My JW productivity

by joelbear 6 Replies latest jw friends

  • joelbear
    joelbear

    Lets see.

    I started going from door to door when I was about 6. I placed mega number of magazines. I was a charming little fella. If they only knew how much I hated it. I remember trying to keep up with the story on the cartoons the kids were watching in the houses when it wasn't my turn to talk. And "the truth" book, yowser, I bet I placed 1000 of them. So i went out at least 90% of weekends from the age of 6 to 18. Then I went to Bethel, where thankfully I had to work 3 out of 4 Saturday mornings. We did go in service on Sunday afternoons although we mostly worked rural territories so I didn't actually place much literature. Oh, I was at the farm, not Brooklyn bethel. then I got sent home cause I fell in love with Rick Adams, sigh, I loved that man so. Then I pioneered for 2 years, calling on every house in east Valdosta at least 10 times. I had 7 bible studies going at one time for a while: Carl, a 45 year old with Cerebral Palsy whose mother was studying with another pioneer. Carl was a very sad person. I actually talked him into coming to the Kingdom Hall once. He was deathly afraid of people. I hope he found some happiness in life. Ron, who was in the military. I talked him into quitting the military. He never became a witness though. He now stocks shelfs at night at the WalMart in Valdosta (I may go to hell for that one). Mrs. Lyons, a 70 something year old, dear dear woman who told me she had prayed for Jehovah's Witnesses to find her because it was what she believed was the truth. I picked her up for meetings. She got baptized in the hot tub at a local health spa because she was physically unable to attend an assembly. Her family was opposed. They later put her in a nursing home and forced her to take a blook transfusion. I remember her calling me and sadly telling me that she couldn't be a Jehovah's Witness anymore because of that. It wrenched my heart out. Mrs. Maine, a 70 something year old who I studied with for a while and then turned over to my mother. She studied with her til she died last year. She never attended the hall because she was embarrassed by stomach problems. My dad gave her a witness funeral. Barry, a quiet black man who eventually got baptized and became a fairly active witness. He beat his children at the meetings which freaked me out. He eventually stopped going to meetings, became afflicted with diabetes and had to have his feet cut off. Steve, whose parents were witnesses. He really didn't need a bible study. He is still an active witness as far as I know. A young black boy James whose family was witnesses. His sister pioneered with me. I don't know what happened to James, I need to ask mom.

    No one else I called on or studied with lasted more than 3 chapters. I probably studied those 3 chapters with at least 150 or so people. So, figure a total of about 5000 hours over a lifetime of service and that was the result. Of course I placed mega volumes of books and magazines in that time period.

  • Gill
    Gill

    Wow! Wow! Wow!

    My productivity was 0.

    I am now aiming at the minus figures!

  • Preston
    Preston

    I was a zero productive JW too..... I enjoyed your people descriptions joel, I can tell you really have a gift of observation and description. You should write screenplays.

    - Preston

  • Goldminer
    Goldminer

    I use to say if we were magazine salesmen for a living,I'd starve.Used to feel guilty all time because I didn't have enough rv's,placements,no studies...you know,maybe I wasn't well prepared enough to have success in service,blah,blah,blah.

    Maybe the fact that I worked 50+ hours a week plus travel left little time for service and then I'd get these territories that were done last month."there you go buddy,enjoy!"

  • Cygnus
    Cygnus

    Joel is really one heck of a good guy. I've known him on the internet now for about 8 years. I wish we were friends in person.

    MY JW productivity was nil. Our congregation's goal was for each publisher to start one Bible study a year and nobody ever started any. The numbers went from about 80 active pubs down to about 55 by the time I left.

  • Sunspot
    Sunspot

    HI JOEL!

    Nice to see your post! I wasn't productive either even though I knocked my socks off to get a "study" to see baptism. The only two that made it that far were two of my children.....

    Annie

  • Shania
    Shania

    Our family was very active---------------CRAZY PEOPLE---------------------I was always looking for that inner peace the Bible promised us at Philipians 4:7 and I thought the more I helped people learn about Jehovah the more peace of heart I would feel------------what a let down Now all the folks we helped in I feel sorry for. They don't understand what is going on with us----------------to be truthful I don't have a clue either I just take it day by day moment by moment wondering if there is ever inner peace?

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