October 26, 2009 Email Happy Birthday Week

Happy Birthday Sis. Flake!

Thanks for the emails and birthday wishes!
This weekend was one to remember! Friday night was Brennens baptism! Lots of people from the YSA were there so see him. And his mom and brother came. And really i am even more impressed with Brennen then ever after meeting his mother. I don't mean this rude but she is completely brain dead from drugs....she can barely talk and walk. Brennen is definitely a transitional character in his family. He could be right there with them, but he has chosen the better path....Its been a long road and it will still be hard with all the bad examples around him, but he has chosen Gods ways and i am so proud of him. The gospel does indeed change lives!
Then Sunday after church was Chiaras baptism! Never have I seen such radiance! Her and her friend Teya stayed up late the night before making a beautiful white baptism dress, and she looked so beautiful and pure! After the service she exclaimed, "I cant believe I'm part of Jesus Christs Church!" Ive never seen someone so appreciative of their baptism.... She really has a deep understanding and testimony.....probably more then many of us who have been members our whole lives! We are truly so blessed to be a part of HIS church!
Prayers really are answered..... Teya had been praying for a long time for Chiara that she would be able to be baptised. What a true friend. Who are we praying for?
I know God lives. His love is infinite! His arms are always extended! He hears our prayers. He weeps when we weep! He rejoices when we rejoice. I have a testimony of the reality of the Savior and His atonement! He is the only way. Of this I know!
Love, sister flake

October 19, 2009 Email

Well Hello!
I feel so much love for you family! Thanks for your support through out my mission! Thanks for waiting for me to get home before Dawson goes through the temple! If there were two things that i missed most while on the mission it would be my family and the temple! I am so excited! Wow i love the gospel. Sorry the pics you sent didn't work for some reason but the hike sounded like fun. As for my birthday....remember less is more when your on a mission and have limited space. Dad how is it being 50?
Well i would like to tell you a few miracles....... Chiaras dad said yes to her being baptised! I have loved getting to know her. She has such a strong spirit! And this family the Phinneys where we teach her at live out in the country and they are just so much fun! I have really grown to love all of them and feel like they are family! And then there is the Bishop and his wife......they have been so helpful and they share so much love with us. Well we sang at church yesterday..... In Humility our Saviour. I am really stepping out of my comfort zone. Sister Barnum can harmonize so it really sounded nice. I love Sister Barnum! She is such a good friend to me. well we found some new people tracting this week.....it was really a miracle because it was a "No Soliciting" complex.....but we did it anyway cuz we thought it might be fun to get thrown in jail for the gospel of Jesus Christ.....so we found this women and her dad.....earnestly ready to hear truth....the first lesson was very powerful and we are looking forward to out meeting with them Wed. We found two other new people to teach this week too! I love doing this work! I love this gospel it is sooo true! Heavenly Father has shown us His infinite love through giving his son Jesus Christ to us! It is the supreme expression of love! And i feel it when i seek Him and put Him first in my life! The laborer in Zion will labor for Zion!
Love, sister flake

October 13, 2009 Email

Hi! Sorry we didn't get to email yesterday because it was Thanksgiving. But we thought we would quickly stop in and give you a shout so you know that were alive. We had a Turkey Bowl yesterday with about 50 missionaries from the lower mainland. It was lots of fun! We had a big meal sat. sun. and mon. So we have been well fed:) i guess i will get two thanksgivings this year! That's exciting! Well i will be home in exactly a month. Just want you to know how much I love you! Happy Birthday Dad. There is a card for you in the mail. Sorry it will probably get to you late cuz of the holiday. Oops. Well San Jose, California Dawson! How exciting! You are going to be a stellar missionary! That's great that you are already practicing your Spanish! Wow! Things are great here. We have another baptism coming up. She is 15. Her name is Chiara. She is so awesome. Her friend started bringing her to activity night and the rest is history! Yea! Well don't got much time....i will write more next week!
Love, sis flake

Finally--some pictures from Chilliwack!

We finally got a disk of pictures from Lindsey. They show where she lives, in a complex in an industrial area, picking wild berries, her current zone, the Vancouver temple under construction and the beautiful coutryside of Chilliwack. Click on the link below to view the web album. She looks very happy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=danflake&target=ALBUM&id=5388553386990846385&authkey=Gv1sRgCMe0wKq3psn7iAE&feat=email

September 21, 2009 Email

Hello Family!
So sorry about last week. We email at the local college and a biology class was scheduled to use the computers so i only got 5 min. I will try to make up for it now.
As far as i know the open house wont be till May. They want to do it after the Olympics now.
Things are still going amazing. We have lots of people progressing towards baptism. We still get lots of referrals. We even found a family to teach....i should tell you about our first meeting with Jana and Paul. Well we met them while looking for a less active Lady's home and scheduled an appointment with them a week later. So we brought Sis. Tompson, a wonderful women in the ward and we taught the restoration. My companion was reciting the first vision when suddenly we heard angels singing as she Said "This is my beloved son, here him." Everyone had their jaws dropped for 2 seconds until we realized it was their son who had turned on a movie in the back room. It was so cool! Well we had a good laugh and then brought the spirit back in.
Right now I am most excited about Leslieanne, she is a student from St. Lucia in the Carri bean who is living with a family in the ward while going to school. She is 19 and a spiritual giant. She is catholic but felt the spirit at church and is loving this new found truth! She keeps asking "why don't the other churches believe in the Book of Mormon...its obviously true...." :) After a spiritually strong gospel principles lesson she told me....."I felt this strong feeling of love growing inside of me....what is that?" Wow! I explained she had felt the Holy Ghost testifying to her of truth. So she is doing great but is in the process of realizing the church she has grown up in isn't true.
We are also doing alot of reactivation. Found out the bishops goal is to get the ward split as soon as possible. President is wondering if he should send another set of missionaries into the ward to help us out. We are very busy and our area is too big. We spend alot of time traveling. Heavenly Father keeps setting things up for us. He is working miracles here. And i just love these people so much! I'm so grateful to be able to spend my last bit here in Chilliwack with an amazing companion. By the way we have been getting so much fresh produce from the ward members gardens. I don't think I've ever eaten healthier in my whole life. We also have been involved with the Young men, young women, and primary lessons. The ward really knows how to use their missionaries in this ward. And we are tight with the bishops wife. She invited us over for apple crisp the other night and gave us two more referrals. Wow!
And this place is beautiful, and I'm use to the country smell...and dad i think you would like it. Thanks for the emails. Dawson i cant wait to find out about your call. Andrew good job with cross country! Mom I'm glad that you are getting to see fruits from your labors as a teacher. And thanks to Danielle and Steve for the cute pictures of Alexa. I love you all so much! I cant wait to spend time with you. I hope you are preparing for story time with Sister Flake when i get back. There's so much i want to tell you and i have so many questions for you.
Love love love ya! love, sister flake

Letters in the Mail

Hello Family,
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write and send pictures. I hope you enjoy them. I won't send any more home after this. but I'll take a bunch more and we can look at them together.
I love you all very much and am so excited to spend lots of time with all of you. So prepare yourself because I will be following you around. I want to cook for you and study the scriptures with you, and talk and play and hike! When this gets to you I will only have one transfer left.
I want to do my best with the rest of the time I have. Thank you so much for the support and the love and prayers...throughout my mission.
Love, Sister Flake
(We also received a letter from her companion, Sis. Barnam)
Dear Mother of Sis. Flake,
Thank you for parting with Sis. Flake long enough for her to be my companion. It was an answer/miracle to prayer to work with her. No one in the group of sisters is more hard working, full of faith, hope, and charity. She truely understands the atonement and works with the Savior, which few missionaries can boast of. I could prattle on forever about your lovely dughter, but I really wrote to you to thank you for the cool PMG-mini style! I love it! I keep it in my bag always! Thanks agin! Love, Sis. Barnam