Mongolian at Library. Sat, Sep 9, 2006.

09/09/2006. 722. Good things often happen on the way home from the chapel. It's our ward's month to clean the chapel, and the Elders Quorum's weekend.

I did my part, and headed home. There's a public library on my way home, and right before I passed it I had the idea of stopping in there. I dismissed the idea, but after I passed it, a voice in my head said something like "Aren't you going to go to the libary?"

So I turned around and went back to the library. There were some other people who went in at the same time as I but they didn't seem like they were my intended contacts. I figured I could check email, so I signed up for a public Internet workstation, and waited and browsed.

When my turn came up, I logged in, checked my email and messed around a little bit on the Internet. Then I signed off, and headed for the front door.

Right before I got to the front desk, I saw an Asian man there, and our eyes met. An alarm went off in my head, and I knew he was my intended contact.

I continued on towards the door, went about a step past him, then turned around and asked "Sir, what languages do you speak?" He said "Mongolian."

He was just concluding his transaction at the front desk and getting ready to leave, so it was a smooth encounter. I offered him the Book of Mormon in Mongolian, and he was very positive in his response that he'd like to see it. So we went outside together, and he waited while I retrieved it and an English copy from my car.

He was a very humble and reserved man, so he did not show a lot of emotion, but I could tell he was amazed and grateful when he saw it. And he wanted the English copy too.

I then asked him if he knew the Mongolian lady who worked at a beauty supply store on such-and-such road. He said no, that he didn't know her. This man and that lady at the beauty supply store are the only two Mongolians I know, and they didn't know each other, so I figured I should put them in contact with each other.

We both had some time free, so I suggested he follow me in his car. So I drove from the library to the beauty supply store, and he followed. When we got there, he reiterated he didn't know anyone who worked there, and we went in together. Unfortunately, she wasn't there. But the owner said she was just off that day, and would be in tomorrow.

The young man I was with didn't have a phone, so he couldn't leave his number for her, but he wrote a note in Mongolian, and the owner said he'd give it to her.

At least the young man knows where she works, and can go back to try to meet up with her. I also found out this man's parents are also in Indianapolis.

I don't want to rejoice too much, because it might be that they already know each other, and he just didn't know where she worked, and in that case, I'm making too big a deal of this.

But, if they don't know each other, then this was a really cool thing to get two Mongolian families in town together. Imagine living in a big foreign city, thinking you're the only Mongolians in town, and you meet fellow country-men.

Plus, this young man received a book containing the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ in his native language, Mongolian!

Oh, and he did express interest in going to church sometime. So I showed him the list of chapels, where our chapel was, and drew a crude map on it. I also explained a little about the family ward and the singles branch that meets there.

I would probably have asked for his phone number to arrange for a ride, but he didn't have a phone. I didn't feel confident enough to ask for his address.