Anyone ever go on one of those bus trips to bethel?

by limbogirl 26 Replies latest jw friends

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  rebel8

  I went on a bus trip in approximately 1982. I cried much of the evening in the hotel room. Of course my mother told me to "get in touch with myself" and made me read the scriptures about being commanded to be joyful. I remember tears falling on the pages of the Bible while I was sobbing. The JW kids were miserably mean to me as usual, and I was of course told it was all my fault.

  I was also totally freaked out by Bethel. We were told we had to apply to go there once we finished high school and I was hoping Armageddon would come before that so I wouldn't have to. Thankfully I took my mother's advice to "get in touch with myself"!

  Brother Elder-In-Charge asked me to announce and pass the hat on my bus.

  Quotes! What a disturbing story! Did the woman die while on the bus? Also, it is surprising a hat was passed. Why, isn't that a bit like Christendom? They should have left the hat at the back of the bus and let everyone go put in whatever they wanted, just like they do in the KH. I'm sure that $75 went really far towards the burial expenses. I'm also sure the family must have been grateful the trip was not cancelled just because of a measly death. (giant eye roll)
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  Emma

  Yup; it was a disappointment. We got on the bus at some awful hour like two in the morning, drove for a before-lunch tour, got back on the bus to eat our packed lunches, then back home. We only saw one building, just a quick tour. I was a super-spiritual pioneer back then, and wanted to soak up the spirit of Jah's center on earth. I should have gotten the point. It's the only time I was there.
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  funkyderek

  No, but I think we should go on one for the next Apostafest!

  http://www.bethelcoachtours.com/english.htm

  Bethel Coach Tours is a travel store for Jehovah's Witnesses, their family and friends! We are not sponsored nor operated by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.

  That's us, right?

  Heh, just noticed they even have a Christmas Winter Special

  http://www.bethelcoachtours.com/ITIN-ny-plane-bethelbasic_winter.htm
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  Honesty

  I went on a really nice bus trip with about 25 other Christians. We got to ride on a new bus. We stopped at Mickey Dees for breakfast and at Ruby Tuesday's for supper. We had to pay for our own food but the bus only cost $10 each. We went out in Chrsitian field service while we were on the bus trip. It was a lot of fun and three people made professions of faith in Jesus. We also got to hear and sing a lot of upbuilding songs. I hope to go again next year for the Southern Baptist Convention. Never went to the Promised Land on a bus but I did make a pilgrimage by private vehicle to Crooklyn Bethel. It was boring as all get out. I still remember the anguish and despair written all over the faces of the bindery workers. I'm glad I never went back again.
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  undercover

  I never went on one, but was always pressured to. A friend of the family actually owned a "Greyhound" bus and would arrange trips to Bethel each summer. I was always asked to go and asked why I didn't want to go. Pressure was being put on me to apply for Bethel.

  Deep down I knew I didn't want to live in New York or live at Bethel. The city's too big. Life at Bethel too regimented. But family and friends wanted me to take the bus trip up to see it. I knew it was a waste of time. That and riding on a bus for 14 hours and having to do "group" tours and dinners and bathroom trips did not appeal to me at all.

  I finally did go to visit Bethel, but on a small trip with just 7 or 8 of us. We got a private tour because someone in our group knew someone up there. We managed to slip away from the adults one night and got drunk.

  The Bethel tour confirmed to me even more that I wanted no part of Bethel life.
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  95stormfront

  Never been on one...and after hearing about the one a relative of mine took a couple of years ago, I never will. The thought of being stuck on a bus full of dubs forced to watch "G" rated movies because of sister "holierthanthou"'s conscious and singing kingdumb melodies turns my stomache to no end.
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  schne_belly

  Yes, my best friend and I went during the summer of 99'. We were 16 at the time. It was great fun....mainly becasue we were together and were able to go shopping and explore the Big Apple

  I remember almost everyday many zealous ones on the bus would break out in song singing Kingdom Melodys. My friend and I just plugged into our "walk-mans" and blarred it to drown them out. HA!
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  limbogirl

  thanks everyone for the responses! some great stories -- it's so wonderful to know that I'm not alone in these strange life experiences.

  one other thing that stood out to me at bethel was eating in the dining room with the 'bethelites' -- we were assigned to tables as guests and were informed ahead of time of the rules which included how the food was passed around the table and when it was ok to eat, speak, etc. was the worst meal I ever had -- I was terrified of doing the wrong thing and was a nervous wreck.
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  Jourles

  I'm surprised that BCT still lists the UN and Ground Zero as part of their attractions. Why on earth do they show the UN?? I guess GZ was merely a stepping stone towards Armageddon to them...
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  BrendaCloutier

  November 1974 - one of the earliest trips. Stayed downtown above Grand Central Station at the Commodore hotel. Walked my feet off, and ended up walking Bethel in my fuzzy blue mule slippers! It gave a few people a good (badly needed) laugh that day. We went up to Walkill too. I was 17 and had a great time. Wasn't the least bit interested in becoming a bethelite.