Today is Hot!

27 April 2015 Sakado

Sister Warren and me

Temple Day at the Tokyo LDS Temple

Well, I am exhausted. This week we went back and forth between Yanasegawa and Sakado every day. And on Monday I ate something I was allergic to so by Wednesday I'd lost my voice. And then every time I said goodbye to someone I cried. Between the crying and having no voice...I was just a mess.

But, today was beautifully hot and we got transfers. I'm leaving! I get to get out of the tiny, little apartment here and go to Kumagaya where I will be one zone over from my beloved Dopp Shimai. Things are looking bright. 

I don't know anything about my new companion yet. I saw a picture though, she's adorable. I'm excited!

This week we ran around saying good bye to everyone. So many tears. Mostly just from me. Warren Shimai had only been here for one transfer so she still didn't get to know how awesome and wonderful everyone is. And now she never will... They are closing the sisters’ area in Sakado. I think I might have mentioned that was a possibility last week. It's for sure now. It's so sad. But, this week I really got to see, or maybe rather Heavenly Father showed me through little things that everything will be ok. I just saw miracle after miracle this week.

Maybe they wouldn't seem like miracles to anyone else, but they were miracles for me. It's such a testimony that Heavenly Father knows everything. He knew this was going to happen and he is going to take care of our people. For example: One of our investigators, who disappeared for months, came to eikaiwa Wednesday. One of the Elders’ investigators had told them he was going to bring two friends. One of the friends was our old investigator! Kikue, who is a Kinjin, and has a really good relationship with elder Adachi.

Good bye dinner with members

Elder Adachi and Muraki chōrō have also run into so many of our investigators recently. They just know everyone! They've been working with Nishibori Kyōdai, so working with Nishibori Shimai will be an easy transition. Just little things, that at face value don't seem like much, but, I know it's The Lord doing His work. One of our less-actives we have been working with wants to go to the temple. And in two weeks she has read it past Mosiah in the Book of Mormon! So exciting! That's a lot of reading, her heart is changing. 

My girls from eikaiwa class

Also, my new area is really close to Sakado. So, it's not really good bye. One member already said she will come visit me! It makes me really happy. I'm just happy. Or rather, I just feel peace. 

The gospel brings happiness. It doesn't mean you'll always be happy. That's a lie. But, it means you can always choose to be happy. You can choose to look for the good. That's probably one of the biggest lessons I have learned here. We get to choose. And I'm choosing happiness. 

Harumi! She told me she would write me love letters haha

On Sunday one of our investigators came all the way to Urawa for church and probably mostly to say goodbye. She had to leave right after too, I'm guessing her husband didn't know she'd come. But it made me so happy. She sat and listened and there were things said that we're just for her. It was really great.

Also, at one point during the meeting I realized I could understand everything being said. I was shocked! And then, after I realized that I stopped understanding everything! It was so frustrating! I was thinking about it too hard! Gah! But, it was cool while it lasted. 

I don't have much to say...so....I included lots of pictures this week. 

Oh also, if you are sending me letters after the end of next week send them to my home address. If you send them after that I don't know if they will make it in time. 
(Editor's note: 1784 Rush Scottsville Road, Rush, NY 14543 USA)

I love you! 

Sister Molinari

Eikaiwa class

Random badger crossing the street.
I guess he had to get to the other side?

So Short, So Sorry

20 April 2015 Sakado

Hello! 

Another week has come and gone. This one was a little cold and rainy. But, it's ok! When the sun does come out I just appreciate it even more. 

This week about the same as last week...I don't have much to report on. Sorry. 

Saturday got crazy though. After kids eikaiwa we went and played soccer with our investigators and the elders and their friends. It was really fun. I'm really out of shape though. And I have weak ankles! So I sprained my ankle. No worries though, I'm fine. It was really fun and quite uneventful compared to what happened next!

I got a call from our mission president's wife telling us that we needed to get back to our apartment and pack immediately.

EMERGENCY TRANSFER!

Due to apartment complications we got moved to the next area over. Luckily we are still allowed to dendō here in Sakado. I am so, so, so, so grateful for that. Since sisters don't have an apartment now, the sister's area will probably close next week when we get transfer calls. That makes me so sad. On Sunday I just cried the whole time. I was a mess. The members were shocked. And no one wants me to go! I'm an honorary member. They were all trying to think of ways to be able to keep the sisters in Sakado. I hope they can do it. 

While it's been really sad, I'm looking at it as a blessing in disguise. Usually when you get transfer calls you only get a few days to say good bye to everyone. I get over a week! Yay! 

Anyways, we got packed in three hours and then we're at our new apartment by curfew. It was so fast. And now we are with two other sisters; Sister Ellis and Sister Nash who I love lots. It's a party...in a tiny cramped apartment. 

Nishibori Shimai has been sick. We haven't seen her in two weeks. Please pray that she will get better! 

Sorry this is short, we are so busy today! I'm happy. It's great being a missionary - sometimes not really. But I'm grateful for every day here. 

Love you all! 

Why Is It Still Raining???

14 April 2015 Sakado

The other pictures didn't make it this week,
due to the snow or rain, perhaps. This one even has some issues. 

Well, another week has flown by! We were pretty busy. Not really with lessons, but with other good things. 

Tuesday we had zone conference. It was really good. President Budge was really teaching by the spirit. It made it very interesting and enjoyable. The three big themes of the conference seemed to be choosing or finding light, obedience and becoming master teachers.

I really enjoyed talking about light. He and Sister budge wrote opposites on the board- good,evil, joy, misery, etc., and then at the top wrote light and dark. Now, we are suppose to look for the light in people, find the light, connect and build on it. But, when we get home we will be normal people again, we will live normal lives BUT we should still be looking for the light in things and probably people still too. 

There is music that has light in it and music that has darkness. How you respond to it and how it makes you feel is a clear indication of which side it swings on. Entertainment too, books, movies, TV shows..they all have light and dark. And we need to choose the light. Then we can become lights too. We can glow, and be beacons and examples for others. 

Here is the exciting news for the week:

At the end of the conference all returning missionaries gave their final testimonies. There were only a few of us. I had planned out what I was gonna say, and then that morning decided that was not really the direction I wanted to go in. I started off by saying my mission has not been the best year and a half of my life. If I said anything but that it would be a lie. BUT without a doubt it has been the best year and a half FOR my life. And, despite all the challenges, if I felt like God told me to go on another mission I would be back in an instant. 

We got new iPads! And they work beautifully. And have soooo much space! Where was this at the beginning of my mission?

It snowed on Wednesday! What!? I know right?! It's suppose to be spring! 

My bicycle decided it wanted to be a bucking bronco this week. Basically it's starting to fall apart. So a piece of my flashlight fell off and went flying into the air. I didn't know it was my flashlight so I braked really quickly, but the skirt I was wearing wasn't really conducive to quickly braking so the result was the back end of my bicycle flying straight up in the air. Warren Shimai was amazed. She didn't know bicycles could do that. I was just amazed and very glad iI don't get thrown off my bicycle! 

Yesterday we had an awesomely busy day. I love when our days are packed. It just makes me happy. And we got fed lunch and dinner which made me soooo happy cus to be honest, I'm a little sick of cooking. We had some awesome lessons and fun time with members. I have the funniest story but no time! I'm so sorry. I'll share next week. 

We got to go to the temple today! Yay! I'm so happy. So happy. Life is good right now. I love the gospel. I love living it. It's happiness. Even when it's not. 

Love you all so much. 

So sorry this letter is poop. 

I have lots of emails I wanted to reply to individually. 

Love you!

Sister Molinari

Hello Everyone!

 6 April 2015 Sakado

This week was a pretty slow week. We were able to go see Sakura with quite a few people though, so that was fun. The weather here is beautiful. We had two cold days and now it has warmed back up again! Yay! This week we have zone conference...I have to give my goodbye testimony....weird! And the following week is temple p-day so I won't be writing until Tuesday. I am so excited to go to the temple! And after sister Warren and I are gonna go see some sites. Should be fun.

Ok so...I really don't have much to write...

We have continued to be in contact with the police because of Sister Warren’s bicycle crash. Things just aren't being tied up yet. But, luckily we have amazing ward members who are more than willing to help. Today one of our members told Sister Warren "always call me if you need help." I love her! While talking to the police this week the man I was talking to asked for my name "morinari desu". Then he asked me what the kanji was! I was so flattered. I told him it had none, I'm gaijin. But, I'm so grateful I sound enough like a nihonjin on the phone to be asked that. It made my night.

On Thursday we went with Nakasone shimai to see sakura. We had a less than successful lesson, there is this giant hill that we need to get over. She is under the impression that, because she has faith she doesn't need to do anything else. Well, that's not true! She loves Christ so much. So maybe I need to study some New Testament and find a new way of presenting "faith without works is dead."

Anyways, after we went to see Sakura! The poor thing did not realize how far we had to go! She said it was so close by car. She struggled along, and on the way back home she held my hand for support. But, it was worth making it to the park! It was beautiful. And she seemed very happy too. Walking home we didn't say much, but I think as I helped her along it showed we were here for her. Something I think she needed to know. It was really special.

We got to see Saturday's session of general conference. It was so good. I especially liked Sister Linda K. Burton's talk and...well, like usual I forgot my notebook and I have a bad memory so I don't have much to say...I will write more next week. But, I will invite each of you to go and watch general conference. Sunday morning session is generally my favorite. And while I have not seen it yet, it has already happened in America and can be watched here https://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng. it's great! And if you watch with a question, and a sincere desire to find an answer then I promise that you will find an answer. It might not be what you
expected. But, it there will be an answer.

I can't wait for next Sunday to watch the rest of conference!

Today while visiting a less active member, as we were leaving and Sister Warren stood up, the member said "my you're tall, you're like Mount Fuji compared to me!" I laughed so hard. So hard.

I hope you enjoy the sakura pictures because I am out of things to say!

Love you all!