French, Wolof at gas station. Mon, Nov 7, 2011.

11/7/2011. 1298. I was driving home, and there was a gas station on the corner on the other side of the street. I was planning on going straight through the intersection, but I received a strong prompting to stop at the gas station, so I checked to see that there was no traffic to the left and in back of me, and made a last-second left turn and pulled in.

I bought a cup of hot chocolate. The other cashier spoke with a heavy accent, so after I paid I went over to him and asked where he was from. He was from Senegal and spoke French and Wolof. I offered him some church material in French and Wolof, and he agreed to receive them.

I went out to my car and dug around a while, but I couldn't find a French Book of Mormon. But I did have a Wolof Gospel Fundamentals, a French Liahona magazine (the international edition of the Ensign), and a "Together Forever" DVD that has a French audio track. I went back in and present them to him, and he graciously accepted them. I mentioned that there were phone numbers in there (on the flyers) that he could call if he wanted more information.

English at gas station. Sat, Oct 1, 2011.

10/01/2011. 1296. As I was going back to my car at the gas station (see previous post), a young man asked me if I wanted to buy any movies. I assume he had them inside his jacket. I said no thanks, but I had a couple of movies I'd like to give him. I went to my car and got out a "Testaments" DVD and a "To This End Was I Born" DVD, and went back and presented them to him, and he accepted them.

French at gas station. Sat, Oct 1, 2011.

10/01/2011. 1295. Between conference sessions, on my way to lunch, I stopped at a gas station to visit a friend who worked there. He wasn't there, but the cashier on duty knew him, and told me when he'd be there.

The cashier was from Benin, and spoke French and Fon, and a couple other languages in addition to English. I was out of stock of the Fon Gospel Fundamentals, but I offered him a French Book of Mormon, and a multi-lingual "Together Forever" DVD which he gratefully accepted.

The next day, while at the chapel to watch conference, I gave a copy of the Fon translation of the Joseph Smith testimony pamphlet to the missionaries for that area, and asked them to deliver it.

Punjabi at gas station. Thu, Sep 1, 2011.

09/01/2011. 1292. Wow. It's been too long since my last placement attempt. Since the last blog entry, I've had a couple of missed opportunities that I didn't blog. It's too easy to get out of the habit, of offering people material, and of blogging.

Tonight I was on my way home from a friend's house and due to a road closure, I had to take a different way home than I normally do. I passed a gas station where I think I had offered/placed material a couple of years ago. Gas stations usually have some turnover of employees, so I figured it was time to try again.

I went in a bought a newspaper, and the two cashiers seemed South Asian (ie, from India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh).

I asked my cashier if he spoke Hindi or Punjabi, and he said Punjabi. I offered him a book in Punjabi from my church, and he agreed to receive it. I made sure he knew it was Christian material, and he was okay with that. So I went out to the car and retrieved a Punjabi copy of the Joseph Smith testimony. I wrote the phone number from the Book of Mormon pass along card (888-537-2200) on it, the local mission office number, and my name and number. I went back in and offered it to him, and he graciously and gratefully accepted it. The other cashier seemed interested too.

Hausa/Fulani at gas station. Tue, Jun 14, 2011.

06/14/2011. 1286. On the way home I stopped at a gas station. I have to give the Lord extra thanks for this one because I think this stop was prompted of the Spirit; I didn't really need anything. I went in and bought a newspaper. The cashier spoke with an accent, so I asked where he was from. He was from Niger. I asked what languages he spoke, and he said Hausa, Fulani, and French. I offered him the Sunday school manual (Gospel Fundamentals) from church in Hausa and Fulani, and he agreed to receive them. I said I might have them in the car, so I excused myself to go check. I did have the Hausa and Fulani Gospel Fundamentals, and the Hausa and Fulani Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet, so I brought them in and presented them to him. He gratefully accepted them. I also offered him the DVD "Together Forever" that has a French audio track, and he accepted that too.

I forgot to offer him a French Book of Mormon, so I'll have to go back and follow up.

French at gas station. Thu, Jun 2, 2011.

06/02/2011. 1283. I was on an errand to another part of town and stopped for gas at a gas station that I haven't been to in a while. I went in to pre-pay. The cashier spoke with an accent so, after paying I asked where he was from. He said Niger. I asked if he spoke a certain language from there, and he said no, but he did speak French, and another language that I hadn't heard of before.

I offered him a free book and video in French from church and he agreed to receive them. So after I put gas in the car, I brought back in a French Book of Mormon, and a DVD of "Together Forever" that has a French audio track.

There was no one in the check-out line when I went back in, so I presented the material to him and he gratefully received them. He said he had seen book before but hadn't read it. I didn't offer him an English copy, but I showed him the phone numbers on the flyer and card inside that he could call to get an English copy.

Punjabi at gas station. Sat, Apr 30, 2011.

04/30/2011. 1280. I was out of town on a trip and stopped to get gas. I paid at the pump, but went inside to buy something. The cashier was a native English-speaker, but a couple of other guys, who seemed to be the owners or managers, were behind the counter speaking a foreign language. They were leaving just as I was done, so I asked one of them if they spoke Punjabi (just a guess on my part.) He said yes, so I offered him some free material from church in Punjabi. He agreed to receive it, so I went back to my car and retrieved a Punjabi copy and an English copy of the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet. I wrote my name and number on the back of one of the pamphlets, and the 888-537-2200 central missionary number (from the Book of Mormon pass along card). He was going to his car, so he stopped near my car and I presented them to him.

I was all out of Punjabi Gospel Fundamentals; and the church distribution center was out of them too, last I checked.

Nepali at gas station. Fri, Apr 29, 2011.

04/29/2011. 1279. After gassing up the car, I went into the gas station to buy a newspaper. They were out, but they had some road maps that I needed.

As I paid for them, I noticed that the cashier spoke with an accent, and I asked him if he was from India. He said he was from Nepal. I asked if he still liked to read Nepali, and he said yes. So I offered a free book from church (Gospel Fundamentals) in Nepali, and he agreed to receive it.

I went out to my car and brought one back in. I was all out of English editions of Gospel Fundamentals. I also gave him a local info flyer with the chapel addresses on it, and one of my calling cards. He gratefully received them, and read the title out loud, saying it meant "Good News."

I mentioned that if he wanted to know more, he could call one of the phone numbers on the flyer, or call me. We chit chatted for a while about Nepal and then I was on my way.

HO LEE MACKERAL! Pohnpeian! At gas station.

03/09/2011. 1276. More amazing than this being a new language placement, is how it came about. Yes, the Lord does micro-manage sometimes. This situation was what I call a "double set up" which has been very rare in my experience. I was prompted to alter my itinerary to make an extra stop, which was a "timing loop" in order to put me at the right spot at the right time.

And, it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to see how the Lord made the other party get "lost" to put them in my back yard.

So I met this family at the gas station that's literally a stone's throw from my apartment. I was there to just buy a newspaper, but they were sold out. And then I dilly-dallied over the DVD rack, looking for a cheap movie, and chit-chatting with the cashier. Looking back, I don't know why I dilly-dallied.

But, I wouldn't have met this family if I hadn't followed the prompting to make the side trip to a grocery store on my way home from a previous errand.

And, get this: this family was lost. They were driving from somewhere in Michigan to Knoxville Tennessee, trying to find I-75. I figure they might have driven here on I-69. But we're over 100 miles from I-75 here. I-75 runs from Detroit Michigan, through Toledo Ohio, Dayton Ohio, Cincinnati Ohio, through Kentucky, then on down to Knoxville, TN.

Anyway, since I'm Mr. Friendly, I tried to help them out, but they didn't speak English very well. The person who spoke English the best in their group wasn't the one driving. They needed a map, but I couldn't find my maps in my car, and the gas station didn't have any state or regional maps, just a city map.

On a piece of paper the cashier gave us, I wrote some simple directions to get them back on I-75 via Cincinnati. They could take I-74 from Indianapolis to Cincinnati. But I forgot what the loop around Cincinnati is called.

I offered to speak in Spanish, but when I asked if they spoke Spanish, they said no, they're from Micronesia, and speak Micronesian.

While I was digging around my car, I queried them further, and told them the church has free books in several Micronesian dialects, and I rattled off a couple names. Finally the lady told me they speak Pohnpeian, and they're from Pohnpei. Gulp.

I then realized this was a "double set up". The Lord got them lost on purpose, took them 100 miles out of their way, so they could get a Book of Mormon in their language, and my copy was probably the closest one to I-75 along their route.

Would you drive 100 miles out of your way to get a Book of Mormon, if you realized it's importance? Would you drive 100 miles to deliver one? The Lord sends missionaries clear across the world to deliver the Book of Mormon, so why not send a family 100 miles?

I don't keep a Pohnpeian copy in the car, because it's so rare.

But, remember, we're a stone's throw from my apartment, where I did have one. And that's probably why this "divine appointment" happened right next to where I live.

Anyways, what these people needed at the moment was a map, and I had some fresh meat and frozen vegetables from the grocery that I had to get to my fridge/freezer quickly.

I asked them to wait for me, and I'd run home real quick and get them a map and the free Pohnpeian book. I gave the lady my card and said she could call me if I took too long.

I also realized they were going to need help getting back to the I-465 loop, which would not be the way they came. Due to the unfamiliar surroundings, their lack of English, it would be best for them to have me lead them to the Interstate.

So first I went home and put the food in the fridge/freezer, and I still couldn't find my state and regional road maps at home. (Note to self: need to buy new ones.) I went to my "ready" shelf and looked for the Pohnpeian Book of Mormon. Hoo-boy, it was there.

So I high-tailed back to the gas station, and they were still waiting for me. Everyone was back in their car, and the lady I spoke with was in back, and two men were in the front seats. The passenger side guy rolled down his window, so I talked to him. I got the impression that the men didn't speak English very well. He pulled out an Ohio road map. I found Cincinnati. If they could get from here to Cincinnati, they could then get on I-75, and once on I-75 they would have a straight shot to Knoxville.

I added Indianapolis to the side of the map, and used my pen to mark the route taking them from I-74 to I-275 (the loop around Cincinnati), then to I-75, then I-75 south. I asked the lady for the paper I wrote on earlier, and I make a small correction to include the I-275 loop in Cincinnati.

I told them I'd lead them to Interstate 465 in my car, and they could follow me. I said that when we got there, I'd pull over to the side of the entrance and wave them on. They understood, and followed me there, and that's what we did.

It's been over three and a half hours between the time that all happened and when I now type this in, and I'm still trembling.

As I write this, I realize there are at least four other open gas stations between the nearest interestate and "my" gas station here on my corner. They didn't stop at those other gas stations after they got off the interstate, they stopped at mine. ("Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." -Humphrey Bogart.)

In fact, think of how many other Interstate exits and gas stations there are between here and I-75 (100 miles away in Ohio) where they could have stopped for directions. And they stopped at the one next door to the guy who had the Pohnpeian Book of Mormon, and he just happened to be at that gas station getting ready to walk out the door. (Oh, Lord, I'm not worthy of any of this. "I know, I know. So get yourself worthy.")

Pohnpeian, at the gas station on the corner..., a family driving from Michigan to Tennessee, who should have been in Ohio, gets lost in Indiana, gets off the Interstate in Indianapolis, bypasses four other gas stations, and finally decides to ask directions at the gas station next door to me, and I happen to be there at that particular time soley because the Holy Ghost told me to make a side trip to a grocery store on my way home.

And I thought I failed because I didn't meet anyone at the grocery store.

I don't know whether to break down in tears or jump for joy.

How marvelous are the ways of the Lord.

Burmese and Hindi at gas station. Thu, Mar 3, 2011

03/03/2011. 1273. While on a shopping trip, I stopped by a gas station where my Marathi-speaking Indian friend works. He was recently transfered to this gas station when the owner closed the old gas station where he worked.

He wasn't there. I bought some soft-drinks and the cashier on duty spoke with a cool accent, so I asked where he was from. He said Burma. He was multi-lingual, speaking and reading Burmese, Nepali, Hindi, and English. I offered him some free books from church in Burmese and Hindi, and he agreed to receive them. I pointed out that they were Christian material, and he was okay with that.

After I paid for my stuff, I took it out to the car and retrieved a Burmese Gospel Fundamentals, a Hindi Book of Mormon and an English Book of Mormon.

I went back in and presented the Burmese Gospel Fundamentals and he read the title. Another customer came up to the cash register at that point, so I let him go ahead, since I didn't want to interrupt anyone's business. After the cashier took care of him, I presented the Hindi and English copies of the Book of Mormon. He seemed genuinely grateful and interested.

I also pointed out the flyers inside listing the local contact information, and gave him a personal calling card with my name and number

Twi at gas station. Tues, Feb 22, 2011.

02/22/2011. 1272. On the other side of town, and on the way home I stopped at a gas station. I've made several stops and several placements here before. Tonight the cashier was someone I hadn't seen before. He was from Ghana and spoke Twi. He was interested in a free Twi book from church, so I brought in a Twi and an English Book of Mormon. He recognized them, and he said he already had a copy of the English, but not the Twi. He did accept the Twi, but was not too excited about it. He wasn't negative, but more like "meh..., ok."

I also gave him the name and number of the guy in my ward from Ghana who joined the church in 2009.

Joy to the World DVD at gas station. Mon, Jan 24, 2011.

01/24/2011. 1269. I made a large purchase at a gas station, but I was about 40 cents short. I asked the cashier to take off an item, but she gave me the 40 cents out of her own pocket. I thought of how I could return the favor, and thought of a DVD. So I retrieved a "Joy to the World" DVD from the car and went back in and presented it to her, and she graciously and enthusiastically accepted it.

Fon at gas station. Tue, Jan 18, 2010.

01/18/2010. 1268. I stopped at the nearby gas station to see my Marathi friend, but another cashier was on duty. He was speaking French on his cell phone. So after I asked about my friend, I asked where he was from, and he said Benin. He spoke English, French, and Fon. I offered him a copy of Gospel Fundamentals in Fon, and he agreed to receive it, so I retrieved it and a copy of the Joseph Smith Testimony in Fon from my car.

When he saw it, he was very enthusiastic and grateful for it. For some reason I decided not to offer a French Book of Mormon.

01/18/2010. Journal Entry. Later in the day, on my way back home, I stopped there again, and gave Marathi and English copies of Gospel Fundamentals to the other guy.

Follow-up, Marathi NT, gas station. Mon, Jan 3, 2011.

01/03/2011. Follow-up. I've known this guy who works at a gas station for a few years. His gas station is just a few minutes from my home. I've given him material before, but I always thought he was Hindu. I always assumed it. Well, he finally specifically said something, and said he was Christian. Wow. What a reminder not to assume. His main language is Marathi, and second language is Hindi.

Anyway, I thought I had a Marathi Bible or New Testament, so I offered it, and he accepted. I didn't have it in the car, but I came back on this date to give him the Marathi New Testament.

He had actually came to visit our church during sacrament meeting yesterday, Sun, Jan 2, 2011. He couldn't stay for more Sunday School since he had to get to work.

French/Wolof at gas station. Tue, Dec 21, 2010.

12/21/2010. Missed op? - I was on the other side of town running errands. As I turned at an intersection, I felt inspired to stop at a drug store next to a gas station. I bought something. Nothing happened at the drug store, but maybe I was supposed to talk to the cashier. She had a bright and shiny look to her, like she knew the Savior. Later I thought that I could have asked her what church she went to, and if she asked why I asked, I could have said something like "You have a glow or shine to you that says you know Jesus." Some may think that's weird, but I'm sure it was true.

12/21/2010. 1265. Before I got back in my car, I felt inspired to stop at the gas station next door, so I walked over there, and bought something. One of the employees looked African, but he was busy, so I asked the cashier if she knew where he was from, and she said Senegal. So I went out to my car and retrieved Wolof copies of Gospel Fundamentals and the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet, a French Book of Mormon, and a "Together Forever" DVD that has a french audio track. I forget if I included English copies of the books as well.

When I went back in, the Senegalese employee was accessible so I struck up a conversation with him by asking if he spoke French and Wolof, and he did. I offered the material and he very graciously and gratefully accepted it all.

Spanish at restaurant. Thu, Nov 11, 2010.

11/11/2010. Journal entry. I took the ward's two full-time missionaries to a local Mexican restaurant. During our meal we put a Spanish paperback Bible and a Spanish Book of Mormon on the table. Our waiter saw them and commented on them on his next trip to the table. One of the missionaries offered them to him. At first he was only going to take the Bible, but then he took the Book of Mormon too.

Afterwards, we went to a nearby gas station, and while I gassed up the car, I gave the elders a few dollars to go in and buy something, and look for an opportunity for a contact, possibly with a pass-along card. Then I went in and bought a newspaper, and saw the elder in front of me give a pass-along card to the cashier after he paid for his snacks. She seemed interested in it too.

English x2 at gas station. Tue, Sep 14, 2010.

09/14/2010. 1251. This one was weird, but I thought, and still do, that the encounter was prompted of the Spirit.

I was on the other side of town and headed towards home. As I came up to a gas station on one of the major streets, I felt prompted of the Spirit to stop there. I didn't really need anything, but I bought a canned beverage.

The lady ahead of me in the check-out line was short of money, and she turned around and asked me for 75 cents. That was weird. I wasn't thrilled about helping someone buy cigarettes, but I decided to give her what I could. I checked my change and only had 50 cents to spare, so that's what I gave to her. I didn't have any one's either.

I didn't follow what happened, but I think the cashier let the remaining 25 cents slide. It then dawned on me that I could use the situation to offer her church material, so before she left I said to her that I had a favor to ask of her.

Hey, I did her a favor, so why not ask for a favor in return, right? I said I had something from church that I'd like to give her, and I asked her to wait outside for me. She said okay.

So I paid the cashier for my stuff, and went out, and she was waiting. I asked her if she'd like a free Bible, and she said sure and that she needed one. So I went to my car and got out an English Bible, an English Book of Mormon, a couple of DVDs, and went back over to her and presented them to her, and she gratefully accepted them. I actually gave one of the DVDs to her companion who was waiting in their car. Her companion asked for a Bible too, so I went back to my car and got another Bible and Book of Mormon for her, and she accepted them.

I pointed out the information flyers in them, and said they could call the 800 number and have lady missionaries visit them if they wanted, and told them where the nearest chapel was.

Overall, it was a pretty good encounter, and I think they were genuinely interested. This isn't the first time that someone asked for spare change, and it turned into an opportunity to share the scriptures. Granted, sometimes people in these situations might just accept the material to be nice to a benefactor. But these ladies responded with what looked to me like genuine interest.

Mormon parents spend $400/month so their children can have missionary opportunities on their mission. Therefore, giving spare change, or even a few dollars seems worthwhile if it can create a sharing opportunity.

Yoruba at gas station. Fri, Sep 3, 2010.

9/3/2010. 1250. I stopped at a gas station for a soda and a snack. There was a taxi in one of the parking spaces, with the driver inside the taxi. When I came back out here was still there. I ate my snack at my car, and the taxi driver was still there, so I decided to go over and see if he wanted something from the church. I looked like he might be from Africa.

I asked him if he spoke French, and he said no. I said I thought he might be one of the many taxi drivers from Africa. He said he was from Africa, but spoke English. I asked which country, and he said Nigeria. I asked him if he was Yoruba or Igbo. He said Yoruba.

I said my church has a free book in several African languages, the Book of Mormon, and asked if he'd like to see one in Yoruba. He said sure. In fact, he was very excited and pleased. I said I'd get one from my car and return.

You should have seen the look on his face when he saw the title. Not only did he want something to read in Yoruba, but he had been looking for a copy of the Book of Mormon too. Before I even asked if he wanted the English copy, he asked if I had an English copy. So I gave him that one too.

He was a really cool guy, and said that my offer was an answer to his prayer. I understood that he's either a pastor or some kind of lay minister in his church. We continued to chat for a while, and I pointed out the list of local LDS chapels and my calling card in the books.

I also offered him a couple videos, which he accepted too. I gave him "Intro to the Church" and "Joy to the World."

It was a very pleasant encounter.

English at gas station. Thu, Aug 12, 2010.

08/12/2010. 1247. I was on a trip in a nearby town (see previous entry), heading back towards home, and I stopped to refuel at a convenient gas station along the right side of the main road back to the Interstate highway. The cashiers weren't immigrants and I did not offer them any gospel material.

As I was about to pull back onto the main road, I believe the Spirit indicated I should go to another gas station on the other side of the street. So instead of turning at the light, crossed the street and went to that gas station. I bought something to drink, and after paying I was the only one in line, so talking to the cashier would not delay any other customers.

I said to him that I liked to give out Bibles, and asked if he would like a free Bible. He did not show any sign of annoyance, but politely declined. I then asked if he'd like a free Book of Mormon. He asked what that was as if he had never heard of it before. I said that at our church we use both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, that we believe in both. He asked what church and I said the name of the church. He thought about it a few seconds, then casually said "okay." I said I'd get it from the car, and be back. So I got one from the car, and went back in and got in line, and presented it to him. I said that if he wanted any more information or had questions, that he could call one of the numbers in the book. In the book I had placed a church Book of Mormon pass-along card, one of my custom pass-along cards, and my personal calling cards.

I am very grateful for that opportunity; grateful to the Lord, and to the gentleman at the cash register.

Punjabi at gas station. Thu, July 1, 2010.

07/01/2010. 1245. I stopped to get gas at the beginning of my trip back home. The cashier was from India, and spoke/read Hindi and Punjabi. He accepted my offer of a Hindi Book of Mormon, but said he already had the English edition that someone else had given him. I had one Punjabi copy of the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet left in the car, so I got that one and gave it to him too. He was very pleased to receive the material and indicated he would share it with another family member.