Maintain Your Spiritual Health While Serving in a Foreign Field

Comment by Smoldering Wick on 2016-12-04 21:59:41

Forrest also said "I'm not a smart man. But I *know* what love is," to which his mom said, "You have to do the best with what God gave you.”

Comment by GodsWordIsTruth on 2016-12-05 08:28:21

Hi all!

So I know someone who recently accepted a full time assignment at Bethel.

She has to get her own apartment, car and work offsite... in New York alone after living a sheltered life!!

Why are we applauding this again? Remember college is not a real choice. Her Married brother was sent home permanently this time -with no skills and has been there since high school- his whole life.

Why do most JW Parents still think this is a good idea or even safe?

Love,
GWIT

• Reply by Candace on 2016-12-05 21:22:48

  I must admit this is one thing I couldn't follow which makes me feel guilty some times but deep down I know I made the right choice. Here in Aus, no education means NO meaningful job...unless you like cleaning, gardening, or working casual in a retail store. None of that would give me any security in this economy, besides the "bad association" from other students is literally no different to those of you who have non believing workmates at work. In fact with what I am studying no one has time to be out partying and acting 'reckless' and 'immoral' anyway. Quite the opposite!
  
  So how can I serve Kingdom interests if there isn't money to pay for fuel, food etc? Seeking the kingdom first can't be about ignoring necessary things in life. I hardly feel Jehovah wants us to work for him all the time, and expect him to miraculously feed us and provide us new shoes to wear. Give kingdom interest priority but also need to do what we can in providing necessities of life for ourselves, time for recreation.. BALANCE.
  
  I am so sorry I didn't mean to nag on but its been forever since I had a chance to mention anything like this to anyone without being told off lol.

  • Reply by Menrov on 2016-12-06 03:48:26

    You said: I must admit this is one thing I couldn’t follow which makes me feel guilty some times
    WHy feel guilty? hat studies did Paul have? And Moses and David? Paul wrote many letters and was able to explain many things about the law. The only reason an organisation does not support its members to follow university studies is fear. Fear that its members develop skills to think, to analyse etc. These skills may also be used then to analyse the doctrines and the material in the WT. On the other side, these same leaders use very well qualified people to defend / support them in legal cases, in IT, in Real Estate and often as sources for some of their material. So-called "bad association" can occur everywhere. However, I hear that from JW's who did go to university, that they had far less problems with being themselves. I guess the university environment is more open to other views (incl. religious) than environments where people are far less educated. Serving your Lord can be done in many ways, e.g. helping/suppoting the poor, the meek, the weak, the sick, the lonely and by also by preaching.

    • Reply by Candace on 2016-12-07 11:31:29

      Well, maybe I should have studied Law, IT or real estate so I could be more useful to the organisation! But with what I am studying maybe I could help with dispensing medicine by volunteering in disaster relief zones so the poor victims can get all the help they need.
      You're right, uni students are far less critical. Most are pretty apathetic in Aus to be honest, so they just say "cool, whatever" when I tell them I can't join them in guild parties due to being JW. At work their reaction to finding out I am a JW is staring at me like I just chopped off most of my hair.

  • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2016-12-06 08:53:03

    Ask yourself this: Can I find a scripture that supports the teaching that higher education is bad? If there is no scriptural prohibition, then is it not up to the conscience of each one. Why are you seeking higher education? Is it to serve God better by being able to provide for yourself throughout your life? Or is it for selfish reasons? It is not the education which is wrong. The Bethel in my country has actually sent several to law school. What determines whether something is right or wrong is heart-motivation. Only the individual can determine that, which is why Jehovah created a conscience. Indeed, those who would impose their view on others are treading on the conscience of another. Since the conscience is an "internal judge" given to us by God, those who would impose theirs on ours are really rebelling against God's arrangement.

Comment by simplyme on 2016-12-05 12:00:12

Hi Meleti,
Great job as usual! I have a question though. You wrote that Daniel kept up with "the sacred books". Where is that scripture? I have been curious of just how accessible the scriptures available were to any given generation. Thanks

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2016-12-05 17:27:36

  Actually, I was quoting from the Watchtower. I really don't know if he had access to the "sacred books" or not, but was using the Watchtower's own logic to disprove their point about the need for meeting attendance to stay strong spiritually.

  • Reply by simplyme on 2016-12-05 17:43:24

    Haha well I should have known better. I was loooking all over the book of Daniel. Leave it to them to imply something that wasn't there.

    • Reply by lazarus on 2016-12-07 14:12:15

      Hi Meleti and simplyme, I hope u don't mind, I understand your sentiment, the "sacred books" appears in the footnote of Dan 9:2:
      
      Daniel 9:2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, discerned by the books the number of years mentioned in the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet to fulfill the desolation of Jerusalem, namely, 70 years.
      
      Footnote- 9:2aThat is, the sacred books.

      • Reply by simplyme on 2016-12-07 17:20:53

        Thanks Lazarus. Now I can delve into that a little further.

Comment by limping lamb on 2016-12-05 16:42:02

'What you need is the word of God', - how true, ..
I wonder why parents would put their own aspirations of serving in foreign language groups ahead of the needs of their children who frankly have a tough enough time of it sitting through meetings in their own language!
It seems a great pity that some children are so put off by what they see and hear amongst Jehovah's Witnesses that they eventually become atheist.
If only they could get a balance between the evangelising work and the demonstration of genuine Christian agape.
But at the end of the day, Jesus did say at John 10:27 'my sheep listen to my voice', and after all, our Father and his son know the heart of each one of us.

Comment by Candace on 2016-12-05 21:03:17

Confession time :') When I studied this article I felt it was writing to me personally. I am serving in the foreign language group because my parents moved over from the english congregation and I knew they would be sad if I wouldn't agree to move with them. Obviously I didn't want to be left alone either. So the first few months were super hard: I had uni studies (I semi 'rebelled' against the idea of no higher education and endured a lot of back room shepherding calls about it but honestly I would hate to spend my life cleaning windows or working as a gardener), auxillary pioneer hours to meet, and of course learning the language which can be very intense.

Anyhow the elders were very happy I made the choice to serve where the need is great however and I feel I am blessed for making the sacrifices in time, energy and social life that I miss sometimes. The group I am in is like family now, lots of singles like me so we can relate and chat about a lot of things when we go out. Today I remind myself that the issue really is about our obedience and showing Jehovah how far we are willing to push outside the boundaries of our comfort zones in order to please him.

• Reply by Menrov on 2016-12-06 03:33:46

  Hi Candace, interesting to read your story. Your last comment: "Today I remind myself that the issue really is about our obedience and showing Jehovah how far we are willing to push outside the boundaries of our comfort zones in order to please him"
  If serving like you do is actually a means to please YHWH, I would agree. However, there is no scriptural support for the setup of serving this way. There is not one scripture that indicates that counting time is require, report progress to men is required etc. o not get me wrong. It is admirable what you do. And if it makes you happy, by all means. However, it would be wrong to do this with the idea that serving in obedience to the leaders of the WBTS as a JW in the foreign field is the/a way to please YHWH.

  • Reply by Candace on 2016-12-06 21:29:14

    Of course when I am out witnessing I am not thinking about whether it is pleasing to anyone in Bethel or anyone else except to Jehovah. That is the main reason why I do it. But to be totally honest there are always other little reasons too that add up to being very important. Such as making my mum happy because she is a pioneer, all my witness friends are pioneering so we get to associate and preach at the same time (multi tasking!) and... as far as I can see only the spiritual brothers are attracted to pioneer sisters so I need to give myself the best chance possible.LOL

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2016-12-06 08:46:57

  My wife and I served in a foreign language group for the first 16 years of our marriage. There was a vitality to be had with an emerging group that was no longer there in the staid English congregations around us. The shared goals, the commaraderie, the joy of youth spent in the service of God, all created a heady atmosphere that I recall to this day with great fondness.
  
  However, when you speak of obedience, that question is: Obedience to whom? If to men, then all the good intentions will still lead to disillusionment. However, if to Christ, then you will be kept safe.

  • Reply by Candace on 2016-12-06 21:42:30

    That is a very good experience, thanks for sharing Meleti! I feel that is happening to me right now and I hope I can last 16 years (in foreign language assignment with the same enthusiasm, marriage is still in the future haha). I think obedience is a tricky issue to talk about because being imperfect it is super easy to fall into the slippery slope of excusing ourselves from doing what is right because it doesn't suit us, because we don't agree with it, or its just too hard for us to even try.
    
    Remember when the Israelites fled Egypt and approached the red sea? I bet if any of them said "why are we listening to this man Moses, he doesn't know what he talking about", they would not have survived. It took obedience for them to go against instinct and step into the parted red sea.
    
    So I guess what I am trying to say is if we cherry pick what to follow and what not to follow as far as the direction from the society goes, using the argument that "obedience to men leads to disillusionment" when it doesn't suit our needs or wants, how scary is it to think that is a sure way of falling straight into Satan's trap of deciding for ourselves what is right and wrong?

    • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2016-12-06 22:40:30

      Here's the thing, Candace. Moses had credentials. He was used to bring 10 plagues and he split the Red Sea. Does obedience to someone like Moses who was undoubtedly God's representative, mean that anyone who puts himself in Moses shoes also requires our obedience? If so, then why aren't you obeying the Pope of Rome?
      
      You are right. We don't get to cherry pick what we obey and what we disobey. We have a standard for obedience. But that standard is God's word. So if the Governing Body tells you to do something that doesn't conflict with God's word, you are free to obey. But if they tell you to do something that conflicts with God's word, you are required--no cherry picking, required--to disobey them. If you obey then when God says otherwise, then you are disobeying God. Acts 5:29 comes into play.
      
      This is where the brothers mess up. They think that obeying the Governing Body is synonymous with obeying Jehovah. Where do they get an idea like that. They get it from the Governing Body. So the Governing Body bears witness for themselves that they are God's channel. God does not bear witness, but men do, and the very men who require the obedience.
      
      Jesus said, “If I alone bear witness about myself, my witness is not true.” (Joh 5:31)
      
      If that applies to Jesus, how much more so must it apply to sinful humans.

Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2016-12-07 04:44:15

It is really encouraging to see how many active witnesses are on this site. Keep up the chat, it is really encouraging to know how many of our brothers and sisters are going through this stage. So much credit goes to Meliti and others who have made this forum/outlet available. It has helped me to put into tactful words what to say and how to say it when talking to other JWs. You are always safe referring back to the scriptures, asking them "what does the bible say", being careful not to criticize the GB (even if we are, indirectly) .
I am hardly surprised by the comment in paragraph 5. This applies all over the place. Those of us who became JWs did so because we were convinced that we were going to learn bible truths, and wanted to learn to do what is right, to live the way God designed us to, which ultimately leads to happiness. Studies on the history of the organisation are like studying history at school. Potentially boring, or potentially fascinating. It is fascinating when you have a good reason to study it.
But what if the history sounds like indoctrination ? What if you cannot really prove parts of that history, or if you are not convinced ? That is the situation for many younger ones, and, of course, many visiting this site.
We would much rather the GB went though its core teachings in depth, proving and convincing us that they really do have the truth from God's word on dates, disfellowshipping, attitudes to so many other subjects.

Comment by GodsWordIsTruth on 2016-12-08 06:36:38

Specifically where do the mothers and sisters work in bethel? I want to write a different and handwritten letter to these ones.

To explain the sufferings of my family and I.....

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2016-12-08 07:29:16

  GWIT, You have a right to write in and in doing so you are bearing witness to them. Whether or not they listen is up to them. My experience with letter writing is that it is disheartening. They are in the mindset that they are above counsel from the lower ranks, so regard any counsel in writing as presumptuousness. Persistence in writing is viewed as a sign of rebellion. To paraphrase the Dread Pirate Roberts: "Be prepared for disappointment."

  • Reply by GodsWordIsTruth on 2016-12-08 07:41:43

    You know my struggles brother:(
    I just want someone to be moved by a real yearbook experience and find what we have .
    
    I also would like HQ to respond to their discriminatory practices and judicial system.

Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2016-12-10 03:43:30

GWIT, if you can write in, then write in. Who knows what will be done with the information, and who will read it. Apart from anything else, writing in helps me to get my thoughts in order. But you do have to be careful not to attack. Just state what the Bible says and how you read it. All the subjects I have written on so far result in a reply which I view as an official defense, carefully avoiding an actual scriptural basis for an answer to the question I raised. What does this tell me ? That there is not a good scriptural basis for that particular teaching, which gives me a lot more confidence that my searching is revealing truth.