Telugu x 2 at gas station. Tue, Aug 26, 2008.

08/26/2008. 1059. I stopped by a nearby gas station to speak with one of the men to whom I had previously given a Telugu Book of Mormon. He had two new Telugu-speaking people with him visiting today, but they were not employees there.

The other station employee to whom I had given Telugu, Hindi and English copies on that first visit, only spoke Telugu, he didn't read it, though he did read Hindi. That guy had given the Telugu Book of Mormon to the first guy, and today, during this visit, we gave that extra Telugu Book of Mormon, and an English one to one of the new Telugu guys. And I gave a third Telugu and English Book of Mormon to the other new Telugu guy.

We were talking about how they could get some decent jobs, and the possibility of them going to Louisiana came up. The third guy lived there a while back, and wanted to take a bus back there, but didn't know how to get to the bus station in Indianapolis or how to purchase a ticket.

Since I was going to the South side of Indy today, it wouldn't be too much trouble for me to stop at the bus station downtown, and help this guy. So I told him I would be back in half an hour and would take him. The first man had mentioned the possibility of this, so I had looked up the fare and schedule on the Internet, and he could catch a bus this evening, and make it there in 19 hours.

So I went back and he was ready, and we went downtown. I wrote a note and signed his Telugu Book of Mormon for him. He offered me $2 for my trouble in taking him, and I tried to refuse it, but he insisted. I learned as a missionary to not refuse such things from people, so as not to deny them their blessing, or their dignity in paying for something. After I politely declined his $2 a couple times, he kept insisting, so I finally accepted it.

During the drive, we listened to my CD of flute music by Hariprasad Chaurasia.

I didn't know how long it was going to take, and most street parking is limited to 20 or 30 minutes, so I parked in a parking garage a couple blocks away.

I helped him purchase his ticket, and the counter agent patiently explained at what cities he would have to change buses, and that he had to get his own luggage off the old bus and get it onto the new bus.

I tried to buy him some food at the bus station, but he refused. He was very grateful for the help.

So by 4:00pm tomorrow, there will be an additional Telugu Book of Mormon in Louisiana.

While helping him, I remembered the many kindnesses that Ecuadorians showed my companions and I when I was a missionary, and a stanger in a strange land.