Who Pioneered?

by sass_my_frass 42 Replies latest jw friends

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  mamochan13

  I "vacation" pioneered (boy that dates us, eh?) while still in school, then applied to regular pioneer before I finished my final year of high school. Stuck with it for almost 4 years, including a stint in another country "where the need was great".

  Because I had a non-JW father I always had to fight for any kind of respect, so I enjoyed the extra level of prestige pioneering gave - although even that was relative. I was very sincere and really did try hard to be the best pioneer I could be. It was a very difficult job at times, particularly when you saw the minimal effort most others in the cong. were making.
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  atypical

  I pioneered right after high school instead of going to college. I gave it three and a half years. I finally quit because I realized that I was dealing with more gossip, backbiting, and criticism from the elders than when I was not killing myself to make a living and pioneer at the same time. I wish I could get those three and a half years back.
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  xjwms

  Regular

  two years

  at one time I had five bible studies. and picked one of them up for every meeting.
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  juni

  When the kids were little, I vacation (ages me, heh?) pioneered in April and Oct. You know the SPECIAL mag. issues. Then they started calling it temporary pioneering. Then auxilliary pioneered for 5 months Dec.-April (This is Wisconsin so it was winter; I must've been crazy) and then back to the 2x a year as I was getting burned out and also tired of the gossip, backbiting, and concern from others about how I was doing w/my hours.

  When I did the 5 month stint, the elders were trying to get me to sign up for full time. No way. It was madness w/4 kids.

  Juni
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  Ironhead

  Auxiliary pioneered for a year a month after baptism, then regular for five years until ill health forced me to come off. I really enjoyed myself, in fact it was the best days of my jw life. ( Looking through my rosed coloured specs ) However it was the elders nasty unloving attitude towards my failing health and criticizing me for not being able to work, did me a favour. I started to question first the elders then the society and look where I am now.
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  sass_my_frass

  PS I always wondered if a JW wasn't a pioneer if that meant they were a part-time Christian.

  Yeah I did that, I was a right snob when I was freshly baptised; I was thinking 'how can anybody be a witness and not sacrifice everything for Jehovah?' It didn't make me many friends.
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  unclebruce

  From the age of 10 I spent all my school holidays on suburban and rural field service with Special Pioneers and Missionries (Merideth White, Glen Moses, Andrew Clarkson, Doug Crago...).

  At 15 I left school to regular pioneer Adelaide and the outback and a short stint in Papua/New Guinea (1972 - '75).

  It was an interesting time bicycle 'witnessing' to inner city hippies, pros, nurses, priests, businessmen and sailors on the ships visiting Port Adelaide.
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  juni

  That sounds like it was a fantastic experience Uncle! Sorry to say ours was mostly city and some rural door to door - nothing out of the ordinary.

  I hated doing the "Business" territory; didn't feel we should be there bothering people at work.

  Juni
• 

  Big Tex

  1980-1983

  Turned down a full scholarship to Stanford to do it (I used to be intelligent).

  Yeah that was a good decision.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  Baptised Jan 1973 - began 'vacation pioneering' immediately till eligible to 'regular pioneer' after 6 months I think. Pioneered a couple of years - right up to Armageddon. Later for about three more when about 40. The '1914 Generation' got obliterated as doctrine that time.

  Life had passed me by mostly till I figured it out three years back and left. I now spend far more hours playing golf than did in the FS most years that I did not pioneer. I still keep a scorecard - yesterday I shot a 41. I still feel guilty for not doing enough - maybe I need to get back on the course today to ease my conscience?

  Jeff