Only in Jehovah's organization will you meet someone for the first time and they treat you like a long lost relative. That's what happened for me when I went home to work. I had never been to the mid-west a day in my life. The friends immediately gave me warm clothes to borrow so I wouldn't have to buy any. Everyone wanted to cook for us. The day I met the sister I was going to stay with, she gave me a tour of the house, gave me the code to get in, told me anything in the fridge was mine...welcome home! It's true that not everyone has the means to serve where the need is greater but love and hospitality like that is just as important in getting the work done! Many of us leave all our material possesions, family and friends to serve but to know that whereever we go in the WORLD, we will have loving family to support us, is beyond comforting.
So as I mentioned in the last post, I started working only a few hours after arriving. The harvest lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks depending on the weather. We worked 7 days per week, 12 or more hours per shift for the role I was in. Oh yeah, I forgot another way Jehovah worked things out! I was able to get the night shift. That may not sound like a blessing but, it means that I was able to make all of the meetings, get out in service and keep up all of my personal study and bible reading. I ABSOLUTELY had to pray for "strength beyond what is normal" (2 Corinthians 4:7) for this. There is no way I would have been mentally alert enough to put one foot in front of the other much less all of that with out Jehovah's help. We had several days off due to the weather so I even got to explore some of the rural territory and local territory. The beets we processed were white, not red so I did not leave work everyday looking like an ax murderer :-). I got to learn how to work the machines, train people on the machines as well as fixing the problems and assisting in a bunch of office stuff too. Suffice it to say, I know way more about the technical aspects of processing sugar than I ever thought I would!
We had a GREAT time at the harvest. There were need greaters from 5 different countries working and most of us were together. We were able to tell each other stories about our assignments, and just have fun. The work was tedious but knowing why we were there, made it all worth while. Our coworkers and supervisors couldn't help but notice our giddiness so there were plenty of opportunities to witness to them. Many were people who drift from one place to another and otherwise would not have had anyone to knock on their door. We had many good experiences with people who hadn't wanted to speak with Jehovah's Witnesses in the past, but since they had gotten to know us, they were more comfortable opening up.
We had many opportunities to show slides and talk to some of the young ones in various congregations about being need greaters. I was really impressed by some of the goals and hard work many of the young ones are putting in already. I wish I had that focus when I was their age! All in all, it was a great experience! Here are some pictures of a family in Atlanta that was kind enough to invite my parents and I to their house for family worship night. I was really impressed and encouraged by all of them :-) Thanks for taking some pictures, mom!
So as I mentioned in the last post, I started working only a few hours after arriving. The harvest lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks depending on the weather. We worked 7 days per week, 12 or more hours per shift for the role I was in. Oh yeah, I forgot another way Jehovah worked things out! I was able to get the night shift. That may not sound like a blessing but, it means that I was able to make all of the meetings, get out in service and keep up all of my personal study and bible reading. I ABSOLUTELY had to pray for "strength beyond what is normal" (2 Corinthians 4:7) for this. There is no way I would have been mentally alert enough to put one foot in front of the other much less all of that with out Jehovah's help. We had several days off due to the weather so I even got to explore some of the rural territory and local territory. The beets we processed were white, not red so I did not leave work everyday looking like an ax murderer :-). I got to learn how to work the machines, train people on the machines as well as fixing the problems and assisting in a bunch of office stuff too. Suffice it to say, I know way more about the technical aspects of processing sugar than I ever thought I would!
We had a GREAT time at the harvest. There were need greaters from 5 different countries working and most of us were together. We were able to tell each other stories about our assignments, and just have fun. The work was tedious but knowing why we were there, made it all worth while. Our coworkers and supervisors couldn't help but notice our giddiness so there were plenty of opportunities to witness to them. Many were people who drift from one place to another and otherwise would not have had anyone to knock on their door. We had many good experiences with people who hadn't wanted to speak with Jehovah's Witnesses in the past, but since they had gotten to know us, they were more comfortable opening up.
We had many opportunities to show slides and talk to some of the young ones in various congregations about being need greaters. I was really impressed by some of the goals and hard work many of the young ones are putting in already. I wish I had that focus when I was their age! All in all, it was a great experience! Here are some pictures of a family in Atlanta that was kind enough to invite my parents and I to their house for family worship night. I was really impressed and encouraged by all of them :-) Thanks for taking some pictures, mom!
No comments:
Post a Comment