Serving where the need is great or serving where their needs are great?

truthseeker

Have any of you come across this rare breed of JW?

I know a brother who spends 9 months of the year living in a Caribbean Island where he is an active JW and then he flies back to his home European country for 3 months to work and save up so he can fly back out again. He is an active JW in his home country.

He's not a missionary and has never been to Gilead though he attended pioneer school back in the '90s. He's been doing this routine for a number of years. He's in his early 40s, unmarried and childless; though he has come close to tying the knot on a couple of occasions. He's not a bad looking chap and I find it odd that he's still single in his 40s. He grew up in the truth and he's fairly popular in JW circles. He is fiercely loyal to the org but has often sported an unkempt beard.

To my knowledge, he is not an appointed man, because he does not stay in the same congregation all year round. The fact that he has to fly back to his home country to work and save up just to fly back again means either he can't afford to live there all year round or he doesn't have residency rights to live there permanently.

A friend and I were talking about this and my friend says he is away from scrutiny and can pretty much do what he likes as long as he goes to meetings and preaches. He has quite a following on Facebook and Instagram.

It's a strange, if somewhat enjoyable lifestyle, surrounded by sun, sand and sea and able to travel as he pleases and be an active JW but not have any position in the org because he's not in the congregation all year round.

I sometimes wonder if the friends who go abroad to serve "where the need is great" are not simply going because "their needs are great."

Truthseeker

ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

I have been one of those, but honest one, devoting quality time wholeheartedly; who pioneered and was learning a foreign language. So the best way is to surround yourself with people who speak the foreign language alone (not mentioning the language coz of identity issues, still kinda PIMO) . I worked for 6months and went for 6 months at a time. it was frugal living but enjoyed every minute of it helping many to come into this cult (unfortunately). Many are pioneers themselves now and are even serving where the need is greater like I used to. Still get emails for tips and suggestions.

Yes many can be doing this for their own needs as you so mentioned, yet there are those who wholeheartedly give their all for the Lord's work.I personally know quite a few too. It takes all sorts.

Zing

ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

Never quite heard it being stated as " rare breed ".

Zing

Slidin Fast

This is quite a common lifestyle amongst younger JWs now I think. Anything to make life more interesting whilst not completely going AWOL. Serving where the need is nicer.

john.prestor

Yeah, sounds a lot more pleasant than knocking on doors in suburban America or Europe.

truthseeker

Thank you for sharing your experience Zindag. It's very interesting.

Yes, he had to learn Spanish and is fluent in it and helps on quick builds in the island and has bible studies etc. I often used to wish he would wake up and see that he's in a cult but perhaps he's better off in it because he's built a whole lifestyle around "the truth" - he would be devastated if he found out it was all a lie because everything would be a lie including the reason he went there in the first place.

truthseeker

I think in a way it makes leaving more problematic as you surround yourself with friends who love Jehovah and you're literally living the dream life, not just going to work and meetings but living the life you've built.

betterdaze

Sunny Caribbean island with great beaches?

It's called "surfing" where the need is great.

steve2

betterdaze earns top post of the day:

It's called "surfing" where the need is great.

blondie

I remember many jws liked going where the need supposedly was greater in Hawaii. The WTS finally said that no one was to relocate there for that reason unless directly told by the WTS personally to do so. The congregations in Hawaii was overrun by jws going where the surfing was great. Even jw travel agents would schedule trips during the conventions there and overloaded the resources like food and literature for the local jws.

There are far too many jws that think they belong to an elite group called the selfish.

Serving where the need is great or serving where their needs are great?

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