Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)

[BetyBee]

I guess they'll have to walk! Good thing it's in joy and victory.

[oliviabenson]

Why Jill insists on shoving her  hands/fingers into everything? 
 

To show off that she is married???

[jacourt]

With all the broken down vehicles Jill will be doing a lot of walking with the Lord.

[BetyBee]

10 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Why Jill insists on shoving her  hands/fingers into everything? 
 

To show off that she is married???

She must feel that her hands are one of her best features, because she features at least a finger in nearly every video! It's kind of a metaphor for her grasping, controlling personality!

[BradandJanet]

1 hour ago, jacourt said:

With all the broken down vehicles Jill will be doing a lot of walking with the Lord.

Just Jill and the Lord together. David doesn't walk anywhere, and he certainly isn't going to carry Jill. That would be work. 

[Minivanessa]

Ya know, it wouldn't surprise me if Jill pulls off a good RV grift. Either getting it fixed up or replaced. Anybody who can grift a house is IMO next level in that art.

I have to remind myself that while I consider her constantly being given things as grifting, that is from my perspective outside her religious community. She and David are working (feel free to choke on that word, heh) as missionaries. Officially. Registered with a missionary organization. They are spreading the Word, which is an important part of evangelical theology. Evangelical Christians believe they can't just live their lives and worship as they believe best, but they are also required by God to preach and convert people to join their religion too. 

That burden is a lot to add to an ordinary life, what with jobs and families and other obligations. People who undertake roles as missionaries can be seen as helping to pick up the slack. Therefore a regular church member who by nature isn't into collaring people and haranguing them for Jesus, or has plenty to do besides that, might feel they're not living up to God's word. But, hey look, there are dedicated missionaries out there working all the time to save souls. And of course, the regular church member will be happy to chip in to support the missionaries, who are filling a gap in evangelizing that the member's left by neglecting that activity.

Seriously, a non-fundie mainstream evangelical who's a relative of mine, has actually said, sincerely, that she supports missionaries because "they sacrifice so much." She's no fool, but she's also a died in the wool evangelical. (Also I doubt she was thinking of the traveling family in a big RV, but missionaries who spend years in foreign countries. Educated people sent by a church organization.)

That's just my take, as an outsider with evangelicals all around me, as to why we call it grifting but JillR's friends and supporters don't see it that way. As always, I'm well known to get things wrong, and I'm not - unlike an evangelist - claiming 100% correctness. 

Edited April 25, 2023 by Jeeves
Hit "post" too soon, found errors later anyway

[merylinkid]

20 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

Ya know, it wouldn't surprise me if Jill pulls off a good RV grift. Either getting it fixed up or replaced. Anybody who can grift a house is IMO next level in that art.

Things were different when she grifted the house.   They were a younger family, that looked like they were just starting out and could use a helping hand.   They also hadn't been grifting EVERYTHING for years.    This was before the cars for the kids, and sending them to college, and just grifting everything.   Even evangelicals might be "hey wait a minute, do these folks pay for ANYTHING themselves?   What are they doing with all our love offerings?"   Especially if they use social media and see Jill's 485 vacation pictures every other week.   

The kids are older, some are not even part of the group anymore.   Whereas someone might have wanted to make sure the kids were fed and had a safe way to travel, now they might be thinking "those kids are old enough to have part time jobs, not be traveling to ask for money from others."   

I think Jill has been to the well too many times and the well is fed up.   Her grifting seems to be falling off lately.

On the other hand, I still wouldn't be surprised if somehow she manages to pull this one off.   

[AstridM]

I think Jill has been drinking too much Plexus. Her hand looks swollen. 

28 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

Ya know, it wouldn't surprise me if Jill pulls off a good RV grift. Either getting it fixed up or replaced. Anybody who can grift a house is IMO next level in that art.

I have to remind myself that while I consider her constantly being given things as grifting, that is from my perspective outside her religious community. She and David are working (feel free to choke on that word, heh) as missionaries. Officially. Registered with a missionary organization. They are spreading the Word, which is an important part of evangelical theology. Evangelical Christians believe they can't just live their lives and worship as they believe best, but they are also required by God to preach and convert people to join their religion too. 

That burden is a lot to add to an ordinary life, what with jobs and families and other obligations. People who undertake roles as missionaries can be seen as helping to pick up the slack. Therefore a regular church member who by nature isn't into collaring people and haranguing them for Jesus, or has plenty to do besides that, might feel they're not living up to God's word. But, hey look, there are dedicated missionaries out there working all the time to save souls. And of course, the regular church member will be happy to chip in to support the missionaries, who are filling a gap in evangelizing that the member's left by neglecting that activity.

Seriously, a non-fundie mainstream evangelical who's a relative of mine, has actually said, sincerely, that she supports missionaries because "they sacrifice so much." She's no fool, but she's also a died in the wool evangelical. (Also I doubt she was thinking of the traveling family in a big RV, but missionaries who spend years in foreign countries. Educated people sent by a church organization.)

That's just my take, as an outsider with evangelicals all around me, as to why we call it grifting but JillR's friends and supporters don't see it that way. As always, I'm well known to get things wrong, and I'm not - unlike an evangelist - claiming 100% correctness. 

Except they rarely preach to anyone but the choir. 

[BetyBee]

1 minute ago, AstridM said:

I think Jill has been drinking too much Plexus. Her hand looks swollen. 

I wonder what the sodium content is in that chemical compound?

[oliviabenson]

But how is Jill’s SEVERELY injured knee? That would hinder her walking with Jesause 🤣🤣🤣

[Minivanessa]

10 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

But how is Jill’s SEVERELY injured knee? That would hinder her walking with Jesause 🤣🤣🤣

Maybe it was miraculously cured by Plexus.

[oliviabenson]

I’m thinking Jill will be gifted an RV soon by some sweet friends…

Jon/Nate/Tim/Phil/Grandpa Tim will pay for the RV repairs and take Jill and Dave out to the GOOD Olive Garden to celebrate their RV being fixed!

Jill is a top notch GRIFTER!

[farmgal4]

17 hours ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

I think what Jill said was that the fan fell out of the stink bus when the belt broke .... which translates to "the old pantyhose Dave "repaired" the belt with melted and the fan he had duct taped into place was knocked loose and busted all to hell on the highway pavement."  

You win Best Comment of the Year award! 😂

[oliviabenson]

16 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

Maybe it was miraculously cured by Plexus.

Hey if plexus cures diabetes an injured knee is nothing! Plexus is Jesause in healing every ailment! Praise Plexus Jesause! 

[floridamom]

They should just join AAA and they would be towed to the nearest shop.

[farmgal4]

3 minutes ago, floridamom said:

They should just join AAA and they would be towed to the nearest shop.

As much as they’re on the road, they’re fools for not having a AAA membership.

[ChristmasCandy]

10 minutes ago, farmgal4 said:

As much as they’re on the road, they’re fools for not having a AAA membership

If they had a membership then Queen Grifter couldn't grift.

[sagittarius sue]

16 minutes ago, ChristmasCandy said:

If they had a membership then Queen Grifter couldn't grift.

No, she has lots of other things she can grift for.  Nothing will stop the Queen of Grift!

[laurakaye]

49 minutes ago, farmgal4 said:

As much as they’re on the road, they’re fools for not having a AAA membership.

They probably tried to get one but AAA wouldn't take smiley tracts as payment.

[BradandJanet]

Jill is the boy who cried wolf. Her attention-seeking behavior isn't regulated, so when she really does need something, her marks are exhausted. 

She's been getting public pushback, so she's probably afraid to beg too openly now. Expect more scoldings through Bible verses about how persecuted she and her family are. 

However, we can be sure she's on the phone to the missionary clearing house daily, pleading her case for a replacement RV. If they can't help, the Rods will be stuck at home for a long while. 

[oliviabenson]

Dave is cool staying home. He has his map/nice comfy chairs/food/free maids…

Baby boy is having a good time!

[laurakaye]

5 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

However, we can be sure she's on the phone to the missionary clearing house daily, pleading her case for a replacement RV. If they can't help, the Rods will be stuck at home for a long while. 

In which case I feel very sad for the kids.  Traveling the country crammed into that clunker of an RV isn't a great way to live, but at least when they're out and about the kids might get a good meal, a trip to Goodwill, and perhaps someone paying them some genuine attention. 

[oliviabenson]

Jill might go on her next grift tour in 2 vans and only take the littles. Hunk can drive 1 car and one of the sons can drive the other. 
 

No way lack of RV will stop the Rod grift tours! 

[Minivanessa]

1 hour ago, floridamom said:

They should just join AAA and they would be towed to the nearest shop.

 

49 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

They probably tried to get one but AAA wouldn't take smiley tracts as payment.

Also, the regular AAA membership provides roadside assistance and towing for regular passenger vehicles - including the Rod's van. But not for RVs; that's provided under a AAA RV membership - which of course costs more. 

[BradandJanet]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

In which case I feel very sad for the kids.  Traveling the country crammed into that clunker of an RV isn't a great way to live, but at least when they're out and about the kids might get a good meal, a trip to Goodwill, and perhaps someone paying them some genuine attention. 

Good point. It's not as if staying home means the Rodlets will get an education or have time to play.  

[libgirl2]

4 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Ya know, it wouldn't surprise me if Jill pulls off a good RV grift. Either getting it fixed up or replaced. Anybody who can grift a house is IMO next level in that art.

I have to remind myself that while I consider her constantly being given things as grifting, that is from my perspective outside her religious community. She and David are working (feel free to choke on that word, heh) as missionaries. Officially. Registered with a missionary organization. They are spreading the Word, which is an important part of evangelical theology. Evangelical Christians believe they can't just live their lives and worship as they believe best, but they are also required by God to preach and convert people to join their religion too. 

That burden is a lot to add to an ordinary life, what with jobs and families and other obligations. People who undertake roles as missionaries can be seen as helping to pick up the slack. Therefore a regular church member who by nature isn't into collaring people and haranguing them for Jesus, or has plenty to do besides that, might feel they're not living up to God's word. But, hey look, there are dedicated missionaries out there working all the time to save souls. And of course, the regular church member will be happy to chip in to support the missionaries, who are filling a gap in evangelizing that the member's left by neglecting that activity.

Seriously, a non-fundie mainstream evangelical who's a relative of mine, has actually said, sincerely, that she supports missionaries because "they sacrifice so much." She's no fool, but she's also a died in the wool evangelical. (Also I doubt she was thinking of the traveling family in a big RV, but missionaries who spend years in foreign countries. Educated people sent by a church organization.)

That's just my take, as an outsider with evangelicals all around me, as to why we call it grifting but JillR's friends and supporters don't see it that way. As always, I'm well known to get things wrong, and I'm not - unlike an evangelist - claiming 100% correctness. 

I have a friend who's husband is involved in his "ministry". He has (cough cough) his own business which has been a failure. He promised to look for an actual, regular job but only that it doesn't interfere with his own business during the day and his "ministry" in the evenings. 

[crazy8s]

well my guess as to which unlucky rod boy traveled with David yesterday to have the RV towed is Phillip.

 At the end Phillip and someone else ended up with the usual pastor/brother guy because they didn't have a partner from yest.

The guy at the podium was a real a$$. He says "one group will have to be odd, not odd, but 3 people, not that I mean Phillip is odd" He continues with "Phillip is always the brunt of my jokes, I apologize, but he just takes it so well, and I appreciate that"  WTH???

 

 

[oliviabenson]

Jill and company playing charades…

Jill laughing manically/hysterically as usual…

Watch what David and Jonathan do! Haha to infinity. 

[oliviabenson]

Philip looks great! He gained much needed weight. I guess school has been feeding him or something! He is clearly getting much needed nourishment.

Proves that his evil parents starve their kids to be trim/sickly. 

Edited April 25, 2023 by oliviabenson

[ginger90]

I saw that it was only the males acting out the clues. I didn’t watch with sound on. Did the females participate at all, or just Jill by laughing AT them?

[oliviabenson]

8 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

I saw that it was only the males acting out the clues. I didn’t watch with sound on. Did the females participate at all, or just Jill by laughing AT them?

I fast forward through most of it. I can’t tolerate Jill.

[Iguessnot]

Late to the party, but I just took a gander at that video. It freaked me out that they would unload their stuff so close to that foul porta potty and feel comfortable walking barefoot in that muck. Disgusting.

[BradandJanet]

53 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Philip looks great! He gained much needed weight. I guess school has been feeding him or something! He is clearly getting much needed nourishment.

Proves that his evil parents starve their kids to be grim/sickly. 

 

I almost didn't recognize Phillip in that photo. A year of college has done wonders for him. Now that he's "graduated,"* he'll go back to looking like a Victorian workhouse orphan. 

*He didn't do the missions degree, so now what? My guess is that he'll take the mystery job that Jonathan and Tim have and turn his paycheck over to BME. The burden of being a missionary to Hungary, while unlikely, certainly came to a hard and fast end. 

The Rodrigueses' rock garden is where the Rodlets' dreams go to be buried. 

 

[libgirl2]

6 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

 

I almost didn't recognize Phillip in that photo. A year of college has done wonders for him. Now that he's "graduated,"* he'll go back to looking like a Victorian workhouse orphan. 

*He didn't do the missions degree, so now what? My guess is that he'll take the mystery job that Jonathan and Tim have and turn his paycheck over to BME. The burden of being a missionary to Hungary, while unlikely, certainly came to a hard and fast end. 

The Rodrigueses' rock garden is where the Rodlets' dreams go to be buried. 

 

He looks good. 

[oliviabenson]

55 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

I saw that it was only the males acting out the clues. I didn’t watch with sound on. Did the females participate at all, or just Jill by laughing AT them?

I watched it again with sound on. Jill mumbles it’s guys vs girls. I guess she did not post the girls portion. And Jill definitely laughs at people not with them.

 

[floridamom]

With two out of two sons attending "college" providing a meal or two for them and both of them looking more healthy and nourished goes to show you that the odds favor the Rod parents do not feed their children enough OR well. I feel badly for those kids.

[xwordfanatik]

2 hours ago, crazy8s said:

well my guess as to which unlucky rod boy traveled with David yesterday to have the RV towed is Phillip.

 At the end Phillip and someone else ended up with the usual pastor/brother guy because they didn't have a partner from yest.

The guy at the podium was a real a$$. He says "one group will have to be odd, not odd, but 3 people, not that I mean Phillip is odd" He continues with "Phillip is always the brunt of my jokes, I apologize, but he just takes it so well, and I appreciate that"  WTH???

 

 

He's probably used to it, thanks to Mahmo laughing at things that aren't funny.  How sad.

[GeeGolly]

I get wanting to support evangelists if that's your cup of tea, but it seems to me the Rods aren't fulfilling the evangelist part. They go from Fundy church to Fundy church to preach and sing, and they sell tracts to Fundy churches "at cost".

As @AstridM posted - they're preaching to the choir. Even by JilR's own tally she's "converted" maybe 6 folks in the past two years. For all the shit she scores we should be hearing about Lord Daniels ever single day. 

Does Jill even do her radio show anymore? When is the last time they imposed their beliefs at a women's clinic?

Anyway, I too think they'll end up with a grifted used RV, but seeing as they seem to follow the weather when they travel I hope someone gives them a very nice large tent, blow up mattresses and sleeping bags. They can throw a cargo hold on their grifted 12 passenger van and travel all they need! ⛺🚐

[BradandJanet]

1 minute ago, floridamom said:

With two out of two sons attending "college" providing a meal or two for them and both of them looking more healthy and nourished goes to show you that the odds favor the Rod parents do not feed their children enough OR well. I feel badly for those kids.

It's not clear whether or not Phillip was eating the $2.50 school lunch, but he certainly received pizza for attendance at after-school activities. Even if free pizza was the only extra food, his appearance changed noticeably. 

It's amazing that neither Jill nor David see the physical changes in the children who escape the barndo.  Or, possibly, they see the changes and don't care, as long as they get the indulgences they want. 

[Zella]

4 hours ago, floridamom said:

With two out of two sons attending "college" providing a meal or two for them and both of them looking more healthy and nourished goes to show you that the odds favor the Rod parents do not feed their children enough OR well. I feel badly for those kids.

Agreed. That's why I've never believed that their thinness is just naturally being thin. I had a friend who was underweight no matter how much she ate and she was healthy, just a naturally very slender person, so I know that can be true for people, but when the entire family magically stops looking so gaunt the minute they can eat somewhere else? Not a chance. Nurie also looked healthier pretty much as soon as she left home. 

[awaken]

Wow, his cheekbones had been so sharp, he used to look so eerily gaunt. Now his face looks pretty normal. 

[Tdoc72]

6 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Jill and company playing charades…

Jill laughing manically/hysterically as usual…

Watch what David and Jonathan do! Haha to infinity. 

The box said reverse charades but they looked like regular charades. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[ALittleShelfish]

1 hour ago, awaken said:

Wow, his cheekbones had been so sharp, he used to look so eerily gaunt. Now his face looks pretty normal. 

I am anxious to see the transformation when Gabriel leaves home.  He looks so very gaunt, even moreso than Phillip did.  

[BradandJanet]

 

11 hours ago, Zella said:

Nurie also looked healthier pretty much as soon as she left home. 

Nurie gained some weight, but the biggest change for her was once she was physically away from BME, her face and body relaxed. She looked younger, fresher, and prettier. 

[Natalie68]

On 4/24/2023 at 4:06 PM, oliviabenson said:

She has really meaty hands

On 4/25/2023 at 7:14 AM, farmgal4 said:

As much as they’re on the road, they’re fools for not having a AAA membership.

I joined.  It was $26 this year

[louannems]

22 hours ago, floridamom said:

With two out of two sons attending "college" providing a meal or two for them and both of them looking more healthy and nourished goes to show you that the odds favor the Rod parents do not feed their children enough OR well. I feel badly for those kids.

I remember reading how Phillip’s college provides a free lunch to all students. That’s most likely why he’s filled out and is no longer positively skeletal with a concave abdomen.

[Salacious Kitty]

5 minutes ago, louannems said:

I remember reading how Phillip’s college provides a free lunch to all students. That’s most likely why he’s filled out and is no longer positively skeletal with a concave abdomen.

I thought that lunch was free for the live-in students, and something like $2.50 for commuters. Not free, but cheap. 

[BradandJanet]

Jill's

37 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I thought that lunch was free for the live-in students, and something like $2.50 for commuters. Not free, but cheap. 

Right. It is not free to commuters. However, there were activities outside of school hours that provided pizza to the students who attended. Phillip probably went to all of them. He might have been able to afford a few lunches since he was working, and maybe someone bought him a lunch once in a while. Jill doesn't necessarily mention the generosity of others unless it's something for her. 

[beckie]

What is reverse charades?

[farmgal4]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I thought that lunch was free for the live-in students, and something like $2.50 for commuters. Not free, but cheap. 

You’re right about that but considering how emaciated Phillip was when he started going to the school, the staff members may have taken up a “Fatten Up Phillip Food Fund” and paid for Phillip’s meals out of their own pockets.