http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:EqvLmijfH4sJ:sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi%3Ff%3D/c/a/2004/09/07/BAGRA8KN1U1.DTL+david+geftakys&hl=en

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Wow how perfect for him. In the article it says, "Its really like a little city and we run it". With kids fresh out of high school average age is 20. The past was beset with sexual and racial harassment as with most male dominated professions. (20% female attendance) Just shows you its never too late. I think he's really found his niche, or he found it years ago and with the Strangelhold of the Assembly and his Family he was never able to do this. I hope he does well with this age group he should. And I'll bet his "brittle diabetes" has improved dramatically as I'm sure one would have to pass a rigourous physical and agility tests to be admitted. Is'nt Life Amazing!!!

I don't know.  I am picturing some of the younger students perceiving David as a seasoned veteran of life and David gravitating towards the role of "wise, sage, advisor".  Might get interesting.

For the most part, I think you are probably right.  David will find himself with some real men's men who will take little to his fantasy world.  On the other hand, of the little I heard of David in ministry, he seems good at doing what the author of the last couple of books I read do:  if you want to make an unprovable point, use language that is so vague and lofty that the reader/hearer reasons that if it sounds so profound, it must be true.  That's why I wonder if he might not pick up a disciple or two.

Of course, this is all speculation.

Hi Rebecca,

I haven't seen you in a while, but I often think about you, and your sister will tell you that I ask how you are doing every time I talk to her.

I will take to heart what you wrote below, and I'm sure others will also.

I also was glad to see that David was doing the very thing he was doing before he became entangled in his father's group.  I was happy to hear about it.

One thing I can tell you about being at sea, especially at night, is that a person often gets many quiet, serene hours in which one's mind can wander.  I wouldn't be surprised if he realized a few things about himself some night and hopefully aquire the character to confess, repent and apologize.

I, for one, would forgive him.

Brent

Rebecca,

I apologize if any comments of mine caused you pain.  It certainly wasn’t my intention and, at your request, I will certainly cease.

However, I think there is legitimacy to the comments themselves that need no apology.  In fact, I think they are rather mild compared to what could have been said.  I know this is not news to you, but your dad beat your mom for decades.  He abused his children.  He did very little in the church, but lorded himself over others.  He stumbled many believers.

Forgive me if I have a difficult time mustering up a lot of enthusiasm about him pursuing his dream as he leaves behind a wake of broken lives and destruction.

I don’t say this to be mean or hard-hearted.  I cannot begin to even imagine what you have gone through and are still going through.  I cannot even begin to fathom the pain.  I can only assume that it would be much easier to not hear the negative talk and live within the fantasy of the father he should have been.

If you haven’t done so already, I hope you get help from a capable counselor to help you come to grips with the way things really are and to heal from the pain.  It will probably take many years and much work.

In the meantime, I’ll keep my comments about your dad to myself.

-Dave

Rebecca,

I left the Geftakys assembly system 16 years ago.  I had learned early on that your grandparents could not hear any criticism of their kids and indulged David in particular.  Whenever he did something that could not be denied, it was ascribed to his diabetic condition.

When I first came into contact with George, Tim was 16 and David was, I think, 19.  So, I watched them develop from high school age boys into adults.  

You say that it hurts you to hear people say hard things about your Dad.  While that is perfectly understandable, you need to remember that you are not the only one who has feelings.  Many of these folks have some pretty strong feelings of their own that they need to address, and talking to others who understand is one way that they can deal with them.

I noticed that you hope that worms eat George and Betty in their graves.  That probably expresses some of the feelings you are dealing with.  And quite legitimately so.  George's rejection of your sister in a time of real need was an act of unmitigated selfishness and cruelty.

Just remember that many of these folks have similar feelings about David.  Pretty much all of the clothes you wore, food you ate, houses you lived in, and cars you rode in were paid for with money that these folks worked for.  

I was able to avoid David for most of my assembly experience, so he never got to do anything to me...except to use a lot of money that I worked for and my family did not benifit from.  But many of these folks had to deal directly with him for years.  It was not easy for them.

So, while I understand that you don't like to see folks posting about your dad, it will likely be done by some of them.  One way to avoid the problem is simply not to read the posts.

I agree wholeheartedly with Dave Sable's suggestion that you seek some counselling to help you heal from your childhood experiences.  These things don't just go away.  What they do is to effect our feelings about certain types of situations for years.  These emotional reactions can exert quite a bit of control over your life choices if they are not healed, and no one needs that.

The effects are almost always negative.

Blessings,

Thomas Maddux