Who pioneered with the promise of having 'Jehovah provide' and ended up dirt poor anyway?

by Julia Orwell 66 Replies latest jw friends

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  problemaddict

  My wife pioneered for 16 years. She is only in her early 30's. She was absolutely poor. Didn't have a high school diploma. Didn't know how to do many jobs and always looked for part-time.

  Fast forward though a bad marriage to a rogue PO's son that lasted a year, a crazy family, and multiple issues to detailed to get into, and yours truely steps in. She continues to pioneer, we serve in other countries, and I manage our funds and help her get her high school diploma.

  One day after we had been serving for over a year where the need was great, an elder in our hall said her cards were out of order and he would need letters from her previous congregations explaining why she was not able to make her time in certain years (divorce, death of parents, etc...) in order for her to continue.

  She was crying on the phone....I noticed.....I took the phone from her and asked who this was. He was caught off guard, and I told him you are making my wife cry behind your legalistic pharisaical need to control things under the guise that Jehovahs organization wants you to do so. My wife and I have discussed it, and she will be coming off the list immediately. Do not ever speak to my wife questioning her record of service again, or without me present. Do you understand what I just told you?

  Yep.

  6 years later, I am working on her exit. She is about 50% of the way there.
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  Theocratic Sedition

  After my sister graduated high school, my father made her stop pioneering to go to school briefly. She was working some dead end job and pioneering and my father saw the future in that and put a stop to it immediately. He didn't mind her going back to pioneering after she finished school, but he didn't want her to be like others he saw who were either waiting on a husband or broke as a joke all the while pioneering. He always said "they don't give a darn about you", they referring to the WT. She pioneered a little while longer after finishing school, but then got married and has only auxilliary pioneered off and on since. She thanks our pop till this day.
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  redvip2000

  Well, if Jehovah provides, and the society is God's representative on earth, then why doesn't the society have a retirement program for Jdubs who have been regular pioneers ? Sure they have generated enough revenue to justify it.

  Instead, these have to resort to the "evil" organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army to receive some assistance.

  As we know, the Org only gives a sausage to whoever gives them a pig, so unless there is a financial return, the Org will absolutely not give a dime to anybody.
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  Magwitch

  In the 10 years I pioneered I looked as if I had just escaped from a Nazi concentration camp. I was absolute skin and bones - always hungry and exhausted.
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  Bungi Bill

  I plead guilty to that one!

  After starting as a "Regular Pioneer", I was very quickly on the bones of my @$$ - and there I stayed! My non-JW father saw through all this, noting that there were "plenty of wealthy ones amongst you - who stay that way because they like it." However, that only stoked my already well developed typical JW persecution complex even further, and I took no heed of him (unfortunately).

  Bill.
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  wasblind

  he didn't want her to be like others he saw who were either waiting on a husband or broke as a joke all the while pioneering_____Theo

  What a fine catch for a single brother

  a mate that will suck you dry and put the needs of the WTS before yours

  Here's to your father Theo
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  vajeni82

  We had a pioneer in our cong. who live hand to mouth everyday. She basically existed on a couple bags of potatoes and water for the week, unless somebody invited her to dinner. She even went so far as to read by candlelight to save money on her electtic bill, but she kept regular poineering anyway.

  When her mom passed away, she was granted custody of her younger brother and had to quit pioneering to work and support him. People actually gossiped that she was being materialistic!
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  Glander

  I knew people who seemed to thrive in the poor pioneer lifestyle. Many would mooch off the congregation in subtle but real ways. Transportation, meals, clothes. They enjoyed a special status in a small congregation.

  Being a devout ascetic is great as long as you have something to wear and something to eat.
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  williamhconley

  I pioneered 20 yrs beleiving that all material needs would be provided. I got tired of always not having enough for a decent car, vacation, decent clothes and money to help out elderly parents. I finally realized that I srewed myself for believing that baloney that you just need to peddle literature and not worry about aquiring any practical skills. Ihave no one to blame but myself for being too naive. I now run my own construction business after realizing I dont want to be a useless, ignorant ,unskilled peddler.God gave us a brain and expcts us to use it by getting an education and learning a trade or skills to support yourself in a decent manner and not depending on miracles to eat.
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  williamhconley

  I have to admit that this thread got me upset for reminding me how I should've gotten an education and learned practical skills at an early age instead of my 40's.