Joe and I were Jehovah's Witnesses for 50+ years. We were perfectly content until about 1982 when some things happened that got us thinking. For one thing, we began reading the Bible (New World Translation) without the aid of any Watchtower book. In our reading we came across the scripture in Luke 11:11-13 which says that “God will give holy spirit to anyone asking.” When we did this and read the Kingdom Interlinear Bible (a Watchtower translation with the Greek and English translation on one side) we found many places where they had not followed their rule of one English word for each Greek word. Also they had added words in the translation.

We were disfellowshipped December 24, 1983. In 1985 I began to associate with a group of interdenominational women called "Women Aglow.” Then I joined a Foursquare Church. Joe did not do anything for 10 years. God put it in my heart to tell him, in 1994, that I was not going to church anymore, but was going to spend my time with him. He began going to church the next week. He attended a Promise Keepers conference soon after, and came home wanting to become a pastor. He was accepted by Foursquare even though he had not attended Bible college. We are now in a non-denominational church and he is still a pastor. We have found that what God wants is for us to love unconditionally and encourage other people. One of our sons is still a JW and does not talk to us, and our daughters believe in God, but do not attend church. We know that God has a plan and they will come to know Jesus as Savior.

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My name is Velta Maes and I'm a HappyXWitness!
Antelope, California