Romanian MS

by Mulan 5 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Mulan

  In the congregation we used to attend, is a family who fled Romania, leaving behind infant twins, and taking their eldest girl on the father's back, crawling across a field to the border of Yugoslavia, about 14 years ago. They were JW's there, but I suspect they were of the sect from Romania that isn't quite the same as JW's in this country. We have seen photos they have taken in front of their Christmas tree in Romania. They are a husband and wife, and 5 children. 2 born since they came here. Her mother, who raised the twins until age 4, has brought them here in the preceding years, to be with their parents.

  The husband is an MS, but barely speaks English, after all these years. He never talks at the door in field service, but is faithful, going out every weekend. He and the children often visit my mother, and they are warm and loving people, who never fail to give us a hug too when they come to see Mom.

  Their eldest daughter is 17 and runs the family. She writes the father's talks, because his English is poor, and makes all the phone calls. I know this because she calls me to order nutritional products they use, and another friend has told me the same thing. The twins say she is the boss in the family.

  So, I am wondering..................just exactly what does it take to be appointed an MS these days? A smart daughter?

  These are really wonderful people. I don't mean to make fun of them, just the organization they have hooked up with. They live near me, and are always very friendly, and never fail to greet us in public places. The twin daughters are GORGEOUS, and are 14, and go to school with one of our grand daughters, and they think she is "the coolest girl in school", and she is.

  This is a fluff post, just getting a few silly things off my mind.
• 

  Beans

  Well one thing is for sure, he will never be an elder until he can speak english! That is a requirement and also another discrimination issue in the JW secret status of wanna be elder apponters!
• 

  Utopian_Raindrops

  I know you say this post of yours is fluff but, I enjoyed reading it!

  You say this sect of JW from Romania is different? They celebrate X-mas? How and why? Do you know?

  I think this man is MS out of pure heart! And although he doesn't speak english...I think he deserves it!

  My father didn't speak english when 1st coming here and had to take the U.S. Postal test 5 times!! Now they have it spanish...so you know why you don't get all your mail!

  I have read your Geneology pages and I love your family history!! My mother did our family tree too....well her side.

  I love your part on Quakers!! Wish they were still kinda like they were back then.

  http://home.earthlink.net/~herblst/quakers.htm

  Well maybe I'll get to enjoy another one of your threads later!!

  agape,

  Utopian_raindrops

  What health products do you sell?

  e-mail me gurl
• 

  Princess

  Well, I have to disagree here. I think he speaks English very well, just hard to understand with the heavy accent. He always calls us personally and at times frequently. I've never had one of his kids call on his behalf. I think the mom doesn't want to have to deal with any upset (from the KH) over calling you personally and she makes her girls do it. Just my opinion.

  I know Steve will agree on the dad's English. He and Steve trade plumbing for body work on our vehicles (when needed). Last time Steve was there an elder dropped in and totally pissed off the mom for showing up uninvited to "help one of the girls do some research on her talk". No one asked him for help so he obviously was checking on why Steve was there.

  They really are lovely people.

  Rachel
• 

  Quotes

  The "other" JWs in Romania:

  The Association "THE TRUE FAITH JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES"

  http://the-true-jw.oltenia.ro/

  According to http://www.watchtowernews.org/romcongress.htm:

  TFJW BACKGROUND:

  There are roughly 5,000 TFJWs - effectively a breakaway group who split off from the main body of JWs after communism fell in 1989. They are made up almost exclusively of eastern Europeans. How did this come about?

  JWs in iron-curtain countries were cut off from the JW headquarters in Brooklyn in the early 60s due to communist oppression and persecution. When communism collapsed in the late 80s they were at last able to re-connect with the JW leadership. They were so shocked to find that the Society had radically changed fundamental doctrines, and because they appeared to be collaborating with the world, they concluded that Brooklyn had compromised the true faith and become apostate. After careful consideration they denounced the JW Governing Body, officially broke their attachment, and adopted the name True Faith Jehovahs Witnesses.

  They accept JW literature as being doctrinally sound from the late 1800s (Charles Taze Russells day), right up to 1962. They reject the Societys output from that year onward. They have reprinted much of the literature from this period, principally the books of Judge Rutherford, and now study this material over and over again. They are still structured rather like conventional JWs in terms of organisation. They preach from house-to-house, have full-time preachers (pioneers), and are divided into congregations and circuits as before.

  However, their leadership appears is more accessible than the JW leadership, and they are prepared to have open dialogue with JW dissidents even though they may not agree on doctrinal matters. It must be said that their own ex-members are as critical of them as some ex-JWs are of the JW Governing Body of in Brooklyn! Their critics maintain that they have become even narrower in their world-view than conventional JWs. Also, that they are even more legalistic and unbending.
• 

  Mulan

  I will clarify what I said before.

  Princess said this:

  I think the mom doesn't want to have to deal with any upset (from the KH) over calling you personally and she makes her girls do it.

  She has called me when the girls are at school, but is very self conscious about her English, and will say "I need pills........you home now?", and then she will come over. I agree they speak well, but apologize about their English. Maybe he doesn't with Steve, but he is comfortable with him too. They never shun us, and wave when we pass in cars, and come up to us in stores, very different from the other dubs who duck down another aisle, when they see us.

  I suspect Joanna translates the father's talks into English, and probably doesn't write the text. I know he doesn't pray at the KH because he has told them he has to do it in Romanian, and they accept that. They use the Romanian songbook when they sing (the parents). They never comment, even at the book study at their house, but they require that all 5 children comment at every meeting, and they do.

  Some of what I said was reported to me by my friend, who goes to their KH, and knows them well. She said what the twins had told her about the family. Could be a lie. It was her suggestion I post all this, to see what everyone would say.

  I agree that they are wonderful people.

  As to their past in Romania as JW's, I know they had different beliefs, than we do here, because I went on the Bible study, held with the wife, when they first got to our area. They needed a study, to learn "the truth" in English. They had 3 going, at one time, all counted by the person doing the study. Each of the parents had a study, and a couple studied with the whole family. The wife had to read from the Romanian Bible because the English meant nothing to her. So we would read it in both languages. It was a fun study, and she served GREAT snacks. She really is a wonderful cook.

  Christmas was a problem for them for a few years, and they would go to a church in the area, at Christmas time to get free toys for the kids, that were passed out to all the immigrants in our town. She would say, "but they are free, what is wrong?" Eventually they stopped doing that.