It's a small world after all...

Have you ever had those moments where you think to yourself,

"it really is a small world after all..."

?

  Like when you're on the train in Germany and you sit next to an American couple who met your American aunt and uncle while the four of them were on a trip to Singapore?

Or when you meet the girl who you're visiting teaching and find out she's the girl who your teenage crush was always telling you about?

(Both true stories)

Well, the best "It's a small world" moment I've ever had took place this past Saturday while I was laboring at the DE.

I was at the register for the first time that day and was about to walk away, when three woman came to buy their clothes.

I inwardly groaned...I was in my usual "register" mood...not really wanting to be patient with the 9,999th customer who was about to come to the credit-card machine, and while signing for their card say, "wow...that looks nothing like my signature" or "is this thing even working?"

(Thanks to this daily occurrence, I have seriously perfected the courtesy laugh. I guess the DE has been good for one thing!)

Well as I stated the return policy, the woman made the usual out-of-towner comment "Oh don't worry, I won't be returning these things... *Chuckle*" (Clever).

So, trying to make an effort to shake off my mood and add to the customer's "complete shopping experience", I struck up a conversation.

Steph: Where are you from?

Woman: Wisconsin

Steph: Oh, cool. (Enthusiastic response, I know)

(I must add...at this point, I continued to ring up the clothes with nothing else to say. I have never been the brightest when it comes to geography, and unless someone says the word "Milwaukee" followed by "Wisconsin," it doesn't immediately register that they're referring to the place where my brother is currently living....my brain is weird. I have no explanation for this.)

As I stood for a minute, it finally clicked. Then came my delayed response.

Steph: My brother is living there right now...

Woman: Oh really, for what, dental school?

Steph: No, actually he's serving an LDS mission...

*More conversation, not pertinent to the story*

Woman: So what is your brother's name, he could have been in our ward..

At this point I was thinking what are the chances that my brother would be in this lady's ward. Slim to none. but I replied with an "Elder Kjar" anyway.

Woman: Wait! *Steps back and covers her mouth* I KNOW your brother! We had him over at our house FOR DINNER!!! He is the sweetest boy in the whole entire world!!

Then she went on to explain how the previous missionaries in that area had made a complete mess of everything and really offended a lot of people in the ward, but my brother and his companion had gone in there and really turned things around. She just kept saying 
"I love your brother, he is such a sweet guy!"

I had to ask "you're talking about the black kid, right?" ha ha! Just wanted to make sure we were talking about the same Elder Kjar....I couldn't believe that my brother, so humble and inexperienced had gone in there and completely turned a ward around and changed things for the better.

I guess it just goes to show that when you're on the Lord's errand, doing all that you can to do what is right, he will fill in the gaps and produce miracles.

The woman and I sat in awe for a few minutes just going back and forth about how crazy it was that she just so happened to be in my exact city at the exact place where I work at this exact time. I seriously couldn't believe it. 
I was stunned.

What an incredible tender mercy!!!

If I haven't said it enough already...It really is a small world after all!

Love both of these boys! :)