Moment #641-642. French-Yoruba and Amharic at gas station. Fri, Jul 7, 2006.

07/07/2006. I left a singles activity at church and headed home. I felt prompted to stop at a certain convenience store. I bought some 2-liters and a paper, but didn't see any opportunities. I thought perhaps this may have been a "timing loop" for an encounter later on.

#641. Further along my route home, I was prompted to stop in at a major chain gas station and convenience store. I bought a couple of 12-packs of soda on sale.

My cashier spoke with an accent, so I asked if he spoke French. He did, and he also spoke Yoruba. I asked if I could give him free books in French and Yoruba from my church. He said sure. I brought back in French and English Books of Mormon, Yoruba and English Gospel Fundamentals, and a Yoruba Bible. He enthusiastically and gratefully accepted them.

#642. I went over to speak with the second cashier, but before I could talk with him, a customer who spoke with an accent was leaving that check-out station. I could easily come back and talk with the cashier, so I spoke with this customer before he left. He was from Ethiopia, so I offered him an Amharic and English Book of Mormon. He eagerly followed me out to my car, and enthusiastically and gratefully accepted them.

The "timing loop" side-trip at the first convenience store must have been for this guy. Had I not stopped there first, I would have missed him.

I went back in to speak with the second cashier. He remembered me, but I did not remember him from a previous encounter at the Post Office. I gave him my card and encouraged him to call me or the numbers I had put in the books if he wanted to learn more or visit our church.