Moment #615. Shona/Zulu/Ndebele at Post Office. Wed, Jun 21, 2006.

06/21/2006. I picked up some mail from my PO Box. There was an Asian-Pacific lady in the outer lobby, but she was busy readying her package and it didn't seem right to interrupt her. I went outside to read a newspaper, and sat on the low wall in front of the building. While reading, an African-looking man went by me and entered the building. I never saw the Asian-Pacific lady leave, so she might have went the other direction.

Eventually the African-looking man came out and as he walked by I asked him, in French, if he spoke French. He said no. I asked what languages he spoke besides English. He said an African language that I wouldn't know of. So I asked him where he was from. He said Zimbabwe. I extended my hand to shake his, and said "moroi" which is Shona for "hello." He said he did speak Shona, and I explained about how the church has books in African languages, and he agreed to see them. We went to my car, and I got out Shona and English copies of the Book of Mormon. He said he spoke Zulu and Ndebele too, and asked for one in Zulu. I offered an Ndebele copy of Gospel Fundamentals.

I said there was a member of our church in Zionsville that is from Zimbabwe and speaks the same four languages as he does. I said his name, and this man said he was just talking to him on the phone that afternoon.

Small world.

I never saw the Asian-Pacific lady, so I must have missed her.