Saturday, October 31, 2015
Looking Back Now
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
September 28, 2015: Final Days
Hey Fam!
So i am here close the mission office and i don`t have my camera so sorry but i won``t be able to send any pictures this Monday....I just got done with my last interview with President Laboriel.
Yesterday was Marcos´ baptism!!!! A whole bunch of members came to his baptism! the baptism was at 8 òclock in the morning, before sacrament meeting at 9am. He is so special. His wife and his step daughter came to his baptism and stayed for two hours of church as well. My companion and I taught the Gospel Principles Class and the class in Relief Society haha. I have so much more that I could write right now, but I think I will just tell yall about my experiences when i get home. I wanted to send pictures but my camera is in my suitcase and they took my suitcase to the missionary house...
It is hard saying goodbye to people here. I love them so much. I am grateful that even though I may never see them again in this life (even though I plan to return to costa rica someday) I know that I will be with them and see them again in the eternities.
I love you all so much. I pray for y'all always. Keep on shining bright.
Love,
Hermana Flake
So i am here close the mission office and i don`t have my camera so sorry but i won``t be able to send any pictures this Monday....I just got done with my last interview with President Laboriel.
Yesterday was Marcos´ baptism!!!! A whole bunch of members came to his baptism! the baptism was at 8 òclock in the morning, before sacrament meeting at 9am. He is so special. His wife and his step daughter came to his baptism and stayed for two hours of church as well. My companion and I taught the Gospel Principles Class and the class in Relief Society haha. I have so much more that I could write right now, but I think I will just tell yall about my experiences when i get home. I wanted to send pictures but my camera is in my suitcase and they took my suitcase to the missionary house...
It is hard saying goodbye to people here. I love them so much. I am grateful that even though I may never see them again in this life (even though I plan to return to costa rica someday) I know that I will be with them and see them again in the eternities.
I love you all so much. I pray for y'all always. Keep on shining bright.
Love,
Hermana Flake
September 21, 2015: El fin se acerca
Hello fam and friends,
The end is near and there is little time ... ha . Marcos, an investigator that we found a month ago, agreed to be baptized this next Sunday morning before the sacrament meeting! When we met him, we had set his baptismal date for October 24 , thinking that he had problems with alcohol , but suddenly we realized that is 8 years without drinking! he has already come 3 times a chapel and believes everything and loves all of the church. I love him and I'm very excited that he is going to take this step :) Our Branch President has been supporting us so much. He gave an interview with Mark to see how he is with all this, to ask if he thinks that this is the Church of Jesus Christ , and to confirm that he is ready for this step of baptism.
We have been learning a lot this week about the importance of the temple, and keeping the covenants that we make in the holy temple. We have so much to be grateful for. Nowadays we are not expected to sacrifice animals....nowadays we are expected to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit. we do so by sanctifying our selves for God. Being baptized, going to the temple, being healthy and living the commandments, dedicating our time and talents....all of these things are how we sacrifice ourselves. Romans chapter 12 is a great chapter to read as a family. It talks about how we can
make ourselves worthy to dedicate our lives as a sacrifice to the Lord.
I am so thankful that I have had so many opportunities to dedicate my time and talents to serving the Lord. I am thankful that from a young age i have been able to see the examples of many men and women, especially mom and dad, giving of their time and talents to serving the Lord. Mosiah 2:17.
I love you all so much!!!! Remember that we are an eternal family 💞
Love,
Hermana Flake
The end is near and there is little time ... ha . Marcos, an investigator that we found a month ago, agreed to be baptized this next Sunday morning before the sacrament meeting! When we met him, we had set his baptismal date for October 24 , thinking that he had problems with alcohol , but suddenly we realized that is 8 years without drinking! he has already come 3 times a chapel and believes everything and loves all of the church. I love him and I'm very excited that he is going to take this step :) Our Branch President has been supporting us so much. He gave an interview with Mark to see how he is with all this, to ask if he thinks that this is the Church of Jesus Christ , and to confirm that he is ready for this step of baptism.
We have been learning a lot this week about the importance of the temple, and keeping the covenants that we make in the holy temple. We have so much to be grateful for. Nowadays we are not expected to sacrifice animals....nowadays we are expected to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit. we do so by sanctifying our selves for God. Being baptized, going to the temple, being healthy and living the commandments, dedicating our time and talents....all of these things are how we sacrifice ourselves. Romans chapter 12 is a great chapter to read as a family. It talks about how we can make ourselves worthy to dedicate our lives as a sacrifice to the Lord.
I am so thankful that I have had so many opportunities to dedicate my time and talents to serving the Lord. I am thankful that from a young age i have been able to see the examples of many men and women, especially mom and dad, giving of their time and talents to serving the Lord. Mosiah 2:17.
I love you all so much!!!! Remember that we are an eternal family 💞
Love,
Hermana Flake
September 16, 2015: Freedom and Liberty
Hey fam,
Another beautiful week here in Costa Rica has gone by...we are working hard and teaching, preaching, and cooking...haha. Today was our pday instead of monday.
HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY TYLER!!!! I cannot believe that you are 16 already!!! what?!?!?!? how crazy is that?!
Today we went to the temple again (it´s been about 4 months or so since I´ve gone) and it was great. I love the temple. i love the celestial room. I read D&C section 88 while in the celestial room. The whole chapter. it was great, I just happened to open up to that section and it talks all about the degrees of glory and living celesital laws.
Lots of crazy things have happened this week....my companion taught me to make valeadas (a tipical food from Honduras) and we made it in a couple different instances this week in member´s houses. We made valeadas with our Branch President and his family as well as our mission leader.
I am short on time so I will just send pictures basically today...sorry yall!
I love you all so much!
Love,
Hermana Flake
HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY TYLER!!!! I cannot believe that you are 16 already!!! what?!?!?!? how crazy is that?!
Today we went to the temple again (it´s been about 4 months or so since I´ve gone) and it was great. I love the temple. i love the celestial room. I read D&C section 88 while in the celestial room. The whole chapter. it was great, I just happened to open up to that section and it talks all about the degrees of glory and living celesital laws.
Lots of crazy things have happened this week....my companion taught me to make valeadas (a tipical food from Honduras) and we made it in a couple different instances this week in member´s houses. We made valeadas with our Branch President and his family as well as our mission leader.
I am short on time so I will just send pictures basically today...sorry yall!
I love you all so much!
Love,
Hermana Flake
September 7, 2015: The Branch Adventure Continues
Hey fam
This week has been an adventure. We have been receiving tons of references from the members and from other missionaries and from contacts we make. Our Branch President wanted us to focus on references these last few weeks. He even invited all the missionaries in our zone to come to our area and to work in our area for a few hours knocking on doors and contacting in the streets in order to ask for references. Then him and his wife fed us all delicious lasagna. It was great.
One of the references that we recieved from a member, came to church this Sunday! His name is Jony and he came with the member who invited him. He really liked the sacrament meeting, and in the Gospel Principles class he asked lots of questions and understood everything. It was about Priesthood and what it is, how it is obtained and used, blessings recieved and who posseses it etc. He also asked for a Book of Mormon, which luckily I had in my bag. Marcos also came with us again to church. He wants to be baptized and is reading the Book of Mormon since we gave one to him and explained it this week. He is great. We are very excited that he feels the Spirit and knows how to recognize it and understands the doctrine.
Yesterday was my last fast and testimony meeting in Costa Rica...I bore a simple short testimony. it amazes me how fast time flies. I was thinking a lot one night about the eternity and how heaven might be...and I don´t have a clue.. but I do know that it´s where I want to go. I know that I want to be with all yall. I know that we will be perfectly happy. Imagine. If this life we can have so many wonderful, happy moments and experiences, just imagine the next life when there will be no evil, no pain, no danger, no fear. How sad it would be to not have any hope for resurrection , or eternal life, or heaven. Thank goodness I have that hope. Ether 12:4
Love you guys!!!
Hermana Flake
This week has been an adventure. We have been receiving tons of references from the members and from other missionaries and from contacts we make. Our Branch President wanted us to focus on references these last few weeks. He even invited all the missionaries in our zone to come to our area and to work in our area for a few hours knocking on doors and contacting in the streets in order to ask for references. Then him and his wife fed us all delicious lasagna. It was great.
One of the references that we recieved from a member, came to church this Sunday! His name is Jony and he came with the member who invited him. He really liked the sacrament meeting, and in the Gospel Principles class he asked lots of questions and understood everything. It was about Priesthood and what it is, how it is obtained and used, blessings recieved and who posseses it etc. He also asked for a Book of Mormon, which luckily I had in my bag. Marcos also came with us again to church. He wants to be baptized and is reading the Book of Mormon since we gave one to him and explained it this week. He is great. We are very excited that he feels the Spirit and knows how to recognize it and understands the doctrine.Yesterday was my last fast and testimony meeting in Costa Rica...I bore a simple short testimony. it amazes me how fast time flies. I was thinking a lot one night about the eternity and how heaven might be...and I don´t have a clue.. but I do know that it´s where I want to go. I know that I want to be with all yall. I know that we will be perfectly happy. Imagine. If this life we can have so many wonderful, happy moments and experiences, just imagine the next life when there will be no evil, no pain, no danger, no fear. How sad it would be to not have any hope for resurrection , or eternal life, or heaven. Thank goodness I have that hope. Ether 12:4
Love you guys!!!
Hermana Flake
Monday, September 28, 2015
August 31,2015: ¡Estamos Locos!
Hey family!!!
So, this week was jam packed. Lots of lessons, lots of knocking on doors, meetings, finding investigators, eating costa rican food, getting a little bit sun burnt (I cannot say anything now, with Jessica in the Dominican Republic, and in the hottest part right now...) When President Wilkinson was our mission president, I would often write him, then copy and paste a bit of that letter into the letter I send to yall....but now that my mission president is from Honduras, I have to write him in Spanish....and I don´t really feel like translating what I wrote to him....so here it is...copied and pasted....good luck 😜 Maybe putting it into Google translate will help....
"Este semana fue excelente. Empezó con una noche de hogar con una pareja de investigadores en la casa de nuestro Presidente de Rama. Esta pareja de investigadores son excelentes pero necesitan casarse para bautizarse, y eso fue la tema de la noche de hogar, pues hablamos del matrimonio de Presidente y su esposa. Martes tuvimos una noche misional, la cual hicimos en la casa de miembros y llegaron más de 20 personas para compartir una lección, jugar, tener un refrigerio, cantar y orar. Fue muy linda y exitosa. Hicimos divisiones el jueves y eso fue bueno. Yo fui a Belén con la hermana Haggard y enseñamos a los investigadores y miembros de ella. Sentí el espíritu en cada lección. Viernes tocábamos bastantes puertas por una calle, y uno de esos pusimos una cita para el sábado. Su nombre es Marcos. Lo desafiamos para el 24 de Octubre y lo comprometimos a venir con nosotras a la iglesia (el vive muy cerca a la capilla). Dijó que si. Domingo nos alistamos y fuimos a recoger a Marcos y a otro investigador por allí. Marcos ya estaba listo y estaba esperando la hora que dijimos íbamos a llegar. El otro investigador no estaba listo, pero dijimos que lo esperaríamos. Entonces nos acompañó también. Llegó a la capilla también Edelma, la hermana de una familia de recién conversos que hemos enseñado este semana, y el novio de una menos activa llegó también. Estuvimos muy felices.
Estamos trabajando mucho con nuestro líder misional, que tiene menos de un año ser miembro, y muchos miembros nos apoyan. Yo se que en santo domingo podemos bautizar a 5 personas esta mes, aunque por el momento no sabemos quienes...Estamos aprendiendo enseñar con más unidad, yo y Hermana Nuñez, y a resolver nuestras diferencias.
Yo amo ser misionera. Amo Santo Domingo. Amo esta Rama. Soy feliz a trabajar al lado de usted y de mi zona, mi distrito, y mi compañera. Voy a seguir mejorando y buscando maneras a trabajar más eficazmente y ser más osada. Quiero aprender tener más fe, paciencia, esperanza, y reconocer al Espíritu."
Today my zone went to "Monte de la Cruz" or "Cross Mountain". It´s called that because, besides having a small waterfall there, there is a giant white there overlooking the valley of San Jose and Heredia, and probably Alajuela also. It was great. We had a spiritual reunion up there in the mountain talking about how we can improve in the Zone and as companionships to get rid of the things that hold us back from being successful missionaries. It was great. We then played volleyball and basketball (half court of course) It was fun.
I just want to share a little bit of my personal study this week. Acts 14:22 The apostles went on lots of missions after the ministry of Jesus Christ. They did so to strengthen the spirits and animo of the disciples in all parts of the middle east. They let the Christ´s followers know that through many trials, we enter in the kingdom of God. Jacob 1:7, Acts 16:28-32 Paul and Silas, during one of their missions, were put in prison. Even though they were whipped and abused, they sang hymns while in the jail. Then God sent an earthquake and the walls of the prision fell. The guard that was watching the jail was about the commit suicide when he thought that his prisoners, Paul and Silas, had left, but Paul stopped him. Then they taught this guard and his whole family and they were all baptized. Wow. Especially in the hard moments, these missionaries and disciples were always thinking in others and how they could bless their lives. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember to always praise God and sing and be positive in the hard times, because we might just be used as an instrument to bring about good times for other people.
I love you all so much!
Keep up the amazing work and be happy!
Love,
Hermana Flake
So, this week was jam packed. Lots of lessons, lots of knocking on doors, meetings, finding investigators, eating costa rican food, getting a little bit sun burnt (I cannot say anything now, with Jessica in the Dominican Republic, and in the hottest part right now...) When President Wilkinson was our mission president, I would often write him, then copy and paste a bit of that letter into the letter I send to yall....but now that my mission president is from Honduras, I have to write him in Spanish....and I don´t really feel like translating what I wrote to him....so here it is...copied and pasted....good luck 😜 Maybe putting it into Google translate will help....
"Este semana fue excelente. Empezó con una noche de hogar con una pareja de investigadores en la casa de nuestro Presidente de Rama. Esta pareja de investigadores son excelentes pero necesitan casarse para bautizarse, y eso fue la tema de la noche de hogar, pues hablamos del matrimonio de Presidente y su esposa. Martes tuvimos una noche misional, la cual hicimos en la casa de miembros y llegaron más de 20 personas para compartir una lección, jugar, tener un refrigerio, cantar y orar. Fue muy linda y exitosa. Hicimos divisiones el jueves y eso fue bueno. Yo fui a Belén con la hermana Haggard y enseñamos a los investigadores y miembros de ella. Sentí el espíritu en cada lección. Viernes tocábamos bastantes puertas por una calle, y uno de esos pusimos una cita para el sábado. Su nombre es Marcos. Lo desafiamos para el 24 de Octubre y lo comprometimos a venir con nosotras a la iglesia (el vive muy cerca a la capilla). Dijó que si. Domingo nos alistamos y fuimos a recoger a Marcos y a otro investigador por allí. Marcos ya estaba listo y estaba esperando la hora que dijimos íbamos a llegar. El otro investigador no estaba listo, pero dijimos que lo esperaríamos. Entonces nos acompañó también. Llegó a la capilla también Edelma, la hermana de una familia de recién conversos que hemos enseñado este semana, y el novio de una menos activa llegó también. Estuvimos muy felices.Estamos trabajando mucho con nuestro líder misional, que tiene menos de un año ser miembro, y muchos miembros nos apoyan. Yo se que en santo domingo podemos bautizar a 5 personas esta mes, aunque por el momento no sabemos quienes...Estamos aprendiendo enseñar con más unidad, yo y Hermana Nuñez, y a resolver nuestras diferencias.
Yo amo ser misionera. Amo Santo Domingo. Amo esta Rama. Soy feliz a trabajar al lado de usted y de mi zona, mi distrito, y mi compañera. Voy a seguir mejorando y buscando maneras a trabajar más eficazmente y ser más osada. Quiero aprender tener más fe, paciencia, esperanza, y reconocer al Espíritu."
Today my zone went to "Monte de la Cruz" or "Cross Mountain". It´s called that because, besides having a small waterfall there, there is a giant white there overlooking the valley of San Jose and Heredia, and probably Alajuela also. It was great. We had a spiritual reunion up there in the mountain talking about how we can improve in the Zone and as companionships to get rid of the things that hold us back from being successful missionaries. It was great. We then played volleyball and basketball (half court of course) It was fun.I just want to share a little bit of my personal study this week. Acts 14:22 The apostles went on lots of missions after the ministry of Jesus Christ. They did so to strengthen the spirits and animo of the disciples in all parts of the middle east. They let the Christ´s followers know that through many trials, we enter in the kingdom of God. Jacob 1:7, Acts 16:28-32 Paul and Silas, during one of their missions, were put in prison. Even though they were whipped and abused, they sang hymns while in the jail. Then God sent an earthquake and the walls of the prision fell. The guard that was watching the jail was about the commit suicide when he thought that his prisoners, Paul and Silas, had left, but Paul stopped him. Then they taught this guard and his whole family and they were all baptized. Wow. Especially in the hard moments, these missionaries and disciples were always thinking in others and how they could bless their lives. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember to always praise God and sing and be positive in the hard times, because we might just be used as an instrument to bring about good times for other people.
I love you all so much!
Keep up the amazing work and be happy!
Love,
Hermana Flake
Sunday, September 27, 2015
August 24, 2015: Family Ties
Dearest family,
Things are great here in Santo Domingo, Heredia....our area is actually Santo Domingo, Santa Rosa, Santo Tomas, San Pablo, and a little bit more. It´s a big area, but its just a branch here. This branch is really united. My first week here in the branch we had a ward missionary night, relief society and primary activity, and a ward mother´s day activity. I was asked to give a 15 minute talk this Sunday. I talked about the importance of being examples of the believers, and true disciples of Christ, and of course, inviting everyone to come unto Christ.
My new companion is Hermana Nuñez who is from Honduras. She is great, even though she is a bit trunky...haha. She ends her mission one change after me, but you would think that she is the one going home...oh well. We are going to work our tails off. I will give everything I´ve got. All heart, might, mind, and strength. I am loving this new area and I love the members here. Our Branch President is awesome. Yesterday him and his wife took us in their car to visit a few less active members and to know some of our area´s limits. We also found a couple last night, Edna and David. They are wonderful people. Our ward mission leader, who is also a recent convert was with us. I look forward to teaching them the gospel and helping them to prepare to make and keep sacred covenants.
We got to watch a live broadcast this week with the Apostle Russell M. Nelson. He spoke in English and he had a translator with him. Also in the broadcast, from Honduras, was the Area President and his wife, Kevin R. Duncan and Nancy S. Duncan, and an Elder of the Seventy, Valeri Cordón was also there. One of the things that most stood out to me and that I would like to share with yall is what Hermana Nancy Duncan shared. She talked about how we can CHOOSE JOY. We never have to be victims of our circumstances because we can always choose to be happy and joyful. Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes its easy. But we can be joyful in every moment. Choose to be positive. Life is short. Enjoy it. Live in such a way that we dont regret anything. If we make mistakes, repent. If others do us harm, forgive. Those who forgive easily are more easily forgiven. Luke 6:37, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:12, Mark 11:26, Colossians 3:13
Im a little lazy and short on time...so here is my letter to my mission president copied and pasted....I don´t feel like translating it to english...so have a go practicing spanish ;) I know the boys and laura are learning spanish, right? haha sorry
Estoy ya enamoradora de la rama de Santo Domingo (o Santa Rosa, no se). El Presidente de Rama es excelente y su esposa también. Los miembros tienen deseos de trabajar con nosotras y estoy animada poder enseñar a nuestros investigadores con muchos miembros presente. Esperamos encontrar más familias y preparar las familias de las cuales ya estamos enseñando.
Yo tenía la oportunidad de dar un discurso este domingo y sentí mucho amor por los miembros aquí. Son muy unidos y dispuestos a aprender y ayudar en todo momento. Amo ser parte de este familia SUD y las cosas que siempre nos unen en cualquier lugar. Amo ser misionera y poder predicar el evangelio del Señor Jesucristo. Amo la oportunidad de representarlo y ayudar a otros a venir a Él.
i love you all so much!!!! I cant believe that jess is already leaving the MTC! time flies.
Love,
Hermana Sarah Flake
Things are great here in Santo Domingo, Heredia....our area is actually Santo Domingo, Santa Rosa, Santo Tomas, San Pablo, and a little bit more. It´s a big area, but its just a branch here. This branch is really united. My first week here in the branch we had a ward missionary night, relief society and primary activity, and a ward mother´s day activity. I was asked to give a 15 minute talk this Sunday. I talked about the importance of being examples of the believers, and true disciples of Christ, and of course, inviting everyone to come unto Christ.
My new companion is Hermana Nuñez who is from Honduras. She is great, even though she is a bit trunky...haha. She ends her mission one change after me, but you would think that she is the one going home...oh well. We are going to work our tails off. I will give everything I´ve got. All heart, might, mind, and strength. I am loving this new area and I love the members here. Our Branch President is awesome. Yesterday him and his wife took us in their car to visit a few less active members and to know some of our area´s limits. We also found a couple last night, Edna and David. They are wonderful people. Our ward mission leader, who is also a recent convert was with us. I look forward to teaching them the gospel and helping them to prepare to make and keep sacred covenants.We got to watch a live broadcast this week with the Apostle Russell M. Nelson. He spoke in English and he had a translator with him. Also in the broadcast, from Honduras, was the Area President and his wife, Kevin R. Duncan and Nancy S. Duncan, and an Elder of the Seventy, Valeri Cordón was also there. One of the things that most stood out to me and that I would like to share with yall is what Hermana Nancy Duncan shared. She talked about how we can CHOOSE JOY. We never have to be victims of our circumstances because we can always choose to be happy and joyful. Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes its easy. But we can be joyful in every moment. Choose to be positive. Life is short. Enjoy it. Live in such a way that we dont regret anything. If we make mistakes, repent. If others do us harm, forgive. Those who forgive easily are more easily forgiven. Luke 6:37, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:12, Mark 11:26, Colossians 3:13
Im a little lazy and short on time...so here is my letter to my mission president copied and pasted....I don´t feel like translating it to english...so have a go practicing spanish ;) I know the boys and laura are learning spanish, right? haha sorry
Estoy ya enamoradora de la rama de Santo Domingo (o Santa Rosa, no se). El Presidente de Rama es excelente y su esposa también. Los miembros tienen deseos de trabajar con nosotras y estoy animada poder enseñar a nuestros investigadores con muchos miembros presente. Esperamos encontrar más familias y preparar las familias de las cuales ya estamos enseñando.
Yo tenía la oportunidad de dar un discurso este domingo y sentí mucho amor por los miembros aquí. Son muy unidos y dispuestos a aprender y ayudar en todo momento. Amo ser parte de este familia SUD y las cosas que siempre nos unen en cualquier lugar. Amo ser misionera y poder predicar el evangelio del Señor Jesucristo. Amo la oportunidad de representarlo y ayudar a otros a venir a Él.
i love you all so much!!!! I cant believe that jess is already leaving the MTC! time flies.
Love,
Hermana Sarah Flake
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
August 17, 2015: Bittersweet
Hey family!!!
How is summer treating y'all? All sunkist, or sunburnt? haha. I forgot to wish you a happy birthday Mom! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! belat
ed.... I love you so much and am so thankful to be your daughter.
Whelp....i am no longer in San Carlos....dun dun dun dun. Now I am in Santo Domingo in the Alajuela Province, and in the Zone Heredia. It´s the same zone where I started my mission! Not the same area, but super close, and our district and zone meetings are in the same chapel beside the temple as it was when I was in this zone over a year ago...I was born and will die in Zone Heredia (we are born when we start the mission, and we die when we go home...haha).
My new companion is Hermana Nuñez who is from Honduras. She is my second companion from Honduras. It´s official. I won´t have a single gringa (american) companion in my whole mission (except for in the MTC). Oh well, haha, better for me so that my spanish can get fine tuned haha.
It was hard, as it is always, to leave San Carlos and the members, and investigators there. I will never forget the wonderful experiences and the hard experiences that I had there. I love San Carlos. I love the families there. I love the friendships I made there. I love the views there. I know that I have many homes to visit when I can make it back to Costa Rica someday to visit or live a year or two....like father like daughter....I could teach english here and rent is cheap....but food is spendy....but I know a whole bunch of families willing to feed me every once in a while....haha. My companion and I were surprised when we got the phone call Sunday evening telling us that we BOTH had transfers! She is now in Ciudad Colon with a companion that just barely finished her training, and I am in Santo Domingo with a companion who ends the mission one change after me. I´ll go where He wants me to go.
This week we taught Henry and Flora and their three sons, Alexis (13), Rafael (11), and Jacob (5) twice with a member present. Nadya, the President of the Relief Society came with us the first visit. Then we asked Brother Nelson, an ex-missionary who just moved to San Carlos from San Vito, to accompany us to another lesson with this family. This family is excellent. The dad especially has lots of great questions. Even the kids ask lots of qu
estions, and not random ones, truly inspired questions. They want to know what we believe. they want to know for themselves if it is true. And now I won´t be able to keep teaching them, as my companion and I both got transferred. We gave their number and address to the Elders in the ward there....they have got to keep teaching them and help them to make it on the narrow road to baptism. I never got to take a picture of this family 
. I sure hope that someday when I get to visit, they will be baptized and serving in leadership positions in the ward....and then I will take a picture with them.
Well, it´s always bittersweet when changes come, when we have to leave an area and all the people we came to know there...but exciting to meet new people and areas. Here´s to another month and a half of adventure and serving in the Lord´s work and bringing the truths of the restored gospel to every family that I can and allow the Spirit of the Lord touch their hearts!!!
Love yall,
Hermana Flake
How is summer treating y'all? All sunkist, or sunburnt? haha. I forgot to wish you a happy birthday Mom! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! belat
ed.... I love you so much and am so thankful to be your daughter.
Whelp....i am no longer in San Carlos....dun dun dun dun. Now I am in Santo Domingo in the Alajuela Province, and in the Zone Heredia. It´s the same zone where I started my mission! Not the same area, but super close, and our district and zone meetings are in the same chapel beside the temple as it was when I was in this zone over a year ago...I was born and will die in Zone Heredia (we are born when we start the mission, and we die when we go home...haha).
It was hard, as it is always, to leave San Carlos and the members, and investigators there. I will never forget the wonderful experiences and the hard experiences that I had there. I love San Carlos. I love the families there. I love the friendships I made there. I love the views there. I know that I have many homes to visit when I can make it back to Costa Rica someday to visit or live a year or two....like father like daughter....I could teach english here and rent is cheap....but food is spendy....but I know a whole bunch of families willing to feed me every once in a while....haha. My companion and I were surprised when we got the phone call Sunday evening telling us that we BOTH had transfers! She is now in Ciudad Colon with a companion that just barely finished her training, and I am in Santo Domingo with a companion who ends the mission one change after me. I´ll go where He wants me to go.
This week we taught Henry and Flora and their three sons, Alexis (13), Rafael (11), and Jacob (5) twice with a member present. Nadya, the President of the Relief Society came with us the first visit. Then we asked Brother Nelson, an ex-missionary who just moved to San Carlos from San Vito, to accompany us to another lesson with this family. This family is excellent. The dad especially has lots of great questions. Even the kids ask lots of qu
Well, it´s always bittersweet when changes come, when we have to leave an area and all the people we came to know there...but exciting to meet new people and areas. Here´s to another month and a half of adventure and serving in the Lord´s work and bringing the truths of the restored gospel to every family that I can and allow the Spirit of the Lord touch their hearts!!!
Love yall,
Hermana Flake
August 10, 2015: One is Never Taller than when on His or Her Knees
Howdy my family!
Thanks for sending me pics and telling me about your adventure to Utah and Colorado! Sounds like it was a great time to bond, learn, love, and enjoy. Some things never change haha. Dad jumping in cold lakes is one of them. haha ;) I love all the times jumping in lakes with flakes, haha that rhymes. Okay that´s enough now I mean it. Does anybody want a peanut? haha alrighty
I hugged my companion when I was a little annoyed with her! accomplishment! haha just kidding. She sometimes gets riled up when people are rude or ignorant, and I, many times, have told her that as missionaries and representatives of Christ, the last thing we should do is make biting remarks back or get sassy and when I tell her that she goes all martyr on me saying that it´s better that she just not talk to anybody then....but yesterday this scenario happened. We knocked on the door. An old fellow walked out. We introduce ourselves. He says we´re from one of those other churches that isn't the Catholic church, the only true church because Christ established it, says he, and that we should not waste our time and then without listening to another word, turned around and ignored us. Rude right? anyway, not something we should worry about, but my comp got upset. And i´m not a huggy person, but I told her to come here and I gave her a hug. And instead of telling her that she shouldn't do that anymore, I just hugged her and made a joke about mission life and knocking doors. That made her feel better. 16 months in the mission and I think I finally learned how to go against my annoyed feelings and do what is best for my comp. Success! haha. ;)
We are constantly trying to be more powerful representatives of Jesus Christ. We have been set apart with power and authority to teach God´s children and we are trying to fully comprehend the scope of that. We get on buses and we talk to as many as we can. We know that we must testify and be witnesses of the truth. I know that we are all witnesses of truth and light. When we have been so richly blessed we have an obligation to help others recieve these same blessings. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. This is His church. We are all His children. Not just members of the church. Not just believers of Christ. Every person on this planet is a child of God. Many do not believe in that. Trust me, I have talked to many here. They believe we are creatures of God, and only become his children when we obey him and believe in Him. I know that God loves His children, even those who will not believe on him. He loves us all.
Much love,
Hermana Flake
Thanks for sending me pics and telling me about your adventure to Utah and Colorado! Sounds like it was a great time to bond, learn, love, and enjoy. Some things never change haha. Dad jumping in cold lakes is one of them. haha ;) I love all the times jumping in lakes with flakes, haha that rhymes. Okay that´s enough now I mean it. Does anybody want a peanut? haha alrighty
I hugged my companion when I was a little annoyed with her! accomplishment! haha just kidding. She sometimes gets riled up when people are rude or ignorant, and I, many times, have told her that as missionaries and representatives of Christ, the last thing we should do is make biting remarks back or get sassy and when I tell her that she goes all martyr on me saying that it´s better that she just not talk to anybody then....but yesterday this scenario happened. We knocked on the door. An old fellow walked out. We introduce ourselves. He says we´re from one of those other churches that isn't the Catholic church, the only true church because Christ established it, says he, and that we should not waste our time and then without listening to another word, turned around and ignored us. Rude right? anyway, not something we should worry about, but my comp got upset. And i´m not a huggy person, but I told her to come here and I gave her a hug. And instead of telling her that she shouldn't do that anymore, I just hugged her and made a joke about mission life and knocking doors. That made her feel better. 16 months in the mission and I think I finally learned how to go against my annoyed feelings and do what is best for my comp. Success! haha. ;)We are constantly trying to be more powerful representatives of Jesus Christ. We have been set apart with power and authority to teach God´s children and we are trying to fully comprehend the scope of that. We get on buses and we talk to as many as we can. We know that we must testify and be witnesses of the truth. I know that we are all witnesses of truth and light. When we have been so richly blessed we have an obligation to help others recieve these same blessings. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. This is His church. We are all His children. Not just members of the church. Not just believers of Christ. Every person on this planet is a child of God. Many do not believe in that. Trust me, I have talked to many here. They believe we are creatures of God, and only become his children when we obey him and believe in Him. I know that God loves His children, even those who will not believe on him. He loves us all.
Much love,
Hermana Flake
August 3, 2015: Montaña Rusa
Hello family :)
This week I taught an English class in the church :) it was fun. Only four people came...Jennifer, a less active member, her friend that we visited with her and brought, and two sisters who were baptized by the Elders the day following the class. It was fun and they enjoyed it and want me to teach each week. So now every Friday I will give an hour class of English.
It rained a lot this last week, and it will rain a lot this coming week. The picture of my socks are to show that those are what I had to use before you sent me more socks. Thanks mom :) I only have to use my old pairs of socks like once a week, when the new ones you sent me are all dirty, haha.
I dont have as much time to write today, so this will be more brief (we are using computers in the city library, because the office that Brother Cordoba in the ward leaves open so we can access the key to the computers in the church, was locked. So yeah. We were rejected a lot this week. My companion cried. But we look forward to seeing more miracles this coming week. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be in San Carlos. I know that it is not always easy, or it´s never easy, but I see each and everday the tender mercies of the Lord. I know that my Saviour lives and loves me. I am so glad that I get to represent His name each and everyday of my life, being a member of His church. I am thankful for leaders who sacrifice so much to serve the Lord.
love yall,
Hermana Flake
It rained a lot this last week, and it will rain a lot this coming week. The picture of my socks are to show that those are what I had to use before you sent me more socks. Thanks mom :) I only have to use my old pairs of socks like once a week, when the new ones you sent me are all dirty, haha.
 |
| this snake we found, but it is dead. Maybe dad can find out if it is poisonous or not. I am curious. |
love yall,
Hermana Flake
Sunday, August 23, 2015
July 27,2015: Miracles and Marriage Proposals
Hey fam!
This week was filled with miracles. We found a lot of families and people who are studied in the bible and intelligent. This is what are bishop challenged us to find. Families and studied people. The reason is because a lot of times missionaries, with the pressure their is to baptize every month, jump into poor areas or slums and start to baptize people who of humble circumstances but little means to be leaders in the ward if they even remain active. But our bishop told us he wants us to seek out the areas that missionaries usually call 'hard' because the people might be a bit richer or well off and turn us down a whole lot more. So this week we did just that. We found 25 new investigators including 5 complete families (at least husband and wife and maybe kids) and they are from richer neighborhoods\houses. We are opening our mouths and talking to everyone, contacting buses, talking to families in the street and knocking on doors. When I say 'knocking on doors', what i really mean is the costa rican way of knocking on doors....yelling 'upe' whenever we find or pass a house with their door open ;)
This week we had a relief society activity and primary activity that we brought Hellen and her siblings to. They really enjoyed it. They are progressing but very slowly. We will try to extend the baptisimal invitation again soon (they´ve had so many baptismal dates that have fallen through because they won´t come to 9am church).
I know we are following the spirit because many of the new people and families that we found this week told us that they were suprised that we knocked on their door specifically when they saw that we didn´t try a single other house near them. We pick and choose pretty randomly according to what we feel. One lady, who actually accepted a baptisimal date with her husband in our first visit, told us that she doesn´t know how she was able to hear our 'upe' because no one else heard us (she was in a birthday party deep within her house) but she told us that she heard our voices as if voices of angels....wow. The Lord is helping us out so much. He is putting us where we need to be and we are opening our mouths and He is speaking through us. This same lady cried and cried when telling us her desire to find someway to have a better relationship with her son, who wants nothing to do with her, and how she knows that we were sent by God to help her and her family. Wow.
Ok, funny story now. So we visit lots of inactive and less active members, and one of those inactive members, Lidieth, has a brother. He is not member, and he is 19. He has a way of crushing on sister missionaries, especially the gringas (american girls). So anyway, in other visits he has made remarks that point out that he has a crush on me, to the point where he once left a chocolate in my bible that said 'me gustas', which in english is 'I like you'.... anyway....this week we watched the 30 minute video about our Heavenly Father´s plan with Lidieth, Walter (the brother with a crush), and Bayron (another brother who lost his leg a few months ago). Then when we finished the lesson, I asked Walter to offer the prayer. After the prayer he got down on his knees and pulled out a ring and asked me in poor English, Sister Flake, would you like to marry me? Um....so that was pretty awkward, haha. I told him that he already knew the answer because I am a missionary and missionaries cannot get married. He insisted that I marry him after my mission. I told him that I want to marry a return missionary who shares my standards, and that he should focus on looking for God instead of thinking of marrying missionaries. So yeah....He told me that I broke his heart and that he was going to cry when I left. Haha. My companion got a huge laugh out of all that.
Well family, I have had a wonderful week and I know that we are exactly obedient to the mission rules and as a result we are able to witness miracles. It´s hard. We are always pretty tired. But we have a slogan, my comp and I , Regocijar en vez de quejar... in english, that means Rejoice instead of Complain. It´s all about attitude. We are focusing hard on loving our investigators and the members and being positive.
Con mucho amor,
Hermana S. Flake
This week was filled with miracles. We found a lot of families and people who are studied in the bible and intelligent. This is what are bishop challenged us to find. Families and studied people. The reason is because a lot of times missionaries, with the pressure their is to baptize every month, jump into poor areas or slums and start to baptize people who of humble circumstances but little means to be leaders in the ward if they even remain active. But our bishop told us he wants us to seek out the areas that missionaries usually call 'hard' because the people might be a bit richer or well off and turn us down a whole lot more. So this week we did just that. We found 25 new investigators including 5 complete families (at least husband and wife and maybe kids) and they are from richer neighborhoods\houses. We are opening our mouths and talking to everyone, contacting buses, talking to families in the street and knocking on doors. When I say 'knocking on doors', what i really mean is the costa rican way of knocking on doors....yelling 'upe' whenever we find or pass a house with their door open ;)
This week we had a relief society activity and primary activity that we brought Hellen and her siblings to. They really enjoyed it. They are progressing but very slowly. We will try to extend the baptisimal invitation again soon (they´ve had so many baptismal dates that have fallen through because they won´t come to 9am church).
I know we are following the spirit because many of the new people and families that we found this week told us that they were suprised that we knocked on their door specifically when they saw that we didn´t try a single other house near them. We pick and choose pretty randomly according to what we feel. One lady, who actually accepted a baptisimal date with her husband in our first visit, told us that she doesn´t know how she was able to hear our 'upe' because no one else heard us (she was in a birthday party deep within her house) but she told us that she heard our voices as if voices of angels....wow. The Lord is helping us out so much. He is putting us where we need to be and we are opening our mouths and He is speaking through us. This same lady cried and cried when telling us her desire to find someway to have a better relationship with her son, who wants nothing to do with her, and how she knows that we were sent by God to help her and her family. Wow.
Ok, funny story now. So we visit lots of inactive and less active members, and one of those inactive members, Lidieth, has a brother. He is not member, and he is 19. He has a way of crushing on sister missionaries, especially the gringas (american girls). So anyway, in other visits he has made remarks that point out that he has a crush on me, to the point where he once left a chocolate in my bible that said 'me gustas', which in english is 'I like you'.... anyway....this week we watched the 30 minute video about our Heavenly Father´s plan with Lidieth, Walter (the brother with a crush), and Bayron (another brother who lost his leg a few months ago). Then when we finished the lesson, I asked Walter to offer the prayer. After the prayer he got down on his knees and pulled out a ring and asked me in poor English, Sister Flake, would you like to marry me? Um....so that was pretty awkward, haha. I told him that he already knew the answer because I am a missionary and missionaries cannot get married. He insisted that I marry him after my mission. I told him that I want to marry a return missionary who shares my standards, and that he should focus on looking for God instead of thinking of marrying missionaries. So yeah....He told me that I broke his heart and that he was going to cry when I left. Haha. My companion got a huge laugh out of all that.
Well family, I have had a wonderful week and I know that we are exactly obedient to the mission rules and as a result we are able to witness miracles. It´s hard. We are always pretty tired. But we have a slogan, my comp and I , Regocijar en vez de quejar... in english, that means Rejoice instead of Complain. It´s all about attitude. We are focusing hard on loving our investigators and the members and being positive.
Con mucho amor,
Hermana S. Flake
July 13, 2015:
Hi yall
Yesterday we had 7 investigators come to church with us, but not a single one of them were we expecting to come, haha. All of them came with members that we have been visiting and reactivating, so that is cool. today we actually have a family home evening with Moises, the boyfriend of a less active member we have been visiting, so that should be good. They want to get married at the end of this month, and Jyth wants Moises to be baptized that same day (she brought him here from Nicaragua and is always telling him about how she wants to be an eternal family with him, but he has to be baptized in order for that to happen...talk about pushy jk). He finally got here to Costa Rica a couple of days ago, so now we can start teaching him the lessons and invite him to ask God if the church is true, so he can be baptized.
Saturday we had a funny or scary experience... We were traveling back to San Carlos from Alajuela (we had been in divisions with the Sister Training Leaders for 2 days), which is a 2 and a half hour bus ride. Anyway, we got to where our stop is, and my comp got off the bus, but I couldn´t because it was really crowded. The bus started to leave. I ran to the bus driver and told him I needed to get off at that stop. He told me that I had to wait until the next bus stop, which is 2 miles away! I told him that I am a missionary and have to be with my companion, and she already got off. He told me, with a straight face again, no. So I sat down with a big sigh, and i think his heart softened a bit, because he let me off only about a mile away from my comp. So yeah. I got off the bus and started speed walking for where my companion got off. I started calling my leaders to let them know we were separated. Finally I found her where she had gotten off, and everything was fine. Haha, we had quite a laugh about that.
Woops, I already have to get off now....
until next week folks!
Love,
Hermana Flake
Yesterday we had 7 investigators come to church with us, but not a single one of them were we expecting to come, haha. All of them came with members that we have been visiting and reactivating, so that is cool. today we actually have a family home evening with Moises, the boyfriend of a less active member we have been visiting, so that should be good. They want to get married at the end of this month, and Jyth wants Moises to be baptized that same day (she brought him here from Nicaragua and is always telling him about how she wants to be an eternal family with him, but he has to be baptized in order for that to happen...talk about pushy jk). He finally got here to Costa Rica a couple of days ago, so now we can start teaching him the lessons and invite him to ask God if the church is true, so he can be baptized.
Woops, I already have to get off now....
until next week folks!
Love,
Hermana Flake
July 6, 2015: "A little rain never hurt anyone" "yea, but a lot can kill ya"
Hey fam!
Well, today my comp and I bought umbrellas AGAIN. they all get ruined because it down pours so often and the wind is super strong, but this time we are going to keep the receipts, so if they are ruined again before a month we can get free new ones..haha. This week only saturday it didn´t rain. San Carlos is famous for the downpours. At least we are up so high in the mountains that we don´t have flooding problems like other parts of Costa Rica where whole roads are lost and houses are destroyed because the rivers and ocean overflow....
So I am doing great here in San Carlos. We have a new bishop and mission leader and things are looking up. We found a few families that we are going to work on getting them to church, getting to know families in the ward, learning the doctrine of the gospel, and preparing to be married (nobody gets married here, they just live together, but we are going
to teach them and help them to become an eternal family, like ours. :) This sunday was fast and testimony meeting. I bore my testimony about how we are so blessed to know what is the purpose of life. Here in the mission I have noticed that that is the number one thing that people in the world are looking for...understanding of their purpose and who they are.
I cannot believe that Jessica is going to be in the Dominican Republic in a couple of weeks!!! time is flying by!
This week I was studying a bit about Zion´s camp, the one that Joseph Smith formed when God told him that he needed to form a band of men to be help the Saints in trouble from mobs. In Doctrine and Covenants section 105 verses 1-3, 6, 10, 19 explain how God called them to form this group of willing men to test their obedience and faith, not because He wanted them to fight. They were tested and tried in those difficult days and weeks i believe. It makes me think a lot about the mission...we are here to find people and prepare them to make and keep covenants, but we are also here to be tested, to see if we will be exactly obedient to the Lord´s servants and to build our faith. I studied this theme the same morning that we recieved a message from our Zone Leaders saying that our new Mission President prohibited Coca Cola, Root beer, Pepsi, etc (any carbonated drink that is black or brown in color). My companion is fanatic for Coca Cola, and I like a good root beer every now and then, but it just reminded me of my determination to be exactly obedient to those that are our leaders. I shared these thoughts with my comp and I think she has accepted the fact that now she cannot drink Coca Cola, haha. I encourage yall to study a bit about Zion´s camp, and apply it to us in latter days. Are we striving to be exactly obedient to our Prophet, the Apostles, Stake leaders, Bishops, etc.? do we trust that they are men called of God and hold specific Priesthood authority?
My time is already up....I am so happy to know that yall are happy and healthy. Keep on being awesome!
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Flake
Well, today my comp and I bought umbrellas AGAIN. they all get ruined because it down pours so often and the wind is super strong, but this time we are going to keep the receipts, so if they are ruined again before a month we can get free new ones..haha. This week only saturday it didn´t rain. San Carlos is famous for the downpours. At least we are up so high in the mountains that we don´t have flooding problems like other parts of Costa Rica where whole roads are lost and houses are destroyed because the rivers and ocean overflow....
So I am doing great here in San Carlos. We have a new bishop and mission leader and things are looking up. We found a few families that we are going to work on getting them to church, getting to know families in the ward, learning the doctrine of the gospel, and preparing to be married (nobody gets married here, they just live together, but we are goingto teach them and help them to become an eternal family, like ours. :) This sunday was fast and testimony meeting. I bore my testimony about how we are so blessed to know what is the purpose of life. Here in the mission I have noticed that that is the number one thing that people in the world are looking for...understanding of their purpose and who they are.
I cannot believe that Jessica is going to be in the Dominican Republic in a couple of weeks!!! time is flying by!
This week I was studying a bit about Zion´s camp, the one that Joseph Smith formed when God told him that he needed to form a band of men to be help the Saints in trouble from mobs. In Doctrine and Covenants section 105 verses 1-3, 6, 10, 19 explain how God called them to form this group of willing men to test their obedience and faith, not because He wanted them to fight. They were tested and tried in those difficult days and weeks i believe. It makes me think a lot about the mission...we are here to find people and prepare them to make and keep covenants, but we are also here to be tested, to see if we will be exactly obedient to the Lord´s servants and to build our faith. I studied this theme the same morning that we recieved a message from our Zone Leaders saying that our new Mission President prohibited Coca Cola, Root beer, Pepsi, etc (any carbonated drink that is black or brown in color). My companion is fanatic for Coca Cola, and I like a good root beer every now and then, but it just reminded me of my determination to be exactly obedient to those that are our leaders. I shared these thoughts with my comp and I think she has accepted the fact that now she cannot drink Coca Cola, haha. I encourage yall to study a bit about Zion´s camp, and apply it to us in latter days. Are we striving to be exactly obedient to our Prophet, the Apostles, Stake leaders, Bishops, etc.? do we trust that they are men called of God and hold specific Priesthood authority?My time is already up....I am so happy to know that yall are happy and healthy. Keep on being awesome!
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Flake
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