Moment #124. Spanish at Gas station. Dec 7, 2004.

12/7/2004. I felt a faint prompting to stop at this gas station/convenience store. I would have written it off as my imagination had it not been for the results.

As I was leaving the cashier, a gentleman approached the cashier's counter. I couldn't tell his ethnicity, but I felt the desire to approach him. I thought he might be Asian or Hispanic, but I couldn't tell.

I took my purchases outside, and stood for just a few seconds until he came out. From a respectful distance I asked him if he spoke any foreign languages. He muttered something to indicate he didn't understand. Although I couldn't understand what he said, I detected an Hispanic accent. So I asked "Habla Español?" He said "sí." So we spoke in Spanish.

I asked if he had a Spanish Bible at home. He said yes. I asked if he would like one in English. He said okay, and also asked for one for his sister. He said that he needed or wanted to go to a church. I forget what order things were said, but I told him the name of our church and where it was.

I got out English and Spanish Bibles, and English and Spanish copies of the Book of Mormon from the car. I gave him one set of 4 books, and another set of 4 for his sister.

He asked if it were a Spanish speaking church, so I got out one of the "info flyers" and circled the chapel and time, and told him there is an English-speaking congregation (at 9:00am), and a Spanish-speaking congreation (at 10:15am).

I invited him to the Sunday meetings, and the Spanish branch's Christmas dinner this Friday at 6:30pm, and wrote it on the flyer. He saw the Mission Office's phone number at the top, but I told him that was the regional office. He wanted the phone number of the Spanish-speaking congregation, so I pointed out the Spanish-speaking missionaries' phone number on the flyer from the Spanish Book of Mormon.

I guess I now have a good excuse for crashing the Spnaish branch's dinner this Friday.