http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5620405&BRD=1942&PAG=461&dept_id=220556&rfi=6
The RED commentary is mine. I can't help it! LOL!
| Mission possible: Sharing a message | ||||||||
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| They've become as much a part of downtown as the historic buildings that line Broad Avenue. And on most days you'll find them on Broad, in the courtyard between the Goodwill outlet store and Wig City, smiling at passers-by and offering religious tracts. (I thought that when doing 'Street Work' the JWs are supposed to APPROACH the people, not vice-versa) |
| Their mission: saving souls. (Yeah...their OWN souls! "No preach? No Everlasting life for you!!!" - The Watchtower Nazi)) Socie Nailor and Leola Douglas are Jehovah's Witnesses, and they are part of a group of believers that gathers downtown each day to fulfill what they say is their mission. ("We're on a mission from God..." - The Blues Brothers) "We are given the command in Matthew 24:14 to preach the good news of God's Kingdom," Nailor said on a recent sunny afternoon. "Jesus commanded us to go - not sit - to go out and teach all nations his word. We are following his commandment." (LOL! Wait until you read something said later in this article. Remember "sunny afternoon" and "not sit"! There will be some great irony. read on...) Nailor has been actively involved in her mission work since 1976, Douglas since 1986. And while they are downtown regulars, their work is not confined to that area. (That's nice! The rest of Albany can be graced by your presence.) "Since I was baptized in 1976, I've gone door-to-door, been to market places, stood on streets, walked parking lots ... gone anywhere people gathered," Nailor said. "I stand down by Jimmie's Hotdogs and at the Shackleford Shopping Center, but most days I'll spend some time here." ("Do not be boasting in the name of the Lord"...or something like that.) Douglas is not in Albany as frequently, but like her friend she does mission work usually six days a week. (Mission? Are we talking about JWs or Mormons?) "I might be in Albany a couple of days a week," Douglas said. "I stay in Newton, so I do a lot of work down there. But I drive into Albany a few days every week." (Um.....Okay, then.) Nailor's and Douglas' sunny disposition and cute little-old-lady charm make them good neighbors for nearby businesses. (They might be cute now but wait until you see them shun someone. "Cute little-old-lady charm" turns into "ugly nasty-old-witch venom!") "They'll come in here and get ice water every now and then," (for free, no doubt!) Bo Henry, co-owner of Harvest Moon restaurant, said. "They're really nice ladies, and they're just a part of the character of downtown." (Hey, Bo. Get baptized as a JW, get disfellowshipped or DA yourself, and then come back and tell us if these ladies are as nice as they seem.) Here's the ironic part I was telling you about: After braving the extremes of heat, rain and infrequent cold spells for years at their posts downtown, Nailor, Douglas and their fellow Witnesses now occupy umbrella-covered benches placed in the courtyard by Albany Tomorrow Inc. (Sigh! Can you imagine the rest of the John Q. Public trying to find an open seat on the umbrella-covered benches in order stay cool in the heat, dry from the rain, and covered from the snow? They approach the bench and see a bunch of old lady, JW chatterboxes who are supposed to be preaching but instead are gossiping or doing whatever else old JW women do. Besides, even if the non-JW found a place to sit, they'd be too afraid to because you KNOW them old JW ladies are going to GANG-TEACH the poor ol' non-JW.) "Obviously, the sitting areas were not placed in that location just for these ladies, but we're glad they're using them," Judy Harrison, vice president of Albany Tomorrow, said. "The beautification and revitalization of downtown is an ongoing project that we're actively involved in." (Uh, I betcha the people who can never find a place to sit would disagree with you, Judy) Nailor and Douglas say they appreciate the accommodations. (Of course they do! After all, it is FREE, isn't it?) "It's nice to have the shade and the protection from the weather, but we'll be out doing God's work no matter what the weather is," Douglas said. ("...as long as we have a place to congregate when the weather IS actually bad...") Adds Nailor: "We'll be doing God's work as long as we live; that's what we're called to do. Despite the bad condition of the world today, the good news of Jehovah and Jesus Christ gives everyone hope. It means life for all." (Hmm...Based on how nice everyone treats you and how happy you are for the nice accomodations, is the condition of the world really that bad?) |
Edited by - Funchback on 8 October 2002 23:17:7