Road Trip. Tue, Nov 24, 2009.

Road trip, on the way back from Florida.

11/24/2009. 1227. Punjabi and English Gospel Fundamentals. Bought chicken sandwich and two cans of soda. Had to drive a ways off interstate to find. Inspired stop.

11/24/2009. 1228. Another exit. Chinese declined at restaurant. But young man was interested in taking ESL class. Inspired stop.

11/24/2009. 1229. Same exit as before, just next door at the grocery store. Borrowed a phone book at the service desk. Another customer spoke with an accent. I struck up a conversation with him, and offered him a Swahili Book of Mormon, but he declined.

11/24/2009. Journal entry. Missed opportunity. I felt inspired to stop at a particular store, but didn't offer anything to the English-speaking cashier/owner.

11/24/2009. 1230. Vietnamese declined. I forget where this was, or what this one was about.

11/24/2009. 1231. An Indian couple at a gas station spoke Gujerati, gave them a pass-along card and suggested calling for Hindi. They spoke of a group of Telugu-owned stores in Atlanta.

11/24/2009. Journal entry. Missed op. Stopped at an Hispanic grocery store, and I didn't make any offers.

11/24/2009. Journal entry. Missed op. Saw a laundromat near the grocery store and thought of going there. I had only 2 days of laundry to do, and I talked myself out of it, wanting to get back home that night. But a guilty feeling later made me realize I should have gone there.

11/24/2009. Journal entry. Gas station. I thought it was inspired but nothing happened. (Several cats were on the property.)

11/25/2009. 1232. Just past midnight at a gas station near Cincinnati, I bought something and offered some DVDs to one or more ladies behind the counter, and she/they accepted them. I think I gave them a Mr. Krueger's Christmas DVD, and a Joy to the World DVD.

Vietnamese declined, at restaurant. Tue, Nov 4, 2008.

11/04/2008. 1081. I offered my waitress a Vietnamese Book of Mormon and she politely declined.

Various. Road Trip Day 1. Mon, Jan 14, 2008.

01/14/2008. Hopefully, I'll get around to fleshing this out when I get more time.

Since I flew down, and drove back, I could only take so many books in my checked baggage, and I didn't have the normal complement of inventory in my car.

941. Spanish. "Together Forever" DVD to fellow diner at a Chinese restaurant. He was from Guatemala.

942. Simplified Chinese and English Book of Mormon to cook at Chinese restaurant. Cashier/waitress declined, but cook later asked to see.

943. Vietnamese declined. Cold call at Vietnamese-owned nail salon.

944. Vietnamese declined. Cold call at Vietnamese-owned nail salon.

945. Korean. "Our Heavenly Father's Plan" DVD, at service place along turnpike. Two Korean ladies parked right next to me as I was getting out of my car.

946. Turkish/English copies of Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet, and English Book of Mormon, at a mom-and-pop restaurant. 1 Nephi 4:6

947. French/Haitian Creole/English copies of Book of Mormon at an international grocery store.

948. Twi and English copies of Book of Mormon at gas station.

949. One Traditional script Chinese, one Simplified script Chinese, and two English copies of the Book of Mormon at a Chinese restaurant. Cashier's sister is a member of the church.

950. At a gas station. Hindi/English copies of the Book of Mormon. Hindi Liahona. Punjabi Gospel Fundamentals. Punjabi/English Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlets. Punjabi man knows someone in Indianapolis.

Journal Entry. Missed opportunity with a Spanish-speaking couple at a McDonalds.

951. Bengali Book of Mormon (no english) at gas station at exit where I stayed the night.

Vietnamese declined at restaurant. Fri, Aug 10, 2007.

08/10/2007. 861. On the way to an evening meeting, I stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant that I haven't eaten at before. I was reading an English technical manual, but I also put a couple copies of the Liahona magazine, one Vietnamese and one English, on the table. When the waitress came to clear my plates, I offered her the Vietnamese magazine, but she politely declined.

Vietnamese declined. Thu, May 17, 2007.

05/17/2007. 823. I was working out at a fitness center on a treadmill. A young Asian man got on the treadmill and we struck up a conversation. He's originally from Vietnam. We talked a bit about Vietnam, a local Vietnam veterans group, and some local Vietnamese restaurants. I eventually offered him a Vietnamese Book of Mormon, but he politely declined. I did give him my calling card with my name/phone/email, and also the web site and the phone # for the local Vietnam Veterans group in case his father, who also lives in town, would be interested in visiting with them, or speaking at one of their meetings.

Vietnamese declined. Thu, Jan 25, 2007.

01/25/2007. 785. I had supper at a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant that I haven't been to before. It's not far from where I now live. The restaurant's name is Vietnamese, so I assumed that the owners/operators were Vietnamese. I asked, and the cashier/waitress confirmed she was from Vietnam.

I ordered and sat down, and put out a Vietnamese Liahona and Book of Mormon, and an English Liahona and Book of Mormon. When she brought my meal I asked if she liked to read in Vietnamese, but it seemed like she didn't understand. I offered her the Vietnamese Liahona, the November 2006 issue that has a painting of Christ and a child on the front. She looked at the cover, and humbly shook her head and said "no thanks."

The food was really good, so I plan on eating there again.

I haven't had much (if any) success at placing material at Vietnamese restaurants. So I was not surprised, and only slightly disappointed, that she turned me down. The Vietnamese folks I've met at restaurants have been either Buddhist, and aren't interested in Christian material, or they've been Catholics who think Mormons aren't Christian.

But a note to anyone who wants to try this: Sisters in the church have reported to me that they have had success placing Vietnamese/English Books of Mormon at Vietnamese owned nail salons.