So the elders called wanting to meet with me and my husband.
Most likely because I told a concerned JW friend of mine that I really care about that I wasn't coming back and a couple of the issues I had. I didn't bring up any so-called "apostate" information, just told her about the Australian Royal Commission and that there are a lot of unscriptural teachings and that the GB apply Scriptures that are about Jehovah and Jesus to themselves, which is idolatry.
Well she reacted like a good JW bot and did not respond to anything I said and then turned me into the elders. I'm not mad at her. She's just reacting the way she's been trained by the cult to react. I still love her very much. She's a good person and could be an even better person without the cult pushing against her better more loving nature. I feel sorry for her being trapped in this cult. All her family, except her three adult children, are in the cult. She is so distressed about her children. Even before I left, I tried to put her mind at ease about her kids and told her that Jehovah reads hearts. I feel bad that she is sitting there thinking that her kids are getting destroyed at Armageddon. She is depressed a lot about this. This cult really messes with people's minds.
Anyway, back to the elders. These guys have never helped me when I have been in need. Never visited me when in the hospital, never helped me move, never helped me with family issues, never visited me or even called me when I missed meetings for several months one year, never helped me when I was out of work and had no money (my "worldly" family did thank you very much), etc, etc. And in the last 20 years, they have never called on me for a shepherding visit that I did not specifically ask for. I think I have had a total of 4 shepherding visits in the last two decades, all at my request.
But now that I have so-called "apostate" beliefs, I'm getting calls and messages from the elders. These "shepherds" of the flock. Lol lol lol lol. Yeah, I don't think so dudes.
I will never, ever, not in a million years, go back to that crazy pedophile harboring cult.
I'm only sad about those that I care about that are still in. That I can't say a proper farewell and tell them how much I love them. It is bull that I can't show them all that I've found. They probably wouldn't be willing to listen anyway, but I should at least have the option to try to help them. Even though I know their friendship is conditional on me being a JW, as they have been trained and as I was trained for too long, I do still think they are good people and I still do love my friends in the congregation. Very sad and heartbreaking.
But still worth it to get my children out of the cult while they are still young and have a chance at a normal childhood. And for myself and hopefully soon husband. I celebrated my birthday yesterday for the first time since I was 16! It was great! And I secretly celebrated my step-daughters birthday. I got her presents and made her a special cake. She loved it! Since she's still very indoctrinated, I put her mind at ease and told her it wasn't a birthday party, just my way of showing that I was excited that she turned 9. She bought it, lol.
My husband has been supporting me btw. He even made me a special breakfast and bought me flowers for my birthday. He just isn't ready to go full on anti-JW, even though he doesn't really believe, because all his immediate and extended family are in, which I understand.