So I took up volunterring for Habitat for Humanity in one of their ReStores about a year and a half/two years ago. Now as far as I've known growing up in the religion, this is a faith-based organization that Jehovah's Witnesses are not to support. So I am weirded out in some ways of what has happened during this time.
My first event was a previous elder from a congregation 3 hours away from where I live now, coming into the store. He was the most awesome elder who helped me go through the divorce of my husband, and father of 5 of my children. He is now an "apostate" after having issues with the lack of love within the organization. He was an elder and special pioneer for many years, having helped establish many congregations in the Carribbean.
My second event (or in reality maybe was my first) was that of a "sister" who was in the same congregation as the person above, 3 hours away from where I live now. She and her JW husband had 2 kids around the time I had my 5. They moved up to where I live about 5 years after I moved here. She eventually left her husband, was df'd and married a person who was someone I knew from where I was working at the time. She is df'd but seemingly still "in". Her ex-still-JW-ex husband almost hit my vehicle running a stop sign as I was dropping my kids off at school a few years ago, it was only stopped by a dump truck that took him out before hitting my vehicle in the driver's side door. Oddly, my daugher is an assistant manager of the same place their daughter works now. They only figured that out months after she was hired. Mom has not come in the ReStore in months.
My third event was that of a JW who was in my congo when I moved to where I am at now. Evidently she is still in. I don't know why she is shopping at Habitat for Humanity, but she has been in multiple times. One of her dtrs has a baby out of "wedlock." She has also came into the store. She always makes a point of saying "hi" to me.
My fourth event was that of a person who came up to me and said, "this is the nicest ReStore I've ever seen. I just thought I'd tell you." I live (again) a minimum of 3 hours from where he lives. I'm still of the belief that JW's are not to support Habitat for Humanity, a faith-based charity. I looked at him strangely and said, "you don't recognize me, do you?" He looked at me an then realized I was his ex-sister-in-law. He was the oldest brother of my ex-husband, now out of the JWs and totally a mess from the fact that his father had a baby with his sister all hidden in the JWs. He quickly gathered up his wife and left the store, apparently very affraid of me.
My fifth event came as I saw a blood card in a customer's wallet. I never said anything about being an ex-JW. I chose to treat her and her husband respectably, even though I was of the belief they should not be shopping in the store.
My sixth event happened when someone who was in the cong. I attended back in 1985. She had moved to the area I have been living (for almost 18 years now). She left the JW's but never was df'd. She pulled off the fade that I wished I had done. We had coffee and talked about how her dtr had been molested sexually by my ex-husband's brother, also covered up within the Org. and how disgusted she was with them. She has been out for years.
My seventh event happened only a couple of weeks ago. A JW who I used to date in JW world in the 80's showed up at the store. I was beyond astonished that we recognized each other. He asked me how long I had been living where I'm living, having known each other a minimum of 3 hours from where I live now. I told him 17, almost 18 years. He told me he moved up "yesterday." He has been back to the store at least once. I am known as an apostate in the area. He is married to the daughter of the person (the couple) who I saw the blood card. I haven't seen him since 1989. at an assemby,untill now.
I'm not sure why these co-incidents are happening in the only 1 1/2to 2 years I have been working for Habitat for Humanity. Weird.
Truthfully,
Rose