So my sister-in-law got reinstated a few years back, after more than 15 years out. I thought it was so that her mother could get baptized and not have to worry about shunning her. (That did happen.) But it got clearer that she got reinstated as her son (my nephew) got older so that she could control him as he grew up, trying to keep him from the wrong crowds and from getting some girl pregnant (like how his mother wound up and got disfellowshipped when he was born).
Around the time he was 14 up to 15, I tried to tell the nephew to wait until he was an adult before he considered baptism. I couldn't really say more, as he would have told my entire in-law family just about anything I would say to him. I thought I might have gotten him to see the wisdom in waiting, but I really wasn't sure what the nephew was going to do.
In his junior year of high school, his mother found "some brother" to take a special interest in the nephew. I say "some brother" because I know little about him. It was apparent that "some brother" laid it on really thick about the JW's and how it was important to get "in the ark" before Armageddon rained on the world. The JW family was very excited and encouraging when the nephew got baptized early in his senior year of high school. He really felt that he found his place where he belonged.
So fast forward to just past the nephew's graduation from high school. Everyone in the family (including all the JW's) wants the best for him and tried to help him to weigh and consider his options. They all had high hopes for him to go to college, at least for some kind of trade. I was a bit disappointed that he didn't pursue a football scholarship as he was a big guy. But as a JW, that wasn't going to happen. He had given up on sports about the same time he recieved special attention from "some brother."
But every last frigging JW is currently very disappointed by his goals. The nephew has been pioneer recruiting for a little while and works some minor job at the mall. He wants to keep doing just that- pioneer recruiting and working at the mall part-time, and put in his Bethel application then serve at Bethel for the rest of "this system."
Oh, the long-time JW's know that's a bad idea. But that's the kind of stuff he was fed by the special attention from "some brother." "The end is near." "There's nothing finer than serving Jehovah fully while you have the youthful energy." Blah blah blah. The very people who were so thrilled don't understand what happened. While it's so sad for the nephew, I hope it wakes some of them up.
I told my wife she has to get through to him that Bethel isn't hiring. The printing is going to Canada and the buildings are being sold and they have more Bethelites than they need. She comes back with the response that she knows of someone who recently got called to Bethel. "Okay, fine. An occasional brother is called. But you know they have been sending people home for quite awhile. They are likely to use the nephew for 5 to 10 years if he was one of the tiny few that gets in, then send him packing just like the rest- without a future and with a bunch of wasted years."
She knew I was right and didn't argue. I probably will hear very little of the details on what they will do, but I will be listening.