Captain Swish@_captainswish
In the middle of my walk, silently reciting the Jesus prayer with my prayer rope, I was approached by three Mormon missionaries. They greeted me with big, but tired smiles, and after greeting me they quickly asked what my relationship with Jesus Christ was like.
I told them I’m working it out. They asked me how? I said with fear and trembling.
They didn’t really know what to say for a bit, but began reciting the script they’d been trained on to invite me to their service tomorrow. I kindly thanked them for the offer, especially for breaking through the barrier of ‘stranger’ to invite me to what they perceived as the start of my salvation, but having recently gone to confession at this evenings vespers, I told them I could not, because tomorrow I would be in communion with my lord and savior Jesus Christ - an appointment that’s kinda hard to miss.
The interesting part is this: at vespers this afternoon, I also approached my priest about a small booklet I made, created from a single sheet of printer paper bisected into 8 pieces. I had planned to make these books and hand them out, along with sandwiches, to the homeless in DC.
After vespers, I realized I didn’t have a stapler, so I decided to grab my prayer rope and walk to staples to buy one, and then go on a walk in silent prayer after. I brought six booklets with me because I was so excited to staple them.
I met those three missionaries right after stapling those books together in the staples parking lot, on my way to the trail.
After our conversation, I asked if they’d be interested in a few of these booklets/ and they all said yes and graciously accepted them. Glory to Jesus Christ.
Do I think these booklets will make them convert to orthodoxy? Goodness no. That’s not even what they’re for. Heres what I do hope: that for at least one of them, the Lord will count our interaction at least as the smallest in a series of events that will bring them to the Church - whether that’s tomorrow or 20 years from now.
In any event, I found the series of events to be more convenient than a common, everyday coincidence.
Note: sorry, the pamphlet is not in order. It’s Christ as the cover, Helpful Information next, then the two verses, then orthodox prayers, then the Jesus prayer, then the explanation of the sign of the cross, then the funny drawing of the sign of the cross that I found online, then the theotokos facing outwards as the back of the booklet - so that if you fold it backwards, it becomes like a little diptych.
