Homeless JW's

Trixie

Did anyoe else have homeless people in their congregations? I am from So. Cal, and come from a Middle Class neighborhood. It's not like you would find homeless people hangin' around our KH. And, it's door to door ministry. How are you gonna knock on a homeless person's door?
In any event, we had this homeless guy I'll call Gary. He lived in his truck and even bragged about "bathing" in the hot tubs of the apartment complexes nearby. He was assigned to the book study at my parents' house. Damn, you should have seen the clean up job we did after book study!!!!!
Also, he had some crazy crush on Linda Evens. He even went all the way up to LA and tried to witness to her at her house. Hello!!!

Thomas Poole

The JW policy is not generally to help or care about homeless or impoverish people with their basic needs. A person of this sort mainly needs an ongoing dependable safe shelter and a job. The shelter certainly comes first.

So pay for a weeks rent for them somewhere, and then after you see they are better for that week, do two weeks for them. By then, they can probably get a job after they have gained strength and become clean enough. Go to a Good-Will store with them and get them clean clothes for them, and so forth.

That is what Jesus would want you to do. Also, in the Good Samaritan story, the helper did not try to start a Bible study with the man. The man was destitute.

If you want to help one or find one, go to a Salvation Army place, or some local church that helps indigent people, or some local hang-out park.

Whether he was a walk-in or an invite, if you and your crowd are repulsed by them; let an understanding adult, from some local church perhaps, deal with them, someone who has compassion and is motivated for results. Don't do the Witness trip on them please? It might ruin their life. ha ha They need Jesus Christ not the WT.

I went to a JW Bible study once. The house stank so much from [several] cat smell, one would almost gag. The pious fellow was not even homeless either. The man was up for being a ministerial servant.

Witnesses never think about what gift they might have in serving Christ or God. They usually are seeking some opportunity or responsibility in the congregation instead.

JBean

No... can't say we had any homeless... but Kingdom Halls are a HOTBED for crazies of all types. In my many years of attending, we "collected" every nut in the neighborhood! (sorry for sounding so crass, but it's true!) A few individuals that stand out in my mind: the gal who dressed in layers... and I mean LAYERS upon LAYERS Of clothing in the middle of summer (like a bag lady.. but she HAD a home... go figure), and the guy who thought he was an indian chief and dressed accordingly... the brothers were afraid to comment on it because they realized he was a bit "off" and didn't know what he'd DO if they "spoke" to him. HA!

dungbeetle

I live in southern Californication as well; doing bible study/witnessing/whatever among the socially disenfranchised was very much looked down upon and discouraged by my congregation. The literature had to be given to them free (they had no money of course) and they could never progress to the point of baptism but they were always my favorite bible students. I had to fight with the elders just so I could count the time with them. i shoved it through by saying 'look at the witness we're giving the neighbors'. Like duh...I had to TELL elders that! <groan>

years ago, my son lived here with me in this house; across the street is a park where a man has lived with two grocery carts and a dog (not even the homeless travel light around here). He's too delusional to conduct a bible study with even if you wanted to. my son left to get married, and every so often he asks about 'Charlie'. He and his wife and their son came to visit a while back for a week, and the first thing my son did was take himself and his wife and son to go meet Charlie. They were gone a long time; when they finally returned my son said "He's got shoes!!! After all these years of being barefoot, he's got shoes!!" He was in tears he was so happy. I love my son..!!!

Anyway, yes I knew a homeless JW family with three beautiful children, a homeless sister (she partook) a brother who lived in a van, a sister who lived in a converted screened aviary. Another brother lived in a park with a grocery cart, got tired of being alone and took a 'worldly' homeless girlfriend (very nice girl, too) and he got disfellowshipped.

The lousiest congregation I have ever known in all my life. They lost their kingdom hall eventually and had to move to another one, with the elders all rearranged between that and 2 other congregations. Go figure.

Xandria

My step father .. took us out of a apartment setting and placed us in first a tent,, then a tent trailer.. we had lost the apartment due to his stupid pride and not paying a 20 dollar late charge. So off we went a 13 year old (me at the time), a 7 year old, a 6 year old and a 6 month old baby. An of course mom was going to be a good obedient JW wife. (even though she smoked). Of couse good ol step dad ( I will call him Jack) made it sound like this wonderful adventure.. and we were going to be like those old time pioneers in the AWAKE. Yada yada yada

So off went all the stuff we had into storage.. we had to travel light. The first night we struggled in the rain in the dark putting up the tent. Things went progressively worse from there. We had to cook on a campfire.. that in itself is a accomplishment. Unless you enjoy eating charcoal. The vexing part is that we did not have to be there. Jack made plenty of money working at nights as an exterminator. We could afford to rent shelter if need be. But oooh no.

We would have to switch campgrounds every two weeks b/c of a policy the grounds had. So for about 1-2 years we would go from Featherly Park, to Pradado, to San Clemente, to Chino Hills. Also durning that time we were home schooled (what a joke). Then we finally ended up in Lake Hemet. .. Jack finally lost his job b/c of all the travel the wear and tear on the truck they gave him to use was getting costly. An he refused to move in closer to his work area.

So we were stuck... and the park had to close for winter. Finally we got a move from a person to Idywild. Where we stayed in the tent trailer until CPS came. Then someone let us stay w/ them for a while b/c if we did not have us kids in a structured building... and not the tent trailer.. (which was like living in swiss cheese w/ a fiber glass roof and bottom. An holey canvas sided covered in tarps. ) They would of taken all of us out of the custody of my mom and step dad. Well we stayed there for a few weeks. Then something happened between my mom and the lady who was nice enough to allow us to stay there. So once again we were out in the cold snow.

I guess I had a break down.... or something. An I was only 14 going on 15. We were attending the KH in Idywild. An one of my friends I just made saw me in tears. She asked me what was going on and I told her. She worked out a place for us to stay for a little while.But the people left their place so we could stay there. They could not associate w/ my mother b/c she was smoking at the time. They had admonished her about it..and gave her a time to period to quit. Well finally...Jack got off his ass. He called his sister up north and asked for help. An she loaned him some money. An we got into a Motel. But we had been homeless for a long time. An even though we got "stable" he kept us at a poverty level. Not once did the Elders speak to him about being a better provider , nor did they help. The abuse was terrible.. from him mental, emotional abuse, from mom physical. An any little thing would set it off.

My mom was loosing her teeth b/c she breast fed my sisters until they were 5 and now my little brother... at the time was still breast feeding. An we were not eating right. My mom was a old lady by the time she was 39. She could throw her breast over her shoulder to wash under them... and not b/c she wanted to either. The strain was too much ... my mom was d/f in 1988 in 1989 my step father threw me out of the "house". An my real father stepped in and helped me. By 1994 my mom died of Cancer. An Jack thinks he is going to be reunited w/ her in the New World..in Paradise.

So there are Homeless JW's out there. Hope that answers your question.

LDH

Xandria,

That is about the worst thing I have ever read on this DB. That bastard.

I'm so sorry.

What occurs to me as I read people's experiences here on the board is the fact that so many of us lost our childhoods....and that time is not recoverable.

For you it was even worse, and I'm so sorry you had to go through that crap. I'm in Fresno, if you're in the area.

Lisa

Homeless JW's

Trixie

Thomas Poole

JBean

dungbeetle

Xandria

LDH

dungbeetle

amac

Billygoat

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