How did you "expand" your Field Service time

by donny 18 Replies latest jw friends

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  donny

  I remember when a brother named Donis and I used to go out in Field Service on the weekends we took advantage of our congregations large territory. We each had about nine return visits and we would pick one on the southern end of the territory and afterwards drive to one in the northern part and then back again. Along the way we would throw in laundry mat to dump a lot of the magazines that were given to us by other brothers/sisters who needed room in their garage. This made an hour last anout 5 or 6. I remember in 1986 we were placing Awakes and Watchtowers dated from the 1960's in the laundrymats and Dr. office waiting rooms. One time we hit the same laundrymat twice in one day and as we went inside for the second time, we heard an old man ask his wife who was standing by the dryers "What the hell is this magazine talking about? The title of the article is 'Why are you looking forward to 1975? ' Isn't that lookin' backwards?" We both ran to the car so we could bust out without anyone noticing.

  So how did you "expand" your field service time.
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  stillajwexelder

  Return visits were the easiest way - you know a call at one end of the territory and then at the other end. When an elder I would do a shepherding call on somebody who I knew had unbaptized children et al at home so I could count the time and geta cup of coffee. Plenty of ways really. My other favorite was simplicity itself (still is I might add) just take your actual Field Service hours (mine is about 2 hous per month) and multiply by three - that works well
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  keyser soze

  Yeah, return visits on opposite ends of the territory was always the best. I remember when I was aux pioneering, I went out with my oldest brother, sister, and brother-in-law every Tuesday. My sister and brother-in-law attended the neighboring congregation. We would do return visits that covered both territories. Killed a lot of time that way.
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  nbernat

  When the territory is 45-minutes away or when the brothers love to chat for a while at Starbucks before continuing off. I'm a pioneer, I NEED that time-- that's my excuse. ;)
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  parakeet

  I didn't. I did all I could to "contract" my field service time. I used to pretend to be asleep on Saturday mornings in the hope my parents would take pity on me and let me stay home. It sometimes worked.
  
  Other ploys that kept me well under the 10-hour monthly minimum: faked illness, voluminous homework, and, when I was living on my own -- I just didn't go. The elders didn't seem to care much.
  
  I'm very proud that 4 hours/month was about average for me. Never converted anyone either. Extremely proud of that.
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  Thechickennest

  Start with a call in town. Then drive 100 miles or more to very rural Dakota territory. Spend the day in the territory. Then make a call in town again on the return trip.....easy 12-14 hour day.
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  donny

  Never converted anyone either. Extremely proud of that.

  Ditto!! That's one thing that really helps me sleep at night is that I never converted anyone.
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  Mysterious

  I loved return visits because I never had any so I basically got to coast for that hour of the 2 hour field service. I also used to always lie and say I had talked to someone at school if I was "short" rounding up to the next hour. Rural territory was pretty killer too. Other than that there was always a pretty honest or self-righteous dub in the car to make sure that the whole thing was productive. I always tried to use my age/shyness to avoid taking as many doors as I could or switch partners in the foursome often so they would take the first one and that way I would only have to do a door every 4 calls or so.
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  chickpea

  having kids in a car group was a sure fire
  time expander with all the potty stops .....
  one i never used ( since i was not a reg pioneer)
  but one that got LOTS of play where i lived was
  called the "pioneer star of david driving route"
  which is basically what you did..... driving all over
  the rurals on RVs and studies in a pattern
  that resembled >>>>>>>
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  bonnzo

  told bigger lies on field service report, but never enough to get noticed by elders. then they start the "why don't you reach out"? crap. so i may occasionaly expand my 5 hours to 8, mags to 10, and throw in a rv here and there