A Letter That Touched Her Heart, from the Branch Office, to the CO's. Wife.

by Blueblades 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  Blueblades

  From the Watchtower January 1, 2006. A Letter That Touched Her Heart.

  One traveling overseer remembers well one occasion when he and his wife returned to their accommodations after a very chilly winter day in the ministry. He says: "My wife was cold and discouraged, and she told me that she felt she couldn't continue. 'How much better', she said,'it would be to serve in the full-time ministry with a congregation, stay in one place, and conduct our own Bible studies.' I deferred any decision, saying that we would continue for the rest of the week and see how she felt by then. If she still felt strongly about quitting, I would respect her feelings. That same day, we stopped at the post office and found a letter from the branch office that was addressed to her personally. The letter contained warm commendation for her efforts in the field ministry and her endurance, acknowledging how difficult it can be to sleep ina different bed every week. She was touched by that commendation that she never again spoke of leaving the traveling work. In fact, several times she encouraged me to continue when I thought of quitting." This couple remaine in the traveling work for almost 40 years.

  When I read this, I thought to myself about the time a traveling overseer and his wife that I new personally, did quit the traveling work, the reason used was his wife's nervous breakdown. I was thinking about the Society not revealing how many in the traveling work actually quit for whatever reasons.

  The timing of the above letter from the Branch written personally to the overseer's wife struck me as quite a coincidence that it came that very same day she was ready to quit. Do you know of any CO's and their wives who have quit the traveling work that the Society does not tell us about?

  Blueblades
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  Shakita

  Hey Blueblades. The last CO that came through in our neck of the woods had to return home because his wife was suffering from severe depression. Unlike some CO's, I liked him and his wife. He was open about her problem, but even medication she was taking didn't seem to make much of a difference for her. Whether or not her problem came about as a result of her pioneer schedule and having to live up to an impossible standard, I don't know. Eventually, the CO decided that he had to return home with his wife because staying in his assignment was proving to be a detriment to his wife. So the WT's portrayal of certain ones staying in the full time work as traveling missionaries does not reflect the true picture. Some have had to step down from this work else they may have been headed for a nervous breakdown.

  Mr. Shakita
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  gumby

  Many leave the circuit work because of the demands they feel they cannot keep up with. It's not ALWAYS revealed as to WHY they quit. Sometimes they candycoat their answers as to why..... so as not to discourage others that Jehovahs work is a real pain in the ass.

  Gumby
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  upside/down

  All for NOTHING...

  u/d(of the da troof is a tado bout nuthin class)
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  anewme

  I'm sure it happens all the time. As an elders wife for 20 years I can see how the deprivation could get to a woman after a while. Not only that, the constant barrage of whacky nutcase sisters out in service the COs wife must deal with. The C.O.s wife must entertain the female troops while her husband hubbubs with the elders in meetings.
  She goes out in service, on Bible studies, on shopping excursions (where she dares not spend her little money) and over to their homes to be shown the latest remodeling efforts or invited to their lovely homes to family gatherings where children and grandchildren surround the cornucopia laden table. She on the other hand must return to her host's offerings of small back bedroom, or the congregations small apartment on the deserted KH property. Together they must guard their savings, whatever they have saved before entering the CO work and live off the allowance the society pays.
  They humbly accept donations of money and clothes ( and then worry where to dump the weired clothes and household junk they are given). When she needs her husband he is always off at a meeting with the brothers or out in FS. She must make an appointment for a Monday (their day off) to see him. The sisters are constantly evaluating her figure, makeup, hair styles, and dress and grooming. She never gets to get up and give a speech or address the women in an authoritative manner. She is always behind the scenes, behind the man.
  And she has nothing.....but her good relationship with Jehovah and the love of her husband hopefully.
  It would be a great stress on a woman today, especially with so many in the congregation so well off who cant help but show it off as an expression of hospitality.
  
  The COs wives are good women and women all over the world want to have a nice home and entertain their friends and enjoy their husbands and children. I think the circuit work would take its toll. Certainly the Society understands that and allows the couple to step down without shame. There should be no shame to pioneering for a while and then stepping down.
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  luna2

  We had one CO who's wife had severe back problems which were not helped any by having to sleep in other people's spare rooms all the time. I'm not sure if they quit the circuit work because of her back trouble (I heard she eventually had surgery), but the last word I got on them is that he left her for another woman. All I could think of was how she'd stuck by him, in constant pain, living that horrible life until she finally had to have an operation...and he dumps her. Somehow that story didn't make it into the pages of the Watchtower.
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  tall penguin

  I think too about the CO's wives who feel downtrodden right now and would like to quit. And how once they read this experience, they'll feel kicked while they're down, like even if they wanted to quit they can't because they'll now be judged for it. I remember how these kind of experiences made me feel pressured, not built up. They set up impossible standards; standards which others are quick to judge by.
  tall penguin
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  cyber-sista

  And the torture of it all to sit there and listen to her husband giving the same old talks over and over again. I studied the COs wives for years and noticed more than once the strained expression on their faces. they had to sit there alert and looking interested while the congo obverved their every move.

  One of the last CO couples at the congo I attended were young and both good looking. The wife was really beautiful and athletic and wore fashionable and not always modest clothing, but her expression was totally miserable. Not too long after that they quit the circuit work and I heard they were building a house--after that I never heard about them again. The past 2 COs in that congo have been young single men. One of them was the one who lectured me about my daughter getting married--he seemed to despise the idea of marriage and said he personally would never marry (I wondered if he had a hang up about women). Some of the things he said to me in regard to marriage including my own showed that he had little experience in land had a rather unbalnced view of ife. I wonder if this will become a trend to recruit young single men into CO positions. I think their inexperience in life along with all the ego pampering they get from the congos will go to their heads and they could become little dictators.

  cybs
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  Poztate

  The timing of the above letter from the Branch written personally to the overseer's wife struck me as quite a coincidence that it came that very same day she was ready to quit. Do you know of any CO's and their wives who have quit the traveling work that the Society does not tell us about?

  Blueblades

  It just sounds like a bunch of bull shit to me. I note that they don't give any names or times that this event occured. I believe that they make up things as they need to to keep every one encouraged and chasing after the carrot of everlasting life.

  I have commented before about a DC where I was involved in "personal experiences...I was shocked when I was handed a script and found I was only playing a part.It was explained to me that they were personal experiences..just not mine...
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  tijkmo

  the british branch overseers wife used to sit out in the car during his talks when they were doing circuit work...and he was an ok speaker...didnt go down well in the congs