Ewe, French, at store. Sat, Nov 12, 2011.

11/12/2011. 1300. I was at a checkout counter of a large national chain. The cashier had a name tag indicating an African name, and he spoke with an accent. I asked if he spoke French (Parlez vous francais?), and he said yes, and asked how I guessed. I said because of his name-tag and his accent, and many African speak French.

He was from Togo, so I asked if he knew so-and-so, the guy from Togo (and Ghana) who joined the church in our ward a couple years ago. And he did know him and his family.

We talked about languages and church material, and he was open to receiving something. So after paying I went out to my car and retrieved a couple DVD's, and Ewe and English copies of the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet. I went back in and presented them to him (there was no one in his check-out line at the time). He was pleasantly surprised to see the Ewe pamphlet, and he graciously accepted the material.

Ewe at investigator's. Wed, Apr 15, 2009.

04/15/2009. 1133. I was accompanying our ward's missionaries as they were teaching a family from Africa. A friend of the family stopped by for a moment, and during a short conversation he said he knew someone who was a member. I asked if the member had given him anything from the church, and he said no. I offered him a pamphlet in Ewe (his language) that described a little how the church was started (the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet), and he agreed to receive it.

On his way out, I accompanied him and retrieved a copy from my car and presented it to him before he left, and he politely accepted it.

Ewe investigator to YSA FHE. Mon, Dec 22, 2008

12/22/2008. Follow-up. In order to take the 18 year old female investigator to the YSA (Young Single Adult) branch's Family Home Evening (FHE), I needed another member to chaperone to make it all proper. During the day, I telephoned and invited a 40-ish single member who lives in the same apartment complex as I do, to accompany me. She wasn't able to make it, but suggested her 18 year old daughter go, as her daughter has been bored lately. The daughter is still in high-school, and part of the YW (Young Women) program at our ward, and hasn't been to the YSA branch before.

The investigator lives just a few minutes from us, so I figured it should all be kosher. I would have preferred someone older to go with me, but as long as there were three of us it was cool, and it probably made the investigator feel better to have someone her own age to go with too.

I had some car problems before we started, so we got to the FHE late after the lesson portion, and they were just starting to set up for volleyball.

We walked in, and I introduced the member and the investigator to three of the branch members who were in the foyer. They all went into the gym ("cultural hall" in Mormon-speak), and I went over to the nearby gas station and bought newspaper, soda, and a sandwhich to nosh on and a newspaper to read in the chapel kitchen while they had fun playing volleyball.

Later on, on the ride home, the young member seemed to have gotten the most out of it, and her attitude seemed to have rejuvenated. The investigator seemed happy about the event, but she was pretty reserved, and was still probably overwhelmed just being in the US.

I gave the girls my cell phone for them to call home and tell their families that they were on their way home.

Investigators, Ewe. Sun, Dec 21, 2008

12/21/2008. Follow-up. The man for whom I printed an Ewe New Testament, and his grand-daughter came to church today. They came last week too, but I didn't make it to church last week. They seemed to enjoy the investigators' Sunday School class (Gospel Essentials) taught by one of the missionaries.

The grand-daughter is 18 so I invited her to the Family Home Evening at the YSA (Young Single Adult) branch for tomorrow night, hoping to find a chaperone to accompany us so I could give her a ride. She's been in the United States only a couple months, and hasn't made friends her own age yet, or enrolled in any school, so I figured it would be good for her to meet people her age in a nice setting.

They've also had at least one visit and gospel lesson presentation from the full-time missionaries who delivered the Ewe New Testament.

Next installment in the the story here.

Follow-up, Ewe. Fri, Dec 5, 2008.

12/05/2008. Follow-up. I received a phone call from a man with whom I spoke while in line at a Kroger grocery store over a year ago. I forget what all I gave him back then. On the phone, he said he was looking for an Ewe bible. I said I'd try to help him out, and get back with him. He gave me his name and address.

I found an Ewe New Testament online here as 27 PDF files. There does seem to be a print version in existence, but it was not available.

There is also a free audio Bible in Ewe, but the distributor wants you to install their special software in order to download it. I'm very skeptical of that, and don't want to install that kind of software out of fear it may contain a computer virus. You should not have to install special software in order to download an audio or MP3 file. Something's fishy there.

So I downloaded the PDF files. They are double-spaced, and not efficiently typeset, as they are intended for reading on a computer, not for printing out. Printing them out would be over 800 pages. Even duplexing (double-sided printing) would be 400 sheets of paper.

So I decided they needed to be "two up" and duplexed, which would reduce it to 200 sheets of paper. The paper would be held to be read in landscape mode, with 2 virtual pages on each side of the sheet, and printing on both sides of the sheet.

I first went to Staples, and they said they could not reformat it for me, that they could only print it as it was in the file. The best they could do would be double-sided printing, and get it down to 400 sheets.

Later, I decided to go to FedEx Kinko's and see if their printers were smart enough to be set to do "2 up" printing (and duplexing) without having to reformat the files.

I was helped by a very knowledgeable customer-service rep at a 24-hour store, and he was able to do it. So we got it down to a little over 200 pages, I 3-hole punched it, and bought a binder.

On the way home, I stopped at the missionaries apartment. The man's address was in our ward. I gave the missionaries the Ewe New Testament printout, a CD with the Ewe New Testament PDF files on it, an Ewe copy of the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet, Twi and English copies of the Book of Mormon.

The next day, I got a call back from the missionaries reporting that they met with the man, gave him the material, and had scheduled an appointment to meet with him again.

More follow-up here.

French, German, Ewe at gas station. Wed, Aug 1, 2007.

08/01/2007. 857. I stopped at a gas station to buy some gas and soda pop. The cashier was from a country in Western Africa. He spoke English, French, German, and Ewe. I offered him church materials in those languages and he accepted, and specifically asked for a French Bible. I gave him a French New Testament, and French, English and German copies of the Book of Mormon. I was out of Ewe translations of the Joseph Smith Testimony, but I have some back home, and I said I'd drop some off at his gas station later in the week.

Twi, Ewe at grocery store. Thu, Apr 12, 2007.

04/12/2007. 812. I was at the grocery store late in the evening. The man behind me had only two items, and I had at least a dozen. There was only one check-out lane open. I suggested to the man that he go ahead of me. He deferred to me, but I insisted he go ahead. It wasn't until he paid the cashier and said something that I detected the accent in his voice. I should have picked up earlier on his dress that he was from Afria, and was not African-American.

As the cashier started to ring up my purchases, I engaged him in conversation, asking where he was from, and what languages he spoke. He said he was from Ghana and Togo. When I asked if he spoke Twi, he was surprised and asked how I knew about Twi. I said there were many Ghanaians in Indianapolis. He spoke Engish, French, Twi, Ewe, and one or two others that I didn't recognize. I offered him books from church in those languages if he would wait for me, and he agreed.

We went out to my car, and I gave him Twi and English copies of the Book of Mormon, a Twi Bible, and Ewe and English copies of the Joseph Smith Testimony.

I forgot to give him a French Book of Mormon. I searched the car for a French New Testament, but I didn't have any in the car, though I knew I had some more at home. I showed him my phone number in the material with the books, and asked him to call me, and I'd arrange to get him a French New Testament.

He could have been in his 50's or 60's. When I talked to him face-to-face, I could see the ravages of a hard life in his face and eyes. He was a dignified and humble man. It is hard to be dignified and humble at the same time, but this man was one of the few whom I've met that are both. It was a real honor to meet someone like him, and to be able to give him material in the languages of his homeland. We spoke a little in French. I look forward to his phone call, and getting him a French New Testament and a French Book of Mormon.

He lives close enough, and is in my ward, that I could pick him up and take him to church if he doesn't already have a church to go to. But I didn't think of inviting him until I got home. I hope he calls and that I remember to invite him.

I haven't had as many of these serendipitous meetings with immigrants since moving, so meeting him was all the more special. In addition to that warm glow of humility, kindness, gentleness, and dignity that he radiated, traces of past hardships and horror were written on his face and eyes. God has blessed him by bringing him to this land of peace and freedom. What an honor if I am permitted to introduce him to more of God's blessings.

Follow up here.