locally on occasion it was the common practice when "in service" to leave gas money for the driver.
i know that the individuals if savvy can get a tax credit for mileage for service (and i was once told mileage to and from public talks could also be included).
what i am curious about is do people still give the driver money for thier trouble?
Man, it's been so long since I've been out in service!!
I remember when I was younger, during the building of the bethel here we had a lot of poor bethelites that took their cars in service. My mom ususally gave me gas money for them, and I know others usually gave some money, but our territory was almost all rural, and there was a lot of driving to do. I'm not so sure people give much in the city, where it's a short drive to the territory.
BB
I went on the NY tour twice. The first time was with my parents, cousins, aunt/uncle etc. The best parts were the shopping and site seeing in between the bethel tours.
Sunday morning we went to a champagne brunch, where they kept your glass full, all the time. There were quite a few sisters that were a little "tipsy"~ they got up and started playing the piano and singing!! LOL It was soooo funny. Seeing the city was the big thing for me, a girl from a farm. I remember going up the World Trade Centre, and that there were more people that worked in those two towers than in the city I lived in at the time! We also stopped at the UN and went inside, but there were those on the bus that wouldn't set foot in the building because of what they thought it stood for.
The second tour was two years later, I was a little older and went with some girlfriends, no family. That was waaaayyy more fun. Walking to the liquor store and stocking up the hotel room, drinking and partying with some brothers we met there.
Funny thing is, I don't really remember much about the presses, rooms etc! Wonder why?
BB
at least 2 or three times a week, i get a pm from someone that sounds similar to this:hello richie, .
i just read your recnt post from the assembly.
appears you've no concern about being located?
RR,
Are you sure you're only 17?
I've been reading your posts and you seem wise beyond your years sometimes (but there are the times when the kid comes out! lol).
BB
i mean if brooklyn became aware, due to calls or letters from an unidentified opposer, do they issue a letter to local bodies of elders warning that a person in their area is an 'active apostate'?
thus giving the elders a 'heads up', perhaps alerting the cong thru local needs parts, and private conversation?
or does brooklyn do little or nothing and let the locals deal with it only if they see problems?.
I wonder if it works in reverse as well.
The last time we were visited by the elders, I think they were feeling us out and told us of a family in the territory that turned apostate.
Do they inform HQ of known apostates in their territories?
BB
.
she has gone several weeks in a row to two different churches - i would go too - but i work on sunday.
she likes it - and the demonz ain't got her yet.
I've been to a church a few times. The first time I didn't know what to expect when I set my feet through those doors! I was ready for the lightening to strike! LOL
I'm not sure if I could ever join a church, but I do enjoy going once in a while. It is totally different than going to aKH and I am able to actually worship. I especially love the music, live singers, band etc.
BB
completely missed a dc!.
woo hoo .
i just didn't seem to get around to going last weekend.. bb.
completely missed a DC!
WOO HOO
I just didn't seem to get around to going last weekend.
BB
by that, i mean you do not want to have children.. i have been told since birth it would not be safe for me to have children, so i never even considered it.
i never went through a grieving period because the concept of having babies was not something i once had and lost.
i always envisioned myself as a happy career woman.. i recently married and am still sure i don't want children.
You don't know what kids are like until you have them. You can say you baby sit them and you are a great aunt or uncle. Still you have no idea. Having a life grow inside you and bring it into this world and having that love that bond is not the same. I was told you don't know what love is like until you have a child. In my case I know what love is like after having Lily and Jack. It is a deeper love than you have with anyone else.
I sincerely hope you are wrong on this whyamihere. My biological mother died when I was two years old. A year later my father remarried. My "step" mother is the only mother I have ever known. The younger brother and sister I referred to are technically my half brother and sister (although I am much closer to them than my full brothers and sister). My "step" mother views me as her daughter, and never ever made me to feel any less her child than the two she gave birth to, and always reasurred me that she loved me and considered me her daughter. She did not have to give birth to me to feel that love and bond. There is a very strong bond between the two of us, and I can't imagine that there would be any difference if she gave birth to me. (In fact I think I don't take her for granted like my younger siblings, and certainly have more respect for her at times.)
BB
many people decide to fade away from the org gradually so as not to have to suffer the sanctions of being disfellowshipped or disassociated and if all goes according to plan it works well.
.
are there any cases where things somehow went wrong and the objective to quietly leave failed, your one or that of other people?
I'm a looooonnnnggg time fader.
It's been about 10 years since I've handed in a service report (gawd has it really been that long?????)
It's been three years since I've been to a meeting. I'm not sure about the upcoming DA - I usually go with my mom for atleast some of it. This year though I'm suffering with a bad back and I'm not supposed to sit for more than 15 minutes without getting up and doing exercises, so I think I have a good excuse to miss most of it. The arena is only about a 15 min drive from my place, so I could come and go for parts of it no problem. This way family and "friends" from our old hall see us and nobody is the wiser to us not going anymore.
We've had the odd visit over the last couple of years. We were asked if we still thought this was the truth. I loved the way my hubby answered - "well, I think there's still truth out there to be found." They never really said much after that. I think it was one of those "things that make you go hmmmm" moments for them.
BB
by that, i mean you do not want to have children.. i have been told since birth it would not be safe for me to have children, so i never even considered it.
i never went through a grieving period because the concept of having babies was not something i once had and lost.
i always envisioned myself as a happy career woman.. i recently married and am still sure i don't want children.
Hi Rebel,
I made the choice not to have children way back in my teens. It was something I discussed with my hubby before we got serious about marriage (he was from an Italian family) about my feelings.
I am the middle child in a family of six, and had alot of responsibility with my younger bro and sis. I felt that I had raised two children. I went through everything with them except give birth to them. They consider me more of a second mother than a sister sometimes, and we have a very special bond.
My hubby felt the same way thankfully - there could have been some resentment there if his feelings were stronger. There are times I sometimes we both have second thoughts, but when it comes down to it after much discussion we still feel the same way regarding our decision.
As far as being alone when you are old, there are no guarantees with children. Just talk to nursing home staff about the elderly in there having no contact with their children.
I have wonderful nephews and nieces, and we've worked hard on making sure we are a big part of their lives. We are the fun aunt and uncle that do things with them that their partents can't or won't (lol). We can pump them full of sugar then give them back to their parents! I have no worries about being alone when I get old. (BTW - this system shouldn't last that long :wink:)
Most people have been pretty accepting of our decisions. My mother in law has finally stopped asking when we are going to have children (we've been married 14 years).
It's a personal decision, and you shouldn't have to expain your decision to anyone. When people ask if we have children I just say "no we don't", and most people don't press for a reason.
BB
i only know of a few witnesses that believe that.
did you feel that the ministry was especially rewarding and gratifying to you?
NO - and the sad thing was, I thought for many years that there must have been something wrong with me - like a point that I was missing.Of course - there WAS a point that I was missing all-right. It just wasn't quite the one that I imagined!
That was how I felt too! Glad to know I wasn't alone in how I felt. I never liked going out, thankfully we had alot of country territory, so there was always lots of driving around, but unfortunately, there was very few places to go for a break out in the country. I never could see much of a purpose to what we were doing, knocking on peoples doors that really didn't want to hear what we had to say, and you knew when they took the mags just to get rid of us. BB
