Bread, Milk, and Truth

Early in our marriage, my wife and I operated a small neighborhood shop (known as a dairy in New Zealand) while I studied architecture at Auckland University. Soon after we joined the Church, we decided to close our shop on Sundays and stop selling cigarettes, tobacco, coffee, and tea. We also decided to share our testimonies whenever we felt prompted by the Holy Ghost.

I found the evenings were the best time to share the gospel with customers. I would study my university assignments in a small room adjacent to the shop, and each time the bell rang I would seek the Spirit’s guidance about whether I should be friendly about religion with whoever had entered the shop.

On one occasion I felt prompted to speak to a young man who I later learned was from Fiji. I opened the conversation with generalities and then asked him which faith he belonged to, and he began to tell me about his Hindu religion. We had been talking for about 20 minutes when I invited him to sit with me in our little lounge behind the shop and have a cup of warm chocolate. I continued to ask him questions about his faith, and I felt a friendship growing between us.

The man began visiting regularly to enjoy a cup of warm chocolate and continue the conversation. One evening, after he had answered all my questions about his faith, family, and life, he suddenly asked me about my faith. I knew then that the Spirit had prompted me to be patient, and I felt a swell of gratitude as I bore my testimony and shared my love for the gospel. Now he was the one asking questions, and soon we reached a point where I recognized my limitations and suggested he listen to the missionaries, which he agreed to do.

Within a week of visiting with them, he read the Book of Mormon and committed to baptism. He was returning permanently to Fiji the next Saturday afternoon, so we arranged to hold his baptismal service on Saturday morning and then drive him to the airport. A week later he wrote us a letter about his new ward in Fiji, and 14 months later he wrote to say he was serving as first counselor in the bishopric.

We enjoyed the privilege of seeing many people come into the Church through contacts we made in our little corner shop. When we are willing to share the Lord’s gospel, He will open the way.