WACO 2002

Catherine Matteson organized this year's event and introduced the speakers; she also shared her experiences.

Sheila Martin lost her husband and four of her children on April 19th.

Ofelia Santoya lost many family members in the fire.

Mary Belle Jones lost her husband, Perry, three of her children, and grandchildren in the fire.

Rollin Lofdahl sang a song, originally intended as a duo with Clive Doyle.

Janet White talked about her friend, Jennifer Andrade, and her sister, Katherine.

As I noted, I had a great time at this year's anniversary. The event featured survivors and friends, rather than speakers from political organizations. In this, it was similar to 1999, but more successfully carried out, I believe. Although sometimes the political speakers are rousing, it was good to have a year in which there was no one there to push a political or ideological agenda.

However, reaction to the event was mixed. Some people felt as I did, that it was a "special" experience to hear from people who knew those who died personally. But others found it an "anti-climax" and groused that some people who could have been invited to the podium, like David Koresh's mother Bonnie, were not.

This year's anniversary was sparsely attended. The Waco Tribune-Herald estimated the crowd at a hundred, but despite complaints in the past that the media had undercounted attendance at events, everyone I talked to agreed that was too high. I counted about 35 people in the chapel early in the program, but many people were still loitering outside. Total attendance certainly exceeded fifty, and was probably sixtyish. Next year will be the tenth anniversary, and Clive Doyle, the survivor leader, said that many people he talked to said they were saving themselves for the "Big One-Oh."

Clive himself had not been feeling well, so he turned over planning of the event to Catherine Matteson, who also introduced the speakers. He even bowed out of his half of a planned duet with Rollin. The death of his mother Edna, with whom he was close, was a hard blow, and may have contributed to his feeling under the weather.

After the event, the fellowship lunch was held at the Ryan's Steakhouse in Waco, as it has been for a few years now. This provided an opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. This year, I was able to talk with Mary Belle Jones, a survivor I really hadn't had a chance to talk with much before.

For the first time in a couple of years, a contingent of Hidden Manna believers came down for the event. (Hidden Manna follows imprisoned Davidian Renos Avraam, in contrast to most of the survivors.) They brought unfortunate news about survivor Gladys Ottman. She had been ailing, and had come so close to death that doctors said that if she had not been brought to the hospital when she was, she would have died that night. Thankfully, I learned in late May that she had recovered, though she would have to have surgery in July.

They also brought news of major changes within Hidden Manna. Longtime member Shekinah is out. Shekinah played a key role in catalyzing the creation of Hidden Manna, gained early converts with Bible studies, and vigorously threw herself into the work of spreading the message. She and Renos Avraam even considered themselves man and wife (though I do not think his circumstances permitted a consummation). I was told, however, that her once beneficial influence on the group had been transformed into something baneful. She refused to allow female members of Hidden Manna to meet Renos, saying, "He's my husband!" Offers to come and help her with her work were viewed as efforts to intrude on her turf. Inquiries by interested seekers were either ignored or turned away with insults. She had become so impossible to deal with that she had even driven away some of her earliest proselytes. Finally, one of the women in the contingent was able to reach Renos and tell him that Shekinah's irrational jealousy and paranoia were hurting the message. With a reluctant heart, he agreed, and she was expelled around last September.

Though painful, this has allowed them to move forward, they said. With the burden of Shekinah's "negativity" lifted, Renos has been flooded with new light, including a new numerological system. A new edition of Hidden Manna's "Seven Seals" book is being prepared.
 

Amo Roden returned to Mt. Carmel for the anniversary, but has not been around much this past year. Those around the survivors believed that she sensed that the tide in the property battle was turning, and was giving up. According to her, however, the government has been successful enough in making it difficult for people to find Mt. Carmel that on some days, only two or three cars came. And many visitors were mere curiousity seekers rather than people interested in hearing her message. So she has been using the money left to her after her mother passed away to take her message on the road, to seminaries, messianic Jewish congregations, and the like. She says she has had a receptive audience.

Not only has Amo been away, someone burned down nearly the last vestiges of her occupation, her tent-like shack and display. The survivors and their friends say that Baylor students, specifically male greeks and athletes, are often responsible for this sort of vandalism and arson. Supposedly they strike near the edge of the property so they can make a "fast getaway," meaning Amo's stuff often becomes a target, the vandals being too ignorant of the situation to realize they are actually harming someone who opposes the survivors. However, Amo told me she has found Baylor students to be pleasant and has never had any trouble with them. She thinks the survivors themselves are behind the destruction of her property.

Even last year, Amo was not really living at Mt. Carmel, she had found a place nearby. She'd also gotten her truck. So materially, she was in better shape than she had been in years past, though the survivors had strengthened their grip on the property. At the time, they had just put up a gate, which they locked at night and on the Saturday Sabbath, and which she was suing to have taken down as an undue hindrance on her movement. She was refused and the gate is still there, but the survivors had to back down some on their plans. Many members came in late to the Sabbath bible study and it got to be too much of a hassle to have someone go down and open the gate for them, so they now leave it open on Saturdays after all.
 
 
 

Charlie Pace had strung up a banner between his two displays that morning. When Catherine Matteson arrived on the scene and saw it, she had it taken down. But he in turn put his banner back up with the help of a supporter, declaring that, "If I have to make a scene over this, I will."

Andrew was on hand again this year to protest the rebuilt chapel. With the violence in the Middle East raging, Andrew brought along a Palestinian flag along with his usual X flag.

One of the things we talked about was The Matrix.
 

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