11/16/2015

Dearest Family: I Love You. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!?!?!?!? I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. It is UNBELIEVABLE. I don't know where it came from or where it came from, but I. DO. LOVE YOU. EACH and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. You are my Family, and will be FOREVER. You are my favorite people in this entire world. I love you. For Real.

So Mom, I like your haircut. It is very nice. You look very nice. I, also, have a story for you about a very faithful member in my last area. So we were out teaching lessons on my last day in Eagar, and we were swamped. There were so many places we needed to go and people we needed to see, so we were teaching and biking around, and I felt a tugging towards a members house that was in the block. But we try not to see members, especially when we have a lot of investigators we need to teach and baptize and such, but we listened. So we went to the house, and we sat and talked, but we couldn't go in because there was no other male there. But we eventually got it out of her that she was struggling. So we offered a blessing, but she kindly turned us down. So we left, and I was really confused because I KNEW we were supposed to go there for something. So we had a lesson with another investigator, and then we looked at our phone and there were several messages asking us to come back and give a blessing because she had been praying, and she couldn't take her mind off what we had offered: a blessing. So we gave her a blessing. Now this sister has about 4 children of her own and 3 foster children. 4 of those kids are under the age of 5. There house is about the size of a trailer. And her husband is never home. Her foster children recently got diagnosed with some sociological problems dealing with attachment and such... AND THEY ARE HARD CHILDREN. BUT SHE IS FAITHFUL AND TRUE AND DOING GREAT. But she needed help, and God knew that. He always knows. The blessing that I was privileged to be an instrument in answered specific questions and gave her the strength to fight. MORAL OF THE STORY: God knows. If any of you ever need a blessing... ASK. It will bless your life AND the person giving it. IT IS NEVER AN INCONVENIENCE TO USE THE POWER OF GOD. It is an honor.

I did not like your DETAILED email! That was not funny! But I still love you! Alright, I will give you a few more details. So central Phoenix is very strange. There is no grass, in fact, there is not even dirt for grass to grow on! Besides that dirt in the air! There are almost NO open places ANYWHERE. Massive buildings everywhere. It is very tricky to get around especially with training a new missionary who doesn't know the area very well either. But the most important details are the people. The people are wonderful, and humble. They have different ideas and ways of doing things, but they are wonderful. In our area there is exceedingly much poverty. This week has been heartbreaking and soul searching for me. The homeless and the mentally impaired, who are found, by the dozens, on every block has taken me back. Even to crying to God and asking Him why and How these horrible things happen to such helpless and unable children of God. And I understand now. All will be well I the end. I have felt that truth confirmed in my heart. All will be fair and well in the end. We must, simple, Trust God, and Hope in Good things to come. I was comforted and felt that God knows each one of those children and that He is watching them closely, and that He does indeed Love them. Oh the Comfort and Relief and PEACE I felt when I understood this. God lives and does know all. He does not forget is. He does not leave us. HE WILL NEVER ABANDON US. Even if we try to run away and hide!

I love you and hope the best for all of you.

You are in my prayers!

-Elder Flake