From November 21

Dear Family!

This week has been terrific and it seems like I am E mailing you all every other day! Time is a weird thing right? Weird, I just hit my 18 month mark in the mission, too.

Well, before I start answering your questions, I would like to share an awesome experience with you all. Elder H. and I were able to witness a small miracle in our area with regards to an investigator. So, we had an appointment with this man at 2 p.m. and got stuck in the office working on some things that were pressing, so we missed the appointment. We went to our dinner appointment, but they said that they had mixed up the times and asked us to return in an hour so the food would be prepared.

We decided to go and check this fellow who we missed earlier in the day, and his mom opened the door and was quite startled. Her name is R. J., and she explained to us that three months ago the missionaries had left her with a restoration pamphlet and the second she finished reading the "How Can I Know?" page, we knocked on the door. She took it as a sign from her Heavenly Father that He was trying to get her attention.

Apparently her son is a bishop in Riverside, California, and has been trying to convince her to sit down with the missionaries for a while now. And, because Heavenly Father was trying to get her attention and did so in such an obvious way, she said she will read the Book of Mormon and pray about it with the knowledge that an affirmative answer means baptism. She came to church yesterday and loved it and said she would come again next week! Crazy experience, right!? The first time I saw R. J., I felt immediately that I recognized her from somewhere, and I am sure that I do. When we talk, it is almost as if we knew we would be having this conversation beforehand. I can't really explain it, but I am quite confident that she is one of the ones I told in the pre-existence that I would come and find and bring back to the fold. I know that the Lord is preparing people and sometimes reworking our schedule to put us in the right place at the right time.

So, that is one of the many things that has been keeping me busy, along with planning out MLT (Mission Leadership Training) that will be happening tomorrow. In fact, that has taken a huge chunk of time this week as sometimes at random President will call us in to talk about it, and 4 hours later we are still discussing and brainstorming and such. It is great though, fun to talk with President in a more casual setting and just throw out ideas and talk about stuff.

I dunno as far as leadership skills if I have been able to develop any yet, but one of my focuses lately has been going through different processes we have right now in the office and trying to make them more efficient. It is kinda fun like a puzzle, figuring out how things can run more smoothly and work better to move the Lord's work along.

My biggest testimony builder lately has been the Book of Mormon. It is such a great book, and I can't put it down. I started on the 11th and I am in Alma 20. Every spare second I get, I whip it out and read a few pages. It is great and really that is how It should read it all of the time, I think. I don't think that I mentioned that as part of the reading challenge we have been marking all references to the doctrine of Christ because as we learned at Zone Conference, that our ability to learn, understand and then internalize the doctrine of Christ directly affects our overall success as children of our Heavenly Father. It is petty cool, but at this pace it is my goal to read the book of Mormon and the New Testament before the first of the year and be marking the doctrine of Christ.

 

What amazes me? That is a loaded question, but it amazes me how true the statement given at the last General Conference is that compared to God we are nothing, but to Him we are everything. His plan is so much bigger and more grand than any of us can even begin to comprehend, and it is so flawless. It amazes me that any and every question that anyone has can be answered by the gospel, and it amazes me that Heavenly Father trusts me enough to share this message with His children.

 

The next transfers are December the 7th so we start figuring all of that out this coming weekend, so that should be fun. I officially have all the names and faces of the missionaries memorized with what Zone and District they're in and who their companion is, as well as where they are serving. It is something that Elder H. said comes with time, but I got sick of not knowing and having to ask/look it up so I made face cards on Excel and studied a bit and it came. Who knew APUSH (AP U.S. History class in high school) would help on the mission? haha.

 

What size shirt? Whatever size we got when I came out I guess, and white is the color of choice out here...weird how out of 200 missionaries that they all choose to wear white shirts ;)

 

The only thing on my Christmas wish list is referrals for people in my area, and maybe some sort of giftie thing for my recent converts...I don't need anything, but I want so badly for them to go to the temple and every little bit of support helps. Any ideas on how we could get something to them/what we could get them??
For Thanksgiving, I will be headed to an investigator's house and the house of a senior couple so that should be good.

 

Well Guys, I love ya', and I love what I am doing. They just turned all the Christmas lights on up here on Temple Hill, so that makes it even more fun to come to work. Giving your all to the Lord is so fun :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all, I am so grateful for all of you and all that you have done and continue to do for me.

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro