From September 12

Dear Family,

How is life back in the South?  Life here in Los Angeles is going really well actually...in fact the lady running this ghetto internet cafe is having a verbal war with this man and they are both trying so hard to speak english...kinda funny, actually really funny, they are pretty animated!  So transfers are this Wednesday and I have no idea what will happen...but the suspense is killing me!  Always does to tell ya the truth.  I think I will stay, but no one knows right now!  Ahhh!  This happens to me 16 times! 

This week...what happened this week? You have no idea how hard it is as a missionary to remember stuff that happens because it all runs together, but I will take you through highlights of the week and highlights of investigators.  Tuesday was ZLC and it was SO good!  President trained about the atonement and we went way deep doctrine...like so deep...I can't think of an analogy but it was intense and terrific and amazing and I have said it before and I will say it again, but President Baker is such an amazing guy.  I love just having the chance to sit and listen to him and im pretty sure he will be a Seventy one day.  

We broke down three reasons for the atonement one to overcome physical and spiritual death, two to appease the demands of justice, and three to allow ourselves to be let back into the presence of God and become like him.  We took those three points and grabbed a shovel and dug even deeper into D&C and the Book of Mormon and the Bible and I just love the atonement.  It is the reason for everything in the church and the only way to utilize it is through baptism into our church and enduring to the end.  Otherwise, everyone only uses it as it scratches the surface or they use it basically to overcome physical death and spiritual death for a brief time while they are being judged.  Pretty cool huh?  We can fully access the atonement!  

We have had some really good lessons with Brother O. and Sisters H. and R. this past week, and we went over the baptismal interview questions with them last night and they are so ready!  Ended up having a lesson where we had to stimulate the conversation about marriage or separation, and they determined they weren't ready to get married but they were ready to get baptized so they separated!  They are still dating, but not living together!!  Score one for the good guys! haha it was probably the hardest lesson to teach of my mission because we love them all so much so obviously we wanted them to get married and Sister H. said ok but Brother O. had doubts and she was balling and the spirit was strong because they were fixing their law of chastity issues, but it was tough...I felt like Doctor Phil without the corny mustache.  They should all...fingers crossed...be baptized this coming Sunday!!  After stake conference.  

Really good lesson with Brother S. about the Book of Mormon, and Sister E's kids are getting interested and she will be baptized soon as well.  We got an awesome referral for this lady named Sister M. who went to church four times in Hollywood and wants to be baptized!  Brother U. is starting to show some promise, and we had a good finding week with 10 new investigators!  Our district's record to beat this week was 36 new investigators and as a district we found 47!  Record broken!  In fact, every district broke their records for this past week!  The Metro Book of Records is really starting to take off and people are getting pumped and into it and we leave epic messages for people about who is on top, and this past week Metro did the best Metro has done in a week in the two years Metro has existed!  

The Lord is blessing us so much, and the best part is that excitement is still up b/c everyone has a new focus this next week, and in district meeting we literally broke more records!  I know that as long as I keep working with everything I have got, the Lord will continue to bless us.  I feel like I am in the prime of my mission and we are bangin' on all cylinders now :)  Love you guys, have a great week!  Peace be the Journey.

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From September 5

Hey guys, stop wearing white!!!

No white after Labor Day right??  haha I think thats a rule??  Not really sure...anyway, that isn't gonna stop us from putting a few people into white this month!  We are excited for September to be here and are ready to rock and roll!  I guess I am kinda pumped...it could be the new zone goal, I will expound later.  

Well, this week was pretty good.  It is so hard to tell you what has happened though, because honestly it all runs together.  Like at the beginning of my mission I had plenty to write because everyday something new happened, but...that is not the case anymore...its more of the same.  Some people listen, some people don't, some people get your hopes up, and some people get your hopes down.  Some straight up lie to your face, and some send their kids to the door to tell us they aren't home...thats the worst though.  

Like the other day, this three year old comes to the door and says my mom isn't home...and we said well could you ask her when she will be home?  He said yes and ran to the back room and asked haha he came back and said she was showering!?  Its ridiculous, but estoy acostumbrado ya jaja poor kids. 

Investigator wise, Sister R. is doing well and has decided she wants to be baptized still after a really good lesson teaching about how the Holy Ghost works.  Turns out when she was happy she felt like getting baptized and when she got mad she didn't...duh haha but it was quite the battle to get that info out of her.  She is progressing well though, and I am not gonna tell you when her date to get baptized is but the Monday after it happens you will know...I think it jynxes it if I share.  

Brother O. and Sister H. are dragging their feet about the whole marriage issue.  It is kind of frustrating, but it has given me a lot of time to study marriage and stuff and the more I study, the more I realize how different it is from what the world sees it as, and how unprepared to get married anytime soon I am.  I know I still have a lot more to learn, but it is so much more than just picking someone you think you will be happy with, or even someone thats a member of the church.  It is about finding someone that will be a teamate and help you as you help them make it to the Celestial Kingdom and the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.  No one can do it alone.  We are picking who we want to be Gods with essentially.  But, we don't exactly knock doors with that intro to the Gospel haha just something I have come to learn and understand on a whole new level.  

Tonight we have a good lesson planned for them...eh...its pretty much a throwdown ultimatum lesson.  With love and the spirit of course.  They are both super converted to the gospel, and participate at church, and buy us fruit and bread, and read and pray and are always so happy to see us and more importantly learn about the gospel.  I will keep you posted with them and you please keep them in your prayers.  

Sister E. is doing really good, super elect and prepared, and we taught her yesterday actually with her recently baptized daughter there from Long Beach which was neat.  She will be baptized, the question is when.  I swear it is tough to get on Heavenly Father's time table!  Patience is a virtue I need to work on.  I just want these people to be happy ASAP!  Is it such a crime??  

Brother U. is still MIA which is hard because he was so close, but there is nothing I can do...keep doing my part and pray I suppose.  This past week was pretty hectic with exchanges but I went on them twice with Elder M. and Elder W.  Both great Elders and district leaders, both really driven, and Elder W. gave me a quote that I loved, "What is not to be liked about missionary work? You get to ride your bike with your friend, looking for more friends, and every night is a sleepover." haha I liked that a lot.  

Honestly that sums up how I feel about my mission.  It is just so terriffic and fun and hard and awesome all at the same time that words don't really describe it.  So fun to struggle and learn and grow and stretch and see how much I can do.  I am loving every second.  So for zone goal we focused on something Elder Duncan said when he came about finding out maximums in the past as far as key indicators and make our maximums our new minimums.  It is called Metro Book of Records and talks about breaking records by district.  

Each district works to break a different record every week of the month, and the presentation was the best part because we bought actual records...you know the really big cds :) haha and we spray painted the middle gold and wrote the key indicator on one side and the number to beat on the other side and had each member of the district who was on board come up and break the "record" together, explaining that it would take all of them to beat it.  They all came up and shattered the record and everyone keeps a piece in their pocket throughout the week to remind them of their goal.  Kind of a fun play on words with breaking records.  The district that completes the highest percentage of their maximum for the week gets to all sign a full gold record (spray painted once again, but the whole thing) and it will be framed and hung in the zone leader apartment till the millineum!  haha 

Well that is my life right now, just working to rewrite the metro book of records and ZLC is tomorrow so I am pretty excited.  Love you all so much and hope you have a great day- the day school is supposed to start after...don't wear white!  Thats my investigator's job!  Peace be the Journey.

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From August 29

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

From August 22

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

View from the top of the temple

From August 16

Hey Family!


That's so crazy that the first day of school was yesterday and that my little bro is now a senior in high school with a parking spot! haha Hope all is well besides the fact that time seems to be speeding up!  Loved the pictures of the backyard and the waterfall and the fountain and of course, you guys!  Everyone looks great and it appears as if Ty is putting some sweet threads to good use.  He is growing as fast as Ashley's hair and Chris's mounting desire to abandon those childish teams and embrace the majesty of bay area sports :)  


This past week has been...actually...really good!  Seriously, no complaints. We are trying to tear it up right now, and this past week our teaching pool has really started to solidify.  We finally got to talk to Brother U. and he is scared of letting himself down after baptism.  Man I have been studying for him for days and tonight we will have a sweet lesson about Christ walking on water and beckoning to Peter to come to him tying it to what the Savior is doing to Brother U. right now, asking him to meet him half way.  At some point he has to face a fear and leave it to faith, stepping out of the boat...and when his faith falters, just like with Peter, the Savior will reach out and catch him.  I am pretty excited to teach him tonight.  Its kind of cool how excited it makes me to be able to teach these people.  Its because they have become a part of me, or like I have thought, prayed, fasted, and worked for them for so long that I love them so much and want as many chances to help them as I can get.  They have become more than investigators, they have become my friends.  


Sister P. is still messing with my head and heart flip flopping and showing interest and promise one day and nothing the next.  Brother O. and Sister A. are doing well though, they are loving the gospel and changing and it is so cool to watch.  At first we were just teaching Brother O, then Sister A. joined, then Brother M. came in only for the prayers, then Brother B. and Brother M, and now it is the whole family that is listening. They all listen and all kneel and pray with us, and this past Sunday they all 5 came to church and last night we invited Sister R. to be baptized and she agreed!!!  


We had an appointment with a former investigator this past week and it fell through, so we talked to her neighbors and found a girl named Sister D. who has an interesting past.  She was addicted to meth for three years, and had some pretty creepy experiences with idol worship and...well I will spare you the details, but some evil stuff, but she decided to listen to us, and yesterday we taught her the restoration probably the most powerfully that I have ever taught it on my mission, and she too accepted a baptismal date.  Right now everything is looking up, we have tomorrow and Thursday and half of Friday already full of appointments every hour on the hour and every appointment is with someone close to baptism.  I feel like we are about to open the flood gates and a lot of people will be baptized.  We are praying hard and trying to be exactly obedient and it is working.  Thank you all for all your help and prayers, they are working for sure.  I don't know if I ever told you guys but that girl, Sister A. that moved to Colorado has moved back and we've been teaching her, and she has really good fellowship, and came to church two weeks in a  row now!  Well this ends part one, this computer is sketchy so I will work on part two!

So besides investigators, this past week some other stuff happened too. We had temple service and we bagged grass and stuff on the temple lawn for 7 hours and I got to work with Hermano V. there for the whole day, I miss him. It is a project that they do once every 4 years, and last time they did it it took them 3 months, but with the missionaries help they will have it done in two weeks! Thats a lot of workers haha. 

Yesterday was Zone Conference and Elder Duncan of the 70 came and spoke and it was so good. He talked a lot about increasing faith and really believing we can do this and I am certain that is what jumpstarted us into setting two baptismal dates last night. I realized something too. I have felt like on my mission I have been able to start teaching people, or help them work through their struggles, but never quite get them to baptism...then I really thought about it, prayed about it, and heard about it at Zone Conference and have come to the conclusion it doesn't matter...that is a selfish thought, anyway. Its like a pitching staff in baseball. Very rarely does the starter go the whole game, it takes a whole pitching staff to pull out the W, and thats ok. As missionaries we are all a team and if it is my job to be a middle reliever or starter, and someone else will close thats ok. We are all on the same team. Times up love you guys :)

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From August 8

Dear Family,

 

"Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out"...now you have an idea of what I have had to remind myself this past week. It was by far the most stressful, pressure-filled week of my entire life, let alone my entire mission. I think those breathing reminders kept me sane on more than one occasion.

 

Monday was good, but it was my last day with Elder K. (he had completed his mission and was heading home). I drove him to the mission office for his final interview and ate with him and the C. family one last time.

 

Tuesday is where the madness began. So, I took Elder H. with me to the mission office to drop off Elder K. It was weird...sad...like they put you with someone for every second of the day for 4 1/2 months then in a few seconds it's "Well, hopefully I will see ya' in about a year, maybe."...I didn't like it, to say the least. I knew it was coming, but I had no idea how I would feel. I gave him a hug goodbye and there was a Sister missionary right there and after he walked away she was like "Elder Molinaro, you look really sad.".. . I'm happy for him though. He served a good two years and became one of my greatest friends. So, then Elder H. moved on and I had a great day teaching and laughing and talking to people.

 

Then we got the call with transfer info. and our Zone got hit...hard. Twelve of 13 companionships changed. There was one new Zone leader to be trained and two new District Leaders to be trained. There were also two combined areas. The thing is that this transfer is crazy because 18 Spanish speakers went home, and 10 more go home off-transfer to get back for school in time. So we lose a ton of Spanish-speaking missionaries and haven't got anyone to replenish because the mission was bilingual but switched to one language calls...but on paper Salt Lake sees all these missionaries who speak Spanish so they send pure English speakers to try to balance it out...make sense?

 

So I am figuring it all out by myself because Elder H. doesn't know the Zone, just his District. I had to figure out who needed babysitters because half the Zone is leaving and half coming in and no one can be left alone even for a second. That was a headache and a half, but we got it figured out...only to get a call from the assistants at 10:40 p.m. telling me that they forgot to tell me that a certain Elder needed to be at the mission office for an interview at 8 am...awesome time to be on the 110 and 10 freeway in Los Angeles haha. So we needed to leave at like 6:15 but the problem was that everyone was asleep when I got the call! haha I won't bore you with the details but it was a circus, to say the least. We got it figured out, but I did not sleep one wink that night. My mind was racing faster than Patrick Marleau !

We got everything squared away Wednesday. I got my new companion and we were able to work a little and brainstorm the new Zone goal...but he has no clue about the Zone because he has never served here. Thursday we went up the mission office for new Zone Leader training and had a few good lessons...I will expound on investigators later.

 

Friday we presented the thing that had us running around like chickens with our heads cut off, also known as Zone goal haha. It is called "Here Comes the Son." It is a play on words from that song about the "sun" with this Son being Jesus Christ. We're talking about how He is coming and it is our job to baptize so He can come faster, and we need to shine like sunshine. Each area gets a sheet with a sunshine and a certain number of cotton balls that are "clouds" to cover the sun. Every time the area has a member-present lesson, sets a baptismal date, or has a baptismal date come to church they get to remove a cloud, revealing the sun and making it so the Son can come faster. The promised blessing is that as each area removes all their clouds, they will have a baptism.

 

This fixes areas combining mid-month, as well as there being a sheet for each area, not just companionship so when trios are made and missionaries go home before September, they will need to work both areas to remove all the cotton balls, not just have one area focused on and one neglected. It is also because it is ridiculously hot here haha. The presentation went well, we did it with ridiculous sunglasses on. We present it in ZLC on Tuesday.

 

Saturday in the middle of ZLM, I get a call from President telling me there is more excitement, and a few emergency transfers and we need to be at the mission office to pick up a car and get it to this missionary who was going to San Pedro and we had a two hour window to do it haha...That makes it 5 out of 7 days I went to the mission office! Crazy!!!

 

As crazy as this week was, and as much pressure as I felt, the Lord blessed us, especially with Hmo. O. and Hma H. They are progressing really well, and he is off coffee and now drinking herbal tea in the morning instead. They believe in the prophet and came to church Sunday. I love them so much. We haven't been able to contact Hmo U. for almost two weeks and it breaks my heart because he is so close too, on the verge, but I feel like he is avoiding us right now. PLEASE pray for him as much as possible. Like I said before we have a lot of potential peeps, just gotta push 'em over the edge and they will all be good.

 

Time is up and I don't want the computer to eat this letter like it did the other one. I love you guys so much...wish me luck.

 

Peace be the Journey.

 

Love,

Elder Molinaro

From August 1

Dear Family,

What's crackin', its me, Elder Molinaro, hoping to be able to actually get to send this email to all of you and not get kicked off.  Coming at ya from the Family History Library today while Elder K. is getting his final interview.  So glad you had fun in Cali with Grandma.  Its a great state isn't it??  I have grown to love it even more.  More every day since I have come to Los Angeles.  I miss you guys too, and it is weird how fast time seems to go now.

What is zone goal for August?  That is an excellent question, one I would love to know the answer to myself haha.  We have some ideas bouncing around, but until we get transfer information, we can't really do anything because we know that our zone will get shaken up area wise and companionship wise and we are losing Elder K. and two district leaders, maybe all three, so I kinda feel like the glue that is holding Metro together right now and sometimes it makes it hard to sleep at night haha.  I dream about things going wrong, or forgetting something really important.  Did I mention the fact that it is stressful to have responsibility when you don't know what your doing!? haha Just trying to take it one day at a time right now.  Poco a Poco.

Elder K. leaves Wednesday morning, and yesterday I had an interview with President where I found out who my new companion is and where I will be.  I will be staying in Huntington Park Central, and my new companion is named Elder...oh man, I literally just forgot his name!  That was weird, Elder H.  I do not know anything about him other than the fact that right now he is a district leader in Westwood Zone.  I have seen him twice I think, and never really had the chance to talk to him, but I have heard a few different reports from a few different missionaries.  So, I will be staying and with a new companion that I will be training as a zone leader.

I am pretty excited, we have a lot of work to do-so many people that we are teaching right now that could get baptized in the month of August its crazy.  Lots of potential means a lot of responsibility, but hey, if it is what the Lord wants me to do, I am down for whatever.  So I will be in this area for 6 months at least, and my first area for 9...crazy!  It doesn't feel like I've been in Huntington Park for 4 and a half months, but I really like being in areas for a while so I can get to know them really well and build lasting relationships with members and investigators.

I guess I will tell you whats gone on investigator by investigator, because day by day would be ridiculous.  First, yesterday was such a great day.  Church, which the missionaries were in charge of-I sang in sacrament meeting with the others and taught a class, attended a baptism for some other missionaries and did the missionary moment, ate with a member, then went to Elder K's departing missionary fireside.  The testimonies and music were really good, but the best part was seeing my recent converts after. 

The C. family is super active and goes to absolutely every activity/baptism/meeting.  Brother C. is the cub scout leader, and loves his assignment, Sister C. is inviting people to church, and they do FHEs and they say family prayers, and they are all reading their Book of Mormons.  Even the youngest!  She ran up to me and said she was on page 9!  Haha Sister I. and Sister M. are doing well, they are both primary teachers in Inglewood Second ward, and the C. family's youngest is actually in Sister I's class! 

Sister I. went and did baptisms for the dead on Thursday and had an amazing spiritual experience there and absolutely loved it.  Brother S. is coming to church every Sunday and bringing his wife as well.  Oh man, it is just a great feeling to know they are doing well.   Sister Y. too, she was there and was all smiles which is rare for her.  So yesterday was suhweet! 

Investigators?  So Brother U. didn't get baptized the 24th, he backed out and ever since then he has been a mystery.  We are praying hard for him, because he could be baptized anyday now, but he is scared to take the step and he knows it.   He feels like he needs to be perfect after baptism, and his biggest fear is that after he is baptized he will say a swear word when he is with his friends.  Says he wants to get more into it and make sure he is ready...which is super frustrating because Heavenly Father told him he was ready a few weeks ago!!  Please keep him in your prayers.  Literally any day now he will be baptized because we have taught him everything he needs to know, and quite frankly he is ready. 

Brother O. and Sister A. are doing well.  We have had a few really good lessons with them, including one that I had while on exchanges with Elder G.-He is the assistant right now, Elder W's old companion-about the plan of salvation tied to the atonement and baptism and the Law of Chastity.  They are the Elect of God for sure, just eating it all up and really desiring the change that the gospel can and does bring.  We took them to the visitors center this past week, and they loved the idea of eternal families and temples, and they have only been together for 4 months so pushing marriage is tough, but that would be ideal.  That or separate houses.  We are leaving it up to them for now.  They missed church yesterday because something came up, but they were at the departing missionary fireside and liked it a lot too.

Sister P. dropped us about a week and a half ago, and we took it pretty hard, so this past week we went over there and talked to her and it was one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission because it was pretty much pure testimony and testifying the whole time.  Her biggest issue is that she got baptized when she was 13 and she did it with her mom, so she feels like doing it again would erase what she did with her mom who is no longer living, so thats hard for her.  She came to church though and that was a huge step. 

We are also teaching a lady named Sister J. and her two daughters.  They were an old referral that we just had the feeling we should recheck, and she said she was just thinking about us and her daughters said she should call us again, and we showed up the next day!  Gotta love those spiritual promptings.  She loves the idea of a true church and the Book of Mormon, and I feel really good about her and her progress quickly toward baptism. 

We went to visit a less active family too, and there was a man there who just moved in that asked us to teach him something about the church, so we blasted him with the restoration and the spirit and he wants to read the Book of Mormon and keep learning more.  Then ysterday at church, this member walks in with these two ladies and we recognize them as another old referral.  She said that they were her friends and they want to learn.  They loved church and stayed after to watch the baptism and loved it and even gave us two referrals haha. 

Sorry for walking you through my whole teaching pool right now, but that is the reason I am so excited!!  We have so much work to do, and I pray Elder H. is ready to roll up his sleeves and get to it.  The Lord is trusting us with a lot of his children to shepherd to the truth, and I know all of these people can get baptized this next month.  I just gotta keep trying to keep the pedal to the metal.  Full tilt, no excuses to not baptize this month, more than one person-maybe ten.  I feel like with my 4th companion coming in, I got some kind of greenie fire back or something.  I am pumped.  Like Sharks hockey pumped.  It is gonna be so good, I am so excited!  I love you all so much and wish you coulld feel how I feel right now.  Peace, Joy, energy, drive, but best of all the love of my Savior.  Peace be the Journey :)

Love,

Elder Molinaro

PS-Last p day we went to San Pedro for Elder K. to practice some song for the fireside that he sang with a few other missionaries last night, and after we went to the Korean Bell, and saw the docks of LA harbour, and these sweet basketball hoops right on a cliff overlooking Palos Verdes Estates and the ocean. We gotta go back there someday.  It was so cool!!!