February 16, 2015

So this week I would like to share sort of a funny little story from which I learned a good lesson;)  On Saturday we went to Port Louis (which is the capitol and biggest city in Mauritius) to find a friend of one of the members while she was at work so that we could meet her and set up a lesson.  It went super well, she is very nice and seems quite interested.  Then we decided to eat in a little restaurant that sells pizzas and fried chicken.  We were waiting in line and a bus boy asked us if it was out first time and if we needed help.  I gave him sort of an incredulous look because he wasn’t in uniform so at first I didn’t even know that he worked there and I felt like fast food restaurants are pretty obvious things all you have to do is walk up and order so I wondered what his intentions were in offering help.  It was the 14 (Valentine’s Day) and so there was a promotion on the menu items.  I wanted a sesame chicken thing and Sister Thomas wanted a little pizza.  As we were ordering the boy at the cash register said that we could have a free pizza in buying a pizza and a free sesame chicken in buying the sesame chicken.  They were both the same price so we asked if we could buy the pizza and have the chicken free.  He said "No it doesn’t work like that" and at that point (I’m not exactly sure why at that moment sometimes it just happens) I became a bit sassy and told him that that was ridiculous.  If they are the same price there should be no problem, but he insisted that it didn’t work like that so I told him fine, we didn’t care and would take one chicken and a pizza and that they could keep their free food.  It is a funny feeling when I become uppity because it really wasn’t that big of a deal but I felt like they were being unreasonable and became unreasonable myself.  Sr. Thomas reflected more wisely and asked if we could take the free things home as take away and they said no problem and we went and sat down to wait.  It was at that moment that I felt a bit of shame creep into my heart for the way I’d reacted. 

Sr  Thomas laughed pretty hard at the little scene I’d created and I laughed a bit as well at how ridiculous we can be as humans.  The workers had all rested calm and super nice and so I wanted to apologize.  I did and they laughed and said it was fine.  The food was super tasty and they brought out the free pizza/chicken in boxes.  We sat next to a lady who had been to the hospital and was clearly very poor but who was full of smiles and laughter and were able to share our meal with her.  Then before she left we saw the bus boy come out with a little bag of food and give it to her quietly and my heart just felt full of emotion.  What a kind and humble person he is and how quickly I had judged him.  We have so much that we can learn from those around us and there are so many beautiful people in the world.  I am happy that that boy is my brother and that day he was a better representative of the Savior Jesus Christ than I was.  We humbled ourselves and asked him if he was croyant (believing) and if he would like to learn more another time about our message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and he said he would love to and normally we will see him again this week. 

So yes, life is full of funny moments and if we are willing we can learn so much even from little things:)

This past Sunday a less active member that we have visited a couple of times now came back to church for the first time in over ten years and brought his wife:)  I cannot tell you how that filled my heart with joy.  The best part was how excited he was to be there and the light in his face as he participated in Sunday school and wanted to know more:)

I love you all and hope that you have a great week!!!!!

Love,

Soeur Wilson