My experience with Betty was great. She genuinely was just so happy to have people around. When we walked into her apartment it was so neat and she has it decorated with pics of animals. She has a book shelf and said she likes to read her bible most but reads other things as well but it takes her so long because of her mind. I asked her questions about her and Ed's experience in Bethel. I asked specifically if others left at the time her and Ed and Ray and Cynthia left and she said "oh yes, many". She said "you know they don't like it up there when you don't say exactly what they say and do exactly what they do". I thought that was funny but nothing's changed in that department huf folks!
Shopping was a challange. She wants clothes that cover her entirely like you can see in the pic she wants tops that go up her neck and long sleeve. Well because it's summer I didn't see anything like that but like Shawn said we are going to try the higer-end stores next week.
She was able to call and talk to Ray and Cynthia from my cell phone. So Shawn, Betty and me got to talk to them. I was so thrilled talking to Cynthia. Some of you may already know that her and Ray do Bible Study in different homes, all taking turns cooking food for their Bible Study. It was her turn to cook. She was making Polanesian (sp?) rice. She described how they take turns going to homes and they will read a verse/chapter in the Bible and they go around one at a time and say what it means to them personally. I told her it sounded so fun and that's how Bible study should be! She said they are in Phillipians right now.
She said her and Ray don't travel anymore because of health but if they could they would come see Betty and they were very appreciative of any help given in that regard. I encourage all to send her cards. She was so excited thinking she would get something in the mail.
This isn't just about 'Betty'. A lot of people waste away in these nursing homes without anyone to come see them. Granted some of them with their mental health wouldn't know if someone were there or not and the nursing homes are a place to stay when things could be so much worse. But if you live near one, volunteer to just go say hi, or read to someone or visit. They love it! One man asked me to watch the scale when he stepped on it and tell me what it said because he couldn't see how much he weighed. Tall, thin man. He weighed 175, he said he had been trying to loose weight, I said "me too"! He was happy someone just helped a little bit.
I have to say where her nursing home is in a pretty bad part of the city. I was kind of nervous being there. But I will go again for sure and send her things. When we talked to her she could tell you everything from the past like it just happened, but short term things she forgets. She would forget things we just told her. That's the nature of old age. In my opinion worse than death.
I asked her what she thought about the teachings she learned from the wt like what about a paradise earth, where do we go when we die, what about a ressurection of the dead? She said when we die, we just die but that God is in charge of what he does with us and we don't know. But that he and his son are loving and she believes in having life of some sort. She believes we will be ress'ed somehow someday. She said the Bible 'hints' to things but doesn't tell us all but that she knows we are loved by God. She said about a perfect earth, "the earth is already perfect". IMO, a truly 'aware' statement. I've always said that, but that man's perception of it, it's negative energy, make it appear not to be. I asked her if the wts got anything right and she said "well they believe in God". I thought that was so funny.
She showed us maybe 10 pics she had in her wallet of her and some family. Old, old pics. She was quite the looker! Just so you all know she has family in Australia who tried to get her to move there a long time ago when she first went in the nursing home and she opted to stay here. So their is family who cares about her but she chose to stay here.
Like Shawn said , we are planning another outing. She does not fully comprehend that their are all these people on something called the internet! And like I said she will not remember your cards BUT will enjoying getting them and placing them on her book shelf. She so enjoyed talking to Ray and Cynthia and they really enjoyed talking to her.
That's my experience. Just glad to help. I did all these kinds of things when I was an active jw, but they don't want my help anymore so someone else can have it!............wf