Monday, May 31, 2010

Chinese at restaurant, Mon, May 31, 2010.

05/31/2010. 1240. I helped a ward family move this morning. For lunch, I planned on going to a friend's restaurant located in that general direction, but farther out of town. I noticed this Chinese restaurant on the way to the friend's restaurant, and wondered if I had been there before or if it was new.

The friend's restaurant was closed for Memorial day, so I headed back to town, and stopped at the Chinese place for lunch.

I ordered at the counter and sat down and put the two kinds of Chinese copies of the Book of Mormon, along with an English copy on my table. When the waitress/owner brought my food she didn't react to seeing the books.

After I was finished eating, I went back to the counter to buy another soda (for the road) which I bought from the husband/cook. I offered him the Chinese copy which he accepted, and he also accepted the English copy. He quickly flipped through the Chinese copy, before going towards the back and saying something to his wife in Chinese. He wasn't overly enthusiastic, but seemed genuinely grateful.

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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Missed opportunity. Tue, May 11, 2010

05/11/2010. Journal Entry. I was shopping at a store and saw a family that appeared to be Southeast Asian. They sounded like they were speaking Vietnamese. I could have waited a bit and got in line behind them, or waited outside in order to strike up a conversation, but I chickened out.

I'm out of practice.

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Sunday, May 09, 2010

Lunch at neighboring church, Sun, May 9, 2010.

05/09/2010. 1239. My affinity for ethnic food led me to stop, on my way to our chapel, at a church whose congregation consists mainly of people from a certain other country. I first went there back in April to see if they served a post-services meal like a friend's church did. They did, and they gave me an open invitation to come back. So today I stopped by their church on the way to our Sunday meetings.

Today I arrived in the middle of their services and sat in their chapel. Someone loaned me an English Bible, and another person handed me their hymn-book.

After the service I was greeted warmly. (Probably better than walk-ins are greeted in our ward.) They did have an after-service meal planned. I said my church's services didn't start until 1:00pm, and I asked if I could eat with them if I made a donation. They said I was welcome to stay and partake, and didn't have to pay anything, and they asked which church I go to, so I told them.

I gave the pastor an envelope with a few dollars in it because I didn't want to be a mooch; he said it wasn't necessary, but I insisted. I also gave him a "Lamb of God" videotape in their language. It's pretty generic and is not proselyting oriented or specific to any beliefs that are uniquely LDS. I also offered him a Liahona magazine in their language.

Their food was pretty much along the lines of other meals that I've had at similar churches. I liked it. I sat at a table with several other men, and talked with the pastor and another gentlemen. The pastor had visited LDS services when he was a youth in his home country. He repeated his invitation to come back any time.

I think I'll go back.

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