There is an email doing the rounds regarding JW experiences related to the horrific bushfires that recently killed hundreds of people in Australia.
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Received: Sunday, 1 March, 2009, 3:54 PM
As quite a number in our circuit actually endured the horrors of Black Saturday, our DO called out the names of all the congregations represented and asked for a show of hands. As hands went up from Kinglake, Lillydale, Alexandra, Belgrave, Healesville (covering Flowerdale, Marysville and Narbuthnong) you could feel a wave of emotion pass through the audience. Brotherly love was overflowing like never before. Disaster has touched close to home and it brought us all closer.
Only two Witnesses' homes were lost in the fires. The couple of others suffered property damage only (sheds/equipment). The DO told us to go round hugging as many as we could ...so we all looked like Care Bears during the breaks! One old sister was coughing her head off. She apologized explaining the smoke was so thick in Healesville she is now racked with a cough. Another said they depend solely on tank water - now undrinkable for the soot! Yet another apologized if she smelled like a hearth. I gave her a big hug and told her she smelled as fresh as a daisy!
Eve Tate (she is a Londoner) got more than her share of hugs. She has not been able to return to her house in Narbuthnong as yet as its still a danger zone. One of her return visits was the first to die. I remember hearing about this guy on TV. All that remained was the molten metal of his wheelchair and wreckage of their car! A burning tree felt across their gateway trapping them in just as he and his family were trying to escape. Last week, Eve herself was prevented from attending a half day pioneer meeting when a burning tree fell across the road. There was no other route they could take due to road closures. One of the brothers presenting at that pioneer meeting was also traveling in her car. It took three hours to remove the smoldering tree and clear the road - the pioneering meeting was over by then!
During the lunch break Sunday, brothers from Yarra Junction and Wharburton received high danger alerts as fires had broken containment lines. They were warned to get out by night or early Monday. Rather inconvenient when you are at an assembly, but all stayed on right till the last song and prayer.
Monday afternoon more brothers were affected when fires broke out in Upwey. Those in Upwey, Tecoma, Belgrave Heights , Belgrave South, Lysterfield and Narre Warren East were asked to activate their fire plans. That means - get out! After the pyrotechnics of Black Saturday no one was staying! Happily the danger is over but there is a lot of concern for this coming Friday. Temperatures are expected to soar to 38 degrees accompanied by strong northerlies.
Our CO used the "Do I Stay or Do I Go?' question on everyone's lips since the fires to great effect. Basing his talk on information from "Where Should You Be when the End Comes?" (May 15 Study article) he spoke about when location mattered. Noah had to stay in the ark. Lot had to flee (go). But location is not always important. Jehovah can save the righteousness wherever they are (the wall rumbled and tumbled right up to Rahab's house). Also staying inside the interior rooms (the Israelites in Egypt when the angel of death passed over) - it was spine tingling! What counted with all was faith and obedience.
Here are some experiences our CO related. They will give you some idea of what our brothers had to endure -
While attending the Kinglake Town Hall relief supplies center, one of our sisters recognized a lady she had once met in the field. She had no life in her expression or her voice..... it was as if she had cried herself to a point where she was totally numb Our sister went up to her, hugged her and inquired after her. The woman told her that her 80 year old father had died in the fires, also a shop keeper she knew, residents on her street as well as some of her friends. She asked why her father had to undergo such a horrific death. She had already asked this question of five different clergymen of five different denominations but not one had been able to give her an answer. The sister explained that she did not have her Bible on her, but she quoted scriptures that gave real comfort, and talked about the last days, Jehovah's love for mankind and the resurrection hope. Only then did she see a flicker of life come back in this lady's eyes. She looked like she was taking note of everything our sister was saying, hanging on to every word. Considering that this sister had a harrowing escape herself, it was wonderful to hear how she was comforting others.
Power lines went down Saturday in Kinglake. One of our sisters and her unbelieving husband were on their property trying to protect it with generator operated hoses, but they were running out of fuel. The sister text messaged one of the elders for help. Her husband was highly skeptical as the area looked like a war zone - not even the emergency crews were able to reach them. The sister hoped and prayed her text message would get thru and kept assuring her husband that Jehovah would not fail her. She was convinced the elder would come to her assistance if he got her text message. By Sunday morning they were running out of diesel and quite frantic. While her husband kept insisting help would not come, help was on the way. The elder did get the message. He rounded up some other brothers and set off in his utility with chain saw, axes etc. However they were halted by the Police road block and not allowed to proceed. But the brothers know their territory - they turned away and tried to gain access another way! They were hindered by logs and smoldering trees so they had to clear the way as they went (this is pretty hazardous as trees can fall and kill). While they were at it, a four wheel drive came along. One of the brothers recognized the driver as a RV that had been passed on to him. The man did not recognize the brother and asked what they were doing on this stretch of road. He was amazed to hear that the brother was the Witness who visited him with the WT and Awake mags. He was even more stunned to learn they were trying to reach one of the sisters to check if she was ok. He could not believe they were willing to risk life and limb for their sister! He himself was unable to gain access to check if his house was still standing. So the brothers used their axes and chain saws to clear the way for him! Then they made it to the sister's house. They said you should have seen the look on that sister's unbelieving husband's face. He was thunderstruck! As for the sister, she was overjoyed that the brothers had got there even before the Police or CFA. What a witness to her unbelieving husband!
A sister in Healesville saw a 77 year old lady driving up her road towards her house. She had not been sighted since the fires so the sister went up to her and expressed her joy and relief at seeing she was ok. The woman asked her in and when she saw our sister's Bible, she admitted she had left the truth when she was 18 years old. Almost a lifetime ago! But when the fires came, she confessed she had prayed to Jehovah calling on his name! She felt in her heart that Jehovah had helped her. The sister left her a magazine and a tract and the old lady hugged her and said "You really are my sister:" I hope something wonderful will result from this.
A sister coordinating relief work at Kinglake heard some of the other coordinators warn against 'crackpots' and 'fanatics' posing as counselors. They were getting a bit wary about this and wondering whether to bar religious people from approaching victims. Our sister spoke up on behalf of the Witnesses and identified herself as one. After a long and surprised pause, one of the other coordinators said "My husband used to be a Witness!" Another said "They are a real religion, a proper organization!". That settled it for everyone. It's nice to know how well we are regarded.
