well, i can't say i grew up in the truth, cuz my parents just started studying again when i was born. wat i'm about to tell is not to degrade anyone cuz without them i wouldn't be where i am.
we moved houses a few times around here, so we had lots of brothers/sisters study the bible with my parents. i remember when an elder came by to study with my dad, i'd sneak in the study and listen in. the elder's wife studied with my mom and i'd sneak in there too. i remember one nice illustration she showed me, the one where you hold the bible with your 5 fingers, and each finger represents a meeting, and if you miss all 5, you lose hold of the bible.
we were off and on with the meetings tho. i even remember my first comment, which was "Jesus' doers" but i said it like "Jesus doors" haha. i felt happy tho. that was the Middlesex congregation. when i was around 7-10 years old, we moved to the North Plainfield congregation. but even then our attendance was still iffy. so i went with my grandpa to the spanish meetings and some field service.
i don't remember much from the spanish, i don't remember any friends. then i think i just stopped going there cuz i didn't understand much spanish. i go to the english congregation and that's where i am now. my congregation has changed a lot, people come and go. but i met the most influential family there, and they really helped me the most. it was my first best friend (4 years older than me) and his mom.
my friend started studying with me with his mom, they'd come over or sometimes i'd go over. eventually they invited me to sleep over every saturday to do field service. i was real happy about that, but i never actually witnessed door to door before, so i was nervous, but i felt safe around them. sometimes my friend and i would get into lame fights and we'd stop the study a few times. then i remember seeing him get baptized, and man did i wanna get baptized too. we finished studying and it was time.
i will admit that i wasn't ready to get baptized, i was pressured. won't get into that tho, but i never regretted getting baptized, it has kept me away from trouble - didn't go out and do crazy stuff with skool kids. but, one thing really hurt me tho - the family i studied with, i stopped sleeping over, stopped studying together. i felt so empty, and i was even betrayed by my friend. he moved to cali for a while, and it took me a while to get over the lost friendship cuz he'd always just hurt me. i felt like i was used just to give him a good reputation, i dunno. and his mom left to another congregation, i felt lonely.
anyway, i started slowing down spiritually from there, but not so down that i left the truth, i knew this was it. i knew there was something there for me. i'm still struggling, but doesn't everybody? i have progressed a little tho, giving #4 talks, the sound system, prayers, and on my own personal study and bible reading. but mainly, i'm really trying to appreciate Jehovah deeply, who he is, what he's done. one of my goals is to join the pioneer skool before i get married. i'm gonna go for it when i can.
sorry for making this story long, but i feel comfortable sharing it here.
wow dude...that's a great story
i met your parents and your grandma, right?? i think?
anyway, i feel like i know you WAY better now
thanks man. yeah, you met my parents and my grandma on my mom's side, she's not in the truth tho.
awesome, bro. thanks for sharing. if thats not total honesty, i don't know what is. VERY encouraging.
hey man, I've been pioneering for 4 years now, and let me tell you, there's no better thing! I absolutely love it! Jehovah is the #1 focus everyday because you are always thinking about service--you are always in "the mode". If you want to do better spiritually, my number 1 suggestion is to pioneer -continuous auxiliary, or regular. I have learned to become a much better teacher, and speaker, not to mention much more familiar with the Bible, all because I started pioneering. I'm very happy with my decision, and I hope I never have to stop!
By the way, I appreciated very much your story. I know Jehovah will bless you if you make further efforts to continue growing spiritually. Why don't you try to reach out for more responsibilities in the hall. Also, try to go out in service with your elders, and the pioneers in your hall, and talk to the elders to see how you can make improvement. I hope this was helpful, and not an overload.
wow thats great just remember to endure... its not how you start the race its how you finish it.
I'm glad I ask YOU to IM Rachel. Share stuff like this w/her.
oh ok lol i'll try and remember :)
well, my story continues today. people close to me have been in a crisis i'm afraid to speak of. lately, i've started opening up to a few of the elders and a couple in my congregation. they're helping us out. and today, i took a huge big step to restored the lines of communication with my friend and his mom. man it feels great to see them again. i just felt this strong urge to just go, and i did. i missed them a lot. i left our past behind, and now they lended me the invitation to talk to them about my crisis and to stop by anytime if i needed something. Jehovah has truly blessed me again. i hope that my crisis will find a solution and i will continue to grow.