An Old Friend

Mojo started barking at a man while he was loading up his car for a road trip this morning. Since barking dogs are annoying, I immediately went up to make friends with the man. I've found any inconvenience you cause can be washed away if you smile and talk to them.

"He's a friend!!!" I yelled at Mojo.

"Yes," the man replied with a thick Spanish accent,"I'm a friend!"

I walked over to his car to chat it up with him. With every step I took he looked more and more familiar.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" I asked.

"Do you have any friends who are General Authorities?" He replied.

And then it hit me. "You're Elder Amado!" I shouted. I was a missionary in Peru for two years back from 2004 to 2006, and this man was in charge of Western South America. I had heard him speak several times.

"You gave a couple of amazing talks," I said. "I remember one was three hours, and then an hour more after the break!"

"You're lucky," he smiled. "I've been known to talk for six!"

Here was a man who had such a huge influence on me as a missionary. I thanked him and moved to shake his hand (I would have hugged him but I had just gotten home from the gym).

He pulled me forward. "No, no, no . . . good friends have to hug."

Most of the time with The Amigo Project I get to meet new people. This was a special moment where the desire to meet someone knew led me to connect with an old friend.