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Hello Everyone,

We had a really fun P-day with all of our district and so I had no time to write and I am tired, but because I love you all...I will write.

We had a really spiritual district meeting outside and I really enjoyed it. It was kind of cold and pouring rain, but we had some shelter and the spirit with us. I was asked to give a formation on what I thought was the most important thing I could talk about. So, I decided to focus on being worthy Priesthood holders and faithful husbands. I started in with the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood and moved on to section 121 of the Doctrine and covenants, with the warning about worthily exercising the Priesthood. I finished with some quotes and counsel. I think it went really well and from what the District said - they enjoyed it as well.

After I gave my formation, Elder Fields did his formation which was all about being bridge builders. He spoke about the positive encouragement he always received from his Grandpa, which gave him the mindset to continue striving to become better and do better. His Grandpa was a bridge builder. Now, we as the rising generation, whether as missionaries, or as future husbands and fathers, are the next bridge builders. We will build the bridges for the future generations. It was a super good formation.

After we finished, we weren’t really sure what to do because it was pouring rain and none of us wanted to walk in the rain, so we asked in our closing prayer that the rain might be held off, so we could walk without getting wet. Within seconds after we finished the prayer, the rain stopped. The storm clouds were still above us, but the rain stopped falling and the clouds even parted a little bit so we could see the sun. It was a beautiful moment.

We didn’t do much else this week. It was vacation in Belgium, so all of our investigators were gone. We were able to teach Jonathan about Tithing! He accepted the invitation to follow the law of tithing, even though it will be difficult for him and his family. We are really proud of his progress and willingness to follow the example of Christ.

We had zone conference this week. I don’t usually write about zone conference, but I will today because I feel bad giving you all nothing enjoyable to read? A few weeks ago I had my interview with President and expressed a few of my concerns about the mission. I gave him my concerns and then I told him I wasn’t just going to complain to him, so I presented my easy solution to the problem. I suggested talking about Christ more because it is important that the missionaries focus on who this work is directed by, who we should all strive to become, and who we represent as missionaries. So, fast forward now to the zone conference and President Sorensen’s opening formation was all about Christ! It was super great to just focus on Christ. I don’t know if President did that because of my suggestion, but I loved it either way.

We also received a really nice formation on the Temple and how to better invite people to the Temple. I really loved that formation as well. It was done by the Visitor center couple and they were super interactive and really captured everyone’s attention. I was participating a lot, and after answering a question almost immediately, Elder Woods said “This guy’s on fire!” and gave me a high-five. Honestly, it was a small thing, but it literally made my day. Then they did a roleplay on how to invite members to talk with their friends about the Gospel and I was chosen to participate in that. If I had been chosen to do that before my mission, NO WAY I would have been able to do it, but I had a fun time pretending to be someone and went right along with it.

I’ll close with my testimony of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for Him. He has changed my life. I can very easily relate my life to the story of the currant bush. There was a large bush that was not yielding any fruit, so the farmer pruned it back drastically to just a stump. Eventually that stump grew to become a great majestic bush with lots of fruit on it. It said “Thank you Mr. Farmer for cutting me down to make me great.” I can look up many times in my life and thank “the Farmer” for cutting me down to make me great. I am so grateful for a savior who has taken upon all of my sins and sufferings, taken upon himself the sins and challenges of everyone! He has made it possible for me, and for you all, to become someone great. I know that he is the Son of God, I believe that he is a resurrected being, who governs his church on the earth today. He leads us through revelation as he did in times of old through a living prophet. I love the Lord, I know He loves all of you. I strive to become as He is and I hope you will all strive to become as He is as well. Jesus is the Christ, pra to feel his love for you and accept his loving corrections and become the beautiful and fruitful tree you were meant to be!

I love you all. God bless you.

Elder Molinari   

Pictures are of our adventures in Dinant, a city destroyed during world war I and also where the first saxophone was made!