From January 16

Hey Guys!

 

 

Yes, the blaze up here on Temple Hill was quite the ordeal (the under-construction home for the mission president went up in flames on Tuesday). We saw the charred ruins the next morning as we came up to the Westwood field for morning sports. No one was hurt, but there was no electrical equipment in the building so the reason for the fire is fairly certain...I will let you do the math...There are people who just don't like the church!.

 

 

Our planning is coming along well...to tell you the truth, we haven't even touched it with the pending transfers...It is going to be a terrific transfer! I can't even tell you guys how excited I am! Elder M. and I have talked a lot about how there is a belief in the mission that the Assistants don't baptize because they have so many other things to do. Starting now, that will no longer be the case, and if there IS anyone who believes that, they will be proven wrong.

 

 

This transfer brings lot of change as Elder M. and I will be "whitewashing" into the area of Santa Monica and into the Santa Monica 1st Ward. Guess who lives in my new area starting Wednesday?! S. and S. How cool is that!? (S. and S. are dear family friends we have known and loved since before Justin was even born!).

 

 

Sorry I got sidetracked from answering your questions...To make those conferences happen, there is a ton of planning and prep work that takes place, and there is a large opportunity for error, so we have to make sure that all of our bases are covered and we have backup plans for worst case scenarios and such. We schedule buildings, test equipment, plan training, give training. We set up mics and speakers, video equipment, organize rides and who goes where. We also call out assignments for other things like other training, talks, spiritual thoughts, prayers, etc.

 

 

It is quite the process, and with Elder H. heading home Tuesday, I will have my work cut out for me to do it while Elder M. is still learning the ropes. He is doing a really good job though, and I love him to death. He loves "24" and "The Office," and country music so there are a lot of things we have to quote with each other.

Speaking of "24", last night at the departing missionary fireside, we were running special ops it seemed like...had a crazy experience that got our adrenaline pumping and made us feel like secret agents which was pretty cool...Can't say too much about it, but I will when we talk about it in person. Crazy!

 

 

We won the clean apartment award! I had to throw that in there! Elder H. and I cleaned the heck outta that place and it paid off with a lunch at the President and Sister B....the pic should show up on the CLAM blog soon.

 

 

We work with President to plan different meetings and topics and themes, but like I said this week has been transfers, transfers, transfers! Crazy puzzle, but we got it done and it rolls out on Wednesday so we will see how it goes. It is kind of a "cross your fingers and watch all the pieces move" kinda thing.

 

 

As far as things happening like the fire, I have come to learn that bad things just happen. The real test is simply how we react to them. We cannot do anything about something that has already happened, but we can control our next move or the reaction and that is where you find out what you are made of...When life gives you lemons . . . Just take what life gives you and learn from it, grow from it, and show life that there is nothing that can be thrown your way that could possibly shake your faith in Jesus Christ and your desire to act on that faith. In the end, that is all that really matters.

Man, oh man, do I love you guys! Have a great week!

 

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From January 9

Hey Guys!

 

So glad you had such a good time in NYC and celebrating Grandma's birthday, those three holidays (Christmas, her b-day and New Year's) are some of the most fun with the fam so I am glad you kept it that way. Merry Christmas, happy birthday, Grandma and Happy New Year! :)

 

As you can probably tell by the title of this Email, the weather does not feel like any January I remember living through haha. Dad will be able to back me up on that one when he gets here. So last night I found out who my new companion is and right at this very moment, he is sitting next to me Emailing, too. His name is Elder M. and I have served around him for a little bit in Metro Zone. He is so solid. He is from Kentucky and was never a Zone Leader, just a District Leader for a while so there will be some learning curve, but he is more than capable of handling it and is such a good missionary. I have actually wanted to be his comp for a long time. Ever since I went on exchanges with him like 8 months ago. This transfer will be so good, I can't even explain how pumped I am!!!! YEAAHH! We are going to tear it up! Haha

 

This week was the still before the storm that we have coming up that will keep us on our toes until the end of February or beginning of March. In between now and then we have two transfers to plan, two transfers to carry out, two ZLCs to plan, two MLTs to plan, a Zone conference to plan and actually do, and about 8 exchanges with Zone Leaders...AHHH...I wrote on our white board a good reminder..."breathe in, breathe out" haha

 

This past week we were able to teach quite a bit and talk to some awesome people from Guatemala to Austria to Australia...LA is such a melting pot; so cool. Elder H. and I taught a Book of Mormon class at the ward as well during the week and it was really fun to dive deep into it and the chapters and get some different perspectives on things and stuff.

 

This week we will be working on transfers and it promises to be just as crazy as all the other ones...seems like this one will have a common theme of boundary changes as far as areas and stuff to try and stimulate some growth in the Chinese Branch in Palos Verdes. Oh boy, gotta love it, right?

 

Awesome books I have been reading? Well, I have been working through the Book of Mormon again really slowly and breaking down each verse and stuff and it is really awesome to be able to just slow down and take my time. I have also been re-listening to General Conference on the computer as I do different things which has helped me a lot as far as teaching and just learning in general...I can recall things I have heard in different talks and things...love that living scripture :)

 

Goals? That is a loaded question that I probably couldn't share any insights on that you don't already know...but I have come to realize that there are patterns in life...patterns that we fall into whether good or bad, and there are two kinds of people. Those who are put into a new situations and follow the pattern - this can be very good at times when patterns that are established are positive like if you join into a group of friends who has a pattern of going to the temple weekly...great pattern. The other type of person (and I say person but it is more like each of us fall into both of these categories at some point or other) are those who seek to change old patterns and reestablish new ones...For example, you join a group of friends with a pattern of going to the movies every weekend. Often times we must choose between good patterns and changing them for better patterns. For example, going to the movies every weekend is good, but if that is taking the place of going to the temple weekly, a new pattern should be established.

 

In the office this past week, we have been reevaluating everything we do and figuring if it is a good pattern ad then if it is the best pattern and changing them accordingly. I am very exited for this pattern of evaluating patterns to continue and I invite all of you to evaluate the patterns in your lives and see if there is need for a change...there is no time like the present :)

 

Love you guys!

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From January 4

Hey Guys!

 

This week went really well. The temple this morning was awesome and I learned a lot. This past week and a half has gone so fast and new years absolutely flew by. To celebrate we had a new year's conference in the north and south parts of the mission where President rolled out the new Standards of Excellence. We also all shared our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and how they have grown since we recently finished reading the Book of Mormon.

 

New Year's Eve we had a Zone activity where the Zone Leaders rolled out the new Zone goal for the month of January and then we played basketball and kickball and ate chile rellenos. It was so fun. We went to bed at the usual 10:30 then woke up at 11:55 and watched the clock turn, then went back to sleep haha.

The week was good and ZLC was yesterday and we learned about he importance of lesson plans and how the Atonement is infinite in depth of coverage. Today is Elder H.'s birthday and we are probably going to head to the Ghetti Museum in not too long.

 

Your questions this week are difficult! Seriously, very thought provoking and because I woke up at 5 this morning, those questions are taking some time to process haha but I will do my best. Brotherly love is exactly what the Savior demonstrated, right? He is our older Brother, and so He is the ultimate example of brotherly love or charity. It really is the greatest commandment to love thy neighbor/brother as thyself and when we not only make that something we know and understand, but something that is a driving force behind the rest of our actions then we receive the blessings from keeping the greatest commandment.

If we love the Savior in the same way that He loves us...or at least as best as we can because it would be impossible to attempt to imitate the love of the Savior fully, that is our motivation for keeping the rest of the commandments...after all, He did say "if ye love me, keep my commandments."

 

My perceptions of the meaning of a lot of things have changed since being on my mission. I think before, I thought that brotherly love meant giving service and doing it with a good attitude...and that is definitely a way that we can show our brotherly love, but a simple one-time act cannot in itself act as the definition of the word. The best thing that comes from service or a sense of brotherly love is a glimpse of how the Savior felt.

In the moment we act (give service) because of our brotherly love, we feel towards others the same way that He feels toward them. The best way to develop brotherly love is really a flash card answer. We must first desire to love others in the same way that the ultimate example of a brother loves all, then we must study His life and as we study and try to imitate what He did and do what He would do, then our will is swallowed up in the will of the Father. Christ always did the will of the Father, so if we think "what would Jesus do?" and then act accordingly, we are doing the Father's will. That's all I've got for now, but I will definitely keep thinking about it.

 

I am going to attach a copy of the "CLAM Chatter" (see "If You're Happy and You Know It" below) which is the mission newsletter that comes out once a transfer. I had the chance to write a short column in it...lemme know whatcha think!

 

Love you guys!

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro

 

 

 

If You’re Happy and You Know It

Elder Molinaro

What attitude-altering message can be found both in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Children’s Song Book? That question may seem quite daunting upon an initial reading of it; however, similarly to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is simple. In my recent study of the Book of Mormon, one of the central themes that I have encountered is that the people of the Lord are a joyous people. In the first book of Nephi, we see that the difference between Nephi and Laman and Lemuel is that Nephi finds happiness in the journey with firm faith in the Lord and the trust that He is guiding them to better things. In contrast, Laman and Lemuel mentally dwell on what activities and riches might have occupied their time were they not in their current circumstance. Elders and Sisters, are we finding the joy in the journey?

With hands firmly grasping the Iron Rod, we are not only heading toward the fruit that will bring us unimaginable elation, but we are holding to the Savior Jesus Christ and His Gospel. With such a priceless treasure in our hands, what better way to express gratitude to the Master than by doing so happily and with smiles of assurance upon our often times dreary faces? We teach of the life changing joy that the teachings of the Savior bring, but too often by the looks of us it would be difficult to convince even the most elect of God’s children that that is the case. Elders and Sisters, we know where we are going. We are marching to life eternal, inviting all who wish to partake of exaltation with us to grab hold of what is made available to all through the atonement of Jesus Christ. With the New Year approaching, may we all resolve to allow the smiles of faith and hope permanently reside on our faces as a beacon of optimism to those whom we encounter. In order to have His image in our countenances, we would do well to remember that like us, Christ is a helper to our Father in Heaven in bringing about His great and eternal plan. After all, we know that when “We’re Helping We’re Happy”, and if “you know it, your face will surely show it.”

From December 26

Family!

 

It was so great to talk to all of you and hear how everything is going. Sounds like you had a terrific holiday and that it was great to have the whole gang together. I am so happy that you all are doing well and are happy.

 

The experience I had teaching that woman in Spanish was definitely a great one though. She was just not getting all the gospel terminology in English, so I just started asking her questions in Spanish and she lit up and started talking and I invited her to be baptized and she agreed! What a miracle.

 

Speaking of miracles, M. (K.'s sister from Huntington Park) got baptized yesterday. I taught her for a while with Elder H. It is so cool to see the areas that I have been in doing so well after I leave them. One of my on-going goals is to leave the area better than I found it, and Fox Hills was the second highest baptizing area in the mission in 2011, so that is pretty cool.

 

The Lord is definitely blessing me for my service and all the blessings that He gives me just makes me want to work harder and harder. I won't slow down for anything. One of my new favorite quotes that I heard at church the other day that sums up a large portion of what I have come to realize on my mission is that "There is nothing noble in being better than some other man. The true nobility lies in being better than your previous self." I can't remember if I had already told you guys that, but it is so true.

 

This life is a life of progression, and personal progression. Remember when I said that there are no winners or losers to God? Well, the instant we start comparing ourselves, we cease to see others as children of God, our Brothers and Sisters. Just something I have been thinkin' lately.

 

Well Guys, I love ya' and I am so grateful for the chance that I have had to dedicate 100% of 2011 to the Lord...make your Mormon.org Profiles! :)

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From December 19

Hi Guys!

 

I am so excited to talk to you, too! You Guys are awesome! :) In the meantime, I am trying to make a Christmas card to send to all my recent converts and members that I have gotten close to.

This week went well. We actually got to work a lot in our area which was fun, and I have seen the Lord bless me. We knocked many doors, and talked to a lot of Jewish people which is always a treat because they need to hear absolutely everything we have to say so it really doesn't matter which topic you begin with. We found a way cool family this week too, and I am crossing my fingers that they solidify and turn into some real potential.

 

For Christmas Eve this year we will be going to the mission nurse's home in Bel Air and having dinner with her and her family after which we will act out the nativity. Apparently, Elder H. and I have been drafted to be wise men...must have been desperate, acting wise will definitely be just that...acting haha. Then on Christmas day we will be going to G. and S.'s home for dinner (the same investigators we had Thanksgiving with). I am excited, they are so kind to us and really feel like family. One day you will have to meet them.

Saturday we got to go through the temple with one of Elder H.'s recent converts and it was my first temple session in Spanish which was really quite fun. It definitely helped me understand some more things with the translation and different words and such.

 

Christmas Insights I have gained? That is a good question. I think the biggest insight I have gained is one I have mentioned before. Namely, that there are so many people who have no idea what it is all about. They don't get it. I am not just talking about Christmas either, I am talking about life. They are so wrapped up into what they think is important that they never gain the one thing that makes life so happy and worth living and that is an eternal perspective.

 

The one thing we can give our Heavenly Father is our will and use our agency to do what He would have us do, and the one thing we all need to give ourselves is an eternal perspective. When that perspective is not only gained, but the decisions you make are consistently founded upon it, that is when it makes it easier to give our will to the Lord. We understand that no matter what, the most important things in life are family, covenants, and the application of the Lord's atonement.

That is the whole reason we celebrate the Christmas season. We recognize what the coming of a Savior means to each of us. It means redemption, it means a second chance, it means the ability to enter into God's rest, and it is the only thing that allows an eternal perspective to turn from a wish and a hope into a reality.

 

These Insights that I have slowly gained over time and with much study are things that I hold dear, along with all of you. Heavenly Father has blessed me so abundantly, and I feel so lucky to be His son. I have gained so much insight and personal revelation about the true nature of God and His masterful plan for me and to me, that is the greatest gift that I could ever receive at this Christmas season.

 

These thoughts and truths are what drives me and motivates me to keep knocking doors, keep talking to everyone even if they look like they want nothing to do with me, and what keeps me having a positive attitude no matter what happens, because I know exactly where I am going. If the world ended, if the sun turned off, if Christ came back on His upcoming birthday, I would be ready and I would be so excited to hear His voice call me His.

 

I invite all of you to feel the same, to gain that perspective, and then act accordingly with consistency. It brings more happiness than I can describe and I can't wait to try when I talk to ya' on Sunday :)

I love you all so much and am living the dream out here in Southern California. I know that God lives and that this is His church. Jesus is the Christ, born in humble beginnings, but when He returns it will be in majesty and great glory. I can't wait for that day.

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From December 12

Family!!!

So hard to believe that it is almost Christmas! Isn't that crazy!? Today we came down to the office after playing some basketball and there are packages EVERYWHERE! There was literally no pathway to our office haha. The week of transfers is over and went really well. All the new missionaries are in and settled, and all the old ones have departed, which is always strange. Just drive up to LAX with a truck bed full of luggage to drop off some of my very best friends who I have gotten really close to over the past year and a half. . . .Did you get my pictures last week? Hope so, thought you might like some more :)

Here's my short testimony about the temple in Spanish (to include with yours in the books for my converts)!

Queridos Amigos,

Solo quierro compartir algunas pensamientos con ustedes en este temporado de la navidad. Este tiempo es un tiempo para amar, para sentir la paz, y para tener gozo. Recordemos que paso 2000 anos atras y pensamos acerca de porque celebramos el nacimiento de un bebe que vivio y murio para que no tuvieramos que hacerlo. Si, hay regalos, hay los arboles y las luzes, pero el temporado de la navidad es mas que eso. No tenemos que enfocarnos en lo que podemos hacer mas para comprar la familia los regalos mejores o las cosas mas carras. Solamente tenemos que pensar acerca de la razon porque este bebe chiquito vino. El vino para salvarnos. El vino para fijar un ejemplo. El vino para que pudieramos entrar en el santo templo y hacer algunos convenios con el padre. Entonces Jesucristo ya nos ha dado el regalo mejor. Es nuestra responsabilidad para abrirlo. Les quiero mucho y quiero que sepan que bautismo es la puerta, pero la destinacion es el templo. Les voy a volver a ver ahi para que un dia yo pueda volver a verles en los cielos.

Con Amor,

Elder Molinaro

This past week has been way busy with transfers and such, but we have also been planning a training and different things that go along with it in order to jumpstart the productivity of the mission... We have called it "Operation Pearl". Cool name, huh? haha It talks a lot about breaking down daily plans into hourly blocks and holding yourself accountable to it to increase productivity. Instead of saying that "I need to teach this many lessons a day" it is OK to say "In the next hour I need to teach one and find a new investigator." Then by the end of the day when that has been done for every hour, the totals are much higher. Cool, huh? I know it is way simple but missionaries here are not doing it so hopefully they will catch on.

Christmas on the mission is great, but I really do miss you guys so much, especially around this time of year with all the traditions and family gatherings and stuff. But I am doing well, happy as a CLAM!

Love you, miss you, praying for you all :) God bless us every one.

Love,

Elder Molinaro