Chinese at restaurant. Mon, Jan 22, 2007.

01/22/2007. 780. I picked up our ward's two full-time missionaries to take them out to eat. It was about 3:30pm, so I don't know if it was lunch or supper for them. Probably a late lunch. These two are pretty cool. The younger/newer guy is humble and presents himself well. He's been in the mission two months. The senior companion is about 24 or 25, has been in the mission for about a year, and is a marine who served in Iraq.

We headed for a commercial area that I haven't been to in a long time. (I moved to a different part of Indianapolis at the end of November, so I have new places to explore.) I don't believe I've made any book placement attempts in that area. I figured we could find either a Chinese or a Mexican restaurant there. We quickly found a Chinese restaurant at a strip mall.

We ordered, paid, sat down, and I put out the two kinds of Chinese Books of Mormon and an English Book of Mormon on our table. I explained to the elders the difference between the simplified script version (suffix -266) for mainland China and the traditional script version (suffix -265) for Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries.

After going back to get some utensils I stopped at the cashier counter to ask her where she was from. She said southern China, near Hong Kong, so I figured she might read the traditional script. Those in southern China often read both kinds and speak both Cantonese and Mandarin. I think Cantonese was her main language.

When the cashier brought out our food, I made the presentation and offered her both styles of books. She chose the traditional script version. She also accepted the English version. She didn't stick around the table long enough to continue the conversation, but it seemed more like she was just busy than not interested.

However, after she got back behind the counter, when she got time, she did start reading the Chinese Book of Mormon, and talking with the cooks about it. The elder who was the senior companion had a good view, and was duly impressed that she was reading it.

We were the only customers there at the time, it being between the usual lunch and dinner hours. At some point I went back to the cashier counter and presented the Together Forever DVD (which has a Cantonese audio track, and Mandarin subtitles, but no Mandarin audio) and the Finding Happiness DVD which has both Cantonese and Mandarin language audio tracks.

(If you follow those links, please note that Together Forever is only $1.18 each in a case of 50, but $4.50 each in single quanitities. Finding Happiness is $4.50 each in single quantities, and $1.50 in a case of 50, but the discount is not advertised. If you add 50 to your cart, it will show the $1.50 price.)

Since she was reading it for a while, and there were no other customers, I should have suggested to the elders that they approach her and ask her if she wanted to learn more, and see if they could arrange an appointment. We'll have to go back for a follow up.