Saturday, May 19, 2012

From February 13


February 13, 2012
 
 
So, since you said you liked the journal entry thing, I am gonna keep it up! Enjoy
 

February 6, 2012

What an awesome Preparation day! Today I got to open some of my birthday cards from family and friends. The Lord has blessed me with so many people who love me and care about how I am doing. Why has He blessed me so much? Sometimes I don’t understand what I have done to deserve such a great support system. They are the best for sure.
Tonight we had the awesome assignment of moving more bunk beds! That delivery happened at like 11:15 at night…let’s just say that the bunk beds take forever to take apart, haul down 4 stories, drive 30 miles, haul up three stories and then assemble. Then we high tailed it back up to the mission office and unloaded all of the goods into the garage and finally fell into bed with no dinner about 12:00. It was so late I am writing this the day after. But, it was an adventure and I enjoyed every second.
Oh, haha! We pulled up to the gas station and were filling up and the bed of the truck was filled with beds and this homeless guy comes up and says "Hey, I need one of those." My thought: "You and me both, Pal!" haha We were so exhausted that everything started to be funny.
 
 

February 7, 2012

Today is my birthday. Twenty one years ago I left the presence of my Heavenly Father to begin my journey here on earth. He sent me to a wonderful family and has given me so much since then that often times I wonder why. What could I have possibly done in the pre-existence that would result in such an outpouring of blessings and privileges that I have experienced in this my mortal journey thus far? That question is probably something that I will never fully understand the answer to.
Today we worked in the office all day and didn’t make it to the area because of a few things. . . . (lots of missionary moves take place at this point). Today is my birthday, and my last on the mission, but I feel like I must have 21 years ago. I feel like the mission has made me a brand new person and with my newly gained perspective and consistently fortified testimony that I am ready to take on life and whatever it may throw at me. I don’t know how many years I have left in this earthly journey, but I do know where I am headed…back to where I started from….back to my Father.

 

February 8, 2012

Hooray for new missionary training! This morning we had new missionary training at the Artesia Building. . . . Then we knocked some doors on 16th and Michigan, over right next to the cemetery and it turned out pretty well…We found some good people who have a lot of potential. Our area has like pockets of great areas and pockets of beachy people who are carefree and have no sense of commitment or interest in anything that will alter the life of luxury they are already living.
 
(He was talking with a member and encouraging him to do a write-up for mormon.org) What a great way to get word out onmormon.org, right? It really is so helpful to have people in the ward with profiles because when you are teaching someone, you can just go online and be like "Hey, this is someone who we will introduce you to at church" and the investigator already feels more comfortable. Seriously, missionary work in English areas where everyone has the internet makes the work so much different…I feel like I am still trying to transition from being in Spanish. It is a hard transition and takes time…I haven’t eaten a legitimate taco in eons!
 
Got news tonight that tomorrow we have 6 visa waiters coming in…nothing like a last minute, miniature transfer day!
 
 

February 9, 2012

I think one of our main tasks in the office is to make things run smoothly and keep track of details so President doesn't have to. I am at the point where I just get in these different modes...I have a ZLC prep mode, MLT prep mode, Zone Conference mode, transfer day mode, etc. It is like a switch. So, today I was on transfer day mode thinking about logistics of luggage movement, lunch prep for everyone, interviews for President, comp assignments, all that fun stuff and just as I was about to shift back to post-transfer mode, (updating all the boards and maps and programs with the new names and such) I got asked to go into emergency transfer mode! Oh we love emergency transfers haha.
 
As a result of some emergency transfers, we were driving through my old stomping grounds at 10:45 at night delivering mattresses and people's stuff in a 2010 Chevy Silverado. I must say that I never expected to be doing this on my mission...not in a million years. I wonder if Christ expected everything that happened in His Messianic mission. Did He foresee everything? Did He know what to expect? What a role model He is for me for everything -- including rolling with the punches.
 
 

February 10, 2012

Today was just a great day. It was one of those days where everything just goes right…well mostly. Friday so we went to District Meetings of course…Get this…we took the 405 to the 10 to the 110 to the 105 to the 710 to get there…we hit every major freeway in the mission to get to Downey, pretty insane that I have this mental map of Los Angeles and know how to get through traffic and the best time to use the freeway or to go city streets. I feel like Jim from the office…I have all this useless information stored in my brain…where missionaries live, which apartments have pools, where the bunk beds are located, who has air mattresses signed out etc…the list goes on, trust me.
 
District Meeting was a little shaky in one Zone today. It just seems like everyone is complacent…just counting the time until they can go home and they are so focused on things that are not important. Seems like everyone just wants to be cool and liked by everyone else. After lunch we went on exchanges with the Metro Zone Leaders and I got to go with none other than my very own "son" (the missionary Justin trained)! Yep, Elder C.! It was such a blast. Spanish was a little rusty out of the gate, the first lady I tried contacting my first sentence came out in a bi-lingual jumbled mess haha. It was so fun to be with Elder C. He is doing really well and is just a powerhouse.
 
We visited a ton of awesome people and it is so fun to be able to see the area that I grew to know and love flourishing. We ate dinner with O. H. and R., set up an appointment with U., saw the C. family, got to stop in and pray with the T. family, and of course we stopped by and saw Hma P. Man, do I miss that area. I have been blessed with amazing areas my whole mission. Great areas and great companions. Today was a day to reflect on how far I have come since I first arrived in Huntington Park almost a whole year ago. I feel like a completely different person and like I have learned so much. All of the members told me that I look way skinnier and I need to come back so they can feed me haha I guess that is what happens when you lay off the tortillas!
 
 

February 11, 2012

We split back this morning and have been working our fingers to the bone ever since. Had a meeting with President about what we will be doing for the upcoming MLT and we are pretty much spelling things out for everyone so there can be no room for confusion. Tonight I have been working on these year-end reports and they are kicking me…The problem is that there is a whole quarter of data missing so I am trying to reconstruct it backwards…like stats-style without having taken statistics…One more thing the mission has taught me: Microsoft Excel is your best friend and your worst enemy…Wish me luck.
 

February 12, 2012

Sacrament meeting was so good today. The topic was missionary work, and it was all about how members are so important in sharing the gospel. There were three recent converts who shared their conversion stories and how members were vital in helping them find their ways to the waters of baptism Then Brother W. spoke about how sharing the gospel is a responsibility and how simple things like praying and following promptings can result in great things.
 
We cannot let our pursuit for knowledge of the scriptures overpower and override our thirst for a stronger testimony. Gaining a testimony and retaining it requires a lot more work than gaining factual knowledge and retaining it. A testimony is something that is never finished and the second you stop adding to it, it is decreasing...there is no plateau...either you are progressing or regressing.
 
There is this one part of our area that seems to have a lot of promise, but tonight there were very few people interested. Even when we explain it clear as day and pose a question that leads them to say "yes" like "is gaining salvation something that is important to you?" "Not right now" is the response of choice...People are lazy, just wanna wait until it is convenient.
 
Well, there ya' go, that was my week...Ups and downs, but still great. So glad to be able to serve here at this point in time. I know I am here for a reason. President has already started working on transfers...definitely the earliest that I have ever seen him start. This next one is gonna be tricky because there are 4 Spanish Zone Leaders going home and he needs 8 Spanish trainers, as well. Not sure what that means for me...if I stay up (in the office) one more transfer or if I will go down (back into the field to teach full-time) for my last two. Can't believe I only have two transfers left. Kinda scary how stuff goes so fast; I should find out this week if I am being replaced in the office.
 
Hope all is well at the home place. Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes and Valentine's stuff, made my whole week to feel so much love:)
 
Love you guys so much!
 
Love, Elder Molinaro

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