21 Months

27 April 2015 Tiare

I couldn't think of any other title. I hit the 21 month mark this Friday, but because of my extension I wont hit the 3 month left mark for another 2 weeks :)

I know Elder Johnson likes talking about the "bell lap", I'm on the last 200 meter sprint.

Jean Claude. I wanted to send this one because it is epic.
The person baptising is our ward high council member

This week was great because we had the baptism of the Rattinassamy family.

We had our Baptism this weekend. It was awesome!
Mother-Heiata, Father-Jean-Claude, Daughter-Ravatea

 It was a great service, President Bize gave the talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I liked his experience. He was in a stake conference in a stadium somewhere in California and an apostle was presiding the conference. At the beginning the spirit told him,, "you better be prepared to bare your testimony". He reaction was, nooo, I'm on the other side of the stadium, he doesn't even know me. Then the second time he was prompted to prepare he started to think it might happen. The third time he was prompted he started putting together thoughts to share. Sure enough when the person who was conducting got up he said before we hear from Elder Nelson, he has asked that Pièrre Bize come and bare his testimony. Luckily he had listened and prepared the third time he was told!

This week we have been out searching like crazy for new investigators. We did a lot of contacting. Which means lots of gross unattached dogs all around you. We didn't find anyone, but there are some potentials we can revisit.

This morning I studied virtue. I learned quite a great deal. It is important to have a pure heart if we want to have the spiritual power necessary to work miracles. Also, by purifying our hearts and minds we qualify to "see god". I know that by searching after this attribute we can find an inner strength and serenity that comes from the increased presence of the Spirit. Virtue encapsulates purity, chastity, penitence, integrity, and spiritual receptivity. May we all pray for this divine attribute!

Love you all, 

Elder Molinari

Another Week

20 April 2015 Tiare

We went to a marriage in Tautira for Roger and Raymonde.
It was the last of the marriages/baptisms
Elder Kokona and I fixed there!

After the marriage, I baptized Roger. 

Elder Webber baptized Raymonde

Faatamaaraa. This was a typical dinner; fish, lentils and bread.
And that's my companion.
The cooked fish is the same type as the raw fish.

Raw fish marinated in lime juice.
You eat everything except for the back bone!

This week was rather slow except for the MIRACLE baptisms that fall from the sky. One of the families we just started teaching, who came to Tim's baptism, decided they are ready to make the covenant. They've already been taught a number of times but something clicked. It's also been a while that they come to church. So the Mother, Heiate, the father, Jean-Claude, and the Daughter, Ravatea, are being baptised Saturday. Super excited for that. Pictures to come.

In other news we climbed up into the mountain and cut some 12ft bamboo rods. We're going to go fishing tonight.

There's a scripture that I really like in Doctrine and Covenants 42:14. It's actually become somewhat of a slogan for me. Anyways, I gave a training about Faith and I focused in this scripture and developed the phrase "prayer of Faith" with them. I started by quoting Preach my Gospel, "Faith is a principle of power". Now most of the time when we think of this we focus on the definition of power as a supernatural "force" that makes things happen. Well I was tired of that interpretation, and I took the other definition of power," The capacity to do something". Using that interpretation we developed the idea that faith is actually a principle of your capacity to do or accomplish something. Preach my gospel teaches us,

"Your faith will increase through diligent study, prayer, dedicated service, and obedience to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and the commandments."

So our "capacity or power" to do something increases as we accomplish these works. The "something" is clear when your a missionary - missionary service- but this principle is applicable to all of us. If we want to be a more useful tool, a servant that has "a powerful faith" we need to do these things to increase our aptitudes. Increasing our confidence in our own abilities, as well as the Lord's, which Increases our faith.

The Prayer of faith, is a prayer of action, a prayer that increases our capacities, spiritually and physically. A prayer which puts us more in tune and gives a a greater capacity to harness the spirit.

Make a great week! Faaitoito

Elder Molinari

My companion, a former companion Elder Lee Chip Sao et moi.

Miracle Baptism

13 April 2015 Tiare

Valley of Mahaena. There are lots of rainbows here.
Last week we drove through one and it ended on the road. There was no gold!

 

Tim and his daughter et moi

So this week was started by a phone call Monday night from an old investigator saying he wanted to be baptised Saturday. Needless to say my companion and I were pretty shoqued. His name is Tim and he is AWESOME. So heres the story. His wife is a member, he has an adorable little daughter named Turena. His father in law just got baptised in february, and he's already taken the lessons. However he was really really into drugs. He felt he needed to go to general conference last week, went. An apostle said something, and the spirit testified to him he needed to be baptised. That very night he cut everything...everything...cold turkey. It was absolutely incredible. We had a lesson with him everyday this week, let me tell you he was practically vibrating during the lessons because of withdrawal, but he held on. We gave him a blessing, and he kept holding on. And he made it! What a miracle. HE is so different now. Ive never seen anything like it, Im still in shock. He invited all his friends and we had 13 investigators that came to the baptism. IT was amazing. I'll send some pictures.

Other than that...It was a good week. We started teaching a family as well. They came to the baptism and want to be baptised too, sooo we'll see how that goes.

Cousins

Studies, studies. I was studying the priesthood in section 84 of the doctrine and covenants and the scripture we use all the time, verse 20, to talk about the power of the priesthood being manifested in the ordinances. Well, in French its a little more clear. I guess we can apply it to all priesthood ordinances, but he's really making reference to the ordinances of the Melchisedek priesthood in this scripture. In other words the confirmation and temple ordinances. So here're my thoughts for you all this week. I'm grateful that Jesus Christ restored the higher priesthood for us in these latter days. Without it we could not know as the verse 19 says, the mysteries of the kingdom, or even have a knowledge of God. As the verse 21 goes on to teach, without these ordinances we could not have a knowledge of the power of God on the earth. 

Love you all! 

Have a great week! 

Elder Molinari

Best baptism picture!

A Good Slow Week

6 April 2015 Tiare

This week was a little slow. But that happens from time to time. It’s just that ALL our references were dead ends. Now that normally doesn’t happen, so I'm trying to find the lesson I was supposed to learn in all this. However we fixed a baptism for the 18th of April. Super excited for this baptism. It’s for a middle-aged French woman that we found recently, just two weeks ago (for privacy sake I’ll refrain from putting her name in).

She was a self proclaimed atheist, but the Book of Mormon cured her. In fact, she had already read the entire Book of Mormon before we even started the lessons. And at the same time; had stopped smoking, drinking, coffee, tea. Pretty incredible! She is an author, so she understands well the lessons. She also knows a little about quantum physics, so I was able to respond to each one of her questions about God. Pretty incredible how Heavenly Father prepares people. Anyways, Bishop's wife, who is her support, gave her the triple combination when we started. its been a 2 weeks and she finished the doctrine et alliance. Let me give you an idea of the responses she gives when I probe for understanding. "In your opinion why was the fall a necessary element in the plan of salvation" response; "The fall created a need for an atonement and resurrection, without the fall there would have been no need for a savior." My beloved brethren and sisters let me tell you how refreshing it is to be teaching at such high a level. She understands everything. When we engaged her this week for the baptism her response was, "aller, on y va!" What an amazing person!

Other than that our ward is just SUPER awesome. The bishop recently engaged everyone to do a questionnaire with their friends and family. In fact it’s a questionnaire we use when we go contacting so its not as bizarre going door to door. Well, all the ward leaders are doing it, and it’s just incredible. We've gotten tons of references and names to go visit, hopefully this week will be a little better. This ward is incredible; I’ll have no problems if I stay here till the end.

Well I love you

Oh gosh I forgot to write about conference. I like Saturday the best. Linda K Burton's talk was excellent. They stressed the family, and responded to a great many questions I had. Well, in fact all my questions were answered Saturday so..I was pleased. I think its important that we stress the equal and different roles of every member of the family. That extends to children as well; it is not solely the parent’s responsibility to assemble everyone for family home evening, family prayer, etc. Loved the Indian dancing talk as well it touched home.

Love you all, have a great week!

Elder Molinari