More firsthand accounts of disturbing experiences at ESOAL written by interns.
Here are a few "highlights" from a blog post written by an intern. Read the whole thing here.
Picture yourself in a concentration camp and you'll get a taste of what I experienced. We were nothing, nobodies, lesser beings than scum. We couldn't talk, move, or eat without permission. We had to forget all insecurities and work our behinds off for a piece of bread or 5 minutes of sleep.
About 2 hours later we were woken up by our screaming majors. "Get up you filthy rodents!" I was taken aback by the things they were saying.
The next hours are all a blur to me. Many of us have tried to relive the experience by writing it down. I can't tell you how many people have supressed the memories of this event, including myself.
Here is an intern who encountered a medical problem so severe he had to leave the internship for a month. On top of that, he was threatened with dismissal because he was gone too long! These people have some serious nerve.
Near mid-day on the first day, I got a strange pain in my side. By evening/dinner-time the top of my left leg had gone numb from the pain. So I rang out. Woot. (not)
The next morning my mother promptly rescued me from campus and took me to a number of doctors. (I have yet to truly meditate on what the Lord wanted me to learn from ESOAL.) For the next four weeks, I went to four doctors, had a total of 8 office visits, and 7 tests. They still don't know what's wrong with me. The Honor Academy finally said, "Get back or you're dismissed, you've been gone too long."
10 comments:
Thank you very much for putting up this post. I went to the media division of the HA called CCM, I don't know whether they had it there when you went. But I only went through 30 some hours of ESOAL, and it was one of the worst times of my life. You are so right, it is brain washing, it was horrible, and it makes me sick to think of how messed up it is that they are doing it at all especially in Jesus' Name.
Thank you for having this blog.
If I remember correctly...you could ring out at any time,it was volentary. Also you had to sign up for ESOAL?? Don't you remember?
The fact that its voluntary doesn't make it any less dangerous. Interns are brainwashed into thinking its a good, Godly thing and that they are missing out if they don't do it.
Anonymous- oh dear me I can vouche for RA here.
I prayed about doing ESOAL my year, and thought I wasn't supposed to do it (I'll admit- I was terrified of doing it, and was willing to take the "sign" that I prayed for).
There is so much stress on "it's optional but you really should do it unless you can't", so I ended up signing up to do it anyway.
I CANNOT express enough how much judgment there is for people who don't do ESOAL, even because of injury! They're either "taking the easy way out", or "not having enough faith", etc.
I had strep during the time when we were testing out to climb the mountain, but I STILL faced interns that were just SO SURE that I'd totally "be better" by then and that I needed to test out anyway. I mean, seriously??
They say things are optional, but they stress the opposite.
What ever happened to Morgan and her blog? I noticed it only posted until early October, 2008. Anyone know?
When I was there it was optional to do ESOAL (not sure if it still is). I choose not to do it. I didn't feel right about. Not once did I EVER feel guilty for not doing it and not EVER did anyone make me felt guilty for not doing it.
I was the first class to participate in ESOAL, it was optional. I didn't have any pressure to participate and I didn't have any ill feelings for the interns who didn't participate. I learned a lot about myself personally and it was more of a personal journey for me and I'm glad I did it. On the other hand, if I hadn't have done it I wouldn't have felt guilty because there wasn't that "pressure" others have talked about. Maybe because I was the first class in '99-'00, I don't know.
Also, my friends that didn't do ESOAL were interested to hear what we had to do but none of us were judgemental of the other because we had or hadn't done it.
Comparing this to a Concentration Camp is absurd, you didnt fear death like the Jewish people did in World War II, that was extermination. Totally different scenarios, by no means is this justified. It sounds like they are trying to make you tough on the exterior when faced with people that will insult you but this goes way overboard.
Its not the military, they are not even a military academy, so what the hell?
the best way of testing these kind of soo called movements is going to the scripture and finding out what the bible says. first of all the bible says that salvation is a free gift. for it is by GRACE that you are saved NOT OF YOURSELF lest no man should boast..having watched this stuff online I see that its like some kind of competition to proof to god just how strong you are. also the bible says this. the fruits of the spirit are love joy peace patience kindness goodness gentleness faithfulness and self control. I cannot see anything like the fruit of the spirit in this nonsensical cult. I was involved with a cult myself so my heart goes out to you guys. im not 43 years old.
No ever look down upon me for not doing ESOAL. In fact, a couple of people who had been through it already reccomended that I opt out. Not because I was less spiritual, but because they thought with the things I was dealing with it would do harm instead of good.
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