Some back story:
We moved 1500 miles away from our hometown. We didn't tell anyone we were done with the JW thing until after we moved - and even then - only basic info. Just that we aren't going to meetings.
On both sides of the family we have people that will not be happy until we are DF'd, so we have been on the lookout for random elders popping up.
Do I think that they would actually call the local congregations and find an elder to knock on our door? Read on:
I was alone working in the living room. My youngest child is asleep sick in bed. There was a knock at the door. An older man in a baseball cap, shirt and tie was standing there.
I opened the door. He seemed surprised someone would answer in the middle of the day. He had a small pink post-it note on his fingers and I could make out the note on it, which was addressed to [FreedomLoverr]. I thought it was someone regarding the fender bender with our car recently - like the insurance guy or something. Still it seemed weird he would show up unannounced.
He asked if [FreedomLoverr] lived here - in a way that suggested he had already talked to her. I said yes. He asked if I was her husband. I said yes. He then said he was a local elder of the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation and was trying to locate [FreedomLoverr]. He said some friends from "up north" had lost track of [my wife] and wanted him to find her.
Side note: They knew where she was. They apparently gave him the address.
He asked if we were JWs or had ever been JWs. I lied and said "No".
He asked if [my wife] ever had been a JW. In a way that looked like I didn't really care, I said, "I dunno ... maybe ... I'm not sure."
He asked what I did for a living. I told him. He then handed me the note that he was going to put on our door. It said, "[FreedomLoverr], Some friends ask me to call you. 555-5555. Bob & Jane".
No mention in the note that they are local JWs or that he is a local elder. No indication of who asked him to contact us. Apparently he was hoping to spring the element of surprise on [FreedomLoverr] when she called.
He asked me if we were interested in the bible or God or anything. I said flatly, "Not at this time ... no."
He asked if he could get my phone number. We locked eyes, I smirked, and said, "Uh .... no."
He reiterated that his number was on the note he gave me and closed with, "We work this area from time to time, so maybe we'll stop back in the future." We each said goodbye. I watched him hop back in the car with the 'group' and he promptly took the baseball cap off.
Nice little trick.
It fooled me.
SUMMARY
Fact-finding mission completed for brother elder.
I expect to hear more soon. Probably from two elders next time.
What I wished I would have said,
"Who asked you to get in touch with us?"
"If they [our supposed concerned friends] couldn't find us how did you find us?"
"Why didn't you identify you were Witnesses on the note you were going to leave stuck to our door?"
In reality, I didn't want to ask questions that would ultimately lead to him setting me up for more of HIS questions. So I didn't offer much.
I think the elder is concerned that I am onto them and he can't spring the element of surprise on [FreedomLoverr]. Apparently some of the 'concerned friends' feel that [FreedomLoverr] is being manipulated by me and that is the only reason she is not a JW (which insults her and pisses her off to no end ... heheh ...).
I don't for a moment believe that I fooled the elder into thinking we were never Witnesses. I just didn't want to make it easy for him to ask "Organization" questions.
Based on their recent KM articles and CO/Elder/Servant meetings, I will be getting some No Trespassing signs this weekend.