JW Visit #5

My friend, Marge, came again today. This time, a woman named Bobbye (unsure of spelling) came with her.

It went fairly well. We started discussing the book/booklet that Marge gave me last week. We looked up different scriptures that are mentioned on pages 4 and 5 of the book. The references are:

• Revelation 21:4
• Isaiah 35:5-6
• Isaiah 33:24
• John 5:28-29
• Psalm 72:16

When we got to chapter one, Marge asked me if I wanted to go on, but I asked her if I could read something to her that I had received. She responded positively, so here's what I read...

It's from The Voice of the Martyrs. (Neither Marge nor Bobbye had heard of them.) It's a Special Report dated December 2007 entitled, "When Violence Touches Children." I read quite a bit of it aloud to them. They were a bit fidgety as I read, but they didn't interrupt! (I take that as a small victory! Anything I can get!) This opened the discussion to forgiveness and God's protection. I don't know that we really "got" anywhere in the discussion, but at least the topic was no longer on their book.

As they were leaving, I asked Marge if she remembered what we (she and I) had said about me reading something of hers and she reading something of mine. When I handed it (I'll tell you what "it" was in a minute) to her, she asked me where it came from and what I had understood after reading it. So, I showed her that I had printed it from the Internet and started reading it aloud to her (and to Bobbye) to indicate what I understood from it. Bobbye started getting really defensive, then. Before that, she had been much more pleasant and polite. She wasn't rude, but I could tell that I had hit on a "hot button."

I'd like to note here that Marge has never been defensive, unpleasant or impolite... as I feel that some (of the others [namely Lou and Bobbye... not the "first" guy or her husband] with whom she has come) have been.

Here's a link to what I had printed from the TowerWatch Ministries website and gave to Marge. If you go to that link and read, you can probably see what hit a "hot button" with Bobbye. I read aloud from this sentence:

Due to health problems my 95-year-old grandmother moved in with our family in the early 1990's and needed 24 hour care.

to this sentence:

Publishers sold their homes, quit their jobs or took other life changing measures to prepare for the end in those years just as I did and saw many others do in 1975.

Marge has mentioned before, and she mentioned again today, that her mother developed cancer. (I don't know for sure how long ago this was, but I get the feeling it was around the time she married.) Marge says she began reading the Bible more trying to find out why God would allow her mother to suffer in this way. Basically, I think she was trying to "lead into" her book with a personal example. So, I tried to reference her experience with her mother's cancer to the health problems of the writer's 95-year-old grandmother (mentioned above).

In the end, Marge did take the printout with her, and I encouraged them to find out things for themselves. Marge will be out of town next week. She asked if I wanted Bobbye to come back next week, and I said that I really wanted to meet with Marge. Marge seemed pleased that I would want to meet with her. So, she plans to come back on December 19th.

Thank you for your prayers, not only for me... but also for Marge Tipton. Pray that the Holy Spirit would not let her rest until she discovers and accepts the REAL Truth about Jesus Christ.

JW Visit #4

Marge came again this week, but not with another woman as I had thought. She came with her hubby this time. It was nice to meet both of them. He goes by "Tip." (His name is Keith or Kevin Tipton. I can't remember which one for sure.)

I found out a few more things about Marge... for instance, as a child she and her family moved from Cleveland, Ohio to a little bitty town near Rollo, Missouri. (I think that came up in the conversation when we were talking about outhouses.)

I know... you're probably thinking, "Why were they talking about outhouses?" Well, I think we were talking about "the good ol' days" when doctors still made housecalls. Marge told me about something she saw on t.v. about a doctor in a town near here who still makes housecalls. Then, I mentioned that I sometimes wish I had lived in "the olden days" -- but then I think about the outhouses. (LOL!)

Basically, I'm continuing to work on developing a relationship/friendship with Marge. We have several things in common:

• we both love the Bible
• we're both non-native Tennesseans
• she has a granddaughter with the same name as one of our children
• we both enjoy talking about our families
• a JW family in our neighborhood goes to the same kingdom hall that the Tiptons do

But, here's the thing that we don't have in common... Marge doesn't have -- the "thing" that's most important -- a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Marge gave me a book/booklet published by the Watch Tower Tract and Bible Society entitled, "What Does the Bible Really Teach?" I asked her if I took it and looked/read over it, if she'd be willing to take some literature from me. She said that she would, but she also kept mentioning something about being gone for a couple of weeks to Arizona. (She still has one son and his family who live there.) So, there's hope for a small open door into getting her some literature other than Watch Tower "stuff."

Plan is... she'll be coming again next Wednesay, December 5th. Thank you for your continued prayers!

JW visit #3

This week's visit with the JWs was a little more interesting... in that my father-in-law (fil) and husband (dh) were here with me. The same two JWs (Lou and Marge) from the previous week arrived around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 21.

I found out a little more background on Marge. She's lived in this area about a year. Before that, she lived 20-something years in/near Phoenix, Arizona. Quite a switch!!!

With my fil & dh (both of whom have seminary training) here to help "guide" conversation, we were able to hear Lou contradicting himself. However, we didn't try to make it into a "I told you so" thing.

The "plan" is for Marge to come again this next Wednesday, but this time she will come with another woman. So, we'll see how that goes.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Please continue to pray...

Marge and another JW (not the one who came w/ her last week) came back today... a little after 11 a.m. Eastern. (I think Marge said the other one's name was Lou.) Basically, the one who came with her this week dominated the conversation which is (as I've learned from others and now from my own experience) one of JWs' tactics. However, they do plan to come back again next week around the same time.

I don't know that much was accomplished this week except that I was able to keep them here at my house (we sat on our small front porch) instead of trying to "win other converts." However, when I become more confident, I feel that the Holy Spirit will be able to dominate the conversation... through me.

I've learned many things about the JWs within the past week. I would like to be able to embed a video entitled "Witnesses of Jehovah," but it's nearly 60 minutes long. So, it's probably best if you go and watch it for yourself. Here's a link to a page that will take you to the video. Or, you can click here to go directly to the Google video page that will automatically play it. (Again, it is nearly 60 minutes long so it may take dial-up users a loooooong time for it to load.)

The gist of the video is a history of JWs and their beliefs. It includes interviews with two current JWs and with several former JWs. (I think it was produced in the mid-1980s; so if nothing else, it provides a fun look at the styles from that time.)

I want to publicly thank all of those who've left comments and links and all who've prayed for me. I appreciate your continued prayers and insights.

Please pray!!!

I need your help and your prayers!!!! Please!!!!

Two Jehovah's Witnesses just came to my house. We had a rather lengthy discussion... me standing barefoot in the doorway with my nice warm living room behind me and them standing on my concrete porch. (Our front door faces North, so it's always in the shade. It's not too terribly cold here when compared to places like Canada, Russia, or even when compared to Kentucky. But, when you're in the shade and barefoot and wearing shorts, 49 degrees Fahrenheit is a bit chilly.) Why did I not invite them in? As I told them, "I'm a homeschooling mom, and my house is rather a mess at the moment." Back to our discussion... normally, I'd have just said, "Thanks, but I am a Christian" and left it at that. I guess the Holy Spirit had other plans for me today. I asked to see their Bible. Then, I asked them if I could show them the same verse in my Bible. The verse to which I'm referring? John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Their "Bible" says, "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was a god." So, we went on to discuss many things... including me audibly asking the Lord for help to find the Scriptures He wanted me to share. Then, the sirens started going off. We live within a 10 mile radius of a nuclear power plant; and at noon on the first Wednesday of the month, they test their sirens. That reminded Marge, the woman (there was also a man, but I didn't find out his name) standing at my door, of their meeting that they have at the "hall." So, she asked if she could come back next week. I mentally ran through all the things that I might have on my calendar next Wednesday morning. Since no conflict came to mind, I invited her to come back next Wednesday at 11 a.m. (Eastern) I told her that I'd try to have my house a little more straightened up so that she could come inside.

So, my first question to you is, will you please pray for me and for Marge? Pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare me and speak through me to her. Pray that she will be open to hearing the Holy Spirit's TRUE voice and that she will respond to His (God's, Jesus', and the Holy Spirit's) tugging at her heart.

And, my next question is, if you've ever had the opportunity to witness to a Jehovah's Witness, will you please share with me any and all insights that you have?

I plan to peruse A Biblical Response to Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm already praying and will continue to pray. I will study His Word and the Truth.

Thank you for your help!