Mormon's Knocking on my Door..

Two-way conversation healthy A talk on the doorstep leads to new friendship
By Timely Opinions
KenHerar
Jul 29 2007
What do you do when the unexpected arrives at your doorstep? The other day my doorbell rang in the middle of the day.
I just came out of the shower and was getting dressed. I ran to the door with my shirt on backwards and looked through the peephole. It was two young men dressed in white shirts and black ties. I wasn't in the mood for a conversation on religion, but yelled through the door I would be back in a minute.
I opened the door fully clothed, and we shared views on Christianity. I explained to them presently I have an empty feeling when it comes to any religion. I told the story of a friend whom I used to play tennis with. He suddenly died from a heart attack on the squash court. I became disillusioned about religion after that and it is still a work in progress with me.
Elder Carlton Taylor, one of the two men, said he plays on the tennis team at the University of Hawaii and was taking a break doing missionary work throughout B.C. I asked where they lived. Elder Taylor replied he was from Utah and Elder Andrew Bristow said he was from Oregon.
Our discussion quickly transformed from religion to sports. I invited them inside, showing my tennis history. I could tell that both Taylor and Bristow were athletes.
After an hour of talking, we set up a time to have a tennis hit and they were off to the next door with a smile. Instead of slamming the door, I am glad I kept an open mind, because Elder Taylor and I have had some great practice hits, preparing me for the Stanley Park Open. Its amazing what can happen when you give people a chance. Allowing people the opportunity to speak and listening to them is a healthy way of living. There is much to learn from each other through dialogue.
Taylor and Bristow said, As missionaries we are called as Elders or teachers, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as (or nicknamed) the Mormon church. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the message of the restored gospel.
We accomplish this purpose by doing a wide variety of activities such as: giving tours of the local meeting house, going door to door, or offering service. We are called to serve for two years in assigned areas throughout the world. We love serving in an area as beautiful as British Columbia and among such great people.
Taylor said: I met Ken as we were going door to door in the Mission area. We talked to him for a minute about our message and how it has helped our lives. Somehow the topic of tennis was brought up and we found that we both shared this common interest. With this we quickly became friends and have had the opportunity to talk about what we do while playing some great tennis. My friendship with Ken is one of several relationships that I hope will continue well after I go back to college in Hawaii.
My greatest desire is to share the thing that has helped me and my family with other people.
God works in mysterious ways. As I have said before, lets not judge but learn.
Ken Herar is a columnist with the Abbotsford News.
KenHerar@gmail.com