(Since we were fed 7 TIMES this past week, I consider myself an expert on this topic now).
1. TALK. This is the most important rule, so it's going first! This is an awesome opportunity to get to know your members. Even if you can't speak the language and barely know what's going on, try to speak up as much as you can in order to help your desperate companion who is struggling to carry the entire dinner conversation all by herself.
2. Be gracious. Tell them how awesome their food is every five minutes or so. Because it usually is fantastic.
3. Try even the weird food. If you don't like it, you will probably make a weird face and the members will laugh hysterically at you. It makes for a fun time. Also I think it's secretly one of the members' favorite forms of entertainment. So try it all just to say you've tried it once, even if it looks like a snozzcumber and tastes like hand sanitizer. (There is this thing called bittermelon).
4. Make sure you know exactly WHEN AND WHERE you will be meeting said members. Don't let them bully you into taking an hour long bus ride to their house, because that wastes a lot of time and makes for some very unhappy missionaries. If you have to travel a ways, make sure you have transport back, or you will be waiting at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere with no way to get home. Again, not very happy missionaries :(
5. Make sure to let them know (very kindly) before the appointment that you only have an hour of time. Meeting with members is so much fun and amazing that it's easy to get comfortable, but the rule is one hour only, so we need to follow that rule and then go out to serve others. There are others who need to hear the gospel! Also it's important to let them know beforehand, otherwise you could find yourself at someone's house for 2 hours or more because they don't start making the food until you get there.
6. If the nonmembers you're meeting with try to show you a movie, offer to show them Meet the Mormons instead :)
7. If the members take you to the same shabu shabu place for the third time, don't you dare tell them. Frantically whisper to the waiter (who has now seen you at the same restuarant 3 times) not to tell the member either.
7. Above everything else, DO NOT allow your elders to drink 14 yogurt drinks at one lunch appointment. They will regret it later.
All of these things actually happened. It was a great week. :) Good luck to all missionaries out there who have lunch appointments, and good luck to the members who feed them! Sorry I don't have much more time, but I hope this was helpful.
Much love to you all,
Sister Daynes :)
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