What is happening in Mexico?

by ILoveTTATT 49 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  sir82

  A friend of mine visited a Central American country (not Mexico) recently, to visit other friends who had moved there to join an English language congregation.

  The "use" of Witness "Bible" studies merely to learn English was so rampant that the "local needs" part on the service meeting, while my friends were there, was on being "discerning" when conducting Bible studies. "We're not here to teach people English, we're here to teach them the Bible".

  So the issue of "the natives" looking to get free English lessons as a means to make an escape to better economic conditions appears to be quite widespread.
• 

  LongHairGal

  steve2:

  Here in the U.S. in relatively affluent suburbia, not everybody is wealthy. Some people are just getting by. Others, are dripping with diamonds which is okay by me (I like nice jewelry also). I happen to think Witnesses are as materialistic as anybody else. They just feel that if they do all that is required by the religion, it doesn't matter if they own much. Besides, some of them feel their prosperity shows they have been blessed!

  However, if I were going to an area that is known to be economically depressed, I am going to take my jewelry off. Nowadays, in the world we live in, I think it is a bad idea generally to advertise how well-off you are.

  I had to laugh because all the talk about how we shouldn't be materialistic didn't apply to them, just some mythical other person.

  Sir82:

  I totally agree with you that in many cases people want a "study" with JWs because they want to better their English. I had a Chinese lady as a back call and that was exactly what she was doing. She made no bones about it.

  I also wasn't wasting my time going to a Spanish congregation because of precisely the same reason.

  How funny that these people were just making practical use of something we now think is crap.
• 

  dozy

  Interesting topic. It seems to be something of a rite of passage here (in the UK) for older teenage children of more wealthy JWs to spend a few months "witnessing" in some foreign assignment. Central America seems to be quite popular at the moment. It seems to be more of a case of hanging out with the local JWs there & having basically an extended holiday.

  Interesting experience here of a JW who witnessed in China & experienced many of the things posters have already mentioned.

  http://www.believermag.com/issues/201302/?read=article_scorah
• 

  RubaDub

  If they close down the foreign language congregations here in South Florida only Spanish congregations will be left.

  Rub a Dub
• 

  problemaddict

  Cultural differances. Expats from the US are still part of US culture (even though they may not think so). So they go any play the entitled ugly american role that they are better and more knowledgeable than the locals because of that American thing alot of people here have. i mean lets be honest here. We have a short power distance culture.

  The problem is that the people in these foreign language halls, rarely if ever make an impact in the ministry. They basically just exist. So it diverts resources. In fact, they tend to whine, complain, use the branch as their own personal embassy, and more. In some countries the branches will no longer extend visas to "need-greaters", and in other places, they basically don't want you to come. Bolivia for example. They know the foreigners that come in are either on long holiday, or are too shocked to be any good. They need alot of baby sitting. So better to just say sure come if you want, its a free world.

  Why encourage behavior where only one out of every 10 is of use, when you can just get more locals to do the work.

  Remember consolidation and getting more streamline is not neccesarily a harbinger of failure. Its actually the smart thing to do. They are just closing down inefficiencies.
• 

  ILoveTTATT

  Problemadict:

  It makes sense... I think you hit the nail spot on! It's all about the money... I just hadn't seen it in that way before...

  P.S. About the power: I wanted to punch a brother who said that the role of the English congregations was to "Teach" the Spanish congregations in Mexico "how things are properly done"... that guy was a... well let's just say I don't want to use a nice word...

  Rubadub: LMAO! So true!! The English are the "foreign" congs in Florida!
• 

  ILoveTTATT

  (So it's not about the HALLS, but it's about the PEOPLE... get them out of those countries and make them go back to cheaper labor, and bring back the money closer to "Mother")
• 

  Joker10

  I'll tell you.

  JWs have been so excited about preaching to English-spearkers and making the field 'grow', that they have not been studiying with only those whos first language is English. Many of them, if not most, have been taking anyone with any level of English as a study.

  Many Mexicans that return from the States to their country know Spanish very well. It should be left to the Spanish congregations to take care of them, even though they might be fluent in English. It hasn't been the case. But now that is changing.

  In the last circuit assembly, the COs gave a talk to all the Mexico Inglés congregatoins about the new instructions. And during the week of the CO visit, a video was shown to all the Inglés congregations the importance of people to study the Bible in their mother tongue because it "speaks to their heart" and produces better results.

  JWs in the Mexico Inglés field didn't think it would radically change things in their territory. Due to the new instructions, they are now skipping entire neighborhoods. They are even doing away with their records and taking a brand new census showing where people who's first language is English reside.

  There are 170 English congregations in Mexico. About the same number there was in the 2012 service year.
• 

  steve2

  The topic of being materialistic is a fascinating one. I've yet to meet a Witness of any description anywhere who thinks the "timely"admonition applies to him or her. It always applies to someone else in the congregation (nudge, nudge).

  And, even when the brothers intoned loud and long from the platform that "each of us needs to ask ourselves in a heartfelt way," I just knew the ears of those in the hall were closing and their minds were saying, "That's refering to Sister..... or Brother.....".

  Talk about Kingdom Halls being like playschool for adults.....
• 

  Quarterback

  I never liked it when the parents of a Rich country would drag their kids down to a third world country, just so they can obtain some honor or name for themselves as a "Need Great. Server"

  The Society recently has admonished the Spanish Mexicans to go back to their roots and help out in their mother tongue. That is why the English cong's are dropping. It was just a Honeymoon stage for the Spanish Mexicans who had hopes that if they changed to the English, they could marry a person who came from a rich country, and take up residency in their country to improve their economical status. A carrot was dangled in front of them, and now it is crushed.