Bob and Gloria as College Lecturers

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

We had an amazing experience today. We were invited to a college up in Bogo to speak at a Symposium. They wanted me to speak to nursing students and education students about mental health/illness and Bob spoke to the same group in the afternoon about Understanding Mormonism. We each had 2 hours - including questions at the end. At the end of mine I talked about healthy families and gave away copies of the Proclamation to the World. Bob gave away 71 copies of the Book of Mormon to students who came up and asked for one. About 80 people attended each session. It was very fun to interact with these young people. It was held in a big cement ampitheatre with a tin roof with seating for about 500. About twenty students sat right in front of us on the main floor. The rest sat around the top row of seats where the had a lovely breeze - I sat up there for Bob's talk. A tender mercy was that they started the afternoon session an hour early - only took one hour for lunch instead of two - so we finished in time to drive back home last night. We had thought we would have to spend the night as it was scheduled to conclude at 5:00 p.m and we don’t like to drive that road in the dark. They had a lunch for us of a whole roasted pig – eyes and all – roasted on a bamboo pole over an open fire. It smelled delicious and tasted even better. They served it with ‘hanging rice.’ Little woven packages – made of narrow strips of palm fronds - with rice inside are hung over a large pot of water and steamed until done – hence the name ‘hanging rice.’ They are so appealing to look at, but the rice inside tasted just like ordinary rice – a bit of a disappointment.

After the program, the professor who invited us, one of the deans, the school ‘auditor’ and sister of the owner – it is a private college – each invited our missionaries to come to visit the campus and said they would be welcome any time. One said, “Our students need more faith and belief in good things.”