I would like someone to discuss some issues I have. I understand ALL are welcome here, so i am sure some elders or former elders could help me. I was a pioneer for 7 years, before that I was a regular auxiliarry pioneer for 3 years, I have been a witness for 17 years.
My husband(pioneer 3 years, regular aux. 1 year, witness 17 years) and daughter(pioneer 2 years, reg. aux. 2 years, witness 6 years) were pioneering also when 3 years ago my daughter (then 21) decided to get disfellowshipped, and that is when things got weird. First, the elders removed my husband and I as pioneers, for no explainable reason. Well, we were given a reason: 'because we were "pillars" of the congregation for so long the shock of our daughter leaving the truth would put my husband and my life into question, so it was decided it would be easier on congregation if we were to "voluntarilly" step down first so when the announcement about our daughter was made it would make more sense.' I was so distraut anyway, my Dad died a couple of months before, which set my daughter into the tailspin that led to her disfellowshipping, so I was unsure about if the elders were really taking things into account and trying to help her or just sweeping her under the rug. Now we were being swept aside as well.
After being told that our reaction to all this would prove ourselves, we stood firm, and on that wretched day of the announcement of my daughters disfellowshipping, my husband and I sat in the second row like we always did. The elders kept asking if we were sure we wanted to be present. We said, 'we did nothing wrong, we are making our stand'. They put it off and put it off, finally just before the song, they announced it, i looked the elder in the face, the whole congregation gasped and cried and could not sing. So for 6 months we never missed meeting, or service, and continued our pioneer hours. In the meantime, slowly but surely, the shunning began. No one called, no one came over, no one would work in service with us, we were asked to sit in the back of the hall, my husbands priviledges were removed, then the 7th month, we were told our time would no longer be accepted, the next month they stopped giving us publications, and the next month were told we should go elsewhere.
We continued putting in time, they told us to stop writing out a time slip, we continued cleaning the hall every Sunday after the 4 congregations finish meetings ( we do that to this day, and they are purposeley extra messy, but it is the only priveledge we have left) We have not been to a meeting for 2 years now. (even tho we still clean the hall) They started locking up the literature so we would not 'steal' any, so we quit donating.
They found out about a friend of mine 1200 miles away sending my literature (she used to be in our hall) they wrote to her elders to stop it. My health is shot, my nerves are shot. We obey Jehovah, we still 'preach' but I cannot bring myself to invite any to a meeting ( since we are not there) We see our daughter rarely(usually when she needs something) Our mailman is an elder and has warned us he sees her car at our house too often.
We want to move away, but are afraid of what the elders may write to our new hall. I believe in Jehovah and his word the Bible, and the literature is helpful in study, we are still servants of Jehovah, they cannot take that from us. But the new rumors are starting, we are in the way.(we talked to the CO and were raked over the coals for it) This is where we are, will someone please just talk to us and be encouraging, or explain, or something?
Thank you;
Inactive?