(2021 Update: This post is one of ~80 found in the drafts folder and wasn’t archived by the Wayback Machine. I have only added the “What’s Your Story” to make a more clickbait title and added links in the post. I have also added my story after the line break) I’ve done several posts on […]
The Ultimate ESOAL Thread: What’s Your Story? Read More »
“Hangman we played double dutch with a hand grenadeBehind the church, hiding place. Apathetic to the devil’sFace. Wear the sheriff’s badge put your toys awayThey let us go saying let us pray!“ Time passes at an individual pace but offers us–the individuals–absolutely no negotiation. We do not get a say, nor can we decide how
Youth Without Youth Read More »
Ever since I saw the Mind of Mania broadcast and found this blog, I’ve considered posting, but never did until now. I suppose it is because I am embarrassed to say I ever had anything to do with Teen Mania or even worse, that I recommended it to others. I was horrified by what I
July 12, 2012 Teen Mania Annouces ESOAL (PEARL) Suspended Indefinitely 7/12/2012 Recovering Alumni 40 comments In a surprising turn of events today, Honor Academy leadership announced that the abusive ESOAL/PEARL event will be suspended indefinitely because the secular media is portraying it negatively. Not because hundreds of people have been injured, some near fatally. Not
Teen Mania Annouces ESOAL (PEARL) Suspended Indefinitely Read More »
This story was posted on the RA Facebook page last week…something I had long forgotten. So I am dealing with a backed up septic tank at my new apartment. This brought back a memory from the HA. A staff member had a big talk with the ladies about flushing tampons down the toilet because maintenance
Do Interns Work With Raw Sewage? Read More »
Shannon first shared her story on the blog over a year ago: Part 1. Part 2. This is an update to her story. Many years ago, I started the Xanga blogring, “No, Teen Mania is not a cult.” I was wrong. Back when I first shared my Teen Mania experience, I was in a daze. It was the
Shannon’s Story: Part 3 Read More »
Note from RA: Teen Mania leadership has repeatedly assured us that the events in this story no longer happen at Teen Mania. However, this story is extremely recent – Global Expeditions 2011. I have been a Christian nearly all my life. I loved Jesus and knew that Jesus loved me, and right around the summer
My Name Is Ashley, I was an Honor academy Intern in August 2008. Shortly after my grandmother passed away I was called by an Honor Academy representative who offered this bit of insight, “I know your grandmother has gone to be with the Lord, but you should take this as a clear indication that life
Another Ashley’s Story Read More »
Note from RA: After knowing “Grace” the last few months, I felt that the end of her story didn’t fully convey the traumatic damage her body has suffered as a result of her time at Teen Mania, so I asked her to explain it a bit more. Here is her response and then some additional
Grace’s Story: part 3 Read More »
Being a hard worker, I did not mind working in the ministry and feeling like we were making it all happen. This was the case until summer missions season was upon us. 1998 was a big year for mission trips, and since Teen Mania had only been at the campus in Garden Valley for a
Grace’s Story, part 2 Read More »
Moderator’s Note: “Melissa’s” Story was posted last year but had to be temporarily taken down for personal reasons. It is so eloquently written and so recent – 2009 – that she has given me permission now to repost it. Shortly after starting high school, I attended my very first ATF. Alone, I went to one
Melissa’s Story, part 1 Read More »
As part of their efforts to “reach” the 18-30 crowd, GUTS Church in Tulsa has been holding unsanctioned boxing matches. Last week, one of the boxers became critically ill within minutes of his match and died just after reaching the hospital. Making the story even more tragic, he leaves behind a fiance, 2 year old
Illegal Boxing Match at Tulsa Church Leaves One Dead Read More »
Perusing the Honor Academy Facebook page last week, I came across this exchange between the HA and a potential intern. Potential Intern: what r corporate test outs. Honor Academy: Corporate test outs can apply to a few things. Everyone does corporate as part of learning how to discipline your mind, body, and Spirit. There are
Heart Problems? No Problem! Read More »
I never went to the Honor Academy. I prayed and God quickly killed the idea in my mind because he already knew I dealt so much with a guilty conscience and HA would only make that worse. (Actually that feeling was finally helped when I read To Kill a Mockingbird and in the story Scout
Eliza recently sent me this email. She plans to add on to her story at some point, but for now, here is part 1: I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not I should share some of my experiences that I’ve had at the Honor Academy. But honestly, after reading a lot of the
Eliza’s Story, pt 1 Read More »
I was an intern from Aug.01 – Aug. 02. My Unreached People Group Retreat (UPG) was one of the worst experiences during my internship. I went into the weekend with a little apprehension. This was supposed to be a simulation of what it would be like to go out into the mission field and I
Today’s video features the incredibly dangerous “vacation” hosted by none other than Heath Stoner. Of course, before he coerces them into this very dangerous activity, he first states that ESOAL is optional and you can quit at any time. He even goes so far as to say you should never get mad at the facilitators
ESOAL: Heath Stoner Endangers Interns Read More »
You may remember Lauren’s story from ESOAL 2003. She was put in a coffin that contained mice and cockroaches. Apparently, Teen Mania was very fond of using cockroaches that year. In this video, at least 4-5 facilitators crowd around a girl, put a large cockroach on her head and then demand she get in a
ESOAL: Girl Terrorized with Cockroach Read More »
The only way I can describe the footage you are going to see over the next 3 days is that these interns are literally being terrorized. Over and over, David Hasz claims that the most extreme elements of ESOAL happened because of rogue facilitators stepping out of bounds and that they have put measures in
Honor Academy’s ESOAL: Disturbing Footage Read More »
I would like to start by saying that my faith in God’s Sovereignty has only grown over the years since I attended the Honor Academy. God knew that I would be attending the Honor Academy. He knew the experiences I would have there and how He’d be using those experiences to grow me in my
About two years ago, I attended an Acquire of the Fire youth conference. There I had experienced the Lord’s presence for the first time. That night I got saved and I also heard about the Honor Academy. Now remember I had just got saved so I would do anything to be closer to the Lord.
Hannah’s Story: Part 1 Read More »
THE WAR Teen Mania had a bit of a crisis half-way through my undergraduate year. 9/11 had occurred, and numbers were down. Parents were hesitant to send their kids overseas on mission trips. Youth groups were backing out of ATF. The Aug. class of 2003 was shaping into an embarrassingly small one. TM wasn’t making
Jamie’s Story: Part 4 Read More »
My biggest liability was that I was physically tired almost all the time. I have had this problem my whole life, but it got a lot worse after I’d been at the HA for a while. My biological clock got so messed up that I would crash in my dorm room after work and classes
Jamie’s Story: Part 2 Read More »
(2021 Update: Both videos have since disappeared. I worked on World Awareness’ for its second year. I’ll probably make an update post to supplement this one, but it will be primarily based off my experience. In the meantime, read Erin’s story as she was also part of the planning committee.) “World Awareness” is one of
World Awareness LTE Read More »
Moderator’s Note: “Sydney” sent this story in last night. While she prefers to remain anonymous, its important to know that her story is recent and occurred sometime in the last 3 years. In my intern year, the turning point for me, the thing that I think cemented the feeling I had that something wasn’t right,
Sydney’s Story: ESOAL Read More »
