Hey Fam,
Yesterday I ate a fish that looked at me the whole time...along with an avocado and tomato salad and jalapeno salsa...just to give you an idea of how my eating has branched out. Another one that happened this week for example. We met this guy outside while tracting who was watering his garden and he was showing us his different plants and he was especially proud of his chili pepper plant, so he gave us some chilis which were bright red and said whatever you do, do not touch these then touch your eyes...or blindness would ensue. So later in the week, I was making a sandwich and decided it would be a great idea to cook up a few of these blindness peppers and throw em on the sandwich. By the way cooking them makes them even hotter. They were so good but scorchingly hot! My nose was running and my tongue felt like a bubbling volcano! It was awesome!!
To answer your questions... 1. What's the most important thing you've learned so far on your mission? These are all hard questions, but this one especially is difficult. I honestly don't think I will be able to truly answer it until I can look back on my mission and analyze it all in retrospect, but to this day I think the most important thing that I have learned is love. Love is the motive for everything. Love for the Lord and family caused me to come on the mission, love for investigators is what helps me study and plan for and teach them as their battles become my battles, and their doubts my future studies and conversations with Heavenly Father. Love helps me lead those in my zone and desire their true happiness and success. I would have to say love...charity :)
2. What is one vital thing you have learned from each of the companions you've had so far? Each companion has taught me a lot and I could go on for hours on this subject, but Elder M. who went home this past week taught me how to laugh and keep things light which is crucial because often times with so much weight and pressure on my shoulders smiling and laughing isn't the first thing on my to do list, but it sure lightens the load.
Elder C. gave me confidence and taught me patience. Confidence because I was pretty much flying solo for a while with him not knowing too much about mission life or the language, and patience because thats what it took to try to understand how he was feeling and not expecting him to be where I could see his potential but rather helping him take the little steps that could get him there. Elder K. helped me see the importance of listening, whether while teaching or talking with missionaries in the zone. He was really good at listening, and then using what was said at the beginning later at the end of the lesson to tie things together.
Elder H. has taught me a lot about love, but mostly, without even trying, the meaning of tolerance and flexibility. At the beginning I was being unfair and expected him to, I don't know, be like Elder K. and run the zone in the same way, but thats not how the Lord would have it done. He brings a whole different skill set and perspective and experiences to draw from and we can use that as an advantage as long as I stay flexible and tolerant of differences. Embrace the change right?
3. In what ways have you grown the most? Honestly!? I don't even know...I can't really answer that because I honestly have no idea. I have a few guesses, but it is hard to judge myself, easier for someone to tell me...like you guys, but I have grown closer to my Savior and my knowledge of the gospel by like 1000 percent, and as a result my testimony has gone from being a sprout to a rock solid redwood, it has shot straight up, reaching toward the Son :) On the not so spiritual side, my ability to be with and work with people and share my opinion in meetings, speak in front of people, etc...more outgoing and less reserved I suppose.
4. What's the best part of being a missionary? The hardest part? The best part of being a missionary is watching people change. Giving them the tools they need, and watching them apply them to their own lives and truly transform. The hardest part is seeing people's potential, giving them the tools they need to gain salvation, and watching them use their agency to be lazy and leave the tools unused and untouched in the shed. It is so hard to truly help people understand the importance of what we share and see things like work or other priorities get in the way.
5. What brings you the most joy as His servant? What brings me the most joy other than watching people change and come to the realization fo the reality of the gospel on their own are the whisperings of the spirit. The soft whisperings that come at night as I kneel before my Father in heaven and give him an accounting of my work in my part of His vineyard with His children for the day. Its like a hug from Heavenly Father and a pat on the back. That, by far has brought me the most joy.
Good questions, hopefully those answers suffice, but as for this week, a lot of stuff fell through, but the highlight has definitely been our work with Brother O. and Sister R. She came to church last Sunday, and last Monday we invited her to be baptized on August 28th and she accepted!!! What got her interested in the gospel was seeing her mom change into a completely different person and become happy as she used the tools we gave her in her day to day life.
We have gone over to teach Sister R. every day this past week, and she has read a chapter in the Book of Mormon every night and has been soaking it all up like a sponge! She has changed so much in such a short amount of time! Like before she wore all black and had piercings in her face, but after inviting her to be baptized, we came over the next day and she was in a white shirt and smiling and the piercings were gone and I hardly recognized her! She loves the gospel and has seen it change her before her eyes. The day after we taught her the word of wisdom, she found a bag of weed that she said before would have been difficult to pass up, but instead she threw it in the trash! She is doing so good, and I have grown to love her so much. She still has a little way to go, but should be baptized Sunday :) Also for temple service, we got to go to the roof of the temple and the guy let us climb the ladders up to 10 feet below Moroni! It was sweet!!! Love you guys, gtg :)
Love,
Elder Molinaro
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| View from the top of the temple |
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