This was a sweet week. The beginning started out REALLY slow, but has turned into one of the best weeks of my mission so far.
The time has finally come and I am being transferred out of Caen. I've been here since the start of my mission and have grown to love it. Even though it rains everyday and the people can be a little hard to love, through Christ, he has let me love them as he loves them. Thinking back on my many experiences here it is hard for me to pinpoint a specific reason why I was sent here. I don't really think I can do that now, or ever, but a few experiences stand out to me more than others and I'd like to mention them briefly.
1. Meeting Constantine
What some might call an "Eternal investigator" was quickly my favorite investigator. He speaks Russian, no french, and a little english. He grew up in Soviet Russia, moved to France with his wife and has two beautiful daughters who now speak: Russian, French and English. He loves God and has a strong desire to draw closer to him. Whether in this life or the next, I feel that he will be baptized and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a MASSIVE language barrier trying to communicate with him which prevents his growth, but we are a Church that believes in miracles and something will work out for him. I taught lessons to him where I saw the Holy Ghost working on him. When we taught about temples and the plan of salvation, I could see in his eye the want and the desire to go to one of these holy houses. The spirit testified of the truth of our message many times to him. Constantine became a great friend to me and I to him, I don't say that in a boastful manner, but I think I could understand him in a way others struggled to and because of that created a bond with him. When he left for his trip to Russia that was the last time I was able to see him, I look forward to our reunion one day!
2. The Caen Ward!
This ward has become like a family to me. They knew me for six months, probably couldn't understand what I said for most of it, but our friendships grew either way! They are a ward with a more "chill" attitude, so I liked it instantly. Over the past few weeks I have been able to go to many of their houses and teach them one of the Missionary Lessons and I have felt the spirit that each of them carries and they have given me invaluable advice on how to speak better and be a better teacher. I find it incredible that so many people who you have known for such a short time can love you so much. They invite you into their homes, feed you, and talk with you as if you had been friends your entire life - I've never seen anything like it. I was able to become friends with the Young Adults of the ward and have loved every minute of that. I am just filled with gratitude for such a great ward.
3. The Work
This might be a theme throughout the mission, but, work in Normandy is hard!! I still find it slightly amusing that anyone will talk with you until you mention the word Church. That never stopped myself and my companion though and I have still met people who respect what we do and wish us good luck. I've also knocked on more doors these past two transfers than, probably many missionaries. Knocking doors was great, we didn't find our Golden French Family, but one day we will. I met a lot of people and have learned so many - so many lessons. The work has been hard, I've been slightly reluctant at times, but through it all I have grown and learned.
The time has finally come and I am being transferred out of Caen. I've been here since the start of my mission and have grown to love it. Even though it rains everyday and the people can be a little hard to love, through Christ, he has let me love them as he loves them. Thinking back on my many experiences here it is hard for me to pinpoint a specific reason why I was sent here. I don't really think I can do that now, or ever, but a few experiences stand out to me more than others and I'd like to mention them briefly.
1. Meeting Constantine
What some might call an "Eternal investigator" was quickly my favorite investigator. He speaks Russian, no french, and a little english. He grew up in Soviet Russia, moved to France with his wife and has two beautiful daughters who now speak: Russian, French and English. He loves God and has a strong desire to draw closer to him. Whether in this life or the next, I feel that he will be baptized and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a MASSIVE language barrier trying to communicate with him which prevents his growth, but we are a Church that believes in miracles and something will work out for him. I taught lessons to him where I saw the Holy Ghost working on him. When we taught about temples and the plan of salvation, I could see in his eye the want and the desire to go to one of these holy houses. The spirit testified of the truth of our message many times to him. Constantine became a great friend to me and I to him, I don't say that in a boastful manner, but I think I could understand him in a way others struggled to and because of that created a bond with him. When he left for his trip to Russia that was the last time I was able to see him, I look forward to our reunion one day!
2. The Caen Ward!
This ward has become like a family to me. They knew me for six months, probably couldn't understand what I said for most of it, but our friendships grew either way! They are a ward with a more "chill" attitude, so I liked it instantly. Over the past few weeks I have been able to go to many of their houses and teach them one of the Missionary Lessons and I have felt the spirit that each of them carries and they have given me invaluable advice on how to speak better and be a better teacher. I find it incredible that so many people who you have known for such a short time can love you so much. They invite you into their homes, feed you, and talk with you as if you had been friends your entire life - I've never seen anything like it. I was able to become friends with the Young Adults of the ward and have loved every minute of that. I am just filled with gratitude for such a great ward.
3. The Work
This might be a theme throughout the mission, but, work in Normandy is hard!! I still find it slightly amusing that anyone will talk with you until you mention the word Church. That never stopped myself and my companion though and I have still met people who respect what we do and wish us good luck. I've also knocked on more doors these past two transfers than, probably many missionaries. Knocking doors was great, we didn't find our Golden French Family, but one day we will. I met a lot of people and have learned so many - so many lessons. The work has been hard, I've been slightly reluctant at times, but through it all I have grown and learned.
4. Normandy!
Normandy is way similar to New York weather, so I think that was a tender mercy serving some place that feels so much like home!
As for the week, we taught a few members and our investigator Maud.
On Friday we went to Frere Destribois house and taught him the plan of salvation. He gave me a lot of good advice but the main lesson to be learned from him was that I needed to stop being so scripted and worrying about hitting every point in the lesson and be more free. I needed to allow myself to feel the spirit and be guided, so that I could better address his needs and allow the spirit to testify through me. He then demonstrated how to do it and I took note.
Later that day we went and taught a young adult member, Jean, who is a student in Caen. He has two years left of school until he graduates as a Nuclear Engineer and then wants to leave for a mission. In France if you stop school for over a year, you have to restart everything, so that makes leaving on a mission more difficult for those in the middle of school. I think he was reactivated a few years ago, not sure, anyway. We taught him the plan of salvation and I used the structure and ideas that Frere Destribois had suggested and the lesson was so much better! It flowed and it testified and I was able to feel the spirit, it was incredible the difference that is made if you just let the spirit guide.
After that we took Jean and taught our investigator Maud with him. We taught about baptism and then Jean and I got a little bold. Jean wanted to know why she couldn't just do a little more and get baptized and she got a little defensive. I was really feeling the impression that I needed to ask her about not working on Sunday, but I had no idea how to phrase it so that it wasn't a complete bash on her. The opportunity came for me to speak, so I started going and the words just flowed from my mouth. I bore testimony of baptism, Church attendance, and then simply asked her to pray to God and ask for a solution, a way, to be able to attend church on Sundays.
Saturday we had dinner with Nicolas and his Family. They're super awesome, I had a great time - I'll miss them! We had meat pie and I had to choke down some chocolate cake, but all in all, it was a relaxed night.
Sunday was just filled with good-byes, oh but I did accidently volunteer myself to teach Elder's Quorum because the teacher never showed up. It actually went pretty well though. I just suggested that everyone shares something they learned from their scripture study this week. There was a lot of participation from it. I tried to explain the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's which was WAY hard in French, but I managed. One of the cool things I learned this week was that the little foreward to the Book of Mormon is Original! It came from the Gold Plates and was not written in modern days, I thought that was way cool.
Alright cool, see you all next week with a picture of my new companion Elder Shenkal.
-Elder Molinari
Ok the photo is...
Top left Nicolas and his Family
Top right Frère Destribois
Middle left is Clement and I
Middle left is Guilloume
Bottom left is Jean
Bottom Right is Frère Richard
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