To be honest, they were the best times I had as a JW. I was no longer just floating on the edge but actually doing something. It was a monumental waste of my life granted, but at the time it was alright.
We were dirt poor. The wife and I sold our house and quit our jobs. WE had not owned the house long but we did make about 10 grand on it so we bought a cheap economical 4 cyl car ( I was alsways into large V8s), bought a little hi-fi and a microwave oven. We went and got part time jobs doing all sorts of disgusting jobs in abbotiors (meat works) and pioneered for 3 or 4 years. We needed little money, we had no debts, no store cards, no mortgage etc.
When we sold the house we were promised a liitle home outside town that just had to be fixed up...in the end it just never happened and the owner, full of remorse said 'look, all i can offer you is the flat out the back of my shop'. It was a joinery. We said 'we'll take it' and he said 'no, you don't want that place, we replied 'YES WE DO'.
It was the most disgusting shit hole i had ever seen. It was full of shit. Literally. previous tenants had done a runner, left things like a bath full of turds and crap, the draws in the kithen cupboards were full of dirt from growing dope.
We did a deal that we would fix it up in leu of rent. There was a congregation busy bee on the place, new carpet, painted, bathroom fixed etc. It was humble and cheap. One day we got a knock on the door as we were about to go witnessing. 3 men in suits showed us a card, told us they had right of entry and did so. They were from the rental tribunal. The local happy clapper pentecostals next door put in a complaint and the landlord was called in. Seemed it was illegal to do work for rent and both he and us were threatened with fines. It was only that both parties were very pleased with the arrangement that they let us off. They deemed that the property was only worth $5 a week until THEY came back, reinspected and issued approval for a rent rise. We had been paying $20. It took them 3 months to come back, so we got 3 months of peppercorn rent. Yes indeed we did figure it was Jehovah blessing us.
We never did go hungry, we were looked after. Our small conregation was proud to have pioneers and looked after us. Honestly I can't fault those times.
what happened after we came off the list and I had to get a real job and provide for a family etc...well that was when the wheels really fell off. THEN i went hungry, at times, trying to support myself and pay my child supprt to the now ex wife, i could only afford to eat 5 days out of seven.
Oz
