Nothing because we were on the first floor which was full of clothing, and my girls were usually pretty well behaved every time we entered. I went about my business, purchased my eye candy, and went on my merry way.
About a week later I returned back to the store (yes...I was a D.I. addict) to do some more shopping because this location was the bomb for finding awesome treasures, and I saw that same girl again.
She kept staring at us...again. This time I walked towards her to the rounder she was color coordinating. I began rummaging through the clothes, made eye contact, had the courage to smile, and said hello. It was reciprocal, and we began chatting. I had the girls with me again, and this time she complimented them on how beautiful they were. She later then told me that's why she kept looking at us :-) I thanked her, and because she had an accent I asked her where she was from. I always ask people I meet with accents where they're from. It's so interesting to know that information!
Honduras she said.
Have you ever met someone where you instantly click, and feel as if you've known each other forever? Well, that's what it was like for me with her.
We began talking for what seemed hours, and then it was time to close the store. We exchanged our personal information and that was the beginning of our friendship.
The special part about this story is the fact that I had introduced her to the LDS missionaries, and gave her a Book of Mormon before moving to the east. That was eight years ago! Till this day she has told me she has never forgotten the time I shared something so special with her. She was even honest about how the timing was bad in sharing the gospel with her, and how that time of her life was "young", challenging, and she was not ready. She was 18, and had been living in the states for less than a year! I found her to be very mature for her age, and felt prompted to share my faith with her, and tell her how much it has blessed my life.
While she thought that was a wonderful choice I made in my life she never converted while I was living in Utah, and that was okay. I respected her choice, and our friendship continued.
It still does.
Seven years have passed since I'd seen her, and I was so excited when she came to visit me last month for my birthday. We shared so much with each other, and I was impressed on how much she has grown up. She is now a mother with a beautiful daughter, and her spirituality is so strong. She finally committed to baptism, and hopefully she will decide on a date sometime in the near future.
Sharing the gospel with her was easy, and I'm so glad I never gave up on her spiritually. We have been friends for over seven years, and I have to thank Facebook, because for a while we lost contact. Like I've mentioned before...I love to hand write letters, but because we moved three times in the past seven years mail can get lost, and not forwarded, hence losing in touch. And then facebook kicked off! Having her visiting me recently was so much fun that I neglected to blog about the time we took her to the D.C. temple.
It was a Monday morning, and even though the temple was closed we still wanted to take pictures of the temple. The visitors center was open, and I am so thankful that Noah needed to go potty because in all honesty... I had no idea that the visitors center was open on Mondays. No idea! Did you know, because I didn't.
We met with two lovely sister missionaries and stayed there for a few hours talking to them. We had such a wonderful time visiting and as much as we didn't want to leave (neither did our kids) we had to go. We were hungry, and wanted to see some of the sights which we did.
I will never forget this day. We both met two new friends, and as we were leaving the temple Ceyda said to me, "I cannot wait to go back to church, and finally be baptized."
She will always remember that day as will I, and thanks me for never giving up on her.
It makes me feel good to know that I did something right because of how her life is today. She truly is one of my dearest friends. Sharing the gospel is something that is so important in my life, and whether or not someone denies it, is not ready for it, or doesn't believe in it doesn't mean that I will stop fellowshipping them, or loving them.
So for those of you whom I have shared this wonderful book with, and doesn't accept it in this lifetime, or believes it... know that I will always love you (and will never give up on you!)
Ceyda and I's friendship continues to grow long distance, and always will.
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| ^^Noah and Celeste^^ |
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