(NTo: mlflake@hotmail.com
Dearest Family, 2/22/16
What an AMAZING WEEK! LIFE IS SO GOOD! I feel GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys gotta try this mission thing! Words can not describe the experience of a mission. It is exciting! It is hard! It pushes you! You laugh. You cry! Tears of pain. Tears of JOY! Tears just because sometimes the spirit moves you so powerfully to say something or do something or go somewhere or talk to someone! It is adventurous. It is dangerous. Not a single day is the same. It is never boring! It is heartbreaking! It is Fun! Way Fun! And it is about 50000000000000000000000000 million other things. OH HOW I LOVE IT! So you'll need to try it! And you can! Right now! Today! Be a missionary! Share the Gospel!!! Why does a name tag seem to make such a big difference? I promise that you will lose no friends! But you will gain many! But only try it if you are one who likes Adventure and Timeless memories! Because that is what you'll get! Oh, and ask dad about his experiences! I had no idea what I was getting myself into! The mission was so unexpected. But now that I've tasted a little bit of it I have some questions about Dad's mission. Ask him about his recent converts! Or his miracles! Or how he met people that were prepared. Or some funny or awkward or awesome stories about the people he talked to! Ask him how frustrating it was to learn a foreign language and how he relied on the Lord to do it. Ask him about his mission president and his companions. Some weird foods he ate or what he did for Christmas or what members just adored him. Those are just a few starters. The stories and experiences that come from a mission are endless and priceless and I am not even halfway finished with mine... I dread that day. But I am super excited to see you all again! This week we taught A TON of lessons again. We have one investigator that really wants to be baptized, but is on probation so we are going to start working with the first presidency to get him approved for baptism. He is cool. The guy on america's got talent! We also met this awesome French man from the Congo. His name is F and when we started teaching him that there are REAL LIFE prophets on the earth again, his eyes lit up and he said: " I have never heard that before." It is so EXCITING TO BRING THE GLAD TIDINGS OF THE RESTORATION TO THoSE THAT hAvE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE! Oh it is wonderful. We have been having a lot of success with the youth down here! Because they actually listen! They are humble and teachable and not set in their ways! Because of this, they actually hear the message that we tell them! And those who hear this message... After they put forth a little effort... Inevitably come to the conclusion that our message is true! After they figure that out they are like DUH WE HAVE PROPHETS ON THE EARTH! It is so obvious for those who are sincere. I interviewed two youth for baptism Saturday, I was impressed at how simple and powerful the testimonies of these young ladies. They both had undeniable feelings that the church is true, and they are 11 and 13 years old. No wonder we are supposed to be like little children! With that being said, I want to invite each of you to do something, and report back to me by next Monday. I want each of you to ask Heavenly Father if Joseph Smith really did see Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Pray specifically for that, and see what happens. God will answer. It may take a little while, but he will answer. For one of the young ladies, she said that she got her answer in the middle of school while she was sitting in her desk. She said she felt it. The other said that she was thinking about it one day and
What an AMAZING WEEK! LIFE IS SO GOOD! I feel GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys gotta try this mission thing! Words can not describe the experience of a mission. It is exciting! It is hard! It pushes you! You laugh. You cry! Tears of pain. Tears of JOY! Tears just because sometimes the spirit moves you so powerfully to say something or do something or go somewhere or talk to someone! It is adventurous. It is dangerous. Not a single day is the same. It is never boring! It is heartbreaking! It is Fun! Way Fun! And it is about 50000000000000000000000000 million other things. OH HOW I LOVE IT! So you'll need to try it! And you can! Right now! Today! Be a missionary! Share the Gospel!!! Why does a name tag seem to make such a big difference? I promise that you will lose no friends! But you will gain many! But only try it if you are one who likes Adventure and Timeless memories! Because that is what you'll get! Oh, and ask dad about his experiences! I had no idea what I was getting myself into! The mission was so unexpected. But now that I've tasted a little bit of it I have some questions about Dad's mission. Ask him about his recent converts! Or his miracles! Or how he met people that were prepared. Or some funny or awkward or awesome stories about the people he talked to! Ask him how frustrating it was to learn a foreign language and how he relied on the Lord to do it. Ask him about his mission president and his companions. Some weird foods he ate or what he did for Christmas or what members just adored him. Those are just a few starters. The stories and experiences that come from a mission are endless and priceless and I am not even halfway finished with mine... I dread that day. But I am super excited to see you all again! This week we taught A TON of lessons again. We have one investigator that really wants to be baptized, but is on probation so we are going to start working with the first presidency to get him approved for baptism. He is cool. The guy on america's got talent! We also met this awesome French man from the Congo. His name is F and when we started teaching him that there are REAL LIFE prophets on the earth again, his eyes lit up and he said: " I have never heard that before." It is so EXCITING TO BRING THE GLAD TIDINGS OF THE RESTORATION TO THoSE THAT hAvE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE! Oh it is wonderful. We have been having a lot of success with the youth down here! Because they actually listen! They are humble and teachable and not set in their ways! Because of this, they actually hear the message that we tell them! And those who hear this message... After they put forth a little effort... Inevitably come to the conclusion that our message is true! After they figure that out they are like DUH WE HAVE PROPHETS ON THE EARTH! It is so obvious for those who are sincere. I interviewed two youth for baptism Saturday, I was impressed at how simple and powerful the testimonies of these young ladies. They both had undeniable feelings that the church is true, and they are 11 and 13 years old. No wonder we are supposed to be like little children! With that being said, I want to invite each of you to do something, and report back to me by next Monday. I want each of you to ask Heavenly Father if Joseph Smith really did see Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Pray specifically for that, and see what happens. God will answer. It may take a little while, but he will answer. For one of the young ladies, she said that she got her answer in the middle of school while she was sitting in her desk. She said she felt it. The other said that she was thinking about it one day and
she felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart. Let me know how each of you feel! I expect a report next week! And don't think I'll forget! I am excited to see what happens! And don't expect to get the same answer as someone else. God talks to each of us a little differently, in our own special way!
This week we also had zone conference which was lovely! Several hours with the President S! We also spent several hours lost in a hospital, but I think we were supposed to be lost or that God made us lost, because we ran into a man that I truly believe we were supposed to meet. And we wouldn't have met him if we wouldn't have gotten lost in this MASSIVE hospital. He was a good guy. We taught him a lesson right then and there, and he was very interested. He is going to start reading the Book of Mormon ASAP. So that was pretty cool! But things like that happen ALL the time. That is why the mission is so much fun and easy because we are not really the ones making it happen. We just smile wherever he leads us and talk to everyone! He is the one guiding our path! It is so cool to watch days and events unfold in a divinely directed way! We just do our best to be ready for every person, lesson, and opportunity that Heavenly Father miraculously puts in our path. I love you all. You are the best!
Hey Elder Flake, you don't know me, but I am your Mom's cousin. Your grandfather Sterling and my mom Carolyn are siblings. Anyway, I wanted you to know that your enthusiasm and wonder, your testimony and conviction really does make a difference, and people who sometimes don't comment, do appreciate and are motivated and encouraged and uplifted by your experiences.
ReplyDeleteDo some good Elder!
Marsha Grover Steed Keller