For Posterity's Sake - Some of my Gilead Artifacts

I have debated about doing this for a while (I still don't even know if the pics will show up good enough) Coming across sir82's "insider" notes got me looking through my stuff today, and I thought I would share a few of the letters with you.

I also do this for another reason: I know occasionally, that "trolls" (so called) come and go, and people here get worried or upset. I don't worry at all, I personally think they aren't here to "save" any potential lurkers, they just come here to tick us off. But I also realize that some authoratative information might help to ease some concerns. (as in, "you're an idiot, trust me, I was there, thats not what JW's teach...") As I was neck deep in what JW's taught as "authoratative", I thought I might offer those credentials....

I have removed anything "traceable" (last name and passport number) and I hope that the type shows up... Here we go...

I'll start with the most exciting picture.

Inside this attractive piece of synthetic material is what I worked so hard to get for 10 years of my life (much to my shame)

Here was the letter we got that day. The PS gift was $50 cash for each couple.

Depending on where you were sent, each couple received a credentials letter, making us official... Here was ours.... We were to show it along with the diploma if asked or otherwise given trouble by the local government. (why that didn't set off warning signals I don't know....)

Lastly, as those of you who have followed my story know, I was attacked twice in a 5 day span in late 2005. After giving it a last gasp go, I let everyone know that I needed to return home. The letter from the branch was rather nice. I did lie though in my missionary resignation letter, I said I "still believe that the faithful and discreet slave is being used by Jehovah". What else could I do? I didn't want them to kick me out into nowhere.... Here is the letter from the Service Dept accepting my resignation as a missionary.

I am sorry if these don't turn out to well. I was lazy, this took like 15 minutes of editing in Paint.

PS, oh yeah, the class photo. A pic of a pic.. Hope you all are excited at this blur....

CRAP!

This didn't turn out too well..... Any suggestions? I needed to blur out the names, or I suppose I could have scanned pdf's, but I was hoping to get away with the lazy method....

Very interesting.  Thanks for sharing that piece of your life.

I have to say how much all the ladies in that photo look like "Stepford Sisters" - skirts all of appropriate length, jackets buttoned up high to cover the cleavage, pasted-on smiles......

Picture day sucked. An entire afternoon of posing for bethel photographers... Beat studying though....

Yeah, it wasn't lost on me how everyone of the sisters were dressed like classy Amish women....

Interesting.  Do they insist that couple not stand together for the pic, or were there a bunch of hot single, available after armageddon sis's in your class?

S

Satanus, its all about height. When we got our Bethel ID's to access parts of the branch, they measured us at that time to prepare a rough draft for the class pic....

I was just glad I wasn't with the "shorties below...."

                                                                  Scary Stuff!

                                     They all look like they would Kill you in your Sleep..

                                            With a Butcher Knife from the Kitchen..

                                                                                  .................. ...OUTLAW

Hey Outlaw, here is a rejected draft of our class pic

I've seen Gilead group pics a hundred times before in the mags, I don't know why it's never struck me before until now, how much they all look like generic humans with their personalities sucked right out of them.

You can't tell a thing personal about any of them from that photo.  Which was the point, I imagine.  It strikes me as sad.

I was always in the back of the class too. Too bad I used to have a mullet that was all-too-recognizable

Great stuff. 

The pics are great.  I used to dress that way. 

You need a higher resolution picture to make them readable.  You can edit the names out in paint, but just make sure to save it in a size that is large enough to prevent blurring. 

Thanks Doe... I will try again....... (cheap digital camera, I don't think I can do any more on the resolution...)

I still don't believe you....

just jokin :0)

~fmy

Did you use a flash?  Does your camera have a macro setting?

LOL @ fmy....

Yeah, I had macro on, but didn't use flash.... Should I have for a doc? The one time I tried was glaring back at me...

I get better results when I use a flash.  It might help if you angle back just a little to get out of the glare.

Thanks for posting this Jeff. 

I agree that it's probably good for the ultra-skeptical lurker to see.

As for me well.....

I'm about to eat dinner bro!

You're spoiling my appetite.

om

Testing....

Ok, I give up for tonight.. Sorry for the poor quality... OM, go eat dinner... lol