It's Getting Cold!

10 November Sakado

I can't believe another week is over already! Where is the time going??? This week he days felt really long, but he week just zoomed by! We had a little more free time than we usually do. A lot of the people we work with are students and right now it is test season...which means they don't have time for us. But, it ended up being a blessing. We met two new (to us) less active families who had managed to fly under the radar. One of the new families is from Peru and the other is from Brazil. 

This week, please pray for my Spanish and Portuguese speaking ability. While I surprise myself in lessons and can say things, and bring things back to memory...I am nowhere near capable of teaching an entire lesson. But, I know with heavenly father's help and your prayers it's possible!

Every week we go to the family from Peru's home (a different family, same as last week). And the rescuer ring trend seems to be something funny with language and wrong translations seem to happen. This time we got to their house before the mother was home. She said she would be there soon. So we sat outside and called people. The grandpa must have hear us because he came out and invited us in. We went into the entry way but since he was the only one there we weren't allowed to go any farther. No big deal right?...the only problem was we didn't know how to explain the missionary rule in Spanish. Finally I figured out the word for rule-regla. I said missionary rule! He didn't get it. He thought I was saying black- Negla. He kept leaving and coming back, and since we hadn't come in he was getting a little frustrated.

We didn't know what to do! Finally Ushimaru shimai came home. She explained it to the grandpa and he started muttering about regla and negra. Throughout our visit we would hear him periodically muttering about it. It was so funny. I could understand it too so it just made it even better. Each visit I think my Spanish gets a little better! And I'll be sure to extra emphasis on my RegLa next time I use it. 

We met a lady this week who had met the missionaries 8 years ago..or something like that. We met her at Mr. Donuts, had donuts and talked about church. She is amazing, and a hard worker. Her daughter disappeared and left her two children at her mother’s house. So she is now grandmother and mother to them! I really liked her a lot. I hope she comes to church with the kids. It would be perfect for them! Before our lesson we had called a member to come with us. The member is probably in her 50's. While Hall shimai was on the phone with her she told her the lady we were meeting was probably around her same age...we didn't know. It occurred to me she could be older. I voiced my concern to Sister Christiansen and We burst out laughing. Oh we thought it would be so funny if she was older. And then she turned out to be much older than the member. Poor Nohagi shimai...

This week, and every week, Hall shimai mixed up the words ninjin and Ningen. One means carrot and the other means humans. It makes a big difference. I love when she says life is hard as carrots. Or we are all carrots. It just doesn't get old. It brings great joy to my life. 

Funny story from this morning: we let for a lesson and as we were biking I thought to myself "wow I haven't felt the wind in my hair for a while...my helmet!" I'd forgotten it. So we race back to the apartment and see that the garbage truck is pulling in. The garbage hadn't been taken out. We called the sisters and they didn't answer and we didn't know what to do...we had soooo much garbage this week so I came up to the garbage man, told him we had garbage and asked if he could wait, and then made a pity me and my Nihongo face cus I don't think it really made sense. He told me to run so..I did! Sister Hall and I tore up four flights of stairs grabbed our garbage and came running back down and handed over the garbage. We were sooo out of breath. Also, we didn't have our key so we came around our apartment to the back door and I hopped the fence (all in one motion) and let sister Hall in through the door, then we ran up the four fllights of stairs...oh we were pooped after wards. But we got a really good laugh. 

This week was really good. I've started to change how I dendō. I feel a lot more confident in my nihongo skills and so I have gotten a lot more bold. When I extend an invitation they know I expect them to do it, it isn't a suggestion.  And I've stopped letting people make up excuses too (nihonjin don't like to say no, they just like to make excuses instead). Sister Hall finds it very amusing. I'm just ready to stop being a push over missionary. It's very easy when you don't understand what is going on. But I feel like I do now. So, it's time to step up! We saw a lot of progression this week in some of our investigators and lots of little miracles. Christmas is approaching...I'm ready for big miracles. And that means I need to be doing my part. Don't worry though. I'm not mean or anything, just bold. 

I love you all!

Thank you for your emails! They made me very happy! 

Love, Sister Molinari

Another Transfer Come and Gone

Mount Fuji

Oh my goodness it is November! Ahh!

Today was transfer calls. I'm staying! I wasn't really expecting that I would leave though, our whole apartment..actually our whole district is staying. That, is very, very rare. Sister hall thinks it's cus someone is gonna be baptized. I think it's cus our district is living under its potentials. Time for us to get our act together, unite, and see miracles! I'm really nervous/ excited to see what happens next transfer. One of the four sisters in our apartment is going home, along with 28 other sister missionaries!!! That means 14 less companionships in the mission. Ah! Sakado is a four sister area right now...but there might not be enough sisters left after next transfer and we could go down to two sisters! 

We did lots of fun things this week but, here are my favorites. 

Sunday is just a really fantastic day. An investigator surprised us by coming to church and Yahagi Shimai, for the first time in 20 years, came to church in Sakado! We were all really excited and the ward members were soo welcoming. I love Yahagi shimai. It takes a lot of courage to come back and she did it! She asked if we could change our weekly lessons to Sunday after church which means she is planning on continuing to come. Ahh! I'm still happy! 

After church, on our way to visit a less active we ran into our miracle girl from the Philippines. We hadn't been able to get a hold of her at all all week and there she was waiting at a stop light. Meant to be! Hopefully she will come to church on Sunday. During our less actives lesson we laughed so much. Nishibori shimai is a hoot. She is just so honest. We asked if she reads the Book of Mormon every day. She stops, looks up and thinks and then says "nope!" It was kind of funny. She's so old and cute, and the way she phrases things are priceless. We asked her to read every day from here on out, even if it is just a verse a day. And her reply was "ok, a page a day, I will do that." What a goof! We told her to pray that we'd stay here since transfers were the next day. We meant later, when she prays before bed but she says "hai" and just starts praying! Sister Hall and I had to try really hard not to laugh. It was a really good lesson. She is making progress!!!

We received lots of help from the members this week. We had an awesome lesson with the Kimoras. Kimura kyodai shared how he joined the church, and I think it was the first time our investigator really enjoyed a lesson. It was great! Aida shima, and sooo many of the single adults in our ward were a help too. Aida shimai was a doseki for us Sunday night. We made pizza, shared a video and She did a wonderful job taking the 'awkward' out of our lesson. And the single adults here are so full of Dendō fire. We had a mogi lesson with a single adult, Hikari shimai, who wanted to know how she could teach/ speak by the spirit so she can share the gospel with her friends. At our Halloween party All the YSA talked with our investigators too. They are so great! 

Halloween

At our Halloween party I dressed up as Princess Leia. While on exchanges I had found a baggy white dress in the other sisters apartment. It was perfect! Well, that's what I thought....I got to the party and I was asked multiple times "Kirisuto sama desu ka?" In English that translates to “Are you Jesus?” Oh boy. I got asked so many times! Only one member knew right away who I was and a few did after I told them. But our Halloween parties were so fun!

On Friday there was a ward dance party. Dance parties are very different here. Nihonjin don't dance. All the American sisters just sat giggling. It was so funny. Really made my week. 

We are teaching a less active member from Peru. I love her and I love listening to Spanish. The longer I am there the more I understand, and the more I can speak! I feel so blessed. Sister Hall and I are going to start studying Spanish together. Ganbarimasu! Anyways, we stopped by their house a little later than we usually do, and it was dinner time...oops. But she didn't even mind she invited us in for dinner! It was delicious. And we had so much fun. The grandfather is the cutest little old man who speaks no Nihongo only Spanish. And even though he knows we can't really understand he talks in Spanish anyways! When we walked, he was all bundled up because of the cold, and he had something on his head..it looked like a leg warmer. He also had leg warmers around his ankles, a scarf and lots of layers. Later, during dinner we found out it was in fact a leg warmer. I busted out laughing and his daughter, the one we are teaching joined in. We laughed so hard. It was pretty funny. 

While I dint look the best in this picture I find it funny.
It looks like Aida shimai is comforting me cus I'm not nihonjin like everyone else! 

Ok well that's all for now folks. I really love being a missionary. So much! The gospel is true and it really blesses lives. I've found peace and happiness that I know you can find nowhere else. I love it. 

And I love all of you! 

Sister Molinari

Up and over the handlebars!

27 October 2014 Sakado

Hello everyone!

This week was pretty crazy. We had lots of miracles, met some really cool people and also had some pretty crazy experiences. Wow!

Wednesday we were biking to a less actives house when I heard this odd noise. At first I thought it was a dog, then the closer I got I realized that it must be a child crying. Then we both biked past a lady, wailing at the top of her lungs. She was so loud; a woman came out of her house to see what the noise was. I hopped of my bike and chased after her and asked if she was ok. She said she was...for some reason I didn't believe her. We kept talking and soon discovered she speaks Chinese, lost her home and had been walking for quite a while.

It was pouring rain. She had sandals on and her pants were soaked. We decided to take her back to the church. We walked the half hour back to church and got her situated. When we got into church she fell on her knees and I think said a little prayer. We tried to make sense of the situation, all sorts of crazy things had happened to her but nothing really added up. So we did what we could: warmed her up, fed her, gave her bandages for her feet, showed her love and tried to calm and comfort her. We don't know what happened to her, but I do know that we were in the right place at the right time and were able to help her because of that. Heavenly Father has perfect timing. We were able to share our testimonies with her. God loves her. She really has a Heavenly Father who knows her and she has worth. And despite everything, she was able to feel that.

Thursday we met a miracle girl! She was from the Philippines and as we talked she told us she is missing something in her life, she just wants to know what everything is all about and really wanted to know where the church was. Wow! It was too good to be true! Hopefully we will be seeing her soon.

We biked away and headed over to another investigators house. It had been raining to we were in our rain gear and we both had umbrellas. Mine was hanging on my handles bars, something I'd never done before. So, we are speeding along and my umbrella suddenly gets stuck in the spokes of my front tire! The bike stops and I got flying off, over the handlebars, and then the bike goes flying over me. The umbrella was worse off than me. I had a scrapped up hands bruised elbows and a bruised knee and hip. I had dive rolled over my handle bars, so I literally just flew, rolled and sat up. I'd say it was worthy of a ten. Sister hall said it was pretty impressive. She hadn't seen anyone "eat it" so gracefully. I was pretty proud of myself.

After about a week of healing.

Saturday we found another miracle! We were walking to the eki when we ran into a girl who lived right by the church. She is the churches neighbor! And she has always wondered what the church looks like in the inside. So, of course we showed her. It was the funniest church tour I have ever done. The entire building is decorated for our Halloween party this week. we would walk by a picture of Christ and then a cat and a pile of jack-o-lanterns. Quite the experience.

Despite the witches and ghosts, you could tell she could feel that there was a special spirit at church. We are playing basketball with her on Saturday. Should be fun!

Our less-actives are progressing. So exciting! Nishibori shimai is so proud of her progress; it is the cutest thing ever! I love her! She has also become a lot more confident in her gospel knowledge. When I first got here she wouldn't really say anything. Now she will interrupt us to finish our sentences and share with us what she remembers or thinks about something very exciting!

And Ito shimai..poor thing, cries every time we go over. Not bad tears though.."I'm feeling the spirit" tears! Yay! I think she still has a while until she comes back to church though..but little by little shell be ready. Her husband died when she was really young so this week we will be teaching about the temple. She needs to get sealed to her husband! So they can be together for time and all eternity. If that isn't a happily ever after..then I don't know what is.

The gospel is true. I love my mission. I feel like I have learned so much this transfer! It’s “crazy transfer calls” next week...I wonder what will happen!

I love all of you too!

Sister Molinari

Konnichiwa!

21 October 2014 Sakado

  

We had a surprise sisters temple p-day! No one thought we would have one because this transfer is only 5 weeks. But we did! It was so fun! I loved seeing everyone. There are some really special people here in Japan right now and I am so lucky I get to serve with them!

We have a "BIG SUNDAY CHALLENGE" coming up next month. We've started working on it now. The missionaries were assigned to go visit the ward members who are in leadership positions this last week to personally invite them to invite others to church that Sunday. One of the people we visited was Mori shimai. While we were visiting she told us about her friend she really wants to come to church. She's never been interested in the church before, but whenever she is having a hard time she always calls Mori shimai. Well, Mori shimai decided she was going to give her a Book of Mormon. She made a beautiful cover for it and is going to write her testimony, or personal feelings and beliefs, about the Book of Mormon inside it. She was really excited to give it to her.

Together we prayed for her friend, and we continued to pray for her each time we said a pray the rest of the day. This was on Tuesday. Tuesday ended up being a bust day. No one was home! And no one was interested. 

Thursday morning comes around and we receive a call from Mori shimai. Her friend had called her. She decided, on her own, she wanted to meet with the missionaries and is meeting with them Monday! Wow! Miracles happen! Sometimes it takes a little longer than we think to see them. Or maybe we will never see them. But, that doesn't mean that they aren't happening.

I love the eikaiwa students here. They say the funniest things!  One old man told us his wife was no good! And another said she has no friends. Our topic this week was relationships so they all got a kick out of boyfriends and girlfriends. Super funny. After eikaiwa we were talking to one of our students, she is also an investigator. Sister hall wanted to know how to pronounce travel Japanese. In nihongo it sounds very similar to a name. It's 'Ryokou. Our investigator had no idea what she was trying to say and then sister hall tries to clear it up by saying she wants to know how to pronounce it, speaking in Japanese. She kept saying hastwon, first I wasn't sure what she was saying, then I realized she was saying hatsuon or pronunciation, incorrectly. I figured she was doing it purposely, playing with the word. Our investigator finally looked at me for help. I said "hatsuon" and our investigator burst out laughing. It was pretty funny since she was pronouncing the word for pronunciation wrong. We laughed for a good while, and Sister Hall never got an answer to her question.

We had lots of lessons this week but my favorite was probably one that didn't really end up being a lesson...it was with a member and her friend. And the member totally kidnapped the lesson!!! And then killed it!

We went from talking about God to charity to "let me see your family pictures" to festivals and who knows what else. Oh it was hilarious. I kept chuckling to myself. What made it even better was how flabbergasted Sister Hall was hat it was happening. Oh it was great. I'll have to send a picture of the two of them next week!

I feel like I had so much to write about and now I can't remember any of it! We had president interviews this week. I love my mission president. He is inspired. We had a really, really good interview and I'm just so grateful for him. I love being a missionary and I love everything that I am learning. I know I'm being prepared for the future. It's really great. I love sister hall too. She's real out great.

Me, Sister Hall and (ed. note: I don't know who) "friend"

"Yummy food"!

We went to a festival this week...I wasn't too impressed but there was yummy food and we went with a friend so it was fun! We got soaked in the rain. We had many, many odd encounters; just your regular old mission week. But it was really fun.

I love you all! 

If I didn't reply to your email, I will next week. We have no time today. 

I've included some pictures to make up for the lack of words!

-Sister Molinari

Hello From Japan!

12 October 2014 Sakado

Where we have another typhoon coming tomorrow! Woo-hoo! Don't worry, we are safe. Typhoons don't hit us too hard where we are. They've lost a lot of power by the time they get here.

Ok this week was full of appointments. Soo many. We were busy, busy. We have a lot of really awesome people we are working with, but no one seems to really be progressing, so hopefully this week we can do something about that. The gospel is great. And a lot of our investigators know that...it's just the applying it to their lives part that is a little difficult. We have an adorable 80some year old less active member who is really progressing though. She read the Book of Mormon this week and was sooo proud of herself. It was great!

Ok funny story of the week:

We went to an English class that one of our investigators runs. It was for elementary school kids. It was so fun. We broke up into two groups and after I asked the kids two questions each they asked me questions.

They were:
1. How old are you?
2. Do you have a boyfriend?
3. Are you married?
4. What are you looking for in a man?
5. How many kids do you want?

I was laughing pretty hard. Those 5 to 8 year old boys were pretty bold!

Cool story of the week:

I got to blow a dart gun...I think that is what they are called...

One of our eikaiwa students does it professionally. She let Sister Hall and I try. Sooo fun! 'The arrow'     goes in the tube and then you blow! And bam! It hits the target. I was pretty good too. I think I hit a few cm under the center of the target my first 'blow'. Sister Hall missed the first time, but came back with a really awesome..third hit I think. It was really close to the center of the target! What an experience. Super fun!

Sorry I don't have much time this week. I love you all. General conference was amazing. If you didn't have a chance to watch/read/ listen here is your chance...

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014/10?lang=eng

I loved it all, but during the Sunday afternoon session elder Bednar spoke "Come and See". It was very good. I highly suggest it.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/come-and-see?lang=eng

Ok, till next week.

Love,

Sister Molinari

Typhoon!

6 October 2014 Sakado

Good-bye Sanjo!

 Hello everyone!

Today I am writing from...SAKADO! I'm now in Saitama! Wow!

What a change! Back in the city. I'm about an hour away from Tokyo now. It's funny seeing so many people all the time again.

My last few days in Sanjo were a blur! Everyone was shocked I was leaving. I was too! I thought I would be up in Sanjo for at least one more transfer. But nope, I guess The Lord has other plans for me!

Eikaiwa was our last night to really see everyone. We made announcements and said who was leaving. One of the members, Tamura San, who we went to Yahiko mountain with, was shocked. She exclaimed WHAT!? After that the class just dragged on. There were a few funny parts during the class though.  One of the words we were learning was fight. The past tense is fought. No one could say it! "We always fart" is what it sounded like. I couldn't help but giggle a little.

After eikaiwa a lot of e members appeared to say goodbye. I was doing sooo well, and then while I was saying goodbye to Yuki shimai she teared up and so I lost it! And we cried together. I really love the people in Sanjo. They are really social and wonderful. I wills miss me. But I have great plans to go back one day. So it's not really goodbye. It's see ya real soon.

Transfer day, Nitta shimai and I almost missed the train. We made it, by less than a minute. Oh what a miracle that was. I don't know what we would've done. It was an hour from where we were to where the bus was. And then the bus was another five hours back to civilization. We would have been in reeeeeeall trouble if we missed it.

Sakado..wow I don't even know where to start! Hmm...well, I LOVE my companion. Sister Hall. She is just the coolest thing ever! She is from Idaho. Before the mish she did break dancing!!! Wow! And she had super fabulous long hair and she rode horses and she's just awesome. She is full of dendō fire!

Since I've gotten to Sakado there have been so many miracles! Wow! 

Sister hall keeps attributing them to me. But it is totally her! She is so full of faith and a very hard worker. She hops on the train and just starts talking to someone! Which means I have to do the same. And guess what? I can do it! I'd just been following her around on the trains and adding a little into her conversations but on our way home from zone conference she sat down and there was no room for me..so I sat across from her. And I chatted with the girl next to me the entire time! Wow! And it was a real conversation! Not the things I got excited about before..I walked of

  

Ogura shimai

If the train in a daze. Wow! The gift of tongues is real! Wow!

I feel like I got to Sakado and a switch was flipped on. It's amazing! I can speak! Wow! Wow, wow, wow! I can't believe it. It's just..Wow!

At church on Sunday we watched general conference live but in between sessions and before sessions I was just gabbing away to the members. We were having regular conversations! And I was being me! I didn't feel limited by my nihongo. Wow what an experience! PI was a little exhausted afterwards though. Phew!

Now I just need to improve/ my teaching nihongo. I still can't teach like me. But I think that can change this transfer! I'm super excited! And I know with heavenly fathers help I can totally do it!

I love being a missionary. It's great. Absolutely great!

Ok favorite miracle of the week. Sister Hall and I were talking, waiting for the train, and this girl walks by with a Cinderella sweatshirt. I stop mid sentence and tell her that her sweatshirt is cute. She says thanks and then we keep talking to her.

Turns out she used to go to a Christian church when she was about 12. We kept talking and we are pretty sure it was our church! What?? No way! Miracle! She was totally open to meeting with us again, we exchanged contact info and hopefully we will see her this week.

I love the gospel! It's the secret to true happiness. I'm so lucky to not only have it in my life but to get to share it with others.

Love you all!

Sister Molinari

P.S. Did you see my new Facebook post? I'm a fan. You should check it out...and like it! Haha

Editor's Note: No mention was made in reference to the title of this entry. 

Well, transfer calls have come and gone..any guesses???

29 September 2014, Sanjo

This week was awesome! There were sooo many miracles this week. Wow!

We were just on a real miracle high for three days. And I feel like I learned so much personally this week too. We had a cake party that was a success. We had an eikaiwa student come to church today who not only stayed for all three hours but came early for the pancake party and stuck around for about an hour afterwards. She fits right in!

Pancake party

 Kobayashi Mieko, who we hadn't heard from or been able to get into contact with ALL transfer, called because she was feeling depressed. Nothing was making her feel better and so she called us! Our less active members are changing. I can feel it. Ogura shimai is progressing and wants to meet her family. Oono shimai reads the Book of Mormon every day. Ito shimai, who last time we visited told us she was reading a different religion's book and wasn't too keen on praying or reading the Book of Mormon, answered yes quickly and with some conviction when we asked her to read and pray.

Today at church there was a much stronger feeling of unity. We have lots of activities being
planned for next month and members are getting excited for them. And they are planning on bringing family members who aren't members. We made contact with two other less actives who, who knows when they were contacted last. Yasuko San, who has been sick/ is still sick, called us to tell us she will be at church next week (hopefully we will see her before then..). I'm so glad she is getting better! But, Ah! So much goodness. I am most certainly feeling the joy.

Cake Party

We had 23 people come to the cake party! More people helped and were present. Sugawara choro made eight or so cakes. We had made two that morning, banana bread with mama's frosting recipe and apple cake. The apple cake was suppose to have mummy's icing on it but I accidentally turned that into a sugar wax. But anyways, the party was fun. We made a paper chain which really turned the room from a room to a party room. It was great. And Yuka (she is our down the street neighbor) came!!! That was very exciting!

This week I had my first "other missionaries trying to share their church with us" experience! After the cake party we ate a quick lunch and got ready for a lesson we had at 3:30. Well, the lesson ended up being a sort of flop. It was a lady we had met a few weeks ago and she came with a friend with the intent to dendō US. Nitta shimai had had her suspicions and when the lady walked into the church with a friend they were confirmed. Apparently, they always do that here in Japan.

They went straight into asking us questions to try and stump us. They didn't even pretend to be interested. I could understand a lot of the words and what they were talking about but they were trying to ask tricky questions so I couldn't get what they were asking. It was really interesting. as they asked all these tricky questions Nitta shimai would answer "it's faith" over and over. One time I answered we don't know everything, but God created a plan and he has perfect knowledge so it will all work out. None of our answers gave them anything to argue with. And the women were getting more and more exasperated and maybe a little agitated. They said some pretty crazy things. I finally got tired of it and after a little over an hour I told them, "if you have a real desire we would love to learn together later, but right now we have other appointments."

Finally they left. It was funny, I left feeling the spirit stronger than when they came. In their attempt to belittle us and our religion, and cause us to question our beliefs, what they ended up doing was reaffirm what I believe. I respect that they have a religion and that they really believe something. But there was no light in their eyes. There was no passion. They answered in anger and frustration and tried to use tact to trick us. They didn't have real faith; they needed to see everything with their eyes to believe it. But, faith is what it is all about. And faith, believing without seeing, can be a very powerful thing. When you have faith, there are miracles.

My week was full of critter “run ins”! At night the bats come out and they swoop down pretty low. Nitta shimai and I had been talking about them and then, a few days later, one runs into me! It dive bombed and hit me! It must have been in a lot of shock. I sure was!

We also found a giant cockroach and a giant month! It's so funny how everything is small here...except for things like cockroaches and bugs and wasps.

Ok... As for transfers..you'll just have to wait till next week to see where I write from...Sanjo or someplace else....

Love,

Sister Molinari