Dearest  Family,    1/30/17



 All those trips sound so great! We have not had to
worry about ANY snow. It has been warm and sunny all winter! Yeah, all
the money and stuff really isn't all that great. We are around a lot
of really REALLY wealthy people, and Jesus had it right when he talked
about how it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle
than a wealthy person set on their reputation, wealth, and possessions
can enter the kingdom of God. It is such a hollow and shallow life. A
mí no me gusta.

And I am doing so great! We are having such miracles and spiritual
experiences every day to the point where we feel so unworthy and
almost guilty for them. Our Father in Heaven is so very kind. I have
not been transferred yet. Still here. Going on a year in this area.
That is almost unheard of. It doesn't really happen, but there were
some big changes this transfer that President Robinson wanted to keep
me around for: 1) big changes in the missionary schedule for
missionaries all over the world and 2) a change in the key indicators
that we analyze and collect from all the missionaries. There was a big
world wide missionary broadcast where a couple members of the 12 and
the missionary department talked to us about the importance of
Teaching Repentance and Baptizing Converts. With the new schedule that
they presented there they have put A LOT of trust and power into the
hands of the missionaries. They gave us a lot of freedom. And that can
be amazing and liberating for some, and detrimental to others. I
should be leaving this next transfer though!

Yesterday, after teaching a Spanish family of around 12 non members
and 1 recent convert, we were going to teach a lesson to this
professional golfer and his mother who temporarily came from mainland
China to compete in a big golf tournament up here in Scottsdale. We
are teaching the professional golfer, but the mom is not a YSA so we
brought the sister missionaries that covered the Family Ward that she
lived in. They were late, so we waited. We snuck past the guards and
the gate and then found that they were not home. They are usually
ALWAYS home! They don't have a car and they don't speak English! But
they weren't home. Then, for some reason, we decided to stand outside
their house and talk to the sisters for a couple minutes... we usually
don't do that, because we have places to be and people to see! But we
did. And then as we were walking out there was a man that we ran into.
Our paths crossed for a split second, and we were there. We began to
talk with him. He played college football, he is from Ohio, and all
the other good stuff. We told him that we were his missionaries and
that God loved us and so we now had a living and loving prophet on the
earth today, he was stunned... before we even asked for any of his
information or anything, he asked if he could like follow us online or
something... he was so prepared and SO INTERESTED! We are teaching him
this week. It was pretty neat. It is so cool to see how the Lord just
makes thing happen that need to happen. He timed everything just
PERFECTLY. Sisters were late, our investigators weren't home, we
talked to the sisters before walking back. And the only reason that
the man we met ran into us was because he "coincidentally" forgot his
apples and bananas in the car and something just happened to remind
him to get up and go get them at the precise moment that we were
passing by. Miracles. I have so many other miraculous stories to tell
you! Just know that God is real and He is preparing people everywhere
to listen to and accept the wonderful message of hope that we have
received in our own lives. And I promise that he is preparing people
in Boise to listen to the missionaries in the Flake home! Have faith!
Believe that He really is! It will happen. And when it does, you will
have such an incredible feeling of joy and happiness. Trust me on this
one. There is rarely a more powerful manner to feel the  spirit than
in the spirit of missionary work.

All is well. I love you all. See you soon.

Elder Flake