John "The Hot One" Maxwell Leaving the Country

[albanuadh_1]

First I thought West Indies. Large population of East Indians/Hindus. Then - no, Trinidad & Tobagos is part of the Commonwealth. No need for ESL. Perhaps Venuszalea(sp)? But now I'm inclined to think India or Sri Lanka.

Also, why the 'wink face' in one of the comments after saying John isn't teaching ESL???

[Tiny Bubbles]

Re the latest photo from John's trip, has anyone ever ridden in a "small trolley" with those window grills? I am at a loss.

The "statistically her future is very bleak" seems a little chilly, but I agree that it's heartbreaking, as Sarah posted about this little child, and as other FJers have said, to discover the scope of poverty in the developing world.

Life-altering for some.

[lilith]

I'm wondering if he's in Indonesia, specifically Bali (large Indian community and Hindu influence). As its a Muslim country they may be shy about revealing he's there if he's evangelising (although there are Australian Christian groups who are openly active in Bali).

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

I've been a half-assed Scientology watcher for years, now, and with the renewed public upsurge of interest due to Going Clear I finally got caught up on reading the stack of ex-Scieno memoirs I'd accumulated. So I'd be delighted if John took the opportunity to "blow" from his own toxic cult--even though it's certain to mean disconnection.

Can you recommend some to read? Have read going clear and jenny miscavvge'sbook.

I also vote India/Pakistan/Bangladesh. Def not south east Asia or East Asia. Having spent a lot of time traveling around those parts of Asia I see nothing familiar.

Edited to add i just saw the photo of the little girl and yes think Southern Asia

[Palimpsest]

I think Steve is playing mind games with us. We've come too close with one of our Central/South American guesses so he posted a misleading photo to confuse us all again. Good one, Steve!

That does look like a bindi on the little girl's forehead but I thought they were only worn by married women and men.

This is fun though. I'm learning a lot about other countries reading all the speculation here.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

^nope any women/Girl can wear a Bindi. Married women wear red.

So probably not Pakistan as that's a Muslim country.

[anjulibai]

I think Steve is playing mind games with us. We've come too close with one of our Central/South American guesses so he posted a misleading photo to confuse us all again. Good one, Steve!

That does look like a bindi on the little girl's forehead but I thought they were only worn by married women and men.

This is fun though. I'm learning a lot about other countries reading all the speculation here.

No, I think anyone can wear them.

I still think the people in the photos have Indian features and coloring. Really not seeing South or Central American. I teach a lot of kids from South and Central America, they don't have similar looks at all.

[HermioneSparrow]

First I thought West Indies. Large population of East Indians/Hindus. Then - no, Trinidad & Tobagos is part of the Commonwealth. No need for ESL. Perhaps Venuszalea(sp)? But now I'm inclined to think India or Sri Lanka.

Also, why the 'wink face' in one of the comments after saying John isn't teaching ESL???

Venuszalea? Did you mean Venezuela? Cause i'm from Venezuela, we're right next to Trinidad and that's definitely NOT here :lol: and yes in Trinidad the first language is English.

I think Sri Lanka and India are great guesses.

[MamaJunebug]

The Maxhellions are jerking their readers - fans and snarks - around. That's my very distinct feeling. I bet the trip was completed days if not weeks ago, and that the truth will out only when Steve wants it out.

The inconsistency in verb tenses, the photos from the foreign locale so soon after the departure photos, the very unusual lack of self serving details-- they all point to dishonesty &'deception.

Add me to those who think John's gone where no Max-chidult has gone before, literally and figuratively. Drove the bus alone to its buyer, whether he flew back to Kansas, took a bus or rented a car, he was able to look at tv, magazines and newspapers, maybe even sit in with a non-religious band for a few sets.

He knows the world is not remotely as evil as his parents have taught him. And it goes on from there. All hail Prince Hot John.

[Odd1Out]

I'm still thinking (wishful maybe) that John stood up to his parents in a loving way and basically said, Dad, Mom, I love you, I love the family and I love God but I can't live this way anymore. I want to do more with my life. And you can either be supportive or not see me anymore. So because they can't bear the thought of him not being in their lives, they're putting their own spin on the story to make it all about them and take away from the independence part.

I also think it already happened. Weren't there pics of the family not long ago we were speculating why John wasn't there.

I also think the immediate family spent the two weeks crying because he wasn't there and praying that the outside world did not corrupt his soul.

[Marian the Librarian]

The Maxhellions are jerking their readers - fans and snarks - around. That's my very distinct feeling. I bet the trip was completed days if not weeks ago, and that the truth will out only when Steve wants it out.

The inconsistency in verb tenses, the photos from the foreign locale so soon after the departure photos, the very unusual lack of self serving details-- they all point to dishonesty &'deception.

Add me to those who think John's gone where no Max-chidult has gone before, literally and figuratively. Drove the bus alone to its buyer, whether he flew back to Kansas, took a bus or rented a car, he was able to look at tv, magazines and newspapers, maybe even sit in with a non-religious band for a few sets.

He knows the world is not remotely as evil as his parents have taught him. And it goes on from there. All hail Prince Hot John.

:eleventy:

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

Sri Lanka is a good guess!

[Lissa1481]

They didn't say that he took that picture. That might not even be the child he actually saw. Could just be a random Internet photo.

[16strong]

They didn't say that he took that picture. That might not even be the child he actually saw. Could just be a random Internet photo.

I always get the impression that "lying by omission" is not really a concept to the Maxwells. They're just too literal for that.

[DaffyDill]

There are a lot of Indians in Fiji, who are mostly either Hindu or Moslem, along with the original Fijians who are similar in appearance to people from Bali and Indonesia.

The Fijian Indians have largely taken over the island, and relations between the Indo-Fijians, and the native Fijians are rather tense, with several military/political uprisings over the years.

I don't know if John has travelled as far as Fiji though...

By the way....under the picture of John with his happy smiling friends, someone left a comment:

May the Lord Jesus Christ be with John. May the love of the Lord Jesus Christ flow out through John, touching hearts of the lost and dying around him.

The lost and dying around him? Where on earth does that person think he is?

[Palimpsest]

About bindi: It looks as though I wasn't actually wrong about them being limited to married people just very out of date on Hindu practices. The use of bindi is also far more widespread than I thought in many different cultures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindi_(decoration)

Lots of cultural appropriation going on so that makes the little girl's even ethnicity harder to place.

[Palimpsest]

A Theme Song for John Maxwell

[bBvideo 560,340:1bo0a1cm]

[/bBvideo]

It's past my bedtime. I expect you all to have solved the mystery by tomorrow!

[anjulibai]

I always get the impression that "lying by omission" is not really a concept to the Maxwells. They're just too literal for that.

I always got the impression that lying is not really a concept to the Maxwells. They are definitely okay with bending the truth if it suits their purposes.

[LaLele]

So, I blew up the dude in the black shirt's logo and here is what I get...

At first I thought it said NY at the end, but I don't think it is the Roman alphabet. Arabic? (Which would lend credence to Asia vs SA.)

[ncb]

I don't know how to do this, but can someone see if the little girl pic is a stock photo or something ?

[LaLele]

I don't know how to do this, but can someone see if the little girl pic is a stock photo or something ?

The only place it shows up is on the Maxwell's blog when you do an image lookup.

[LaLele]

I bet it is from a "car" like this.

[terranova]

Could it be Maldives?

From Wikipedia: They are principally an Indo-Aryan people, closely related to the Sinhalese having traces of Arab, Malay, South Indian and African genes in the population. Which may explain the variation in skin colours.

[HoneyBunny]

Those are called tuk tuks, and they are very common in SE Asia.

[LucySnowe]

Those are called tuk tuks, and they are very common in SE Asia.

Are the grilles only in certain countries? Because when I was in India (mostly Delhi) I don't recall seeing any like them - I mean, there were plenty of tuk tuks, but not with grilles, just open.

I'm really enjoying this thread, partly for the fun speculation and also because even if this was only a two week trip and then back to the compound, John did break out.

Agree with the theory that the trip already happened and the photos are just being released now. I don't think the Maxwells would be so public about it if there were a chance that it could end up as "John phoned from a bar in Phuket and said he was never coming home." They'll grudgingly spin it as the dutiful son returning to his God-ordained life.