And the plot thickens

[Anna Marta]

Steinar and I, as you know decided to walk quietly out of church and do whatever God shows us to do. We have been missed. One of the elders, a neat lady, showed up at the door today because I was not answering my phone. Yes, ;) I was avoiding her!

She had NO idea what happened between us and the pastor. After telling her the straight story, she sat aghast. Her husband is a doctor and she has worked as a psychiatric nurse. They are savvy and we think they will pick up on more things even than we have if/when they try to get to the bottom of this. She kept repeating how much the whole church loves me. However, she had to agree I do need to back away for a while to protect myself. We prayed together and asked God to do his thing.

She told me she had been terribly wounded too. She told me bluntly that an international Christian organization had thrown her out on her ass for questioning and going against (are you ready for this Outcast?) going against God's annointed. I nearly fell off my chair! :eek: :eek: :eek: Now I know I can't mention the organization so I won't. Their base is on the island where this gal lives. Their newest school of counseling is being run by a couple in our church, the same couple who ran the DTS school in Hawaii for 3 years. I told her of an article on SA (and gave her the URL) written by a young woman who had a frightening experience at the DTS in Hawaii and ran away.

She asked if she could talk to the pastor about our conversation and try to do something... I told her she could. I am thinking that if this pastor is an abuser this woman and her husband may turn out to be his worst nightmare. WE can only hope... :cool:

Keep you all posted on the next episode...

Anna Marta :)

[hornblower]

wow Anna what a blessing to have her come to your door and how brave of her!

[butterfly]

Hi Anna,

Be perpared that the out come from her speaking to the Pastor could be going against you and your hubby.

Pastors can lie and twist things all around so it looks like he did nothing wrong.

That you two will be the trouble makers.

Hope this wont happen to you. butterfly shirely

[beginagainrose]

Keep your armor on, dear one... the plot probably wont be the only thing getting thick!;) :)

[Anna Marta]

Thanks, your responses are exactly what my husband expects will happen!

Are we prepared for this pastor to twist and lie? Weeelllllll yeah..... :( :( Do we look forward to it, NO! :mad:

Steinar's comment at this very moment "Do I care? No!" AS far as he is concerned we are out of there regardless of what this outcome is. The statement of the American worship pastor that he could no longer be Steinar's friend if he left and disagreed w/ the senior pastor was enough to put the frosting on the cake. There is no way back after a statement like that because it reveals what a "so-called relationship" was actually based upon. I had to howl when Steinar told me "I wasn't aware he was my friend. He's never had anything to do with me personally," was Steinar's comment. It was unthinkable, to a Norwegian, that this young man even supposed a friendship. You just don't get to that level so fast or easy or based on such a superficial contact in THIS country. :eek:

God is up to something and we have to allow Him to do what he will. We just chatted about all the churches, pastors and religious persons that are abusive who God does nothing about, so we are not assuming He'll clean things us here.

Now this is JUST me, but I think that God is interested in each of his children individually and wants me to hear his voice and increase my relationship with him. If this drives me closer to Him so that I finally come to terms with the fact that he is my high tower and the refuge I need to run into and I can learn to act on what He says and not on what people try to talk me into... or say about me - well, then I can expect change. And when I change so will the circumstances around me and surely the relationships I have with others.

This isn't the first time we have had to face a need and desire to change something and it won't be the last. The only consistant aspect is - THE PAIN involved. :D :D That's where you all come in... helping us walk through the painful process and we love you for it. ;)

Hugs fra
Anna Marta

[Doug64]

Interesting thing about the 'supposed' friendship.

Here in the states it's common especially with sales people, to address a person by their first name and be all friendly. Some pastors are that way, too, but I think in our former group that wasn't so common.

The next 'step' will certainly be interesting, too. The pastor will either accept they way things are, or he will go on the attack.

I hope it's the former.

Doug