****For those only interested in the JW part just skip own to Part 2.***************
So I just got back last night from a 16 day trip to Jamaica. Our purpose in going was:
1. Provide money and a painting project for my wifes entire family at a free hospital in their home town.
2. Paint her grandmothers tomb and have a huge neighborhood party
3. Have more fun
We arrived at 9:00 p.m. so we went straight to bed. Upon waking in the morning my wife dragged me outside to see the view she saw everyday as a kid growing up in the family home in the mountains. Her whole family populates the west side of this mountain. It was amazing. However this is a third world country so many people who are on this mountain never really leave it. SO most of them are still there.
The next day we went to pass out gifts to people at this free hospital that is in the most deplorable of conditions. When I say that I mean it. There were stray dogs inside the hospital... The worst part was the fact urine and blood ran out the hospital into the parking lot through small trench. Just when you thought things were bad it gets worse. I will upload more pics later
We spent Chriostmas passing out gifts. I was dressed as Santa and went through passing out gifts and condoms with the rest of the family. I cried soo much looking at the conditions these people were in. The hospital can not be described through words. The people were very happy and I applaud my wife and her family for being so giving and caring. I also marvel at the strength of these people who are thriving or surviving although they are totally left to their own devices even in the hospital. They have to bring their own sheets,they have makeshift medical equipment... it is really amazing they get by.
The next day the entire family gathered together to paint the matriarchs tomb. The only payment was a bottle of white rum... to ensure the ghosts/duppy was appeased and about 10 US. The family ate in the graveyard... told stories... and just had a good time. This picture is of the graves that were soon to be filled. Her grandmother has the most prominent tomb because she donaated tons of money to the church and was an all around great person.
After this event we went to many parties and just enjoyed the country side of Jamaica... no beaches here but lots of other amazing things to do and time spent with family.
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PART 2. The preachy part
The big story was that My wife had left the JW religion. I had no idea the full level of hatred people have for Jehovahs Witnesses in Jamaica. THe are refered to as "Jehovahs Wickedness" throught many areas and people do not have a good view of them. SDA and Pentecostals make up the majority of the islands adherents and they are serious about it! I however have not attended in almost a full year now and I felt as if I was no longer one but still battling with the connection and felt sorry for them. One person told me that they studied with the JW's and they are huge hypocrites and think they are so much better. One hall they encourage the new members to use an outhouse instead of the KH toilet for visitors because they are worried about their cleanliness and AIDS??? Many horrible stories... some being fact some seemed fictitious UNTIL I SAW PROOF FOR MYSELF. We were at a local restaurant / deli were the local folks eat Beef Patties called "Juici Beefy". When seated anyone can sit next to/ on top of you and eat and you just deal. It was packed. Like literally packed to the point that the next person was on you. In walks a "coolie" (jamaican/east indian) man in a pair of slacks and a short sleeve dress shirt. He squeezes in to the table infront of us and takes out a tract. MY BODY RAN COLD AS ICE IN THE 90 degree weather. He immediately began preaching and his words seemed foreign to me. Here I was in a country where no one knew of my past as a member of this organization and I got to watch a typicalday of preaching. He began the usual sermon at the packed table and a 20-somethign girl yells, (loose translation from patois) "What the fuck are you doing preaching your wicked words?!?!? No one wants to hear it".
He presses forweard and begins condemning other peoples beliefs... it sounded so foolish / uneducated / demeaning... yet that was me 2 years ago. The three tables around him literally began yelling. He probably felt like Daniel in the lions den. LOL I felt so out of place that I had to just move. My wife was looking at me laughing, but I was literally sick knowing that I was that same misguided fool pushing an agenda I knew nothing about and condemning others for theiier beliefs. LIFE FREAKING ALTERING.
A number of other things took place but the most amazing was this:
************PART 3: I RUN INTO MY OLD SERVICE OVERSEER IN AN ALL INCLUSIVE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY????********
So it was time to leave and my wife and her sister wanted to stay longer so we randomly decided that we would go to an all-inclusive for the final week. It was great (BESTY IF YOU ARE READING THIS THE CUBAN CIGARS WERE GREAAAAAAAAAT). However afdter the 4th day or so while I was walking to one of the bars to get a drink for me the wife and her sister and husband I saw a figure on the sand of the beach.... in 88 degree weather.... with KHAKIs and a Blue LONGSLEEVE DRESS SHIRT AND MEETING SHOES drinking WATER. HE WAS PASSING OUT TRACTS.... AT A BAR... AT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT... I almost could not contain the laughter. His wife sat across the bar looking completely sad BEFORE I GOT THERE AS IF SHE WAS EMBARRASSSED TO BE at this resort dressed to the nines on a beach slinging watchtower mags. I ran back and told my wife and her family. I told them that he would Shun me. THey asked why... after explaining they would not believe me so I took my brother-in-law over to where he was and sat next to him and said, "Hey Bro.Or****( I have given my identity away I am sure but that is ok now because I am free), what a surprise!!! How are you???" He got up and walked way. His wife looked down and then turned away. My brother-in-law screamed, "What the fuck??!?!? ARE YOU SERIOUS" We spent the night talking about this and how he could not believe it was real. I told him me and this guy spent nights on the phone discussing thing eating with each others families and then this. He said he was going to tell all his friends about it because it is ridiculous.
Well the next morning we got up on Saturday morning at 8:45 to go eat as a family and bam we saw this:
Yes they are in the lobby of a resort obviously going in service, if you notice everyone else is in shorts etc... what a great way to spend your vacay. They saw me and they scurried away. Now as you know Confusedandalone is not a very mild-mannered person. SO i start to walk over to them. They run in a variety of directions trying to avoid me:
Yes.... she is literally running from me
Then the following day they had a huge party and of course we ran into them again. Notice my wife is on one side of the bar and they are on the other. My wife is still considered an inactive publisher in the congo. However he shuns her too. AS a loving elder he could have atleaaaaaaaaaaast spoke to her but no the SHUNNING WAS STRONG WEITH THEM. Not to mention in the picture below that the mother who spent many a day in service with my wife has turned her head away and ignores her. WHile thier son who was inactive while I was there looks directly in the camera like O shit he is taking a pic of me.
We saw them over and over and the same continued. A loving shepherd ignoring a presumably sick member of the flock and instead of being caring shuns her for no reason. LOL
I would type more but I imagine this post is getting very long at this point. The point is I can see that I no longer fit in. I can no longer even attach myself as belonging to them. They want nothing to do with me and truthfully i find it funny. I spent alot of time this trip dabbling in other things, Pentecostal gathering, a Rasta Groundation, etc... I realized that all religion is ultimately a crapshoot. People waste time energy and money on something that will provide no return and that ultimately makes them worse for the wear. For those it does benefit, they end up living in a fantasy world always hoping for something better or accepting what they have yet never reaching full potential. I talked to alot of devoted people over these two weeks and they all struck me as being good people yet hopelessly misguided. Ultimately many just wasting life waiting on something better. At this hospital watching the suffering of these people I realized that they were all clinging to rosaries(sp), bibles, asking for prayers etc... and they actually believed GOD was listening. Far be it from me to tell them it was not true... however it became apparent.
There was a pastor who died while we were thier. He was riding his bike on the way to a church function and got hit by a truck. He died in the waiting room from his injuries. God could have prevented it, but then theists will claim - it was his time or that he is going to a better place... Ok if that works for you - but it appears that maybe just maybe that might not be the case