Missionary work

Ever since I started planning this trip I've been praying that God would give me missionary experiences to help bolster the work wherever I am. Today after church I went to the park to drink mate and study like I do every day. As I was walking back towards the house, I passed an old couple, and I noticed that the old man was wearing a shirt with the flag of Sardegna on it. I immediately stopped them and asked them if they were from Sardegna. I found out that the man was, but that his wife was French and that he had immigrated here when he was a young man. I had a great conversation with them (half in Italian, half in French because whatever I said to him I said in Italian but whatever I said to his wife I had to say in French) about the history of Sardegna and the culture, language, and people there. He taught me a few phrases in Sardo, which I really enjoyed.

I remembered that I had my Italian book of Mormon with me in my backpack, and I felt like I should try to give it to them. I was trying to find an excuse to pull it out of my bag and work it into the conversation. Finally the opportunity arose. They asked me if I had a girlfriend, and I seized the opportunity to pull my book of Mormon out of my bag and open it to the page where I keep a picture of Flor, which I showed them (they said that she looks just like a Sarda haha). Then, when it was in my hand, I started talking to them about it and offered it to them. They immediately declined it, so instead I offered them a picture of Jesus Christ (the famous portrait that's in all of the chapels.) This they accepted, and thanked me for it.

Even though they didn't accept the book of Mormon, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to offer it to them, because it benefited ME. Every time we do member missionary work, it's only half about the other person. WE grow personally and spiritually in a very important way every time we overcome the socially awkward stigma of not talking about religion with strangers, and we offer the gospel to others. Like my mission president always said, we need to give them the choice to accept or reject the gospel. If we decide we don't want to share it with them because "we know they're just going to say no anyways," then we're making that choice for them and not giving them the chance to exercise their agency. 

Anyways, Sardegna is awesome, and I'd love to go there someday. End of sermon.