June 8, 2015:

Hey my beloved family,

Things are great. We are sad to see Elder Evans, our district leader, go home early. He has to have surgery on his neck, so he will be going home tomorrow to Utah. He has done a lot of good here in San Carlos as our district leader this last month and a half. I learned a lot from him. He is always so positive and upbeat.

This Sunday we had a whole huge group come with us to church. 7 of them over the age of 8. Marbelly came with her 3 kids. Maria came with her 2 nephews and a niece. We passed by Xiomara and Jackson´s house, but they had to do an errand, so they only sent Jeiner (their 8 year old son) with Marbelly. We were bummed that they didn´t come, but they said that for sure next Sunday. They came at 12pm to the church so we took pictures outside :) They are so adorable.

The woman in the zebra dress is Marbelly. The woman in the
blue dress is Hermana Ana Paniagua who is a member that
 gave us Marbelly as a reference (they are neighbors and friends).

Together with the elders, we brought 27 or 28 people to church (only 17 of those count as investigators), and we had an attendance of 104 people....but we are lacking still a whole bunch because as a ward, we should have at least 120 on a regular basis. We are working hard and the ward is trying to reactivate members, but we have a long way to go. Pital, about an hour away, is a group that wants to break away from our ward and become a branch. And when they do, we will convert into a branch unless we get the people to come to church, to participate, and to magnify their callings. We will continue to search out the lost sheep and challenge them to come back to the fold.

This week we found an inactive member who was baptized 3 years ago. His family is not member. He doesn´t have a testimony, and things that we trick people into joining the church. He loves the missionaries, but he doesn´t believe in things about the church. But he said he will come to church with us next Sunday, with his whole family. We testified and challenged him and answered some of his doubts. We will continue to do so and look for more families like his.

Jesenia, a recent convert, blessed her baby yesterday (finally) and she said that she felt so good now that the baby has been blessed and given a name. I am thankful that the Relief Society president helped make that possible. Jesenia has a very complicated situation, but they are helping her to feel loved and cared for.

Barrio San Carlos has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go. We need a bishop. The ex missionaries in this ward are inactive, menos activos, or just come to church and don´t do much else. There needs to be a focus on return missionaries being leaders, shepherds for these flocks. I know that I will be a hard working ward missionary or member missionary when I have to take off this nametag.

I am excited to keep seeing miracles. I am excited to keep improving, to find more lost sheep, to help families prepare to enter the waters of baptism. I am excited to keep working here in San Carlos. I have lots of faith that things will start clicking and the gears will turn and we will have a strong ward here.

Can you all keep in your prayers, Xiomara, Jackson, and Jeiner? We are preparing them to be married this month, and baptized as well. They are from Nicaragua and are adorable. The gospel is changing them. I will keep yáll posted.

I am so happy to be in the Lord´s service. I am so so proud that Jessica is leaving soon to serve the people in the Dominican Republic. I am so proud of Mom and Dad who are constantly serving in callings in the ward, helping neighbors, friends, acquaintences, and most importantly, our family. Thanks for everything!!!

Con muchísimo amor,
Hermana Flake