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