Amanda’s Story: The DANGERS + SECRETS of YWAM and NIKO Costa Rica PT. 1

[@The_CrackedPot_Christian]

26:21 this is the key issue of aberant groups, cults and any pressure that comes from group think and well addressed: if our system doesn't fix you then you are the problem not us.thank you for speaking it out!❤❤

[@clairethetailor]

Hey @Cassie I have been listening to this episode in podcast form. Such a great topic and guest, Amanda speaks so well about her story and in a way to include others. The part about the school boy in her class (I know it was fictional) but that has totally clicked something into place for me. A friend treated a situation I was in when we lived together in the opposite way and has actually not spoken to me since. I have been mourning the friendship ever since, knowing the whole time that she was actually shitty to me about the situation. Hearing Amanda make that analogy has switched a switch inside of me. I might actually be able to move on fully now after 3 years. Thank you both xx

[@Nocultyvibes]

That is so amazing to hear, I’m glad this episode impacted you in some way. Thank you so much for supporting the podcast and Amanda’s story ❤️

[@amandajo_elle]

Reading this comment feels like such a gift, and I’m so honoured to know you listened to a piece of my story. How beautiful that the analogy I used, clicked for you, and has started bringing freedom to you. I feel sadness at the ways you’ve been so wounded in that past relationship, but feel pride in you moving forward. We’re doing it-healing day by day! 🎉 🙌🏽

[@CherHelina]

Wow. I stumbled upon this, and am mind blown. I was a 15 year old kid and did this with my “homeschool” on the base school classmates in Kona. 1987. My five days were literally almost to the tee exactly the same experience. But we were very young. Most of my classmates were crying and traumatized and I guess I just didn’t notice how wrong it was and I tried to stay strong for them. We also had to carry our own personal live chicken by its feet upside down, downhill into the Waipio Valley and slit its throat with a very dull pocket knife and drain its life blood. That was the first thing we did. After the bag check. We had to skin and boil them. Just a tarp and rope to build our own shelter. Pretty much the same story but we were so young there were kids younger than me. By day four when we had to help a taro farmer out and get in the field which your feet sink in a foot of pure mud and then there’s about a foot layer of clear water on top with critters swimming around you and weed the man’s field. By the end of that day, none of us had gone to the bathroom in days. I ended up getting cramps, so I basically revolted and demanded Tylenol. Then the main leader softened up a bit, and I took over the rice cooking which they intentionally put too much water in so it was chalky goop. Didn’t have the boa constrictor, but when we had to do massive hikes over all the valleys, we had to watch out for this morning of the wild pigs, which are super dangerous. The weird thing is I’m sitting here now just going. Holy smokes. I remember it being the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I just saw the state didn’t know or see it from her angle. So I have to sit here and scratch my head for a second this is crazy. But yes it does sound all insane doesn’t it? I remember telling people when I got home back to Canada and they were like that’s insane and I’m like. really? 🤦‍♀️

[@CherHelina]

I have more! Also this was hard to type without typos. This brought back memories I forgot, especially the whistle and the push ups. : /

[@Nocultyvibes]

@@CherHelina Im so sorry you had to experience that! It’s wild when it’s so normalized, right?!

[@BeKindBeFree]

Fascinating conversation. Love what you’re doing here. ❤

[@gemmacgregor]

I'm a former YWAMer. 1st as a kid age 9&10 through my parents and then right after graduating hs I did my DTS in Australia with mission to Phillipines. Lots of culty teaching got ingrained into my brain. Starting at age 9 I was delivering words of wisdom to people and congregations. The spiritual warfare crap went way to far. I was there in the 70's as a kid and started DTS in 1987. I'd love to tell you about it sometime. I hung out with tje founders kids. His mom taught me how to thread a needle.

[@dashlamb9318]

It feels like joy to be free from RELIGION! More religion = more grief. Shake the dust off your feet and move on in joy and freedom from RELIGION.

[@gemmacgregor]

YWAM started belief adjacent to Assembly of God. Sounds like it has really moved to some real extremes

[@carlosreira2189]

People of God! One abuse is enough to discredit a so called ministry. That some people have had good experiences doesn't exonerate the cult. Cults often subject a few to disagreeable circumstances while praising and uplifting others. It's typical. It's wrong to subject children and adolescents to too much peer pressure, or adult pressure. They do not have the life experience to know when something is very wrong, especially when Jesus' name is plastered all over it!

[@maninthewilderness3208]

Great comment.

[@LoneSeaEagleOfSkye]

Well said!

[@carlosreira2189]

@@LoneSeaEagleOfSkye TY! Revelation, peace, joy, mercy, good fruits and the power of the Holy Spirit to you and yours in Him: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, you and your house."

[@karenadams882]

The whole mental health as a spiritual issue is something I experienced at a base in California by leadership. I was on staff and got covid from someone who chose to come to chapel with it. I developed long covid and had a bunch of symptoms, one being depression and anxiety. After a year and a half of off and on issues, I was pretty much pushed out the door. The base I was at, is a little bit less culty than some I have heard of. We also had staff members who were of less charismatic denominations including myself. Unfortunately the leaders were very much charismatic. I have realized after being home for 3 months that I had developed a very transactional relationship with God, due to the prosperity teachings. This I know was contributing to my continued issues. Obviously, I wasn’t right with God because I was still having numerous health issues. Much more to the story, but I will leave it at this. I also know Peter Warren! He comes to speak every year at the yearly dts. So sorry for your experience! My health has greatly improved since I have been home.

[@rebeccanewell3449]

After I was let go from my Denver DTS for hanging out with his son who was in Phase II for really no reason the next week Peter Warren had a new SUV. I assume they used my school fees for the down payment but it’s just speculation. I have lots of stories…

[@KJ-lb4tj]

Your health issues are not about being right or not right with God. Being right with God is about your salvation and that is given to you because of his sacrifice for you.. It's grace alone. Health issues are part and parcel of this fallen world, partly what we eat and what toxins we have in the environment, the kinds lifestyles we lead and the genes were born with. That god chooses to heal now or later after this life - either is possible.

[@karenadams882]

@@KJ-lb4tj true, but when you have leadership, who believe mental health issues are just a spiritual problem. I have realized since being home the last 6 months that what I needed was rest, and a healthy balance in my life, which I was not allowed to do, many of my physical and emotional health issues have resolved!

[@IGKNIGHTTHEFLAMEPODKAST]

I’m at Dts Louisville and it definitely does feel a lil culty what questions should I ask ?

[@gemmacgregor]

My DTS experience was so different. Sounds like "shepherding" was a big part of her experience.

[@KJ-lb4tj]

Heavy sheparding

[@rsilkw2]

I appreciate you talking to someone who worked overseas with YWAM, most videos KZbin recommends me are videos focusing on people’s experiences in the USA. This video is also really awkward when it comes to YWAM period too made me wonder what came of YWAM Redding ( went there once for a DTS week of class in 2021 ,) and heard they were closing up shop to go to join the Denver base ( because someone from Iris Ministries apparently told them to go to Colorado based off a word from God,) and yea well I now know what must of came of the elements of YWAM in Denver 😅 thanks to the video. Can’t say it’s totally surprising sadly.

[@rebeccanewell3449]

They wouldn’t let you wear leggings?! lol! When I first found out about lululemons 2005 I wore them all the time at the Maui base and so did everyone else. Denver is definitely one of the worst bases. That’s where I did my DTSx2 and phase2.

[@melissaj1310]

Holy crap. Her story could be my story. It was a different program, but so much overlap in the way they went about things.

[@Mdavid_]

I was abused in ywam too

[@karenadams882]

Wondering if Jakin was there while you were there?

[@beam3819]

Agree there is improvement ro be done in YWAM conserning your topic. But as for me who went to a DTS in Norway in 1997, I was truly blessed. But it was hard to end the time in the bubble. You might call that cultish because there is no follow ups of the participants after the 3 month intense experience. And it is very much up to the leaders in the many different locations to set rules. And when a bunch of young people suddenly becomes "elders" mentors for other youths it dont always end well. YWAM is in itself a very good organisation but much is left to unexperienced young people that makes a lot of mistakes. But it is better to do mistakes than never do anything at all, as long as it dont hurt others. We know leaders have a higher % of people with psycopathic traits and thats why YWAM needs older, experienced people to oversea the different locations and different missions to help the young leaders when they are in over their heads. YWAM suits youths that has been follower of Jesus for a while and have disernment so not to be manipulated by leaders with not the best intentions. I hope YWAM can do some changes because it was started 50 years ago and the world has changed and so YWAM exist in a different world now then when it all started.

[@skogsakra5095]

Please share this information to Kona.an other responsibly people. YWAMis not meant to harm anybody....

[@Nocultyvibes]

Responsible parties have been notified of harm caused by YWAM several times

[@dashlamb9318]

I've never been in YWAM but I've known many many people that have been in it or are still in it. All they ever do is go to "seminars." "DTS," or a hundred other "teaching" events - "ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth." I hate YWAM which stands for Youth Without Any Money. It's a total scam.

[@TanyaAmor-fk2sp]

Wow you could of stayed home and learnt that at home with a sharp axr mental tourture I am sorry you had that experience

[@Tired603]

The team kids I knew acted better than and arrogant about being righteous while breaking their own rules… just weird

[@karenadams882]

Peter is deep into spiritual warfare!

[@jessaaldred2892]

I understand exactly the picture you are painting about your time on base. I did my DTS in Denver in 2006 but at that time, while Peter and Linda were the base directors it was a vibrant community with hundreds of believers passionate about the gospel. They did run a school of worship that produced an album every year. I ended up being on staff at YWAM Denver (which by the way is in Arvada… only a 15 min drive from the heart of downtown Denver) for 12 years. I’m sorry your experience with the new leadership was not well planned and vague but that is not an accurate picture of what the 35 years of ministry before that were like. Like with anything there are going to be people who have a bad experience but please don’t discount the THOUSANDS of people who have had life changing experiences there. Many YWAM staff have gone on to work for aid organizations like samaritans purse, world relief and love 146. Many have gone on to pastor churches. All of these things differentiate and disqualify YWAM from your label as a cult. You should have followed your gut and left the first week because it seems like YWAM just wasn’t a good fit for you. But saying that all of YWAM is toxic and abusive just isn’t true.

[@Nocultyvibes]

@@jessaaldred2892 this is a horribly insensitive comment. Nothing about sharing a bad experience negates the good experiences people have. Tons of people have good experience and thrive in cults. Whether or not YWAM hits every cult red flag doesn’t mean it’s not harmful to hundreds and possibly thousands of people. Amanda isn’t alone and her story isn’t an isolated incident. Have some compassion before you jump to defensiveness.

[@jessaaldred2892]

@ It is totally fine for people to share their story. I’m all for that! But lying to exaggerate your experience isn’t it. The base is 20min TOPS from the heart of downtown Denver. All staff have financial freedom. Random people don’t pick up students from the airport. No one is forced to be in the 24/7 prayer week the whole time. They take a small slot. It’s just misinformation that paints an inaccurate picture. Her feelings and experiences are totally valid without all the lying

[@Nocultyvibes]

@ she’s not lying.

[@dashlamb9318]

So, what's the story of NIKO Costa Rica?