r/Gilbert • u/FiddyDollas • 4d ago
Older couple approached my wife and I in the store saying “God was speaking to them about us and had a feeling to come to over to us”
Is this common down here?
We were cordial but eventually shut the conversation down.
We have never had this happen to us anywhere else but we just moved to Gilbert 2 months ago.
Were they going to try and convert us to a church?
Edit: this was at the AJs at Val Vista and baseline
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u/GargantuanTDS 4d ago
Same as all at&t people trying to get you to switch.
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u/Apprehensive_Sky1950 4d ago
Get salvation with 15% lower monthly tithes and better spiritual clarity!
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u/Clean_Geologist_4226 4d ago
Been in Gilbert 10 years and this has never happened to us. 🤔
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u/Gabbiani 4d ago
I’ve lived in the East Valley my whole life and in Gilbert since 09. I’ve been approached frequently enough that my family just laughs at it now.
I guess I just have that aura though, since a random woman decided to start telling me her medical history and a bunch of other things when I was minding my own business getting a fountain drink at QT a few weeks ago.
Better than when we get hit with random racism I guess.
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u/Eject0-Seat0 4d ago
I have had this happen to me! But it was Girl Scouts selling cookies. They told me that these cookies were made for me!
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u/ALL_PUNS_INTENDED 4d ago
Gilbert seems like the type of place that would be common but it is surprisingly not. Sorry you had this weird experience.
My wife and I had a similar situation happen but it was with a person that was clearly on something and we were in a sketchy area in Phoenix.
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u/Gabbiani 4d ago
Oh yes, that can happen sometimes.
I just tel them I’m good and move along my day.
It’s weird but part of living in an area where a good chunk of folks are evangelical, LDS, or some other form of fringe Christian.
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u/cire9691 4d ago
I’m outside a lot doing yard work or washing my car and they stop by all the time (once or twice a year). They are very polite and always ask if I need any help. I’m polite back, but tell them no, but thanks for the offer. That usually does it. I have a very good friend who is Mormon and he said you should make them help you with the yard.
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u/AZTerp1080 4d ago
They’ve never actually come to my house, but I see two Mormon missionaries riding around my neighborhood when I’m out on my daily walk. I told them early on that I’m not interested in Mormonism, so now we just exchange pleasantries when we pass each other.
They’re really young and, at the end of the day, they’re somebody’s kids. I told them where I live and that if they’re ever out in the Arizona heat and need some water, or if a monsoon rolls in and they need a place to wait it out, they’re welcome to stop by.
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u/Level9TraumaCenter 4d ago
Summer #27 coming up and neither the missus nor I have ever been approached as such.
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u/Legitimate-Mud-3744 4d ago edited 4d ago
Happened to me at Joe’s BBQ. It was my first meal not around coworkers or family (love them) in a long time and I got bothered a few minutes in. Frustrating and eventually told him to leave. I did let him do a final prayer but I just wanted a peaceful meal. He was Christian.
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u/Skeeterlegz 2d ago
Super predatory behavior, yikes. ‘I’m gonna force you to let me pray to leave you alone’ 🙃😳
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u/burr2345 4d ago
I just had two girls come knocking on my door asking to me to come to the church of Mormon yesterday. First time in 8 years living here that I’ve seen them knock on my door like that.
They were nice so I politely declined
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u/PhishGreenLantern 4d ago
My wife once told the door to door mormons that we were atheists. They were HORRIFIED. They backed away like she had said we eat babies.
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u/Level9TraumaCenter 4d ago
In New Mexico, the Mormons "wiped their feet" (I think it's called) when my buddy answered the door dripping wet out of the shower with a pistol in his hand. A state trooper with his cruiser out front, he never really knew when uninvited guests did not mean well.
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u/SmellyFeat 4d ago
Lived in the woods in CA and fell asleep on a bed near a door in my undies. Got woken by a group of men/women at the door and the women bolted when I got up and they realized. I got a good laugh.
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u/hedda4eva 4d ago
Wait, you don't eat babies? You must not be Othodox Atheist /s (if it isn't clear)
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u/Skate_better182 4d ago
I'll take "things that never happened" for $500, Alex.
Missionaries meet atheists all the time. Who doesn't know an atheist?
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u/PhishGreenLantern 4d ago
This is a true story. Idk what to tell you. 🤷♂️
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u/Skate_better182 4d ago
There must be some detail you're leaving out. It is literally the missionary's JOB to talk to people like you. It makes zero sense that they would look at you in horror by you simply saying you're an atheist. I'm sorry, it just doesn't add up.
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u/PhishGreenLantern 3d ago
Fair. I wasn't there. my wife told me the story. And she doesn't tell tales. But I wasn't there so I can't tell it exactly as it happened.
I will say that I live with Mormon neighbors and have no issues with them. They're actually great and the prejudices I had 10 years ago have been completely countered by the reality of living with normal people who practice a religion. To me, all religion is strange, so what's the difference really.
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u/maybemaybenot2023 4d ago
I absolutely believe this- lots of Mormon kids from small towns in Utah and Idaho don't get exposed to much. many of them are homeschooled.
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u/Skate_better182 4d ago
While that may be true for some young Latter-Day Saints before their mission, I guarantee that this was not their first time talking to an atheist. I served a mission and spoke with atheists every single day. I promise you, missionaries are not afraid of atheists, nor are they uncomfortable talking to them. That's why I have reason to believe that this encounter either 1) didn't happen or 2) the person telling this story left out some bizarre and pertinent details that would have given more context. Something about "missionaries knocked on my door, I told them I was atheist, they looked at me funny and slowly backed away" just sounds completely made up. Unless the person telling this story just didn't tell the story correctly.
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u/marquinator92 3d ago
So you're putting every single missionary ever under the same umbrella as you based on your personal experience? These are kids (part of the reason the whole missionary program is fucked up) being put in weird situations. Maybe their mission just started and it was the first time theyve met the mythical atheist out on the wild and they panicked.
You could be right but it is kind of crazy how insistent you are in projecting your experience on everyone else like it's the only experience to be had.
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u/Skate_better182 3d ago
No, I'm just using logic to explain that the alleged missionaries' behavior is unlikely. It would be incredibly unlikely for anyone to react that way to someone who states they are atheist, and even more unlikely for missionaries, since talking to people like that is their entire purpose. And no, they wouldn't both have just started. New missionaries are paired up with a trainer, who is an experienced missionary already.
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u/UraTargetMarket 3d ago
I’m jealous. YEARS ago I worked as an overnight cashier at Super Kmart (not in this state) and I’d get these two evangelical dudes in my lane way too often buying tons of food items. Every single time they’d try to start proselytizing me. First time I said no thanks and they kept going until I politely pointed out the line forming behind them. Second time I told them I was Jewish and they kept going and cited stuff from the bible “supporting” why a Jew should consider converting until I again politely pointed out the line forming behind them. Third time I told them I was atheist and they still kept going and tried convincing me to turn my life over to Jesus until I politely pointed out the line forming behind them. I decided I was going to tell them I was a Satanist or a witch the next time they tried their act but I think I quit before there was an opportunity. I almost preferred the scam artists and thieves to those two guys. More than 30 years later I think of them from time to time and wonder what became of them. We’d also find a ton of Chick Tracts around the property. I assume they were from them. I guess thanks for the entertainment!
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u/CoffeeDetail 4d ago
Lived in Gilbert for 17 years. Never happened to us. But…….. we’re not 👱🏻♂️. LOL
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u/AggressiveCommand739 4d ago
Not common, but not unusual in Arizona. Certain religious types can be very weird.
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u/themark509 4d ago
I work at Walmart and get that once or twice a month… all generally good nature intentions, sometimes an invite to church, sometimes people wanting to meet others in the faith.
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u/AgencyNew3587 4d ago
I used to live in that area. A lot of proselytizing. Mormons would come to my door and stop me in the parking lot on a regular basis.
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u/BenTheDiamondback 4d ago
I can’t think of a single time in the 20 years I’ve lived in the Chandler/Gilbert area when this has happened to me or any of our friends.
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u/mr_betazetaz 4d ago
born and raised in gilbert (35 years), never heard of this happening to someone—welcome to gilbert!
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u/RavioliFormuloni 3d ago
Been here for 5 yrs, never had that happen. But when I helped my parents move into their new house, I was helping bring a sofa inside. We had two separate cars stop and the guys asked to help which was mind blowing. Never had that happen any other time I (or people I helped) moved.
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u/unix_name 2d ago
I cringe but my own church people did this when I was living in East Gilbert as a teen and into my early 20s. We were non denominational to give you some context. It wasn’t odd to hear other people did this or shared with others their experience of feeling and acting on this calling in different churches as we collaborated with ones in Scottsdale and Mesa, who I believe were at one point Hillsong later on. We also collaborated with Cornerstone and they are still around and had similar mentalities so…there is that. Most people mean well, they would probably just tell you that they are acting upon the Holy Spirit, or God calling on them to speak to you…in their mind maybe there is message in their words for you or something else unseen, some plan, that pulled them to speak to you. It’s all part of us giving ourselves to god in name of Jesus, for god to use us to do Gods work, giving up autonomy, so it’s not like they think their words are holy but maybe there is a reason god is asking for them to speak to you. Idk 🤷🏻♀️…that’s just my take. There was a lot of this kind of thing going on when I was in the church system.
That’s a part of me I haven’t thought about in a long time.
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u/FiddyDollas 2d ago
This is the closest explanation to what actually happened , good insight thank you!
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u/NoCake4ux2 3d ago
Lived in gilbert my whole life and has never happened to me so nope not common! Idk what these other people are saying maybe I’m just not approachable like I need Jesus lol
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u/ExtraAnchovies 3d ago
I have lived in Gilbert for 27 years and this has never happened to me. But then again I might not be of the proper “persuasion.”
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u/truckensafely 3d ago
I would ask them if God told them to give you everything that they had in their pockets & wallets?
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u/Zestyclose-Craft-681 3d ago
Happened to my friend in the airport. Older well-dressed man asked to pray with her. They prayed and that was it.
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u/Mister2112 3d ago edited 3d ago
This is not an uncommon recruiting method for sometimes-odd, small churches trying to find people who get sized up as eager for social interaction. You did mention being new to the area and might have looked like it somehow. Some are culty, some are maybe overly idealistic people actually trying to plant a church.
Same thing happened to me once even after living in upstate New York for ten years. Unwanted invitation to a "bible study group".
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u/Hour-Ad6572 3d ago
The mega churches in the area are all getting more “charismatic” and believing in/encouraging members to be constantly “listening for the Holy Spirit” to give them messages. It’s getting weird out there folks!
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u/CK_Rogers 3d ago
The second somebody tells me that God talked to them or that God's sending them personal feelings or when they prayed God specifically spoke to them about something. I keep a very close eye on those people.
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u/BlumpkinDude 3d ago
I had some guy in Fry's last year approach me and strike up a conversation and then he pivoted to talking about Jesus and then asked if he could pray for me. I'm not like super religious and my religion definitely doesn't have anything to do with Jesus, so I was just nice about it because I figured he wasn't doing anything sinister. Just being somewhat impractical.
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u/maybeafuturecpa 2d ago
Not in Gilbert, I'm in the West valley. I had a crazy man come up to me in a Fry's parking lot and ask me when I wanted to meet God. I power walked into the grocery store and called the police. Fry's talked to him til the police came and I left before I knew what happened. It sounded kind of like a threat to me and definitely creepy. This couple would have also creeped me out.
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u/joshua_addison_music 2d ago
Had this happen once in Surprise. I personally hate this💩. Told him to F off. Don’t offer up religion to me out of the blue. No thanks.
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u/OrilliaBridge 2d ago
OMG, they sound like a couple that lives in our community. One day she came to our door asking for a hug. Then another time she gave me some religious piece of crap that I threw away. Ugh!
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u/YumTeaOrDeadlyPoison 2d ago
Im worried for these people when companies start advertising directly to your brain. Will they think god is telling them to buy a new car suddenly when driving by a dealership?
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u/Electrical-Volume765 11h ago
How come it’s never: “Do you have a few minutes to talk about how corrupt organized religion is and that it is the cause of 90% of the problems on our planet?”
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u/keef_boxxx 5h ago
Some of the churches around here are pretty vocal about reach out directives. It's religious recruitment so the churches can benefit from increased membership and tithing.
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u/dancingfirebird 4d ago
The AJs is in Mesa, not Gilbert. Maybe check the Mesa subreddit?
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u/AZMaryIM 4d ago
That AJs is very close to Gilbert, basically on the border of Gilbert and Mesa. I live nearby, in Gilbert.
Since it was an older couple who approached OP, am guessing they were Evangelicals.
Once I was trapped by 2 Morman missionaries. I was out on my 2 mile walk in the neighborhood and they were on bicycles and followed me home. I tried debating theology with them, they were relentless. Told them they belong to a cult; they didn’t like that.
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u/Apprehensive_Sky1950 4d ago
Yes, it can happen around here occasionally.
Evangelicals, not just Mormons.