May 4, 2015: Sacrifice

Hey my beautiful family,

Things are good here in San Carlos, Costa Rica. This week we found quite a few less active or inactive members that we we didn´t know where they lived. We have a new district leader here in San Carlos...he is as tall as or taller than Jonba...haha. So we get a lot of looks whenever we are with the Elders here in San Carlos. Yesterday Carmen came to church! Carmen and Jorge have a baptismal date for June 15th (it´s so far away because we have to help them to get married...they have the ring and everything, just need plans). She loved it! Felt the Spirit super strong...it was fast and testimony meeting so she heard lots of testimonies. Anyway, after church, and after Ward Council Meeting, we took the bus to go eat lunch with the Gonzalez family and Bryon, a recent convert of the Elders. Later we went to visit people who live close to Carmen and Jorge, and we taught them the steps of repentance. As we were teaching, a woman entered and exited carrying items from her house. When we finished the lesson, I asked her if she was moving from her house. She said yes, and I told her we were going to help her. And we did. for about 2 hours we helped move clothes, beds, books, shelves, tv, bags, boxes, you name it. She was moving to an apartment about a block away, so we were like ants, moving stuff from one apartment to the other. Carmen and Jorge helped us too :) And then a neighbor boy (about 19 years old) jumped in to help carry the refrigerator, oven, and washing machine with Jorge. The best sabbath days are the ones filled with service. Anyway, Tuesday we will be teaching Lorena (the woman moving her house), Bryon (the neighbor boy) and his sister Diana :)

I felt so hopelessly defeated Saturday and sunday. We have been teaching and visiting Rosa and her family for almost a month now. Only Melanie and Juan Carlos (10 years old and 6 years old) have come to church....Rosa, Fransisco, Helen, and Noelia have not come. We have brought the Primary President, as well as her counselor, our ward mission leader, and a recent convert, and taught them the Plan of Salvation and Dispensations and Apostasy. Saturday night we went with the Elders (they wanted to help us commit them to come to church). we had already commited them to coming, and they had already said they would come. We taught them about Joseph Smith ending the Apostasy. We told them that to know if all that we are teaching is true, they had to come and see for themselves. And then Rosa told us that she is Catholic and wants to go to Mass....until she is sure about changing religions.....NOOOO!!!!! We explained and testified that she could only recieve an answer from the Lord if she puts forth her part in the investigation of the truth....then we invited her to pray to know if her and her family should come with us for at least 1 hour, and if they felt bad they never had to come again. She prayed. We told her we would call at night to see what she had decided. At 9:30pm we called. They said they would all come, for just one hour. Halelujah!  Then morning comes. Message from Rosa: We are going to go to Mass. Respect our religion as we respect yours. umph. what a heart dropper. We love this family. So. much. we have testified and taught, laughed and cried. But Rosa just cannot get over the idea that she is playing games with God by coming to a different church....I just didn´t understand. I still don´t fully comprehend why it is so dang hard to help people to understand and to come to the truth. To let go of the false traditions and to open up their lives to the blessings of the restored gospel and all of it´s promises. It just makes me all the more grateful for having been blessed with the restored gospel for all of my life. I know who I am. I know God´s plan. I follow Him in faith. I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ. I will honor His name. I know that my family can be eternal thanks to the power and authority of the Priesthood that God restored to the earth again. And I don´t care if nobody ever believed on my words, or converted thanks to my visits. I cannot deny what I know to be true, even when it seems that sometimes the worlds is so blind, so hard hearted, or so numb to the spirit. I have felt the truth, and the truth has set me free. Like I said, we love this family. We will not give up on them. I know that one day soon they will enter the waters of baptism to start their journey towards being an eternal family. But I sure would like to know how to be able to get them to come to church. That would be a great start. ha.

The other day I was talking to Hermana Vasquez (my latest companion before Hermana Flores) and she asked me if I had known what a mission entailed and all the heart aches, the pains, the difficulties....if I would have still chosen to serve a mission. I told her that I would have probably studied Preach my Gospel more first, that I would definitely still have served a mission. It is hard. But I know I have changed. a lot. I hope. haha. I sometimes think about how I was just before the mission, as well as the few years before....I am not the same. Not at all. My mission has changed me, and continues changing me. Not saying that missions change us involununtarally, (that is not how you spell that....but there is no spell check here....haha), we have to allow it to change us. Sometimes my stubbornness prevents me from changing more.

Well family. I love you so so so so so so so so so much. I always am testifying about yall. Literally. Haha. About eternal families. That is truly why I am here. I know that Jesus Christ lives. And he died so that we could live again. in families.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Flake

April 27, 2015: The only sure thing is change

Hello family,

So my companion had changes, so we woke up at 5 am to catch the 6am bus and we arrived in San Jose at 9:30am....and I am still here waiting for my companion to get here...so yeah, she already wrote her family, so I am here writing to you all now :) My companion, Hermana Vasquez, whom I had for only a month and a half, is now in Coronado, my other area! Haha, so last night I wrote a few letters to converts in Coronado for her to take to them from me. My new companion is Hermana Flores who is also from............guesses anyone????....dun dun dun dun.....Guatemala. Ooosh. She is my fifth companion from Guatemala. I am going to have to visit Guatemala one day to visit all my comps and amigos from the mish because there are a ton of Chapines here.

The ward is a bit more united now that President Wong came and convinced the members of the need to bring the lost sheep to the herd, but we still have a long way to go. I look forward to the week of the family because the whole focus is in doing things as a family and inviting non members to come and participate. We have a new ward mission leader who is awesome. He truly knows how to help ward be more involved in the obra misional. This sunday he was greeting everyone as they came to church, and then asked the members to sit closer to the front so that we arent all so scattered as it normally is. This weekend we had Gabriel`s baptism. His mom and little brother came too. It was very special. Escpecially since Bryon, a new convert, was able to baptize him. That was awesome.

Well, I am very very happy to be in San Carlos. I am happy to be in Costa Rica. I am so happy to be a missionary. I am so grateful for all the work and guidance of my Mission President. He`s the kind of president that inspires us to be better, to be more faithful, to be obedient with exactitud, and to be happy. This is the last change for President Wilkinson, because in June come the new mission presidents and the mission wiill be divided in half. Wow. I love the Gospel. I love my savior Jesus Christ. I know that he leads this work.

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Flake

p.s. sorry this is so short....my mind is on so many other things right now and I didn`t bring my study notebook to share some of my personal studies with yall. haha, i am sure youre relieved ;)

                                        Pictures 4/27/15:

Week 47: Families Are the Best

Hey family and friends!

The computers we were using lost internet conection, so now we ran to another internet place, but we only have 10 minutes to write....so it´s going to be a quickie this week...

Este semana ha sido bastante bien, particularmente con Presidente Wong aqui ayudando para que tengamos mas unidad como barrio. La semana pasada, él cortó las cabezas de todos nosotros en el consejo de barrio, y que él no quiere excusas, solo quiere que los miembros traigan los menos activos a la iglesia.

We got to go to the temple as a zone this week. It was beautiful. When we stop and think about, the temple is where we want to see every single one of our brothers and sisters here on earth. The temple is a little piece of heaven here on earth, so how we feel there is how we will feel one day when we return to our Father in Heaven. I want to be there one day with every convert that I have come to know and love, as well as my family and friends. This is what it is all about.

We have been working a ton with Rosa and her family. We found her a couple of weeks ago. She is the one that lost her 3 month old baby about a month ago and is very sad for that, but we taught the plan of salvation and that families can be together forever one day. Now we are just working on getting her to know members and to have the desire to come to church. Only Melanie, their 11 year old daughter came with us to church this sunday because Rosa thinks that she needs to be more sure of things, fransisco had to work, and Helen slept in....Melanie and Juan Carlos (6 year old) came with us and loved it and want to keep going obviously. Now to get the whole family to go...

I wish I could write more, but I just want to you all to know that I am so priviledged to know that we can be together forever someday. I am so thankful to be part of the Flake and Baldwin families as well as the LDS family. I love my Savior and am so grateful for His sacrifice. Let´s keep going strong this week!!!

Love you all,
Hermana flake

ps. mom I would like mosiah 2:41 on my mission plaque.... sorry for getting back to you so late

                                        Pictures Week 47:

Week 46: Where do you want to go?

Hey yáll!

"God is anxious to take us as far as we are willing to go"

This week we traveled the 3 hours to go to San Jose in a very winding trip (mom´s stomach would probably not handle this car trip, much less a bus trip), for a Multi zone conference with President Wilkinson. This man is called of God. Wow is all I can say. He taught about plans, God´s plan,   Satan´s plan, how to plan under inspiration, why we need to plan and have a broader perspective, and how we need to teach in such a way that people can know the doctrine, apply it to their lives, and feel that it is true. I loved a quote that he read, which right now I don´t remember who said it, nor the exact words, but here it is: Live in such a way that our mirror is clean enough to relect the light of Christ...or something like that. Especially as an authorized representative of Jesus Christ, a missionary must be living the commandments with pure motive, as well as obeying the mission rules, so that the Light of Christ may shine to those around us. Also, he mentioned that we have to be clean vessels so that the Spirit may work travel through us to the hearts of our investigators and the members. I know that that is true of all disciples of Christ.

Also, President Wilkinson helped us to see that God has an enormous perspective of who we can become and what we can do. We are the ones who limit ourselves. God is willing to take us as far as we are willing, but sometimes we lack the faith. When making plans, when fulfilling a calling, when raising children, when studying for a career, when sharing the gospel, etc. etc. we must pray that God may use us as instruments to fulfill the greater design that he has planned.  I know that, just as the brave men and women of the scriptures, we can do great things when we trust in our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

President Wilkinson told us that when he first came to Costa Rica, missionaries jumped for joy when they taught 15 lessons in one week....that is purely unacceptable! Since I have been here, 30 lessons in a week is the minimum we should have! The missionaries at the time that Pres. Wilkinson was starting out, thought that Pres. Wilkinson was crazy. They didn´t have faith. They lacked trust that he was called of God. The minimum goals for our key indicators that we strive to reach each week are more than double what the missionaries had only 3 years ago. This is God´s work, not ours. He can do it without us, but he gives us the opportunity to do so, but he needs worthy workers, worthy disciples. Not ones that lack faith. When we read about the apostles with Jesus Christ, he was constantly admonishing them for their lack of faith. How much more need we faith. Ok. End of rant. haha.


I love being a missionary! The Church is true! Christ leads and guides it. It contains the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We are lead by inspired leaders who act under the holy Priesthood of God. Wow. We cannot sleep through the restoration. We are in such an amazing time. Let´s make the most of it.

This week was different from any other week I have ever had in the mission in an aspect that has always been my weakness. I have always found it hard to talk to strangers in the street, the bus, bread stores, etc. I did it, but mostly just to reach the goal of contacts we make....but this week I felt like a talking machine. I didn´t fear anyone. The only thing that matters is that Christ has commanded that we share the good news and the gospel of repentance with every man, woman, and child. So that is what we have got to do. And it is easy when we think about the eternal perspective.

Well, go get em everyone!
Love yall,

Hermana Flake

Week 45: We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet

Hey fam :) waz up?
This week we found a family that was a reference from a new convert. They accepted us, even fed us, in their house. A few days later they moved into a new house, and we, with the Elders in San Carlos, went over to help them move in and to do some yardwork. After a couple hours of cutting the weeds with a machete and moving trash, they killed a chicken (chopped its head off) and made soup with it for us. Everyone loves to feed the missionaries. Anyway, they are a promising family, even though they keep on telling us that they don´t believe in our doctrine, and they´d prefer to continue being good friends but they won´t come to our church. Just great. But that didn´t get us down too much (at least 3 in the house are interested in learning more, an aunt, one of the daughters and her boyfriend), because the following day we decided to knock on the doors of the new neighbors. They recieved us gladly into their home. We asked them if there was anyone that they knew that could benefit from our visit, and they told us to visit their neighbor, Rosa, who recently lost her 3 month old baby. We did so immediately, and found Rosa in the house, with her ex spouse and two of her children. She had watery eyes throughout the entire visit, where we shared a bit about who we are, our purpose, and the plan of salvation that our Heavenly Father has for us and our families. We invited them to come to conference the following day. Juan Carlos, the ex, came for the Sunday Afternoon session, and enjoyed it a lot. We introduced him to the Bishop and a few other members as well as gave him a tour. He said he will keep coming each Sunday to learn more.  Basically, from this experience, I learned that even when things might seem to be going downhill, such as when the family that we helped move their house, told us that they did not accept our doctrine (without really giving us a chance to share our doctrine...), we did what Preach my Gospel tells us to do, visit the neighbors. God brings us to those who are prepared. However, sometimes it isn´t the first ones who appear in our paths....sometimes its the reference from their neighbors.

It´s been a bit difficult to get to know San Carlos....it´s enormous. Literally enormous. But, I know that my goal is not to get to know all of San Carlos, or even to get to know where every single member lives (though that sure would be nice...), but my goal is to obtain the Spirit to be guided to those parts that we need to visit. I still remember that President Wilkinson told me in my last interview with him, that if we reactivate members that we would also baptize....we are still in the process of trying to figure out where the inactive and less active members live...but I know that it is true. We found one inactive member who has 3 or 4 children who are not baptized. We are still trying to help her to regain a testimony of the restored gospel, but I know that there are many more famillies like this one who we just need to find.

General Conference was amazing!!! I hope you all were able to listen to the talks, to write down some notes and impressions from the Spirit, and that from now on and onward we can all change something that we are doing or are neglecting to do, and put into practice the words of the Prophet, Apostles, and the other General Authorities. What blessing we have to know that we are guided by a living prophet who is a man called of God and who holds the keys and authority of the Priesthood to recieve revelation for the whole world. Wow. D&C 1:37-38. Remember that the words of the Prophets are God´s words and is God´s will for us, His children here on Earth.


Con mucho amor,

Hermana Flake

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Week 44: We Are Family

Things are good here. I cannot believe I already have 2 weeks in San Carlos....time is flying like a jet. Yesterday Elder Orellana and I gave talks in sacrament meeting (they told us the night before, but hey, we´re missionaries...haha). I wrote down some ideas and some scriptures and that´s about it....haha. but it went well. this public speaking thing is getting easier and easier each week. My topic was "the miracle of the Atonement". My mind was fresh from the General Women´s conference and lots of lectures lately that have been directed toward the theme of God´s family, and that we are all part of God´s eternal family and the role of the families here on earth and after this life.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ guarantees that each one of us will be resurrected and that we will live eternally; however, if we want to live eternally with our family in the presence of our Heavenly Parents, we had better do all that the Savior commands us, the which includes baptism, confirmation, and receiving the ordinances of the temple. We need to make the temple a priority. It is the focus of everything we do as members of the restored church of Jesus Christ.

Yesterday we decided to contact a family that was a reference from a recent convert (Yesinia), who she met about a month ago in the hospital the night she had her baby. both of them had their babies the same night and were in the same part of the hospital. Beverly, Yesinia´s mom, and Carlos, the husband of Luz (the other pregnant woman) became friends as they waited anxiously in the waiting room of the hospital. Anyway, long story short, we went to visit Carlos and Luz. They recieved us well. We started to talk to them about our purpose as missionaries, and that we were there to help them to understand God´s plan for them, for all of us as His children. They are very interested in learning more. They have two teenage daughters and a baby boy. They served us dinner (a special plate from Nicaragua, they are from Nicaragua), and want us to come back. When we were sharing with them, they told us of an experience that they had. the night before they had been talking about how they felt like they needed something more in their familiy, and in their life. He prayed to God asking Him to send his family someone that could help them come closer to God. Next day we are there in there house...God answers prayers. I will keep yáll updated on their progress. They are a very good family.

Well. time always passes by so quickly. I wanted to share more about the plan of happiness that God has for us that has been the focus of so many things lately, but I invite yall to study the theme for yourselves. We are one giant family, God´s family, and He wants us to return to our heavenly home, having learned here on earth.

I love you all so much!!!

Love,

Hermana Flake

Week 43: Just Another Day In Paradise

Hello my beloved family!

 

Here I am loving life and loving the mission. Even though I am in paradise, don´t yáll think that there ain´t no trials, no sweat, no work, and it´s all play....haha, but even though we come home dead tired each night, I cannot think of a better place to be right now, than serving the Lord in a full-time mission. I know that this is where the Lord wants me, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.

This week we had a mission meeting that was with every single missionary here in Costa Rica, President and Sister Wilkinson, Elder Duncan (president of the Central America area) and his wife, and one of the presidents of the Seventy, Elder Maynes.... It was super neat to be with every single missionary, and to hear the words of inspired leaders. I forgot to bring my notebook, so I will let yáll know what I learned next time...it was amazing. The sneak peek is that he told us, that instead of teaching us and lecturing us about how to teach better, or how to be more organized, more obedient, work harder, work with members, find new investigators, etc. etc. etc., he wanted to teach us doctrine, and how we can understand the doctrine of the plan of salvation and the atonement better so that we can explain it to our investigators. so until next time....

So I am in San Carlos now. It is gorgeous. Well, I think that every area is gorgeous, but I am talking mountains, green vegetation everywhere, great views. this is the life, haha. We found a lot of new investigators this week even though we had to travel to San Jose two times this week which took a lot of our proselyting time. So, San Carlos is enormous. Like, HUGE. You can travel 3 hours in bus and still be in our area....so yeah. There is me and my comp, and Elder Pratt (our district leader) and Elder Orellana (from El Salvador) in this area. One ward. a huge church building, but very few members come each Sunday. So we are going to reactivate and baptize so that we fill up this gigantic chapel. bring it on.

Today was p-day....yup. we went to a waterfall. yup. gorgeous, and very tempting, i wanted to jump in. one day. one day. haha. There is a part of the creek that is very deep and has a slip and slide made of rock to enter it. sweet. but for now, I could only watch Greivin jump in and swim around while us missionaries watched and envied. haha.

I love you so much. I LOVE being a missionary. I know that this is the Lord´s church. I am so thankful to be a part of it. Now go out and share the gospel with someone. Hoy mismo, this week, tomorrow, today. just do it. peace out

 

Love,

 

Hermana Flake

Pictures Week 40:

 

 

 

Week 42: Climb Every Mountain

Hey fam!!!

I cannot believe it!!! Jessica is going to the Dominican Republic!!!! what in the world?!?!! I am so excited for her!!!! She is amazing. Keep the Flake Legacy going strong, and remember that when we decide to serve the Lord now, He will serve us for the rest of our lives. Faithful service is the example that Christ gave. Start now, every single one of us, to be a truly devoted disciple of Christ.
 

I am not in Coronado anymore ....Now I am in San Carlos of Alajuela.  I am going to miss those people that I have come to love so much in Coro... my goodness, I was there for 6 months, and the members there have become family. It is so hard to leave them. My comp, Hermana Rubio is now with Hermana Lovell, who entered the MTC the same day as me. My new companion is Hermana Vasquez (she is also from Guatemala, the fourth Guatemalteca that I´ve had as a companion). She came in the same group of missionaries as me to Costa Rica but she goes home a transfer after me because she didn´t have a month and a half in the MTC. It is amazingly beautiful here in San Carlos. I thought that it was amazingly beautiful in Coronado, and it was, but it was the terrestrial kingdom and it is the celestial here. my goodness. The only thing is that there are 600 members, and only an attendance of about 70 each Sunday.....a ton of inactive members. We are going to be reactivating a ton. Just reminds me how important it is to remember that we are disciples of Christ until the end of our lives, not just when we´re baptized, or when we have time, or when we feel like it. This life is short, and Satan works on us especially once we´ve come to the knowledge of the truth, through laziness, pride, or putting other things first. 

So, my comp, the zone leaders, and my district leader and his comp and the Corrales Family did a surprise party for me. Our p-day was filled with interviews with President Wilkinson, so we were getting back from San Jose at about 5pm, hadn´t eaten more than saltine crackers for breakfast and lunch, and we hadn´t really had a p-day. I open the door and they all start singing feliz cumpleaños :) We had hamburgers and cake. Couldn´t ask for more  Seriously, I am going to miss them so much. My companion cried. I love her so much. We´ve been through a ton together, as well as some of the hardest parts of the mission, pretty much every single holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, new years day, valentines day....etc.) and we´ve both grown a ton. 

In my interview with President, he asked me if I had any questions. I asked him how he always kept such a positive, go get ém, attitude. He told me, being happy is a choice, a decision. We have to make it every morning when we wake up. It is so true. He has been through so many trials. I´ve been through nothing in comparison. He lost both his parents, he just had his hip replaced, just to name a couple things. He is amazing. So is his wife. HIs whole family is such a light and example to the missionaries, Costa Ricans, and especially to me. 

San Carlos is amazingly beautiful. I am already in love. We are writing right now from the church building. It is amazingly beautiful as well, and huge! My companion, Hermana Vazquez says that it is way too empty on Sundays. We are going to have a go at reactivating, reactivating, and maybe a bit more of reactivating. The members need to feel an urgency, for their own salvation as well as that of others. 

I learned so much from Coronado. I learned a lot from the members, a lot from my companion, and from my leaders. I know now, that there is nothing worth getting me down. Who am I to think my load is hard? You impacted me with what you said in our interview, that being happy is a decision. I´ve always known it. But like teenagers who hear the advice of their parents and never quite ´get it´, I never really decided to be happy in the hard times. Clearly, there were times when I said enough, and started smiling despite the difficulties or the rejections, but it was not a daily decision. I´ve been relying too much on my own strength, my own wisdom (which is almost nothing...), my own abilities. But that will not do at all here in San Carlos. If I don´t rely completely on the Lord, nothing will change here. The members will keep staying in the own little world, and those looking for the gospel will stay lost, unless my companion and I rely on the Spirit and do whatever it takes to rely on miracles. 

I love this gospel. I know it is true. I am so thankful for the LDS family that I have in the world, the entire world. Time is short, and I have to let everyone know that I know it is true.
 

Love,

 

Hermana Flake

Week 41:

Hey fam!

Keitty, the daughter of a recent convert of ours, was supposed to be baptized this weekend, but she told us the day before her scheduled baptism, that she was nervous and didn´t feel ready to be baptized. So we were calling her, trying to visit her but she was with her aunt the whole weekend. She got sick too, and her aunt took her to Alejuela...basically everything was against her being baptized this weekend. Now we have to wait until the weekend after Stake Conference because the ward doesn´t want to mess with conference. But other than that, Keitty and her mom are doing fine. Grettel is starting to fill out her family history book and we are going to help her to go to the temple with the ward in two weeks. Kattia, our other convert is super excited to take the names of her dad and brother who were both murdered, to the temple with the ward. Tomorrow is her temple interview for her recommend :) It´s so exciting!

This week the elders from Ipis (super close to Coronado) baptized a family that we´ve also come to know. They were baptized this pday so we were invited and we sang a special number, all of us missionaries that came. IT was great. ALso because one of our investigators came.

The other day we found another atheist (the third one I´ve taught here in Costa Rica), but he promised to read the entire Book of Mormon. His mom is a believer, but is comfortable with believing that Jesus is in her heart and that is sufficient. But they are a great family and I am excited to keep teaching them and see the changes that the gospel wraughts in the hearts of every humble person.

I love being a missionary. I love Coronado. I love sharing the gospel. I know that if I serve God with all my heart, mind, might and strength now, that GOd with serve me for the rest of my life. I am thankful for all the experiences and trials and challenges and crazies that the mission brings. I pray that I can better confront them with faith and a positive attitude.

This week we had a multi zone meeting with President Wiklkinson and Elder ALonso. It was great, hopefully the next week I can write more about what they said. IT was great stuff.
Part of what }they said is that Satan works little by little with his poison. THe two most common poisions that he uses are pride and complacency. Read ALma 47:1-18. we cannot let him posion us at all. I know that we are capable of resisting everything he throws at us, with the help of our HEavenly Father.

Love,

Hermana Flake

                           Pictures Week 40:

Week 40: Onward Ever Onward

Hello family!!

This Sunday a lot of less active members arrived, but not so many investigators came with us...Only Marielos came, and stayed the first hour. Keitty came with her mom (Recent Convert) for the last hour of classes because her mom had to work. Laura and Robert came, but they are eternal investigators...But we were very happy because Lilia, the Cruz family, Maria Elena, and a few other people who almost never come to church, came! :) Lilia hasn´t been in 2 years...

My companion and I have been trying to have more lessons with members, and we´ve steadily increased that key indicator. We have been failing to put inspired baptismal dates with the new people that we find to teach...I know that it is a matter of keeping in mind the eternal perspective, and that if we don´t invite them to prepare to be baptized, we aren´t loving them enough to help them come to Christ through the restored gospel.

We have one investigator named Jose who is already in Alma of the Book of Mormon :) He is great, but there is only one little problem. He works from 7am Sunday until 7am Monday....so he can never come to church....He has come to the baptism of Camila as well as the baptism of Grettel....We have taught him the restoration in the home of a family who 8 years ago were also Catholic. I know that he has felt the spirit testify that the book of mormon is true...he always tells us about the last chapters he has read. We are praying that he can find a different job, or that at least he can have a different schedule.

John 14:27  Mosiah 4:3
I love you all so much!!!!!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Flake

                           Pictures Week 40:

Week 39: Do You Want to be Happy?

Hola beautiful family!!!

We had a great family home evening with the Familia Corrales where we watched the movie Jose Smith: la profeta de la restauracion. Hermana Corrales shared her testimony about the trials of being a new member (her and her family were baptized 8 years ago) and the importance of staying strong and keeping our testimony alive and growing. This was two days before her baptism. Saturday everything went well for Grettel´s baptism :) Even though not as many members showed up as we would´ve liked, those who did come showed tons of love and support.

We want to focus more and more on completing families here in Coronado, looking for those members of the families who are not baptized, or not active, and helping them to repent and come unto Christ.

I love Coronado. I love being a missionary, a representative of Jesus Christ. I will always strive to be a better representative of His name and try to be like Christ. It´s not easy. Sometimes I lose perspective. But when I remember why I am here, who is my example, what He has asked us to do, who I am here to find and teach, and who I want to become, I have greater motivation to serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.

“Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to helping people. … Stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms of those that hang down. Live the gospel of Jesus Christ.” --Pres. Gordon B. Hinkley

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Flake

                           Pictures Week 39:

Week 38: Come to Christ

Hey fam!!!! my computer wasn´t working for 30 minutes of my time, so this week is a short one, but I do love you, i promise, haha. seriously. I love yall.

This week flew by, as does almost every single week. The days are like weeks and the weeks are like days, seriously. I am so glad that you are better and are back in Costa Rica. We pray for you every single day, so that you can keep leading us and helping us to bring people to Christ.

We are preparing Grettel to be baptized this Saturday. She hasn´t been sure about her baptismal date for weeks now, and she kept on saying that she wants to be sure and more prepared, but we´ve explained and shared our testimonies of how we don´t have to know everything there is to know about the gospel, because we will never know, but that what matters is if we will be humble enough to obey the Lord and follow the promptings of the Spirit, and we will be guided to know what we need to do in our lives. She has been progressing extremely well, and we´ve taught her all the lessons she needs to be baptized, but this Sunday she finally said yes to being baptized this Saturday. It´s been her date all along, but she always told us that she still didn´t feel ready or prepared. But sunday, our mission leader asked us if he could tell the bishop to announce her baptism. So we asked her and she said yes! Finally. I know that she is ready to make this covenant with our Heavenly Father to keep and obey His commandments. We are very excited for her.

I know that when we do our part, the Lord does the rest (really it´s the Lord doing everything, but he allows us the opportunity to be a part of bringing our brothers and sisters to the truth), and the miracles happen every single day, we just have to know how to recognize them. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a representative of Jesus Christ and to testify of the restored gospel to the people here in Coronado. I know that whatever happens, I can choose to be happy and that even though I cannot control the actions or will of others, that I can mold myself into who the Lord wants me to be. I want to continue to strive to be a better servant of the Lord and to develop the attributes that Christ showed us we need to have.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Flake

Pictures Week 38:

Week 37: Faith is where it starts

Querido familia,

This week we continued working with Grettel and her daughter Keitty. Grettel came with her two daughters to the Relief Society activity on Friday. I think she really enjoyed it. They learned how to make honey butter and watched a movie about the life of a bishop. We almost had more investigators than members show up, ha, almost.

The two daughters of the regressing-to-activity family were baptized this weekend! Camila and Ana :) It was wonderful, as all baptisms are :) I gave the talk on baptism because the member who we´d planned couldn´t come, and the mom gave the talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The following day, Sunday, Camila and Ana both shared a scripture in sacrament meeting, and their papa gave a talk on Prayer. It is so amazing to see the progress of this wonderful family. Their papa is recent convert since 3 years ago, but only in these last 6 months or so has he been active (when his job permits). Before his baptism he was an alcoholic, and fell into that again after his baptism. But with the help of the bishop and ward members, he was able to baptize his little girls :) So adorable.

I was reading about the faith one day this week and found in James 2:19 a scripture that basically says that Faith is not only Believe, because the demons and devil believe in God, but they are not saved. We cannot only believe that there is a God and that Jesus Christ is our Savior- we have to follow Him. John 14:15 Helaman 15:7.

The primary purpose of this life is to put it in harmony with the will of God through repentance. We can return to live with God only through the mercy of Christ, which we only recieve with the condition that we repent.

Sorry this is so short, we had to take a huge survey that took up most of my time. I love you all so much!!!! have an amazing week and serve the Lord the best that you can!!! Until next week

Love,

Hermana Flake