Hey Family,                                         8/15/16

I am alive... Sort of... We picked up a missionary from El Salvador
this week, and he was pretty sick... And then a Haboob(crazy Arizona
Dust storm. Look it up online) struck, and made me super sick. But
life is good and God is good. I love y'all.

Elder Flake

What a week of MIRACLES! We had so many incredible experiences and met
so many incredible people. We have a new investigator named Sh, and
she is amazing! As of late, we have really been focusing on helping
each of the members feel capable of actually doing the award Mission
Plan, and Sh is a direct fruit of that! The Scottsdale YSA Ward
Mission Plan is broken up into 3 Levels: Daily, Monthly, and
Quarterly. Daily the goal is to pray for missionary opportunities and
have a gospel conversation bearing your testimony. Monthly you are to
invite someone to an activity, go to threat activity, and then follow
up. Quarterly we ask that they share a book of Mormon and invite a
friend to meet with the missionaries. She came with one of her
coworkers that invited her, and she loved it! It is working! And
imagine if everyone in the Ward did that! There would be dozens of
baptisms every month! So that was cool. I was also very impressed by
the new missionary from El Salvador, Elder Vs. This is what he
said to Elder Wt, his companion: "- "Elder, if you want to run,
I'll run with you. But if you don't want to run, I'll make you run."
That is the attitude we've got to have! He is such a great disciple of
Jesus Christ and a wonderful example to me. We've all been pretty
sick, but "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand
can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may
combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God
will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated
every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded
in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the
Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." That prophecy is being
fulfilled! NOTHING CAN STOP IT! And I am a witness of that truth. I
was recently reflecting on something that a fellow missionary said to
me a while back about how after he returned home he would "probably
just go less active." Honestly, it was sort of haunting me. I thought
about how many returned missionaries I know that didn't feel it or
didn't make there missions what it could have been, and are not not
active in the church. Just going on a mission doesn't automatically
and permanently convert you. It has the potential to, but nothing is
for sure until we are SAFELY DEAD! If only all the wonderful Elders
and Sisters could just feel it! This reflection created a bonfire in
my heart, a burning passion to help others to have powerful moving
experiences through, faith, obedience, and terribly hard work! God
lives! I am so grateful to be His servant. Have a great week my
friends.