The Searcher
A J.W.'s personal thoughts are neither here nor there - telephone the Branch Office/search the WT CD ROM, and get the official answers to your questions, then confront your study conductors with the real facts.
That's just the thing... What I see when I ask questions is fear. I will normally not get an answer until the next week, giving them time - I suppose - to look things up. There's nothing wrong with looking things up, of course, but it's sad to see how fearful they are of answering something when they do not have the correct WT response handy.
I see this when I ask questions pertaining to the Bible, too (the Watchtower-Bible, which is something quite different than just the Bible, in my experince).
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NeverKnew
I have one recommendation: SOLIDIFY A RELATIONSHIP or they'll bolt - especially if they can control whether the meeting happens or not as you have to expect them at YOUR house.
Actually, all of the meetings (apart from the first two or three) have been at their house. They pick me up and drive me back home, too. I do however do what you're suggesting; I offer to bring food every now and again, and I've helped them with various computer problems and such. But I cannot help but feel that they would drop me like a hot potatoe if they think I'm too interested in things about their organization that are not what they are trained for.
I'm glad to learn I'm not the only one doing what I'm doing. If you do not mind, it would perhaps be a good experience to "compare notes" every now and again? Just a thought, and you're absolutely not obligated to saying yes!