This is a little long, but stick with me.
If you recall, when the building work was in full swing at the new Lakefront Villa (Warwick), WT was having workers come and they would put them up for a year, or more, while they were providing "volunteer services". With that, and the impending need for hundreds and hundreds of new KHs in the USA territory, the congregations were abuzz with the need for "continued construction volunteers". Recently, as many of you know, WT headquarters has sent pretty much
everyone home, and is no longer needing workers at the new Warwick
site, as the building is mostly complete, with the dedication coming up
later this year. And now with the KH building program being shelved, the need for workers is growing even smaller. That brings us to this:
I have 2 brief experiences to relate... both 100% true, and both factual, as I know both parties personally. I have waited a while to tell these stories, but decided its time...
Couple #1 : We are pretty close with this couple. Their kids are grown, so they saw an opportunity. They sold his business, all his construction tools, sold and moved out of their beautiful house, sold all their personal belongings and were ready to be sent wherever the need was GREAT! WORK FOR WT until the END!!! Of course WT accepted their application to help build at Warwick. (we talked with them right before they left, and told them basically to
enjoy themselves, but to be careful, dont put all your eggs in one
basket, and this may not last very long, blah blah blah). anyways........ Off they went in a blaze of glory and fanfare!!! All giggles, smiles, rainbows, and unicorns!!
They stayed in one of the hotels purchased/leased by WT, for almost 2 years. Yes, you read that right; food, room, and transportation paid for in full for almost 2 years. Again, yes... almost 2 years of free living. They drove to New York from the West Coast, so had their own personal vehicle. During the week, they rode WT shuttles to the jobsite. On the weekends, they explored the countryside on their own (remember, they had sold all their worldly belongings, so had money to burn). They were loving life! Oh, to be needed and wanted! Jehovah was blessing them! They were the glorious shiny examples for all! So spiritual!!! They were treated like royalty !! The work at Warwick was winding down in his field, so they were sent down to California to be "trainers". OH MY GOD GEEhovah is GREAT!!!!
THEN, almost overnight, everything came to a screeching halt. KH program was scrapped, all building work stopped. They were asked to return "home". They came home dejected. No place to live, no belongings, nothing. They stayed with friends. The poor couple was so downhearted and depressed, they related the experience like they had been "fired". Brother elder kept calling his contacts at Bethel..."please give me an assignment" he would ask, day after day after day. He told me later that the brothers in Bethel finally flat out told him... "Look, stop calling us. If we want you, we will call you. We have your number. You are making a fool of yourself. STOP CALLING." He was crushed. Now, he was again just a standard elder/publisher. No longer a glorious needed "bethel worker". No more fancy titles, no traveling on WT dime. Nothing. Now he would have to try and find a real job.
He found a menial job working for another brother. He hates it. He barely makes wages. His boss goes on lots of vacations, has new rigs, the usual. He complains constantly that he got the short end of the stick. He had to buy an old beater truck to get to work. He hates it. He deserves better, he says. They had to live in a shitty loaner travel trailer until they could find a little shitty rental house. They both hate it. He says he hates living in the real world. His wife is so sick and tired of him whining she is about done. Sad situation all around, his spark is gone.
Couple #2 Basically the same situation, although they did NOT sell everything to work at Warwick. They too spent almost 2 years there, were sent home when she was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer (of course they just could not understand why WT wouldnt help them with any type of treatments). They too are bitter and angry, although they would never admit it openly. Only in confidential talk do they admit to being angry, yelling at one another constantly behind closed doors..etc. They are not happy at all, and everything you see on their faces is a facade. They too absolutely HATE being in the real world. They want and expect to be coddled and be provided for (he has been an elder and a pioneer for decades). They figure they are almost "owed" something for their efforts.
In the end, both couples got tossed aside when WT was done with them. Both couples are "pillars" in the congregation, and are deeply hurt (I dont know if thats the right word for it) by how they are being treated.... or are NOT being treated. Its as if WT put them on this big shiny pedestal, and now they realize the pedestal was made of fairy dust. They both had great big titles, had parts at the assemblies about what shining examples they are, gave talk after talk, experience after experience of their marvelous travels.... and now they are just lowly plebians, laity class, rank-and-file. They were both so brainwashed into thinking that their labors would be until the END, that they would be taken such good care of for all eternity...... that now real life is just a crushing reality.
Oh WOE IS ME, WOE is ME!
Mrs Harper and I just shake our heads and smile. "I told you so" might be a little mean, but so appropriate. Fools, grown-assed men and women, fools.
Jack Harper, TECH49