Sunday, June 12, 2005

A meeting with the Mormons

Seeing as Japan is a country where 80% of the population practice buddhism and shintoism, this is one of the few countries in the entire world where I thought I would never run into them..... them being the mormons.

I was just minding my business riding my bike to Japanese lesson when they struck....the mormons (dunh dunh dunhhhhhhhhhhh). I had to stop at a set of stop lights, in front of me were 2 men on bicycles, wearing short sleeve, white collared shirts and ties with long pants. Now at first what I didn't notice was that one of these men was white. They noticed me and went "oh" and proceeded to ride over to talk to me. Our conversation went a little like this:

White guy: Hey how's it going?
Me: Yeah I am good thanks
White guy: How long have you been here?
Me: Oh I have been here 2 months
white guy: What do you do?
Me: Oh I am an exchange student, I go to school here
White guy: You go to a Japanese highschool? wow that must be tough
Me Oh it is isn't to bad. SO are you an ALT (American Language Teacher)
White guy: No, I am a missionary
Me Oh really? ( I was really happy to hear this because I am a christian and I haven't had contact with other christians for a while)
White guy: Yeah have you heard of "the church of Jesus christ of latter day saints?
Me: ummm yeah (By this time my heart was sinking because the mormons are a totally different religion to me)

Anyway after I told him I was already involved in a church, knew God etc. the guy starts trying to indoctrinate me with some really weird talk about modern day prophets of Moses or something. This went on for 15 minutes (yes he made me late! Why is it that jehovahs witnesses, Mormons and any other weird warped version of bible bashers always turn up at the wrong time?)
SO he had already indoctrinated me, when I've told him I'm a christian and the conversation goes like this:

White guy: So do you have more time to hear more about Jesus?
Me: No I'm sorry I'm actually already running late
white guy: Oh ok, well would you like us to meet you another time?
Me: No I'm pretty right on the God level, but thanks anyway.

So I nicked off to Japanese lessons. I found out that the Jehovahs witnesses are also really active in our community. They wake my friend up at least once a month on a sunday morning with a knock on the door and a "helllloooo, we'd like to talk to you about....... eh jjjjeeeeezzzzzzuuuuusssss!

I wonder what else I will encounter?

Jieshi