together. He hesitantly agreed. I started going through the verses. He stopped me. He said it was different because he said he was an "ordained minister of God". I didn't see where it was wrong for a disciple to do and teach what Jesus taught. Dave Nealon told me that Phu was a bad man and a manipulator. I told Dave that if Phu was a bad man and a manipulator, then he should go talk to Phu and show him his fault. I reminded him about those verses in Galations about seeing a person overtaken in a fault. He said that he had talked to Phu several times and that Phu was unteachable. I told Dave that if Phu was unteachable and was a bad man that he should talk to him alone, take witnesses and then bring it to the church. He said that he didn't need me to tell him what to do, and that he had people who he would talk to about things like this. I wondered why he felt there was a better way of handling things that what Jesus taught and the apostles did in Acts. I asked Dave Nealon if I could quote him. I wrote some things on paper, but I cannot find it now. I will keep looking. *End of writings* I talk to some friends about Dave's behavior toward me to get some perspective and hear their thoughts on the matter. Mother told me that Linda Brist spoke on Matthew 18:15-20 and that those verses apply very much today. I was encouraged.November 23rd 2003 writings of things I want to talk about with Dave Nealon but don't have chance
What do you think I am doing that would lead me into trouble? Do you feel like Phu wants to physically throw a stone at Hoa? What do you think Phu wants to do? What leading of the Holy Spirit am I going against? What scripture am I going against? Do you feel like you need the scripture to talk to people? Do you feel that people should just trust you because you say you are led of God? Do you feel that people should just trust you because you say you are led of God even if what you teach contradicts what Jesus taught? What makes you feel that the spirit that you are following is true when you cannot come up with reasons to ignore what Jesus taught? Do you feel like Phu is wanting to physically stone Hoa? Do you feel like Hoa has committed adultery? Will you help me understand what you are trying to say? What scriptures can you show me in the Bible that confirm your ideas? Why did Jesus teach about how to handle offenses of your brother's tresspasses if it does not apply to this situation? What is their situation? Have you sat down and talked with Hoa? Have you sat down and talked with Phu? Why is Hoa upset with Phu? Why is Phu upset with Hoa? Is it any of your business to give me your advice that contradicts with the teachings of Jesus? Do you feel like you have a higher revelation than Jesus Christ the son of God? When should the teachings of Jesus about a brother's offenses be applied? Do you feel like Hoa is professing to follow Jesus? Do you feel like Phu is professing to follow Jesus? How does the story about the woman taken in adultery apply to Hoa's case when she didn't commit adultery and no one is trying to stone her? Why does it not apply what Jesus said about offenses and talking things out? If you feel like God has given you greater understanding and revelation than Phu to not apply what Jesus taught, how can Phu get more of the holy spirit so he can have understanding and wisdom like you to prevent misunderstandings in the future? How do you know the spirit you are following is not a lying spirit if you have no scriptures that testify to the things you are teaching? Why you give advice that contradicts what Jesus taught in Matthew 18? Jesus taught the things that were greater than the old testament law. He gave us the new covenant. Do you feel like what you are teaching is greater than what Jesus taught? Do you think that in John 7:53 through John 8:11, Jesus would have been upset with the teachers of the law and the Pharisees if they were following what Jesus taught about a brother that tresspasses against you? Do you think that Phu is trying to follow the law of Moses or the new testament teachings of Jesus? You should talk to Phu if you want him to believe something else because I will not allow you indoctrinate me with something other than what Jesus did and taught. I am upset with you and have several things against you because of the following: You are telling me to teach Phu things other than what Jesus taught. You are trying to hinder me from doing and teaching the things that Jesus taught. You are an offense to me because you want me to do what is easy not take up my cross and follow Christ. You want me to follow your advice instead of what Jesus specifically taught on this matter and have given me no solid reason. Be aware that if you do not change or hear me on this matter, I may call one or two witnesses with me and ask to sit down with you and them as witnesses and bring these trespasses up against you again. just like Jesus taught so that others may know that the Lord reigns and not man. If you hear me on this matter and change then great. If not or you refuse to meet with me,then I will ask you to come to a meeting with the church present and read your trespasses against me to them whether you are present or not. I will ask them that you no longer be considered a believer of the true LORD above, but one who is a traitor to the very Jesus Christ you claim to preach. *End of my writings*Meeting with Doyle Smith and Mike Summers after Aurora Gospel Meeting
I talked with Doyle Smith after his Sunday evening meeting. Mike Summers was there with Bruce Filener and I. I asked him about those verses in Matthew 18:15-20. He agreed that the first part of going and talking to the person alone was a good idea. I think he said that going and talking with them with a witness was a good idea too. He really balked and never said that the third part of what Jesus taught was good though. Doyle asked me if I was upset at him because of an email he had sent me earlier that warned me against calling people who taught that it was OK to live in adultery false prophets. Doyle evidently believes that Kelvin Naef is a servant of God even though he teaches that it's OK to live in adultery. I ask Doyle if he would show me what I don't understand about what Jesus taught in those verses. He told them he didn't understand them clearly. I decide not to visit with him about the those verses because of he agrees with those that teach things contrary to God and because he told me he didn't see those verses clearly.Worker worship
Phu asks me to go with him to talk to Hoa. I agree to go. Phu calls Hoa. She refuses to talk. I call Hoa and ask her if Phu called her. She said that he had. I wanted to confirm that she refused to listen to Phu. She told me that she just wanted her own house and bank account. She said she was only going to listen to God and Dave Nealon. I told her that what Dave Nealon was telling her was not Godly. She did not care. She repeated that she was only going to listen to God and Dave Nealon. It was obvious to me that she was unreasonable because she would not visit with Phu or myself or anyone else except God and Dave Nealon.Taking Hoa's offenses to the church
I encouraged Phu to speak with Jeff Uding since he is his elder about taking his issues with Hoa to the church.Elder Jeff Uding explodes after Sunday AM meeting
Sun AM meeting finishes and we shake hands with others. Phu tells Jeff Uding that he would like to apply what Jesus taught in bringing the issue with Hoa to the church. Jeff told him that those verses don't apply because Hoa is a woman and those verses say "brother". I speak up to help Phu explain to Jeff what he is wanting to Phu. After a couple of his reasons as to why he doesn't think those verses apply, Jeff tells Phu that he needs to talk with Dave Nealon. Jeff turns on me. Jeff falsely accuses me of many things. He stands way too close to me with folded arms and with a loud voice accuses me of many things. Phu speaks up in my defense and tells him that I am his friend. Jeff questions Phu and asks him "is he really your friend". Jeff continues to accuse me of things and is getting very animated. I try to speak and he cuts me off again. I could see that he had no intention of reasoning and that he enjoys berating me in front of the other people that are still in the room after the meeting. Jeff becomes more animated and is very angry. I tell Phu that we should leave before Jeff gets violent. Phu agrees. Jeff opens the door and repeats three times, "Fine, just leave." Both Phu and I are shaken and leave Jeff's residence. It's obvious that Jeff is not reasonable. Dave Nealon also does not believe in those verses. I realize those verses don't say that it should take place after a meeting. Phu and I consider inviting people to his place for the gathering.Dave Nealon's "talk" with Phu
Phu's daughter's marriage
Phu and i go to CA for his daughters wedding, meet some friends down there, phu questions them, I give answer from bible, they are shocked, I realize the friends don't know bible, don't care and live on their uneducated opinions which vary dramatically and are cruelDecember 13th, 2003 Phone Conversation with Dave Nealon
(I wrote down this conversation and am sure of the date)I told him that the things he was teaching me do not line up with the scripture and I wanted to talk with him about it.
He doesn't want to meet with me. He doesn't have the time or energy and does not feel he needs to explain what he said to me.
He didn't want me to write things down. He felt like he was in a court.
He believes he told me and that I didn't learn from him, so no need to talk to me again.
He said "it happens that people separate and divorce and even remarry. I asked him if he believed if it was OK for a man to divorce and remarry and still take part in the meetings. He said he didn't want to answer that.
He said it was none of my business. I explained why I thought that what he was teaching me in the name of God was my business.
After December 13, 2003, My Talk with Karen Flood
I talked with Karen Flood and she was glad I followed scriptures. She said she would go as a witness with me. I told her that I would like two witnesses.
December I meet Mary Beth at PCC
Her friendship helped me to see the 2x2 group in a better light.Writings from Jan 22nd, 2004 Reasons Why Dave Nealon has Offended Me
Teaches not to follow what Jesus taught, or what other apostles in surrounding fields teach which is inline with what Jesus taught. • Tells me that Phu and Hoa should not reconcile. Tells me that what Jesus taught about reconciling fellow believers does not apply. Three other workers I talked to say that what Jesus taught does apply. And one other worker wrote and says what Jesus taught does apply. • Told me that Phu should not follow what Jesus taught because he is a bad man. Told me Phu should not try to reconcile to Hoa because she lives in a different house. • Dave has publicly taught that Bible only applies to oneself. It does not apply to others. Jesus taught us to beware of false prophets. The apostle Paul taught us that we should judge those that are within the church. • Contradicts what Linda Brist is teaching in her gospel meetings. Linda Brist is going by what Jesus taught and says she makes every effort to teach the doctrine of Christ. He sows discord in the brethren in the church. • He says false things about Phu and me to elder. Causes elder to falsely accuse me of many things right after a Sunday AM meeting while other people are around. He is leading other elders astray. • Says false things about my friend Phu to one of my friends Bruce Filener in Molalla. Lays heavy burdens on me and my friends by not giving scriptures that do apply. • Only says that you must endure the suffering of a divided family • Endure grief of a child's soul being lost by being exposed to violent games on Internet, pornography and TV in the home. • Dave Nealon has not stayed at Phu's house in the last three years he was in this field. • Phu has asked Dave Nealon several times to visit with him. • Phu has asked Dave to encourage Hoa to reconcile but he has refused. • Makes it difficult for Phu, my friend to have fellowship because of all the evil that is going on and the behavior of people in the church that is childish. • Has caused another apostle to be very concerned about what is going on in this field. He lies to me. • Says Phu is a bad man and a manipulator. But he has not first tried to talk to Phu and help him with this "problem". Phu has repented of things he has done wrong in the past, whatever they are I don't know. • Says he talked to Phu about causing problems in the church, but when I asked Phu, he said he only came to tell him once not to preach at him in Sun am meeting while he was there. I was home at this time. I was in that Sunday AM meeting too and Phu did not preach at him. Phu was telling what he heard from true servants of God in Vietnam about how they dealt with problems in their field. • Tells me that Phu is not teachable. I have lived with Phu for about 2 months and he is very teachable. I have taught him many things. I enjoy living at Phu's house and we visit about the scriptures and what Jesus taught frequently. Brings a reproach on the my church and fellowship by encouraging Hoa to separate from Phu. • People who Phu has invited to meetings refuse to come because of Hoa's behavior which is a result of Dave Nealon and elders encouraging her to leave and not try to reconcile. • I cannot bring one of my friends to his meeting because of his bad behavior. Slanders the name of Phu • He told another man in another field who has no business in the matter that Phu was pushing away his children. • to at least one other man in a field not his own who has no business about the matter. And it is evident by the way other people act around me in meetings that he has slandered my name too. Implies that I'm a bad man • Tells me I'm not learning. Implies that I'm not teachable. • Says I'm not like other saints in field who he likes to visit with Does not believe in what Jesus taught either: • Refused to meet with me and discuss scriptures. • Says I'm not worth his time or emotional energy. • He refuses to reconcile to me and help unite the church by reaching an understanding of what Jesus lived and taught and died for. • Other apostles that I have requested to visit with have immediately made appointments with me and visited with me at their earliest possible times. *End of Writings*Linda Forsberg calls Dave Nealon and asks him about homosexuality
I had talked with Duane and Linda about it seeming that Dave Nealon was gay and promoted that lifestyle. He had made some comments to an elders wife that gay people brought "bread" to the meetings. Linda called Dave and asked him what he thought about the issue of homosexuality. Linda told me that Dave refused to answer. That pretty much confirmed that he was for the gay lifestyle as any real preacher would state flat out that the gay lifestyle is against the will of God.Sunday January 25th about 10:40AM - Request Dave Nealon to talk about his offenses with a witness
I talked to Dave Nealon right after the Sunday AM meeting. I asked him if he got my message. He said he did and he thought he would talk with me after the Sunday AM meeting. I asked him if he would meet with Karen Flood and I. He said "About what" I told him that I would like to discuss with him the same things I wanted to discuss before. (There were many people around in the room and I didn't want to speak aloud his sins since it would not be in an orderly way.) He said he didn't think it was necessary. He said he had told me twice before and now he was telling me the third time to not interfere and to not be involved with Phu and Hoa. He said he had told me once after meeting, another time (I think on the phone) and now he was telling me the third time. He said he also wanted me to read Heb 13:17. I said I understood he had told me that before. (I did not mention in the room that he was teaching me false doctrine) I told him I understood that that was how he felt. I went over to my Bible and turned to Heb 13:17 and read it. Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. I understood that he wanted me just to do as he told me. I also understood that I am responsible to God first and that God has higher authority. I told him I understood what he meant and that he wanted me to obey him because he was in authority. I did not mention to him again that his doctrine contradicted God because there were many people around and it was not time yet to bring it to the church like Jesus taught in an orderly way. I asked him again if he would meet with Karen Flood and I to talk about things. He said ~~"It's not necessary for me to explain to you or Karen Flood my actions." and "No, it's not necessary for us to meet". I told him that I understood his answer and that it was completely his choice. I told him I was sorry. Another lady was waiting to shake hands with me, so I turned to her and shook hands. Not long after that I left. I thought to myself later. I know I must obey those in authority and God has higher authority than him, yet he wants me to disobey God to follow him. This is odd, it is so clear and it says right in that verse that they must give an account, yet he didn't think it was necessary.date? My father tells me that my uncle is telling people that I've got a mental disease
I talk with Jon Lewis
Jon tells me that Dave Nealon came to visit him and asked him if I was on medication. Jon Lewis told me that he thought I had a mental disease, a "fixation on the scripture". He said he felt "like a goat" just for talking to me.I talk with Renee Lewis, Jon's wife
She tells me that she doesn't care what her husband is saying about me because it's not about her and she doesn't care what the workers are saying about me because they're not saying things about her. (I realize now that the 2x2s don't give a rip about others. They only care about themselves. They don't believe in loving their neighbors.)Karen Flood
i talk to karen flood, she encourages me to read and pray with phu,Phu and I talk with Milo Wicks
Phu asks me to go with him as witness when talking with Milo Wicks. I agree.Phu Confronts Milo Wicks, I Witness it
Phu tells Milo to not go out with his (Phu's) wife at night. Milo refuses. He says he went out with Phu's wife the other night and had supper together. He tells Phu and I that his own wife was not at home. Milo Wicks tells Phu that he is accusing him of committing adultery. Phu and I look at each other. I ask Milo who accused him of committing adultery with Hoa (Phu's wife). He is silent. He is sweating profusely and the armpits around his shirt are soaked halfway down to the belt on his pants. Phu tells Milo to stay away from his wife. Milo tells him he will do whatever he wants. He says it's a free country. He says if Phu doesn't like it, he can just move back to Vietnam. (I remember what Phu told me earlier and now have more trust in what Phu tells me)Fred Wright in Hospital
While Fred Wright was dying of cancer, I went to visit him at the OHSU hospital. Fred Wright was the son of Roy and Barbara Wright whom I had previously rented a room from.Milo Wicks implying to people that Phu beat his wife, causing dissension in the cult
I talked with Milo Wicks because somebody told me that he told Phu not to beat his wife. I asked Milo if he had seen Phu beat his wife. He wouldn't say no. He said "I told him not to beat his wife". This was another case where the "friends" would refuse to tell the truth and would insinuate a lie instead.Phu and his son outright tell me that Phu never beat his wife
I talked to Phu's son and asked him if he had ever heard or seen Phu beat his wife. He was surprised. He said no that he had never seen or heard Phu beat his wife. I asked Phu if he had ever beat his wife. He said no and was surprised I asked him. I told him what Milo was saying to other people. Phu was very sad.I quit going to Gospel Meeting because of Lies the Workers Teach
One of the best decisions in my life.Trying to find an elder who cares
My father suggests talking to elders. I agreed. I called several. Some didn't want to even talk about it. I talked to Doug Corcoran. He refused. I talked with Bruce Gibler. He said he would read and pray about it. I heard he had time to attend a Volkswagon club meeting but never did hear back from him . Another flake. I talk to the Jim MacDonald who started Mac's Radiator shop. I know the business runs some under the table. Vic Green (husband to Shirley Green the one who talks a lot) bragged to me that Mac's pays him under the table to run radiators or something between a city south of here (I think Salem) and Portland. So I dont' trust him, but try anyway. Jim MacDonald says he will only be a witness to it if the overseer tells him to. I think I asked him why he needs the overseers permission to follow what Jesus taught. Anyway, he never would meet with Dave Nealon. He said he thought I had something against Dave. No kidding? (That's what an offense is). Another flaky guy.Karen Flood changes
Karen Flood tells me that confronting Dave about his heretical doctrines is like rising up against Moses. I ask Karen Flood to tell people in meetings about what Jesus taught regarding how to handle offenses. I talk to Karen Flood and she suggests talking to overseer. I tell her Harold Bennett is a flake and I don't trust him. She agrees and suggests Ralph Sines. He seems at least half-way likable and so Phu and I schedule and appointment with him.Meeting with Ralph Sines
Phu and I meet him at Dennis and Zoe Anne Rumsey's place. They own the Boring conventions grounds. Dennis tells me that Ralph's memory is fading, but that he is with it in the moment and would be able to talk. I go in and talk to Zoe Anne. She assures me Ralph is very coherent, but that his memory is poor from day to day. Later I realize why they are telling me this. So Phu and I take turns telling our story and sadness to the offenses of the church especially Dave Nealon and Milo Wicks. Ralph Sines listens earnestly and is appalled at Dave Nealon's behavior and also Milo Wicks behaviour with Phu's wife.. He promises to have a talk with Dave Nealon and with Milo Wicks. Phu and I are elated that we have finally found someone with some decent sense. I ask Ralph Sines to send us a letter with the results. He promises to do this and Phu and I leave. Weeks later and no letter. The person who was supposed to remind Ralph Sines of this task let us down and Phu and I never hear from Ralph. About a month or two later, I see Ralph and ask him about the letter. He said he would send it, but I have no hope. Either his memory is too far gone or he has no intentions now. I'ld like to think his memory failed him and it was his companion who was supposed to remind him that let us down.Karen Flood is Assigned a New Field by Overseer and Sent Far Away
Karen Flood is sent to Montana by the overseer. I talked to Scott Parish and asked him to come be a witness to the offenses of Dave Nealon. I offered to buy him a plane ticket. He would not saying that local people should do that. I told him that no local people would and that I've talked to many elders. He still would not.Thinking about taking issue to the church
*Writings* My conversation with Dave Nealon after Phu encouraged me to call him before taking the issue to the church. This happened on Thu, Fri or Sat July 15,16,17 When I told him that it would be brought before the church, he said "I wish you wouldn't do this." Dave told me that he had seen psychotic behavior. He told me to check into a mental institute. He said that I was mental. He said that he had hoped that my problems were not spiritual but mental. He said many other things, but I am too tired of thinking about Dave. He is not reasonable. Later that day, Phu told me that Dave Nealon told him: that Dave Nealon had told him that I was mental. that Phu should cut off relations with me. that Phu should tell me to leave the house. that I had problems. that he knew there would be problems when Phu asked me to stay with him. *End of Writings*Phu Cannot Handle Pressure from Dave Nealon anymore
Dave talks with phu, tells him I'm mental and to make me move out of his house, Phu apologizes to me, tells me he's losing his mind and that i need to leave for his healths sake and wants to still be friendsMy Mother breaks her word and leaves me in a really bad situation
My mother says that I cannot receive my inheritance any more for school. She says that she talked to an accountant and that she is going to break her end of the contract. I explain to her that I've left my job of steady employment, am going to school and have no means of support. She says says doesn't care. My mother quits sending me the money agreed on to continue my education. I have no job still and am in the middle of a college semester. I have to move to a trailer park and am broke now. I never should have trusted my parents. I'm learning the hard way.I live in travel trailer park
I move to house on Powell
I go to sun am meetings in Oregon City field, start business,Feeling how weird the cult is after being away from gospel meetings
I bring customer to meeting. The elder tells her that their goal is to "imitate new testament church". Later I realize how accurate this is. Just like the wolf tries to imitate the sheep by wearing sheep's clothing.Karen Flood flakes
I talk to Karen Flood again, she's refers to "rising up against the lord's anointed" if I pursue the offense of David Nealon.Ken Beckman's Reversal
I talk with Ken Beckman. Someone has "leaned" on him too. Ken tells me that I must AGREE with Dave Nealon or there will be "severe consequences". I ask him a couple times what the severe consequences, but all he says it that the consequences will be "severe". This is a direct threat towards me and not veiled at all.Putting two and two together
I begin to realize that the overseers, workers, elders and friends don't care about the Bible or the Word of God. I also notice the pattern that they deliberately will not follow the Bible. Then I realize that they not only are ignorant of the Bible, but they have been taught to not follow the scriptures.Learning the workers real beliefs
I interview neighboring workers: Linda Brist, Hazel Hansen and a red head younger worker. I ask them "If the workers tell you to do something against the scripture, should you obey them or God?" Linda Brist tells me that you should obey the workers and God will sort out the details later. I am realizing more and more that these are not just casual mistakes by a few people, but these doctrines of worshiping the workers are wholesale in the group.My mother's ultimate cruelty
To top it all off, about a month or two later my mother tells me that it's about time that I learned how to manage on my own. I was furious. I was doing fine until I trusted her to distribute my grandfather's inheritance to me. She was the one who caused the damage. I was beginning to learn how cruel she could be. She breaks her promise, doesn't care and then makes fun of me for believing her and insinuates I cannot take care of myself. I learned later that this is a sure sign that someone is abusive and enjoys it. They cause you pain and then blame you for feeling it.Commitments
Phu and I are going to bring issue before church and rent a hall. I am at wits end again, I promise God I will stick this out no matter what.Phu Asks Me to Move Back to His House
Phu finds out that things are not better as Dave promised. He asks me to move back.Finally finding a witness as I talk with Dave Nealon
Bruce Filener and I talk to Dave Nealon on phone, record the call, Dave refuses to visit with witnesses present. He only wants to visit on phone a little. He denies calling me mental. He tells me Phu cannot be trusted because of his English. (Dave Nealon is a compulsive liar - Phu is fluent in english) He says he will not change regarding me and issue between Phu and Hoa.He says he needs to go.First meeting with Steve Watts and Jeremey Gibson at Bob and Betty Meyers house
I request to have a visit with the workers in the Oregon City field, Steve Watts and Jeremy Gibson. We agree to meet at Bob and Betty Meyer's house after the Sunday AM meeting. I explain the offense of Dave Nealon. I ask them to bring the issue before the church. I tell them the verses I'm following, and what I've done so far in fulfilling the commandments of Jesus on the issue. I tell them that the "friends" worship the elders and the workers, the elders worship the workers, the workers worship the overseer and the overseer does not worship God. Steve is appalled by what I said. Steve says that he would hate to think that anyone stands between him and God. I noticed later that he never denied it. I go on and quote at least three verses to him that he will attempt to use and explain why they don't apply to the situation and which situation the do apply to (brother overtaken in fault not about offenses). I again ask him to help bring the issue before the church. He says he will need to talk to Harold Bennett. I ask him why he needs to talk to Harold Bennett. He says that Harold would like to approve. I grin. He tries not to grin, but does. Obviously he caught on to my point earlier that he didn't follow the Bible, but had to obey Harold Bennett.Final visit with Steve Watts and Jeremy Gibson at Bob and Betty Meyers
A week or two goes by. They will talk before meeting. I meet them. Steve reads two verses and says that the spirit doesn't lead them to bring the issue before the church. I said "You mean that because of these two verses you won't allow the issue to be brought before the church?" Steve says "No, you're twisting my words." I'm puzzled and shocked. I had made no attempt to twist his words. Steve says "I just read two verses and made a statement" Then I understood. I had assumed he was trying to reason. I hadn't twisted his words, I had just assumbed that he thought the verses were relevant to the subject. He just quoted irrelevant scripture for no reason. I was so disgusted. One verse was one that I told him he may use and another I had forgotten to mention (brother overtaken in a fault, keep spirit in bond of peace). I said to them, "If you believe that Dave Nealon is overtaken in a fault, then why don't you help him?" Jeremy Gibson pipes up, "We're trying to help you and you're not accepting our help." Now this utter perverseness and twisting of the scriptures was the most vulgar thing I have ever witnessed in my life and may always be. Here I was the one trying to resolve the issue by following the scripture and bring it before the church and Jeremy was insinuating that these meetings I had requested were their idea to help me. How sick is that? Jeremy Gibson died a few months later in a drowning accident, caught in a current of a river while trying to save someone else. (How fitting. Many workers offer counsel and help on issues that they have no clue or ability to help). After our visit, Jeremy lead the meeting and gave a testimony attempting to justify his position. Of course he had to lie to do it. I was so disgusted and felt horrible about what I had witnessed. I also learned from this visit that the workers were being led by a spirit that did not believe in following the words of Jesus Christ. I know the spirit prompts us to obey God. So I learned that the spirit that they were of was a devil, not of God. I made the decision to longer have fellowship with the group.I quit the fellowship with people led by the evil spirits
Next Sunday, I called Bob Meyer to tell him I wasn't coming to their Sunday AM meetings again. Betty, Bob's wife, answered the phone. I gave her the message and told her that I would like to talk to Bob and her and explain why I wouldn't be attending the meetings anymore. She said they were going on a trip for a week or two and it would have til wait until after then. I asked her to call me when she returned. Betty never called back. Betty Meyers tells my friend Mary that I'm mental because I've rejected "the way".Message Boards
I get on the computer and do search on meetings. I find a message board. I post some things and someone writes that Jesus is God. It blows my mind. I try to refute it. Someone writes back with several passages of scripture that I don't understand. What in the world? I thought I knew the Bible. The only way I can understand the scriputers is by recognizing that Jesus is God. It blows my mind. I take a step of faith and acknowledge that Jesus is God. More passages in the scripture make sense. I can hardly believe it but cautiously continue. I find more things in Bible that agree with this. Jesus forgives sins. He has power over death. He can raise the dead and heal the sick. Only God can do that. Wow. I realize after all those years at meetings I didn't know God. Mary Beth continues to go to meetings. I ask Mary "How can you keep going to meetings when they have behaved this way towards me?" She tells me "They are nice to me."Jeremy Gibson dies
Months later Jeremy Gibson dies in drowning accident.Slander by the "friends" continues
People in group tell my friends that I'm mental, workers tell friends that I'm mental,Betty Meyers slanders me to my best friend
After about a month or so, I called Betty and told her I would like to visit. She said she didn't want to and it would be a waste of time. I confronted her about slandering me. She says that I am mental because THEY are the truth and only mental people would not believe THEY are the truth. I learn from this that the most sweet acting 2x2s are the sickest. Through my experience with the 2x2s, I learned that they don't depend on Bible to know God. Many are pathological liars. Slander is common by them. They call people mental who insist on following the Bible. My mother tells my father to tell me that she doesn't care and that I now need to go get a job. I'm in the middle of school with yet more abuse to follow from my parents and the workers. Dave Nealon tells Phu Nguyen that I'm mental. He tells Phu to tell me to leave because I'm not a good influence on him. Phu tells me he must ask me to leave. He still wants to be friends. He says the stress is driving him crazy and asks me to leave. He says that Dave promised him that if I left his stress would go away. I move to a trailer court because I don't have enough money to rent an apartment. I have to take a loan from a bank to have food to eat. The area I have to move too is high in crime. I witness a crime and report it to the police. I have to move again for my own safety. I knew that I was not alone and that there were others who put their faith in God and weren't just interested in following a group and ignoring God. I prayed to God that he would bring me into fellowship with real Christians. Phu calls me and tells me that his stress has not gone away. He tells me he's sorry for making me leave without reason. My prayer was answered shortly. I started reading about 2x2s on the Internet and posted some comments on a bulletin board. Someone answered my question about "Is Jesus God" and they gave me scripture showing he was. My understanding of "who God is" was faulty. Someone reading the message board saw my name and post and told my aunt Kathy Lewis about it. She contacted me. Don and Kathy and invited me to come to meet the church. I did and am very happy with the fellowship of real Christians. Not that all of them are perfect, but God is. I was baptized after a couple months by my uncle Don Lewis. That was great.Walking down the street
I remember the first time I realized why I needed Jesus. I was walking down the street by my home and praying for others on my street. Then I got to wondering why I needed Jesus. The Bible teaches about God, and I believed in God. Then in dawned on me that because of my sin against God, I needed Jesus. I realized then why it was important to know God. It still amazes me after years of attending the cult sessions that I never felt a real need for God or Jesus. I had just felt a need to go to meetings and to give my "testimony" at Sunday AM meetings.Joel Lewis leaves the 2x2 cult
My father has left the cult. He still struggles with many issues and is finding more good reasons on why he left. My mother is still part of the cult and so is my sister. Please pray for them. I love my sister and my mother but they don't like to talk about God and are confused about many things. It's one thing for a person to leave the cult and another for the cult to get out of them. People who leave the cult often retain the abusive behaviors.Handing out flyers at cult meetings
I handed out flyers at the gospel meeting at the Teamsters Hall on 142nd and Halsey. It was a real rush. I realized I was doing something really good that would help other people wake up from the mind control. The flyer can be found on my website at http://www.2x2ministry.org .That felt good to warn people about the 2x2 way of doing things and to point them to God. Mary Beth quit going to meetings. Since then she said "I'm glad that I spent as little time as I did going to meetings". Whew! I'ld hate to have led her into a cult forever.Sept 2007 Telephone harassment from Pamela and Bryan Rank
I received several abusive phone calls from 2x2s including Bryan Rank (my brother in law, married to my sister Pamela Rank -maiden name Pamela Jane Lewis) that have threatened to kill me. They (my sister and Bryan Rank who is a real estate agent in Montana) called about four or five times shouting profanity into the phone, calling my mother a bitch. I handed my phone to a coworker. She told them and the other person on the phone not to call again.My father turns on me again
I talked to my father afterwards. He said that Bryan was just upset. I asked my father to testify for me to the police about Bryan threatening my life and for the telephone harassment. My father said that he had told Bryan Rank that he would testify against me in court that I was harassing Bryan. So here Bryan Rank was harassing me on the phone and threatening my life and my father was going to testify against me in a court of law! I asked my father if he thought the judge would even consider it since I wasn't harassing Bryan, and Bryan was harassing me on phone and threatening my life. My father said "no", he didn't think it would go anywhere in court. This was when it finally hit home that my father was not only verbally abusive and a liar but that he had no regard for truth and justice. I sent my father an email to never contact me again unless he wanted to mail me a written letter of apology. As of this writing (Jan 2008) my father has still not apologized to me. I have learned that those involved in cults have no regard for their own family and lose even their love for themselves. They will even do things to their own inconvenience to lie and harm others. After talking with the police (who encouraged me to avoid all contact with Joel Lewis and Lynda Lewis) I realized that I needed to avoid people like this who purposefully try to destroy others lives. I've totally quit going to the Good Shepherd Community Church. They have classes and teach people not to borrow money and teach people to give more money to the church and then they go out and borrow millions to add on to their buildings. They start asking more and more for money to help pay their new debts. I encourage others who receive threats from 2x2s to instruct the 2x2s to not contact them again and notify the police of threats they make and things they say. It is important to document this information so you don't forget, so it can be used in court if necessary because many will lie after it happens. It is good to have witnesses to this also. It is so sad to see what I've seen in some people I've known for a long time and how their lies are destroyed because of what they put their trust and confidence in. Please pray for them. If people refuse to write down what they tell you via phone, I've learned they are not honest and are afraid of documenting things. I've learned to avoid these people because they will bring me sadness. I've found great strength in reading the Bible and doing what Jesus teaches. Being honest about how things are is hard sometimes but it has helped me focus on God's generosity and cut off abusive relationships. God wants people to love each other and when people are cruel, it is good to show them kindness but not be a part in their cruelty to themselves and others.January 2008
I emailed Don Lewis and Roy Hedahl who claim to be Christians, asking them to sit down with my father and myself. They wanted to know my side of the story. I refused because Jesus taught that we all sit down together. They refused and even without hearing my side of the story, said that I just needed to "honor my father". How perverse! I emailed Kathy Lewis, Don's wife. She twisted what I was saying, implying that I was trying to bring out my father's past mistakes. She said I sounded "angry, demanding, unforgiving, depressed, legalistic, morose, gloomy, and angry at everyone." I realized her attendance at Good Shepherd Community Church had served her no better than her husband Don Lewis or Roy Hedahl. I asked all of them to apologize and none of them have. I talk to the relatives of these three offensive "Christians" and find they know this about them too. People know about their offensive ways but it doesn't seem anyone is following what Jesus taught in correcting the issues. Relatives often try to cover up these offenses rather than deal with them just so they can meet at holidays and act like everything is going OK. How depressing to live such an existence. I realize that many 2x2s come out of the group but continue to behave like 2x2s except they now have a few different beliefs but the rest is the same. I read about mind control tactics used by cults which describes methods used by 2x2s perfectly. The books "Combatting Cult Mind Control" by Steven Hassan is helpful and also "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" by David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen.December 2008
I have received several phone calls and emails from people wishing to remain anonymous and I have found their stories very similar in many respects. And I appreciate so much your concern and love. I'm sorry to hear that many who have left the 2x2 cult have become atheists after being so misused by "religious" people. Others have gotten into bad/abusive relationships after becoming used to being abused. My heart goes out to you. I'm amazed at the cruelty that parents can have for their kids. I'm still having Bible Studies with Phu Nguyen, whose friendship I really appreciate. As I change more and more for the better, I am making more friends. Some good and others I have to just be acquaintances with because of their beliefs. I am exercising what I've learned about protecting my heart and maintaining healthy boundaries. After sending many emails to Good Shepherd Community Church about my complaints with their business, they continue to send me emails soliciting me from money and trying to justify themselves as one of their members resigned.Christmas 2008
I had the best Christmas of my life. I spent the time at home with no abusive words from family members, no pretense, just nice peace and quiet. I had thought to myself that if my relatives whom I rebuked for their insults really cared, then they would apologize. They haven't apologized, so they have proved what they stand for. I was correct in my estimation that they don't care a whit for me.2009 Phu marries 3rd or fourth wife
My "friend" Phu gets divorced from Hoa (his 2nd or 3rd wife) and marries another woman. He never invited me to his wedding, never told me he was seeing someone or anything. He's adding on to his house. We're no longer having Bible studies together.March 2009 Joel pretends to apologize
Joel writes me a couple letters, pretending to apologize "if" he did what I said he did. I guess after not apologizing for over a year, he tried to forget what he said. I guess my father thinks I'm stupid. He wrote "love and peace". He must think I'm really stupid. What type of father would ignore his son for over a year and then tell his son that it was just an "misunderstanding"? Ok, that's rhetorical. I know what type of father would say that: a father who doesn't care about his son. Joel and Lynda told an old friend of mine that I "no longer wanted to be part of the family". They didn't tell them about what they did to drive me away and all their abuse. Should I be suprised? I'm no longer suprised. I'm like an orphan only worse. My parents know I exist but spend more time about the dust on their furniture than about me. A lot more. I mean nothing to them. Having come from a 2x2 background, I've learned a lot about abuse. One of the things that I love in the gospel is how much my soul means to God. God loves me. That means millions. Many times I've imagined sticking my head over the end of my shotgun and pulling the trigger. I mean, who would miss me? But I know God loves me and that means the world to me. I have no friends from my previous 2x2 life. My whole life is a new slate. I don't think anything from the past carries over now except memories.Changes that Heal
I'm actually bonding now to a friend. I've had "friends" before but they were actually acquaintances. I misused the word "friend" before. Real friends care about what I'm going through. I've got a real friend now. They don't pretend to care. They do care. When you have a real friend, you have no need for wealth or status. Having a real friend is enough. I've been reading a great book that's called "Changes that Heal" by Henry Cloud.Father finally apologies without qualification
My father finaly apologized without excuses. He has taken no action to correct his errors and I don't expect him to. I have learned that you can forgive people, but you shouldn't open yourself up for more abuse.Another great book
I'm now reading "Why Does He Do That - Inside the minds of angry and controlling men" by Lundy Bancroft. While the book "The Secret Sect" by Doug and Helen Parker helped me to understand how the cult got started and how their doctrines changed and why, the book about angry and controlling men helped me to understand my folks and the 2x2 relationships with each other. The 2x2 clan is like a bunch of abusive people who are accustomed to the abusive behavior and use each other to meet their own ends. That is why they stick together as a cult but aren't true friends to each other and why things explode when there are problems. I have decided not to be friends with my father. His abusive behavior and lack of remorse and lack of trying to repair the damage he has caused in his slandering show that to try to have a friendship with him would be foolish.A Song for the sabbath day
Psa 92:9 For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
A note
There are many people today who have abusive parents and churches and I'm glad to be able to share with a few of them the things that I've learned and the principles to heal from these incidents. Writing about my experiences for other peoples benefit and warning has also been a help to me.
Thanks kindly for reading. There are many more things I have to write. It takes time and effort to put these memories to words, so this page will be updated as I can.
God bless you. Bradly Lewis :)along with your evidence and contact information so that I can check it out.
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