by Mulan 29 Replies latest jw friends
Many times I would go to the field service arrangement and meet up with an MS buddy of mine. We just went to the arrangement to make it look good. We'd say we were off to do return visits, but then we'd go to our favorite breakfast spot and eat, drink coffee, and flirt with the hot waitresses. Then we'd go drinking when the bars opened.
Walter
I couldn't bring myself to preach at the door about a year before we actually left the org. So I asked my wife to take all the doors and just said "I'm not prepared." I still counted my time of course.
A few months before we stopped going to meetings I didn't even bother going out.
In our family, it really was not an option to get out of field service. We had to go every weekend, even holidays! I remeber hating it too. Thats why I like reading these threads, because I know EXACTLY what you all are talking about.
My brother and I came up with a plan one time. We would go to the door, and act like we was knocking or pushing the door bell, but would not. That was fun, until we got caught! Mom was so mad at us. I forget what punishment we got, but it was embarrasing.
I am unaware of ANYONE I EVER went out in service with that was happy to do so, and actually cared about the "householder". Even pioneers with their "got to get my time in" attitude.
Remember when you would sit in the field serivce meeting and someone would say that they have a study at such and such time? Then the conductor would ask who wants to go with them on the study? Man I hated it when I had to go on a study! How boring was that? Then they would make us read scriptures or paragraphs. And every time it seems like the householder would have toys in view of the study area, and all I could think about was playing with the toys.
But, without the field service there would certainly be no "break time". That was the best. The group always seemed to meet at the donut shop at around 10:30 am. And there would always be a donut in it for us. We would lounge around the donut shop with friends for up to an hour! But then, as always, it seems the traveling overseers came around and would "encourage" us to either take no breaks, or VERY short ones. Oh well, alls well that ends well!
Much like Ozzie, ``Bethel work" was my main excuse when I was there; otherwise, pray for rain.
As a pioneer, I was able to check out my own territories. I would leave to "work" my territory (the coffee shop) while the rest of the group went to work theirs. Five minutes of street work, 50 minutes of breakfast and paper-reading, followed by five more minutes of street work = 1 "hour" of service to "Jehovah."
We all LOVED unassigned territories, especially the ones that were 2-3 hours away. Street work, followed by driving to the territory, knock on a few doors, drive back and a little more street work= 5 to 6 hours of "preaching."
I knew a guy who got most of his time in doing street work at 2 to 5 a.m. Nobody around. Stand there like a statue for 3 hours "serving Jehovah."
What a joke we were.
Farkel
I knew someone who got out of service for years and years by having a "study" with some teenagers in the neighborhood. Well, it might've started out that way. But the "studies" were really social hours of the kids playing video games, working out, doing chores for $$$, and whatever else. This guy lived next to an elder too. And he never went out in "service" and milked the so-called "study" for all it was worth for reporting time.
My kids tell me they used to lay in bed on Saturday mornings, hoping I wouldn't call them for service, or that we weren't going out. The latest I would call was about 9. I would call to them through the floor vents. Poor kids.
Wow. That was exactly the scene when I was a kid. Lying in bed on a beautiful Saturday morning, absolutely dreading that wake-up call. What a horrible thing to go through week after week during the developmental years, while most every other kid woke up excited to have a day to play. Being sick was really the only way out. Or giving the parents such a hard time that they gave up (extremely rare).
pray for rain
the most earnest of all dub prayers!!
I had return visits all across the rural area I lived so that was my "field service" for a couple of years from 95 (post the generation change) to 1998 when we finally left. We spent a lot in gas tho'. I don't think I even talked about the magazines, the RVs were mainly old folk lonely for someone to talk to.
I am so bad, but I remember doing this a lot to get out of talking at the door. I lived in a rural area and most of our territory was driving door to door. In a large car group I could go up to every door with a different person and let them do the talking, lol. I never gave a presentation just stood there smiling.
Deleted, good to see you posting we've missed ya around here! Are you and wifey going to the next meet-up? PM me!
Kate
