I have been dealing with picture stuff, so I don't have a ton of time, but this week was one of the best of my mission for sure...more specifically the weekend. So I won't have time to answer all your questions or go day by day, but transfers were Wednesday, and Elder K. and I stayed together so that is good, and that means that I will most likely be here for one more transfer after this at least because this is Elder K's last transfer and they don't like whitewashing zone leader areas...
So the beginning of the week was tough because I had to say goodbye to Elder W, and he is one of my best friends so that was not the funnest of days. It feels weird not to have him here in the mission anymore. The end of the week was when things really started to pick up. So we have been teaching Hermana M and Hermano C for a long time now and the only thing they were waiting on was the money to get married so she could get baptized.
Well, the money came after a lot of prayers and they told us Wednesday that they were going to get married the next day...so, Thursday we went by and were ready for them to say something like we got married, instead they said that the place was booked and they would have to wait. Talk about a let down. So, Friday we get a call from them and they let us know that someone cancelled in the wedding place so they had a slot Saturday...and it happened! It was like everything was happening in slow motion as we literally watched prayers be answered before our very eyes! They got married and were so happy and the service was great.
Backtrack, Wednesday I get a call informing me that Sister Y called the missionaries, informing them that she was ready to be baptized, she then proceeded to pass her interview and asked them to ask me if I would baptize her! I accepted the invitation of course.
Mom, to answer your question...yes, everyone here went obnoxiously crazy when Mexico beat the United States. Lets just say for a few hours there, nobody...and I mean nobody would open the door to a few white kids trying to talk to them while they were watching the game with a hundred of their closest friends haha. After the game they were driving real fast, and Mexican flags were absolutely everywhere, horns were sounding, there was a parade on Pacific Avenue, and there were multiple police helicopters watching the festivities and borachos from above. It was crazy and insane and quite entertaining to watch unfold.
Sunday was crazy busy. Hermana M had her baptismal service where Elder K and I sang a duet a cappella and then he baptized her and I gave the missionary moment. The spirit of the service was so strong and there was a good turnout from the ward to support her. There were so many people in tears, and she felt so happy. She is such a sweet and dear lady, and I have grown to love her so much.
Then Elder K and I headed to Inglewood where it was a madhouse because of all different wards having baptisms, but the one I came for went well. Sister Y was really happy and excited and it was one of the more fulfilling feelings of my mission to baptize her. It felt like months and months of hard work and prayers and fasting that seemed to be fruitless finally paid off. I was so happy for her. As well to see my favorite ward ever...Inglewood 2nd. I have grown to love the members there so much, and the C family were there and were just as wonderful as ever. He is the cub scout master and loves it, she will be speaking in church in two weeks, their son did baptisms for the dead in the temple last month, while their first daughter is making all kinds of friends at church and loving every second of it. Even the littlest girl came up to me, motioned for me to bend down so she could whisper something in my ear and she said, "Molinaro, today I went to my class all by myself." Her face lit up and so did mine. I love you guys so much, make it a great week!!
This week has been pretty good actually. We have had some pretty amazing experiences that I won’t forget for the rest of my life, and things are happening that we just step back and say…wow…completely guided by the spirit. Well, last week I kind of liked doing it by day because it helps me keep everything organized, but I ran out of time…so this week I will go faster and try it by day again.
So, last Monday we went and had a tour of the Visitors Center to help our zone learn how to use it better, then we played basketball with Elder W. and some other Zone Leaders which was way fun. I think I have moved up a skill level in basketball. I have gone from 2 out of 10 to at least 3…4 might be pushing it haha its just not my sport but I enjoy playing when I can.
Tuesday was good. Two things happened Tuesday that are noteworthy. One, for dinner we had rice and beans and tortillas and chicken…and sliced habanera for dinner. Yes the habanera that is hot enough to launch a rocket haha. Me, Elder K. and the member were eating and sweating and our eyes were crying as well as our noses and it was a scorcher! Raw habanera is bad news haha.
That night we also had a lesson with Brother U…I think I told you about him-just moved into a members house after marrying their daughter and he is way good, really good desire. Well Tuesday I had one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission as we taught him about the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement.
It was a really guided lesson-completely actually by the spirit, and he just really let us use the fundamentals that we have been learning since last September and the strongest spirit came as we asked him an inspired question that he sat and thought about for what felt like an eternity…probably 1 minute and then after he responded we responded with doctrine and testimony and just let it sit…quiet to the untrained ear, but the spirit was roaring, the room felt like it was burning, and my mind was so clear and calmed and my chest was about to burst…the spirit was so thick it just hit us all like a wall and he couldn’t deny it.
He will get baptized soon, I am sure of it. Also Tuesday we had MLT and it was another good chance to hear from President about leadership and follow up on the mission goal and how it is progressing. I have really come to enjoy those meetings, despite the length. 3 hours seems to go by like nothing and I am left wanting more and more.
Wednesday was one of those days that must follow the Tuesday we had, kind of dull-lots of planning for our training and doing apartment checks, and interviews with district leaders, etc…
Thursday was fantastic! We did a training in Marina Zone-the Sister zone- on the last of the fundamentals on how to begin teaching and we did some really fun object lesson type thingy’s. One of which involved me inviting someone to come to the front who wanted a cupcake. They came up, I extended the cupcake and as they went to take it…wham! I smashed it with my other hand, crumbs and frosting going everywhere. Needless to say they didn’t want it anymore. Then, Elder K. grabbed another cupcake, put a candle in it, lit the candle, put it on a plate and offered it to someone else. Moral of the story-it’s the same cake, but if you don’t serve it up right, nobody wants it.
Another, while I was talking and explaining, Elder K. went and changed into basketball shorts with his suit coat and came out again without saying a word and everyone was really distracted as we tried to go through the rest of the 5 minute section we were in. This taught the point that its like us and baptism. People know if we don’t talk about baptism something is out of the ordinary, and it can become a distraction. They know why we are there; it is like an elephant in the room that must be addressed. Also, he was in basketball shorts because its more comfy…sometimes we like to be comfortable and not invite people to change by being baptized. Fun stuff.
I really enjoy training now. At first it kind of intimidated me because I never thought I would know what to say or how to teach people, but I have come to love thinking of things like that and trying to make different points different ways and studying up on stuff like that. The Lord is really helping me with it too.
After that, we went to Panda Express with Elder W., G., and G. who were taking a break from transfers and we walk into the mall and this guy comes up to us and asks if we have eaten and we say no and he says perfect, I need some extra blessings, tell me where your eating and its on me. I resisted the urge to point out that it would get kind of messy if we put all that food on him, but he kindly bought us all food. This has got to be the only time in my life when random people will just offer to spend money on me, especially free food. How cool is that! Haha we were all pretty stoked at the gesture.
Friday was pretty good. Highlight from Friday comes from a lesson with Brother U. too. So we go back to teach him the rest of the plan of salvation, and his newborn baby is going nuts…he said she had been screaming for 7 hours non stop and that everyone in the house had a headache, but he would try to listen and pay attention during our lesson if he could even hear us.
So, we start, and then his father in law walks in with the screaming child, looks at us and says, looking at me, “Elder, this child of God is upset and needs a blessing, and I feel like you should give it.” He said her name, then proceeded to hold out the screaming child in front of me and bowed his head. Talk about pressure! It was hard enough to remember her extra long name, let alone try to bless her while flailing about, but I bowed my head and gave her a short blessing…what are you supposed to tell a two month old!? As I ended the blessing with the words “I say unto you be still and sleep”…she continued to wail. But, as her grandpa took her in his arms and walked away with a thank you, she stopped crying and fell right asleep. Found out the next day she only woke up twice to laugh and eat the rest of the day. The power of the priesthood is real and I am so grateful for the chance I have to have it.
Well times up, nothing much happened over the weekend. Love you guys so much. Peace be the Journey :)
How are ya? I sure hope all of you are good, because I am doing good too. Summer here hasn’t really decided to hit yet, and we are kind of stuck in between temperatures and weather patterns. Everyone says usually mid way through June in Southern California its pretty hot, but 72 with a light breeze and no clouds is alright with me :)
I'm going to try something a little different this week and you guys can tell me which way you like better. I'm going to go day by day and tell you what happened as I have it recorded in my planner.
First day-Monday. I think I already told you guys about Sister J. who we taught and invited to be baptized in the morning at her father’s store, but other things that happened on Monday, besides ping pong and such at the USC institute, we had a lesson with a woman named Sister V. who really likes the church but she feels scared to keep talking to us because her husband is so against changing religion. We stopped by in the afternoon and she tried to drop us but we taught her a little bit and testified and bore testimony and now she said she will keep meeting with us and talk to her husband about it.
Then we went to a family of sisters, all who have little toddlers or babies, or both, and their brother. We found them talking to people on the street. In fact, it was a few weeks ago and I don’t know if I told you about them or not, but we saw this lady pushing her kid in a little car toy thing down the street and I really felt like we should go talk to her, so, we stopped dead in our tracks and turned a 180 and went power walking after her. Ok, fast-forward two weeks and its Monday afternoon, and actually a lot this week. They are good, trouble staying focused sometimes with so many youngens running around and making noise. haha They have a desire, seems like a weak one for now, but it is a desire.
Then we went to the T. family for dinner and it was great. They are this recent convert family that goes through so much and really needs the gospel and they have a bunch a little kids and bigger kids, and it was one of their birthday’s so they were having a small party with carne asada and it felt so good to be with a family again, kids, parents, laughing, remembering, it was great, there is definitely a different feel when we are really with a family that loves each other and the gospel, reminds me of you guys :)
Tuesday was...ok. We had ZLC in the morning and I love that meeting so much. President gave an amazing training on leadership and what it takes and how it is a chance to serve and nothing more. Serve with love, that was the gist, along with don’t aspire, because it honestly doesn’t matter. And honestly, it doesn’t. I could stay Zone leader or go junior companion for the rest of my mission and be perfectly happy, no complaints-I’ll do whatever the Lord wants and needs because that’s what I signed up for.
Christ was the most royal of men and he came to Earth in humble circumstances and he stayed that way until the moment He died, asking to forgive and help others. I love ZLC, it is the meeting that runs the mission and President Baker has taught me so much.
After that, we tried some people and everything ended up falling through, but we had fun looking for those that we know are out there. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains right? (or sometimes the puck comes off the boards wrong, ousting any hope of success...but we will leave that subject alone, it is still a touchy one to me :))
Wednesday we had another lesson with Sister B. and her family, and it went really well. Taught about the restoration, the first half of the actual lesson about prophets and dispensations, etc, and they seemed to understand pretty well, interest mounting with every visit. I decided that that is the hardest part, actually getting people to give us the time of day. Once they actually sit down and listen, the interest comes-angels, prophets, gold plates, apostles, who wouldn’t be interested! We’ve just got to have them put their wall down for a second-there is the struggle.
Wednesday, a lot of stuff fell through too, but we had a good correlation and hopefully the ward will be able to help us with those we are teaching.
Thursday was just great, in fact I love Thursdays. Thursday we go and meet up with the other Zone leaders and pick up mail and wish list (supplies-pamphlets, Book of Mormons, planners, brooms, etc) at the drop spot. Then, we go out to lunch at somewhere by USC, sometimes Freebirds, sometimes Taco Bell, sometimes Yogurt Land, Chipotle, just depends on our mood. We discuss what’s going on in the mission, our zones, bounce ideas around, discuss problems, its nice.
Then we went back to the apartment to plan our training that we did on Friday. It is more of the fundamentals trainings and sometimes it gets hard, sitting in a chair when I would rather be outside finding and teaching, but it helps other missionaries out and helps me focus on my lack of skills. Bright side I suppose. We went to a recent convert’s house that recently moved into our area and her name is Hermana M. and she is so cool. Like mid thirties and has a little two year old named...brace yourself-Kobe Bryant M. haha pretty funny huh.
We are trying to get to know the members better and she shared her conversion story and it was pretty cool. She was invited to church by a friend and knew it was true from the start and winded up getting divorced because her husband didn’t want anything to do with the church...so she didn’t want anything to do with him! That takes faith.
Had a good lesson with Brother T., the son of that family from Monday who is preparing to go on a mission. We help him learn and teach and see what the mission is really like because he isn’t going be able to go to the MTC because he doesn’t have papers so he can’t go to the airport. He is the man, does a lot for us. I need to take pictures with these people huh.
Friday we trained in Peninsula Zone, down by San Pedro and Palos Verdes Estates, super nice and pretty wealthy area, big switch from the ghetto, but the building where we had it was huge!! Two chapels, gyms, stages, etc, biggest church building I have ever seen aside from the temples and the conference center haha guess it has to be big, a Tongan ward meets there.
The training went pretty well I felt, lots of good input and participation and the spirit was really strong as this week we focused on we invite, they commit, we follow up and commitment patterns and different things like that along with promised blessings and testifying. Had some good lessons that night, including one with the C. family, Hermana M.-the couple that is waiting to get married. They are doing ok, just trying to sift through priorities. But, on the bright side she gave us the best salsa I have ever had! haha I’m going to get the recipe, you guys will love it! Pica mucho ;)
Sister O. and her family kind of dropped us and she said it was because she just didn’t have time right now but she will give us a call when she has time. Saturday was good, really good lesson with Sister B. and her family are doing well and excited to come to church.
Ate dinner with the P. family and they are doing well too. I am running out of time but yesterday was the departing missionary fireside where Elder W. shared his departing testimony and it was really good. Saw the C. family too, it was just terrific. Well I’ve got to go, don’t’ have any time left, but I will talk to you all next week! Make it a great one. Peace be the journey.
Despite the lack of visible success this past week, it wasn’t a bad one…it was actually pretty good I suppose day to day. Like every day seemed good in the moment, but then looking back on the week as a whole just not a lot of stuff that happened…for example one day we find people, set up appointments for later in the week, and they aren’t interested, or they swear on their children’s lives that they will come to church and then they don’t show.
People’s agency can be frustrating, but I decided there is a bigger picture kind of thing going on…trying to figure out what the Lord is trying to teach me and what he wants me to learn out here. Just trying to learn all I can and keep perspective. We actually had a lot that we planned to have come to church and stuff but last minute stuff just fell through. No worries, I’ll keep swimming.
This week we went on splits with Elder W. for the last time. He goes home on June 22nd and that’ll be tough because he has been my best friend in the mission from day one it seems. My first zone leader over in Inglewood. Can’t believe he is going home already. You should look him up and thank him for all he has done for me.
This week we focused a lot on baptism-like inviting everyone we know and even those we don’t to follow Christ’s example. Its really fun actually, trying to tie people’s weird questions/concerns back to baptism and how it can help them personally. Kind of like a big puzzle with eternal consequences I suppose. I have had a few really good lessons this week that were really spiritual, including one this morning with a girl that was a referral from the non member dad of a part member family. Pretty cool.
We taught her this morning at her parents’ store and she seems way good, hopefully one of those nuggets and not just fools gold. She accepted baptism and really wants to feel God’s love again as she hasn’t felt it in a while. The spirit was super strong when we invited her to be baptized and then when we extended the date she said she would have to pray about it…which is fine by me because that’s what we want them to do anyways right?
Also this past week we had a few really good lessons with people we have found. It is amazing how many people there are who really do not know simple things that we know…like God wants to hear from us, prayer is a phone conversation, not just a voicemail to some imaginary machine. Me and Elder K. are really working on our teaching skills at teaching with the fundamentals and the spirit. I feel like when people will sit down and hear what we have to say, we can bring the spirit and hit them with it like a ton of bricks, the trick is getting them to sit down and listen.
I gave a training this past Friday at district meeting about faith and miracles and it was one of the most spiritual messages I feel like I have shared. It is really cool to learn how to bring the spirit strongly. Like try different things that seem to really invite it, other things that don’t, pinpoint the moment when it enters strong, times when it isn’t as strong, then trying to imitate the strong times in every lesson/training. It is a skill I didn’t even know existed, but I am trying to figure out how to acquire it and then develop it.
I went on splits with Elder G.-a District Leader in Echo Park, and covers downtown…like the heart of LA and it was way fun, talked to all different kinds of people and ended up praying with this one guy standing on a busy street corner hands on each others’ shoulders and he rested his cheek on the top of my head…one of those moments where we thank him then walk away and just crack up haha.
What else happened this week that was just priceless?? Hmmm…I know there was something else. Last P day for memorial day we had a big barbeque at the mission home, President Baker on the grill and then played ultimate Frisbee…that was way fun…well I can’t seem to remember the other thing I was going to say, but I love you guys a ton and am so grateful for this trial the Lord is blessing me with, I know there are things that I am meant to learn from this and I love trying to figure out what it is. The Church is true, Christ lives, isn’t it fun to be able to say that you know that? Love you guys. Peace be the Journey J
This week was a great one. Even though I feel like I say that almost every week, this one was really good. Zone Conference on Tuesday was terrific. I was kind of nervous my first time conducting anything ever, but it was one of those pressure things haha bring it on right? The way president talked about and explained the gathering of Israel and the urgency that there is in the work, no matter if we have baptized one this year, or 1 million, the Lord is coming and we’ve got to gather faster than ever.
Our training went really well and I had a lot of fun doing it, with lots of analogies and visuals and talking about becoming fishers of men. Its easy to drop a hook in the water and call it fishing, but when we drop it then pull it out then drop it somewhere else, then take it out again it makes it hard to catch anything. Fishermen are patient and find the fish as well as letting the fish come to them, but think of how many more fish you can catch if you put a net in the water and we talked about how people can keep their nets in the water and had them make goals to fix certain things in their areas. I liked it a lot, and like any lesson, the teacher-me-got more out of it than probably everyone listening which is fine by me.
Also, at zone conference they always announce the clean car awards. Elder K. and I got a ten out of ten on our car cleanliness, and the church sells cars after they hit a certain amount of miles so surprise at lunch during zone conference they say that there is a companionship who has no tickets, no fines, no accidents, a very clean car, and for all that they gave us the keys to a brand new 2011 Toyota Corolla! It is dark gray and smells like a dream haha so that is what we are rolling around in these days-pretty nice :)
But zone conference overall was very inspiring and got the energy way up. That pretty much set the stage for the mission goal for the month of June with every companionship in the mission looking to baptize. It feels different in the mission ever since zone conference. Like there is an excitement or buzz that hasn’t been here for a while-seems like everyone is gearing up to really roll up the sleeves so to speak and work harder than they ever have.
I know for us in our area, it sure has felt like that. These last few days we taught a ton of lessons and this week we found 22 new investigators (candidates for exaltation) which we were really excited about because its exactly what our area and morale needed. The usual number is around 5 or 6 just fyi. Unfortunately not a lot of them decided to come to church, but the Lord is just testing us to see if we will keep working hard. I love missionary work; these really are shaping up to be the best two years.
As far as investigators go, Sister P. is doing well. She is progressing slowly but surely and is on the brink of baptism, I can just feel it. Hermana M. should be getting married this week or next so she can finally get baptized as well. The work seems to be picking up, but it was slow/still is because people are lazy. I am not talking about missionaries either, because for the most part we are a very hard working mission as I have heard from people that have experienced other missions. Just people in general are lazy.
It is sad but true and people will commit to things they have no intention of carrying out like coming to church or being there for appointments which makes it hard. I know this issue of lackadaisical living is not a new one, but the more people I visit the more true it is. Then I open my Book of Mormon and read about what happened to the Lamanites when they got lazy and forgot about church and started desecrating the Sabbath, and it ain’t pretty. It slows down the work, but on the flip side it has taught me a lot of how I want to live the rest of my life and how I don’t.
I have really been focused lately on doing the hard things. I always remember President Nichols’ talk about we can do hard things and it helps to drive me. Even if it is something small, like waking up a little early to go running instead of laying in bed, or talking to the guy that looks like the furthest thing from a Latter-day Saint that looks like he wants to hurt us and then take a picture...I wasn’t called to sit back and do nothing. I wasn’t called to Los Angeles to be comfortable. If I wanted to sit on a couch I could do that anywhere for a lot cheaper than what I am doing out here.
As I put my head down and power forward, doing hard things, I get to see how much I can do, how much potential the Lord has for me. That is my constant struggle, my constant battle- trying to identify and reach the potential the Lord has for me, the potential he has for each and every single one of us.
This week I challenge all of you who are reading this to do something hard that you don’t normally do. Just do it! The Lord will bless you and you will be amazed at how much you can get done, a glimpse of your potential :) I love you guys and look forward to hearing how it goes. Peace be the Journey.
This week was…good I suppose haha I will explain later. It’s crazy that I have been out here for a year already but like I said last week, it by no means means that I am counting down or headed downhill…I'm just getting started haha. Glad you all liked the pictures that I sent, I hoped the horse one would bring some smiles haha there is a lot of weird stuff here, especially in the alleys and that broken down beat up toy horse was just too good to pass up-so I took complete advantage.
We had an MLT this past week-mission leadership training and then a ZLC right after just for zone leaders and actually talked about the zone goal ideas for June. Thanks for your ideas but you will have even more time to think until July because for June (spoiler alert, this is info that the rest of the mission won't know til Tuesday-Thursday) we will be doing a mission goal for every companionship on the mission to baptize with the theme of Honoring Your Father-Fathers Day as well as Heavenly Father so we will see how that goes. I am pretty excited actually, it is about time we all got a kick in the rear end- our mission isn’t producing like it should and this will be the jumpstart we need.
Coming up in the mission?? Well this week is Zone Conference and we will be the host zone because it will be at the LA Stake Center and I will be conducting and training with Elder Kelly. We are doing a 45 minute training for our zone as well as Lakewood Zone on the perspective of finding and talking to everyone, etc. I have been studying for it all week long and it all finally came together this morning which is great news because its tomorrow haha.
The theme that we have come up with is becoming fishers of men and using the analogy the Savior used in the account given in Luke and Mark. Talking to missionaries about leaving their nets in the water and constantly finding using different tools like dependable dolphins-members, trustee turtles-recent converts, clown fish-less actives, and goldfish-investigators to constantly be receiving referrals and finding-leaving the net in the water instead of trying to go at it with a hook or two-a lot more fish can be caught with a net, etc. We are going to use some cool visuals and puns and such to bring it all together along with the post it idea you gave us mom but using the word investigators instead of answers. I am pretty excited and I will have to let you know how it all goes.
Things with Elder K. are going well, we are getting along fine and working well together. Saturday we had the chance to go to the temple with one of his recent converts and it was a much needed surprise trip to the house of the Lord for me. Received some good inspiration and revelation and all that good stuff.
Our missionaries are doing ok. Like I said earlier, our mission isn’t producing like it should/has in the past so that’s the big mystery all us zone leaders are working on with president. Missionaries just seem like they are waiting out their two years instead of forgetting themselves and completely dedicating themselves to the work. Stupid little disobedience things just add up and keep others from having the success they deserve but it is a work in progress and I think our perspective training will have a profound impact. That is the hope at least.
Like some missionaries see themselves knocking doors, some see themselves finding 8 new investigators and teaching 20 other lessons to report on Sunday for numbers but we should be thinking that we are looking for people to bring to the gospel through baptism…perspective. I think one of my first emails from the MTC was about that but it is still a battle out here a year later.
My ward is good, I am still trying to really get to know everyone so I can tell what kind of resources I am dealing with but it is fairly supportive. We have a few good members in our area which is a real blessing, but the ward in general is struggling, not as solid as we built Inglewood second up to be but it is progressing, and we are happy to help.
My area is so good, I love it. It is poorer than my old area, more ghetto and not a lot of apartments at all. More houses that a ton of people live in or like lots that have a front house with three back houses like addresses that are ½, 2/3, ¾ etc. Still looking for platform 9 and ¾ haha. It is more inland so it gets hotter but I really like the demographic of it with the view of downtown and the back alleys and such. It’s a pretty sweet area, I just wish we had more legit time to work it but meetings and dealing with zone problems have their merits too, right? Someone’s gotta do it, why not me so others can work.
I learned a ton about being fishers of men this week like I said, but I really like something said in Jesus the Christ. Jesus chose fishermen to be his apostles because they knew how to catch fish whose fate was death, then he took them with the talents they had developed and taught them to catch men and bring them everlasting life…that is more or less what it said haha.
Well guys, I love you a ton and hope Dad had a good birthday…next week I expect a Sharks update haha.Make it a great week guys, peace be the journey.
