Ugh CO from Africa?

4mylove

A friend spoke to a friend that moved to Austin TX a few years back. She, the friend that moved told my other friend that someone had come to the congo from Africa. Again, stomach churning. She was very excited and made her family go with her. According to her, this man walked over 20 miles to go out in service.

I thought to myself, I hiked 30 miles over last weekend over 3 1/2 days with lots of elevation change. with 40 pounds on my back. Does he run to service, go out at night or is this yet another exageration?

This is the second story I hear in one week of "people" visiting the congos, the other was my mother in law chatting up my husband about a circuit or whatever overseer at her congo, and she was very excited. Is this like the pope visiting?

Venting,

4

Princess Daisy Boo

Hi 4

In short - the answer to your question is yes - the CO visits are sorta like celebrity visits - evryone makes a huge fuss and gets all excited and clamber over each other to work with him or his wife in FS and have them over for meals etc - and if you do crack the nod, my god, what a priviledge!

As for your other comment about the man from Africa, as an African, I have heard plenty of similar stories - this is entirely possible on a continent that is largely rural and relatively underdeveloped - poor deluded fools.

Take care

Boo

undercover

Is this like the pope visiting?

LOL...not quite the pope...more like a high cardinal.

But yes, the rank and file dubs do get all excited over the visits of the traveling overseers, both circuit overseers and district overseers. The CO comes around usually twice a year, for a week each visit.

The meeting schedules are rearranged, extra import is put on field service and general brown-nosing and ass-kissing of the visiting brother and his wife is in order.

The DO comes around less frequently, usually the week before an assembly or convention. It seemed like (it may have just been coincidence) that congregations with problems seemed to get the dual CO/DO visit.

I remember years ago when we received news of our new CO and that he had served as a missionary pioneer and elder in third world countries for over 30 years. Everyone was so excited that this specially privilaged brother would be "serving" us. I don't know how everyone else felt, but I was disappointed. We got some old, over the hill codger who could barely walk and spent all his time telling stories (the same ones over and over) of his time in the jungles. Picture Grandpa Simpson... Sometimes I kinda figured he had pissed someone off at "headquarters" and we were his punishment. Now I think that he was too old to serve as a missionary so they dumped him into the circuit work just to keep him busy and out of the way.

SnakesInTheTower

undercover:

It seemed like (it may have just been coincidence) that congregations with problems seemed to get the dual CO/DO visit.

this is NOT coincidence. There are two reasons for a dual CO/DO visit. One good for the local BOE, one not.

The good is when the visit is in connection with a Special Assembly Day (SAD, ironically and aptly named acronym) or the Circuit Assembly. Then the congo gets an abreviated visit with talks by the CO and DO. It is considered a "privilege"...kinda like the pope coming.....lol...

The bad visit is called the "work with" week. The actual purpose of this visit is not the congo, but the CO (and wife, if married). The DO and his wife "work with" and "shepherd" the CO couple to make sure everything is alright, head off any problems (CO wife getting down in the work, etc.)

However, the scheduling of the "work with" week is anything but random. You are correct uc, it is the congos with the problems that get scheduled for the second type of visit...purposely...It gives the DO a chance to observe how the CO handles the "problem"....I know...I (as an elder) was considered the "problem" (by the rest of the BOE ) during one particular visit. The DO made the BOE back off of me....that time...they just bided their time until a new DO and CO came through...on the next CO visit (after consult with the DO apparently) they pointed to me as a "problem" again...but this time saying "well, the CO and DO before already tried to handle this....and Brother {Snakes} is not responding to their 'loving' {gag} counsel." New CO allowed me to be voted off the island.... in retrospect, yay for me....freedom ....delayed....but freedom.

Snakes ()

PS oh...my "problem"?...I did not roll over and go along with the local controlling elder and questioned him often ....he did not think I should go to college...bad example....and he did not agree with the way I dated or the person I was dating...so when it ended badly....(meaning she broke it off for her own reasons not involving me)...he went in for the kill...."See Brother CO, Brother {Snakes} is not reasonable...." bye bye Snakes.....

White Dove

They are such liars! No one walks that far to that many meetings. Why have the meetings so far away from the people, anyway? Lies.

Kudra

Ha!!

"like the Pope visiting..."

That's exactly what my dad would always call it when my mom and I would get excited about the CO visit.

LOL!!

Anyway, once when the Pope was on the front cover of the SF Chronicle weekend magazine, he cut it out and pasted it on the front of our fridge to get at my mom and I...!

I wonder if my mom ever made the connection- she was so fast to denounce the fridge pic as "worshiping man"!!

-K