At the grocery store, the checkout clerk asked, “Is that jackfruit? What does it taste like?"
“Kind of like Juicy Fruit gum,” I told him.
“Isn’t there something else that looks like this, but smells like cheese,” he wanted to know.
“If it’s spiky, that has to be durian,” I replied. “Some hate it, but I love it!”
The Asian lady in line behind me was listening in. I smiled at her and she quickly added, “I like it too.”
“We used to live in Southeast Asia,” I told her. “Where was your family originally from?”
“Cambodia,” she said.
By now, another person was waiting in line behind us. Quickly I asked the Cambodian lady, “What work do you do around here?”
“I work at Shipley’s Donuts.” As I turned to leave, she said, “By the way my name is Pam.”
A smile came over my face. I had prayed this prayer before I left home: “Lord I have to do these errands, but don’t let it be a waste of time. Send me someone who is searching for You.”
I don’t know how hard she’s searching, but I know her name, I know where she works, and I know she likes durian. Maybe someday she’ll learn to love the Creator of durian, too.
Friendliness is the key to witness opportunities. Learn more about how to care for people of other cultures through the 13-lesson Reach the World Next Door training available at Adventist Learning Community.