Tuesday, February 21, 2006

of being unaware...

Today I discovered something new. I went to a nearby conbini (convince store) to pay a bill I needed to pay. I went to one I don't go to as often because it's a bit farther away and I don't really like the food as much there. But I needed to get some more cash to pay the bill (yes, I pay all my bills in cash, that's the way things are done here) so I needed to go to that store because it had the ATM for my bank. But I've gone there often enough for the clerks to recognize me. Now most clerks I'm sure know who I am, but most don't bother to small talk with me. But at this particular store is a younger girl who speaks English. She has gotten up her nerve to start some conversations with me. Well, I don't really put so much thought into encounters like this, and so I easily forget them. But apparently I haven't been there while she's been working in a while, so when I went in today, she seemed really glad to see me. She told me she had been worried about me and wondered if I had already gone back to my country. This made me realize that here is a perfect opportunity for me to reach out to a new person. I should be more aware of the people I can impact, even while doing mundane things like shopping or paying bills. So now, I think I need to go to that conbini more often. I'm thinking I might invite the girl out to dinner sometime or something. We'll see what happens. I should learn her name. LOL.

Experiences like this make me realize how much that ministry is not just limited to the people at my church or school. I can create many ministry opportunities just by living my everyday life. Just speaking English and I guess looking non-threatening enough to talk to, can open many opportunities to make more friends and build relationships. How amazing is that?

Today was a nice day of rest. I slept in, which was wonderful. Then I did some work on the computer and actually went grocery shopping. I also studied Japanese. I'm pretty happy about the day. It's definitely been interesting day.

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