Hey Family!
This week has officially been a whirlwind and one filled with ups and downs and surprises and stress to the max, and everything that just characterizes the life of the mission haha. It is ridiculously hot here! My eyebrows have even started to turn blonde haha the sun is shining and actually it came out this past week in our area...meaning that we removed all of our cotton balls and then some.
This past week we had 12 member present lessons and it resulted with 7 people at church which is something we were really excited about. This week was actually really good, despite what may come to mind after reading the title of the email. I don't know...it just fels like we get people so so close to getting in the font, and for some reason we just can't...how would mom say it?? Finish the job! Like with Brother U. for example. Haven't had a lesson with him in like two weeks...he was right there on the threshold! So close! I know its not but it just feels like a month and a half of planning and praying and pondering wasted because he wouldn't take that step. He came to church yesterday though.
Sister P. is messing around with our minds haha so she is on a visit less frequently list for sure. Brother O. and Sister H. are progressing well, kind of dragging their feet, but dragging them in the right direction-towards marriage and baptism. Brother O. is just scared of commitment it seems like, but we have had some really good lessons with them this past week and they will get baptized the question is just when!?
That seems to be the question of my life right now. Guess I still need to work on getting on the Lord's time and stop thinking about my own. It is a lot easier to type than it is to actually do. Sometimes being a missionary is confusing. They tell you to do this they tell you to do that, they tell you you're important and that without you the work of God couldn't progress then they tell you you don't matter, only your investigators. They say set goals and push to reach them, then they say don't rush people, get on God's time...it gets confusing. But, you just go forward, trying to figure it out, and I am thoroughly convinced that you never really do figure it out...just a constant mystery.
We are trying to figure it out though, not just for us, but for thirty other missionaries too. Sister R. didn't pass her baptismal interview this past friday. She is close, but the interviewing elder said she needs to really understand how it all fits together, so that is our task for this week...at least we hope. She pulled a stunt at church yesterday and tried to ditch the third hour of classes, but then got caught by her mom, and she left telling us that she didn't want to be baptized anymore. I am praying so hard for her. I think she is just trying to get attention since recently it feels like we have shifted our focus from her to her parents and helping them get married.
I tell ya what, teaching whole families is the greatest and worst thing ever. Good because you see them come together and morph and ridiculous because everyone requires so much individual follow up and teaching and then there are 14 year old girls that pull stunts like that haha maybe my eyebrows aren't going blonde, maybe they're turning white and gray!
Got a sweet referral this past week from missionaries in Long Beach who have been teaching this girl and she is ready for baptism. Turns out she got baptized in Long Beach yesterday, but her mom has been coming to church down there and listening to the lessons too and came to church in Huntington Park yesterday with her 4 kids! Another family!! The P. family is just the greatest. They are a member family in my ward and I love them! They give us so much help and the daughter, J. brought S. back to church and we taught him again.
I don't know if you remember him, but me and Elder K. taught him a little. It was one of the most powerful lessons of my mission, like the words that were coming out of my mouth weren't mine at all, but I testified to him that if I died this very instant I knew for certain where I would go and who I would be with. It seemed to spark his interest and he is getting excited about learning again.
Also found this guy talking to everyone. He was way tatted up, sitting in his front yard in a lawn chair, smoking something illegal and we talked to him and he gave us major attitude when we asked his name, asking why we wanted to know and I just replied with this idiotic grin on my face and said well to get to know you...he started laughing and we started talking about soccer and now he is learning and progressing, and it was pretty funny.
Almost as funny as the guy who chased us yelling at us to give him all our money or he would shoot...his "gun" was quite obviously his finger in his shirt. I couldn't help but laugh when he demanded cash threatening us with his index finger and thumb haha I don't think that helped him calm down, but for his sake, I am glad he didn't get too close. Well guys I've gotta run, but thanks for being great, I love you so much and know that the Lord is blessing me. Please keep us in your prayers, we gotta come up with another zone goal this week! Peace be the Journey :)
Love,
Elder Molinaro
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