Dearest Family, So life is awesome. It always is. I am exhausted. I am hot. And just about everything else. BUT I LOVE IT! AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE. All I need more in life is you guys to be here and then I would be the happiest man alive. It really is incredible fun and happy out here, but it is by far the hardest thing that I have ever done in my entire life. I am so excited for the rest of you that still get to look forward to two years of this wonderful service. I am already so sad that 6 months have already passed. And honestly, I feel like life has already been going so ridiculously fast! I do not even know what to do about it! His week was very nice. We had a zone conference, and so we had the wonderful opportunity to be taught at the feet of the President Sweeney. He taught us about how all things testify of Christ, and, also, about the Holy Ghost and having it teach us what we need to work on. Yesterday, there was a French fireside that I was going to play the piano at, but then a French man decided to play instead. So, I missed the Spanish fireside that was running at the same time. But it was so cool! I couldn't talk to these people, and most of them were from the Congo, but I loved them! They are so cool! They taught me a little bit of French as well. President Sweeney was there as well. We have been teaching so many people, but we have been talking to even more! We talked to sooooo many people this week, and we got a lot of not very kind things said to us. BUT I LOVE THAT PART! It makes me respect how precious of message we have. And how we are fulfilling prophecies, and walking and experiencing things very similar to the prophets of old. It is awesome! There was this one man that we were trying to get ahold of, because we felt like he was really important. And this last Sunday, right before we were supposed to contact him. He showed up at church! IT WAS AWESOME! It turns out that he is a CFO in Scottsdale, and that he has already read the Book of Mormon and the pearl of great price and is reading the Book of Mormon AGAIN! But he has never ever met with missionaries! He is awesome and ready for the gospel. I have, also, experienced the gift of tongues! It is awesome. So the Elder I am training is an English Elder who I am teaching Spanish, so I am pretty much on my own speaking Spanish and teaching Spanish lessons. AND I DO IT! Well, I obviously do not do it. Because I can't really speak Spanish so good yet, but I can communicate and speak it and hear it. It is a miracle! And now our Spanish work is picking up again! We have an awesome family that we are teaching that is SO going to be baptized, and a few other Spanish families that we have taught that already have invited us over for Christmas! We helped put some lights up for them, but they still do not compare to ours! This really is a miracle!!! Please know that I am watched over, because I am. Every moment. You would not believe the places we go. The people we meet. Or the things that happen. And yet we remain untouched, and healthy, happy, and strong. God IS with us. We do indeed have angels walking with us and guarding us. It is dangerous. But we are fine. Thank you for your prayers of faith. God is watching you as well. BE STRONG. I love you. Elder Flake
Monday, December 21, 2015
11/23/15
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
Dearest Family, 11/11/15 Well this is my predicament. I have recently come from the farthest eastern area of the mission known as Eagar, but we also covered ALL of New Mexico in our mission. We were the only Elders in New Mexico. It was crazy! So one day I was biking in snow and the next day I was transferred to Central Phoenix!!! It is AWESOME. It is interesting, because my new area is the very farthest west area in the very farthest west zone in the ENTIRE mission! There is no area in the entire mission that is farther from my last area. So a little bit about the central Pheonix area. It is known as he center of the city. We are dead center in the middle of Pheonix, and I have never seen so many people in my life. The area I am serving in had been pegged as the poorest and most dangerous and rough part of the mission. It is interesting how all those things fit together! So don't worry mom! I am in the most dangerous part of Arizona! There are places here we can't even be around! (But don't really worry, I will be fine. Check my patriarchal blessing for proof) IT IS AWESOME. But also quite sad. The people are not normal. BUT THEY ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT TO GOD AS HIS COWBOY CHILDREN UP IN EAGAR! I love them and I really will do ALL THAT I POSSIBLE CAN to bring them to Jesus Christ and make them happy. But it definitely is going to be work, more work than I have ever attempted in my life. AND on top of that, President has entrusted me to train a new missionary. So I am training in a new area. And he is in an English elder who I have to teach Spanish, because here in Pheonix THERE IS A LOT of Spanish people and all the others are black, not so many white people (besides a few Hoboes) here in Pheonix. So this transfer is supposed to create stress and foster growth and I think it will! It was quite a shock going from freezing and snow to SUPER HOT and sunny. It honestly shook my body up, which, was a strange feeling. My new companion's name is Elder W. He is from Utah and is the Oldest of three. He is on a mission because the gospel makes him happy and he thinks, and I agree, that the gospel has made him happy and he wants everyone else to be happy too!!! His favorite color is blue. He plays basketball and is really good at the guitar. He is going to be a great missionary and I sincerely hope that God will use me to help him get on a path to reach his full potential as a missionary. But we shall see. With God ALL things are possible! I believe that. I really do, and that is why I am going to be able to do any of this. It is wonderful that He is willing to help! Well, I love you all. And I know the church is true. It is. See you soon! Elder Flake
Monday, November 2, 2015
11/2/15
HELLO MY FRIENDS!
Alright so I guess I have some catching up to do! Alright so last week was AWESOME! We didn't get too much ground time in our area, but we did a lot of service. We chopped some more wood in the forest, we had to cut down a massive tree and we almost got killed by a metal cable, fortunately God was watching over us, and no one was hurt! I'll have to show you the video when I get home! We also went and did some service out in New Mexico for a Baptist Deaf and Youth camp! I got to buck 150 pound bails of hay for about 4 hours. It was one of the most exhausting things that I have ever done! We also went to St. John's for our monthly Spanish sacrament meeting that we hold for the Spanish. It was a wonderful experience! We sang in Spanish, on the spot. And God sent angels to be sing with us.
This current week was really good. We worked hard! I got to hang out with one of my favorite people Thursday. His name is Chuck. Every once in a while we get to eat lunch with him. He was a mission president In the Ivory Coast several years back. And he is fiery. He has so much good advice for everything and I just love being in his presence. He gave a talk at a stake thing that we sang at, and I thought for a second that Elder Holland was up there speaking. He is awesome. We sang at a volleyball game, and we are becoming quite popular in this cute little town. It really helps people to let us in and trust us. We are trying to get in and teach the ENTIRE Football team. We have a couple of the star players that we are already teaching and so it is going to be sweet! But. I am about to be cast down from the Garden of Eagar. I have no idea where I am going or what is in-store for me, probably down to the valley to finally learn some Spanish! But it is really going to be hard. I have come to love all these cowboys up here. I am really going to miss them. But the Lord knows what He's doing. I will trust him with my life.
Last week The temple was an interesting experience. I was putting on some socks in the dressing room, when all of the sudden I hear: "it is a pleasure to have you here Elder Flake." I looked down and my name tag wasn't on, so how could anyone know my name? I looked up and it was good ole grandpa. He also ended up calling me through, and then my grandma was there in the celestial room. And then on Halloween, we got to go to the temple again! For 8 hours! It was AWESOME! We did intatories. Two endowment sessions. But my very favorite part was when we got to go and do some sealing. Oh, it was wonderful. The feeling that I had as I acted for a son being sealed to his parents was INDESCRIBABLE. It was amazing, I couldn't help but smile and almost start laughing for joy while it was taking place. I felt like an overjoyed little boy again. I AM SOOOOOO GRATEFUL that our family will be together through the waves of time and the difficulty of this life. We are together. FOREVER. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!? We are an eternal family. No matter how far we go or how split up we become we will be ultimately together in the end!!! AHHHHHH!!! That makes me so happy! We decided to come here. We were predestined, each of us, for greatness. And we were destined to be together FOR EVER. Out of infinite number of children, us 11 were chosen and ordained to be together. We will always be together. We can always lean and depend o. Each other for anything and everything! WE WERE CHOSEN FOR EACH OTHER. Our Family will last to INFINITY and BEYOND. BUT. We do have a responsibility to up help each other out. I have already told Daniel this, but we were in Heaven once, all of us together. And we were all standing up there waiting for our time to come down here. And as we gave each other our last hugs, we all, with tears in our eyes, promised to look out for each other. We PROMISED to help each other out, because we knew it would be hard and we knew that we all were going to make really dumb choices, but we also knew that we would have each other to depend on and to remind us who we really were. We need each other.
HELLO MY FRIENDS!
Alright so I guess I have some catching up to do! Alright so last week was AWESOME! We didn't get too much ground time in our area, but we did a lot of service. We chopped some more wood in the forest, we had to cut down a massive tree and we almost got killed by a metal cable, fortunately God was watching over us, and no one was hurt! I'll have to show you the video when I get home! We also went and did some service out in New Mexico for a Baptist Deaf and Youth camp! I got to buck 150 pound bails of hay for about 4 hours. It was one of the most exhausting things that I have ever done! We also went to St. John's for our monthly Spanish sacrament meeting that we hold for the Spanish. It was a wonderful experience! We sang in Spanish, on the spot. And God sent angels to be sing with us.
This current week was really good. We worked hard! I got to hang out with one of my favorite people Thursday. His name is Chuck. Every once in a while we get to eat lunch with him. He was a mission president In the Ivory Coast several years back. And he is fiery. He has so much good advice for everything and I just love being in his presence. He gave a talk at a stake thing that we sang at, and I thought for a second that Elder Holland was up there speaking. He is awesome. We sang at a volleyball game, and we are becoming quite popular in this cute little town. It really helps people to let us in and trust us. We are trying to get in and teach the ENTIRE Football team. We have a couple of the star players that we are already teaching and so it is going to be sweet! But. I am about to be cast down from the Garden of Eagar. I have no idea where I am going or what is in-store for me, probably down to the valley to finally learn some Spanish! But it is really going to be hard. I have come to love all these cowboys up here. I am really going to miss them. But the Lord knows what He's doing. I will trust him with my life.
Last week The temple was an interesting experience. I was putting on some socks in the dressing room, when all of the sudden I hear: "it is a pleasure to have you here Elder Flake." I looked down and my name tag wasn't on, so how could anyone know my name? I looked up and it was good ole grandpa. He also ended up calling me through, and then my grandma was there in the celestial room. And then on Halloween, we got to go to the temple again! For 8 hours! It was AWESOME! We did intatories. Two endowment sessions. But my very favorite part was when we got to go and do some sealing. Oh, it was wonderful. The feeling that I had as I acted for a son being sealed to his parents was INDESCRIBABLE. It was amazing, I couldn't help but smile and almost start laughing for joy while it was taking place. I felt like an overjoyed little boy again. I AM SOOOOOO GRATEFUL that our family will be together through the waves of time and the difficulty of this life. We are together. FOREVER. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!? We are an eternal family. No matter how far we go or how split up we become we will be ultimately together in the end!!! AHHHHHH!!! That makes me so happy! We decided to come here. We were predestined, each of us, for greatness. And we were destined to be together FOR EVER. Out of infinite number of children, us 11 were chosen and ordained to be together. We will always be together. We can always lean and depend o. Each other for anything and everything! WE WERE CHOSEN FOR EACH OTHER. Our Family will last to INFINITY and BEYOND. BUT. We do have a responsibility to up help each other out. I have already told Daniel this, but we were in Heaven once, all of us together. And we were all standing up there waiting for our time to come down here. And as we gave each other our last hugs, we all, with tears in our eyes, promised to look out for each other. We PROMISED to help each other out, because we knew it would be hard and we knew that we all were going to make really dumb choices, but we also knew that we would have each other to depend on and to remind us who we really were. We need each other.
Brothers and sisters, mom and dad, I want you to know that I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that will not EVER FAIL. In my life before it has. But now. It shall not. I have experienced to much. I have tasted the fruit, and I cannot nor will not ever go back. And so Lathan, Michelle, Daniel, Katelyn, McKay, Tyson, Isaac, Alisha, Dallin, and Caleb if you ever feel weak in testimony... YOU CAN DEPEND ON MINE. Because I know God lives. He is real, and He cries with us when times are bad and smiles with us when we are truly happy. This is why I love the gospel: because it makes us happy. It really does. And that is true for EVERYONE. I have seen it work every time, WITHOUT FAIL. Now it is important to know how this works, and why some people feel that the gospel and church DO NOT make us happy. And the reason some think this is due to something called guilt. We all mess up in life. We all sin. And that sin causes guilt. However, if we keep sinning or don't repent we avoid that guilt. BUT, When we go to church, pray, read the scriptures, or do anything else really spiritual the GUILT that all of us have is brought out and made really intense. THAT IS BECAUSE GUILY IS GOOD! Guilt in spires repentance. And repentance is all we have to do to feel the joy of the gospel! Repentance is the only thing that stands I the way of Happiness. And so every day I cry: "REPENT ALL YE ENDS OF THE EARTH! Come unto Christ and be happy!" We really have an easy job. Anyways I love you all and pray for you always! Be Good.
Love Elder Flake
10/19/15
So as you have seen I have recently been spending a lot of time in the mountains and trees of the Crazy Wildlands of ARIZONA! I mean, it's no Africa or anything, but it is still pretty cool, it looks a lot like Garden Valley, or Cascade, or almost ANYWHERE in Idaho, but it is nice. This time of year everyone in this little town are either hunting, getting wood, or doing some more hunting, so we get to spend a lot of time doing those same things! We usually have to drive quite a ways to get to those areas so Elder Bowns and I are becoming masters of truck lessons! It is amazing how grateful and different people treat us when we just go once to get a quart or two of wood for someone. We, also, taught a lesson in the bar. That was exciting... but I wouldn't recommend it. You know how I sometimes feel that I cannot feel the spirit... Well I can DEFINITELY tell when He is NOT there. And teaching a lesson in a bar does not bring the spirit.
Elder Bowns is awesome. He plays about 30 different instruments and is really good. He played a solo in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and for some apostles before he came out. He wants to be a psychologist when he grows up, and plans to get married right when he gets home, to a sister missionary he met here! But he is pretty awesome. He has a lot of really good insight and knowledge that I am gleaning!
Sorry, it is short! GOD IS REAL! He watches you every day! Don't forget about Him! I love you all, and will see you soon!
Love Elder Flake.
10/12/15
Hello again! Wow, these weeks are flying by so fast that I hardly even notice how long it has been! Isn't crazy! I have been out almost FIVE MONTHS! That is a lot of months, it hardly feels like I've been out here for more than a couple weeks! How fast is time going over there in Idaho?!? This week was FANTASTIC! We had a lot of really good progress with one of our investigators. She has been going to church for about 20 years. Her husband is a member, and she knows all the stuff, but she basically refuses to be baptized! But we had a really good lesson where she got emotional, and then we asked what she had to lose with getting baptized. She will lose nothing, but gain everything: the Holy Ghost, Eternal Marriage, freedom from guilt, deepened faith, deepened testimony, EVERYTHING.
Hello again! Wow, these weeks are flying by so fast that I hardly even notice how long it has been! Isn't crazy! I have been out almost FIVE MONTHS! That is a lot of months, it hardly feels like I've been out here for more than a couple weeks! How fast is time going over there in Idaho?!? This week was FANTASTIC! We had a lot of really good progress with one of our investigators. She has been going to church for about 20 years. Her husband is a member, and she knows all the stuff, but she basically refuses to be baptized! But we had a really good lesson where she got emotional, and then we asked what she had to lose with getting baptized. She will lose nothing, but gain everything: the Holy Ghost, Eternal Marriage, freedom from guilt, deepened faith, deepened testimony, EVERYTHING.
We had dinner and a lesson with one of the members that was baptized last month named Billye . Her husband is not a member(yet), he ate with us and was super nice, but as soon as she started talking about churchy stuff, he kindly excused himself. We tried to hold on to him, so he would stay for the lesson, but it didn't really work. When that happened, our hearts sank. But the next Sunday, we went to church and Billye (his wife) said that he had been sneakily listening in the kitchen and that he was very impressed!! So we will see what the future brings. LIFE IS GOOD! God is real!
Yesterday was fast Sunday and for missionaries with a lot of wards, fast Sunday is quite exciting, because you end up Baring your testimony A LOT. As I bore my testimonies, combined with what has taken place this week, I have really been pondering WHY I actually decided to come out on a mission. And I think it's time that I shared it with you. MY DECISION TO SERVE A MISSION CAN BE SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD. Hope. Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. But I did not come to increase hope in my own life. No, I came to give hope to others and to show them the NEVER-ENDING hope that comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ. HOPE for a better world, HOPE that we can be freed form the paralyzing chains of guilt, HOPE of someone ACTUALLY loving them in ALL TIMES and in ALL PLACES. THIS IS WHY I CAME! I didn't not come because of the social pressures to do so! I did not come because I wanted to pass the Return-Missionary test in order I date that cute Mormon girl back home! I did not even decide to serve and to consecrate my all to the Savior and His marvelous work in order to improve my self or to become a better person! I CAME TO SPREAD HOPE. And by connection, to spread Faith and Love. There is NOTHING that breaks my heart more than seeing the loss of Hope in the eyes of a child of God. Oh, Family, it hurts to see someone so lost in sin and so beaten up by the world that they. Give. Up. If only they could see who they really were... Their REAL Potential and Destiny. If only they could see the savior standing there. With tears running down His cheeks and Reaching out. And THAT is why we can ALWAYS have Hope. He is there. Is arms are ALWAYS there. That Is Our Hope. In His arms and safely in His embrace. That is where I have come to take the people of Arizona, into His arms. There is always hope.
I love you and pray for you. You guys are my world.
Love Elder Flake
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