Field Service time wasters

by xelder 38 Replies latest jw experiences

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  ekruks

  As a kid, I asked an elder, why if these ministry was so important (life-saving), we didn't just kick the doors down, like the police do and save the people. The brother felt I was being flippant, but really, for however crazy it may have seemed, I was being very logical.

  I always found it very difficult to sit at assemblies and listen to the bragging by those being interviewed on the platform; partly because I knew the real them, and knew a lot of what they were saving was exagerated or just false, but also it was that I couldn't understand why they were doing it. Some did it for their parents, but some, well their parents were in the world or dead, so I've got no idea what it's about. Unless they just can't face leaving the truth; it's a big, scary change, and one that perhaps no one ever fully manages. Pehraps it is just easier to stay within the truth, quietly disgruntled, but giving an outward display of joy, to get a good reputation...... didn't Jesus say something to the scribes and Pharisees about being 'whitewashed graves'?
• 

  drewcoul

  It's the typical act I remember. Meet at 9:30 am, text and chat, out the door around 10:15. Do a Charlie call, coffee or errands at 11:00. Home at noon.

  Damn! I miss those days. Good times.
• 

  White Dove

  You know, this is making me want to go back and do everything the "right way" if time could be reversed and I wasn't abandoned out.

  If things were different. I was never cut out to be a JW.

  Maybe this is how I would have done it eventually if things had been different.

  By "right way," I mean 100% padding my time slip.

  I mean studying my WT by underlining just anything without EVER reading it.

  It is so tempting to do service the "right way," as well.

  I mean show up, say I have a study but the HH is mental and will only allow me into her house, then going home.

  Never give out my address to JW's.

  Give a false hometown.

  It's not my fault the HH lives in my apt. complex, is it?

  I have no family here and none of my friends (few I have. better quality that way) are JW's.

  I could have so much fun with this, except for one thing.

  JW's are just too damn nosy!
• 

  MrDarkKnight

  House to house is a colossal wast of time! Although I have to admit, I worked for a large security company that does door to door sales. I was treated WORSE as a salesman than I ever was in my 38 years of door knocking as a Witness. I really believe that people resent ANYONE who knocks at their door UNIVITED. It is considered a VIOLATION of PRIVACY no matter who you represent!
• 

  JWStruggle

  Wifey came home not too long ago and said, "Oh I went out w bro and sis ___ and first they talked forever and we couldn't get out of the KH parking lot, then we did one call and right into errands and then a coffeee break- and I'm trying to get in my time!" (She was raised not to loiter she's a good girl)

  I couldn't help it I quoted 2 Tim 3:5 that says they would have a "form of godly devotion" but prove false to its power. I followed up with what a waste of time the FS really is...she was NOT amused.

  Do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars...
• 

  ekruks

  Not to mention the bros taking the field service meeting who ramble on for ages, giving the same speech they did last week, and the week before...... seemingly unaware.... it's easier than knocking doors, because he can report the time for conducting the meeting as he is supposedly "teaching"...... and we all have to politely listen, pretending we don't know he doesn't prepare, or isn't quite on the same planet...... I suppose if you not on the same planet, you are out in space, so heavenly
• 

  luna2

  I stopped going out on Saturdays long before I finally got wise and left the organization for good. I was a single mother of two children and had more than enough to do on the weekends. Farting around, pretending to serve Jehovah, when in reality all we were doing was driving aimlessly around, knocking on a couple of doors and then going for coffee, was not something I had time for.

  In those days, I was very consciencious and would have deducted all of the coffee/shopping time...which left maybe an hour, sometimes half an hour that I felt I could count as "service". If I had been smart, I would have started counting time from the moment I left my house until I got back home, no matter what stupid junk those in charge of the car group decided to do. There were mornings, especially when the CO's wife was in the group, when we'd hit garage sales, go to the bank, drive for ten minutes or more to get to some remote "call" or two and then stop for a full breakfast. It really bothered me, but I kept quiet because, obviously, there was something I didn't understand about the whole exercise. I was such a fool.
• 

  ekruks

  The other day I had the weirdest day of ministry ever, that really made me think. To my knowledge, I am the only one in this group that doesn't really believe this (only putting on a front so I can speak to family). We didn't do much ministry; just went off all together, all dressed-up, for some recreation in the local area, while the brother taking the group went around the corner. Later, we came back and did a few doors, met him, who thought we'd been busy. I didn't get it. I wasn't too worried about the ministry, well, I'm on these forums etc., but these guys are all supposedly zealous pioneers - probably just pioneering because daddy wants to be on the Service Committee, or something shallow.
• 

  lilbluekitty

  I always tried to be good out in service as a kid but it got hard when we'd go (we were homeschooled for awhile) at 9 in the morning and the meeting for field service would last til almost 10, finally everyone would leave, we'd of course be stuck in a group with weird smelly people and go to a couple houses but mostly we'd just sit in the car and chat and then we'd all say we had a productive morning, pat ourselves on the back and then go home, racing to take off those uncomfortable clothes, espescially stockings, am I right ladies??

  It was worse as a teenager. Long meeting for field service where a bro would pretend he didn't know people's names, take forever assigning groups, then we'd drive around, someone would mention Dunkin' Donuts and we'd get there and half the group was there, and we'd be there for at least an hour, talking about nothing important and witnessing to no one. Then someone from our group would want coffee from Tim Horton's so we'd go with her there and guess what? More JWs, crowding up the place, sticking out like sore thumbs with the clothes and the regular people looking disgusted that there were no empty tables.

  And still my mom would tell me I should count the hours...