Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Elder Flake made it to Hungary!

Elder Flake flew from Provo to Chicago, then Chicago to London, then finally London to Hungary! He did that all on Monday and arrived safely in Hungary!

On Monday Elder Flake had the opportunity to call us twice at the Provo and Chicago airport. He was able to speak to Mom, Dad, Me (Emmalee), Jonathan, Elizabeth, and Kinsey. He bore his testimony in Hungarian and I recorded it!



Elder Flake's testimony in Hungarian


Elder Flake in Hungary with his district that flew over together.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Week 8- Last update from the MTC!

Oh man! I am SO beyond excited to get outta here, and go to the place of my DREAMS! :) I am definitely scared, but no amount of fear could hold me back from doing what the Lord has called me to do in His behalf. I am seriously so beyond ready to get outta this country. :)
 
So this week, nothing really big happened. Other than I realized that I think it is literally my duty in life to always be an example. I was told that at least 3 times this week, and I realized that that is the story of my life. I cannot ever think that no one is watching me or that no one will notice me. Because that is absolutely not true. And that same thing goes for you. People are always watching. Especially the Lord, He sees you in all your secret places, and He will always be aware of you. Even something as simple as a silent one-sentence prayer means the world to Him. And if you are reading this and are not sure about what I am saying, I encourage you to get down on your knees and ask your Heavenly Father if it's true. Is He there? Does He love us, or even care about what's going on with us? I say unto you, absolutely. We are everything to Him. You are everything to Him. And if you ask Him what you need to do, He will not lead you astray. Even if it doesn't make sense (story of my life), He does it for our good.
 
Okay, off my soap box. :) Haha. So my plane leaves at 11:15 on Monday! And then I get to be in Hungary for 22 months! Man, I wish words can express how much love I have for all those Hungarians. But, the only way I know how to describe this feeling is Mosiah 4:20, one of the greatest scriptures in the Book of Mormon. I know EXACTLY what King Benjamin means when he says that he feels joy, even to the stopping up of mine utterance. Boy, do I love this gospel. Mostly because it is TRUE!! And what a blessing it is in every single one of our lives.
 
Well, in Alma somewhere, (I think in like.... 42?) he talks about leaving this land and going to a land of far better promise. Which is exactly how I feel. :) Well, there never exists enough time! Love you all!! Take care!
Sok sok sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder

Megszentel​ési hét! (consecrat​ion week!)

**Note: Sorry I didn't post this last week! This is from July 18th**
 
Hello all,
 
Man, this last week has been good! I mean, nothing especially outstanding, I'm just getting SOOOOO excited to get outta this country! :) So like I said, nothing super significant happened. I saw Elder Ryan Anderson again, he is looking great! Unfortunately, I couldn't really talk to him.. but more on that later.
So this week, I have been focusing on how I can improve my relationship with my Savior. I don't think it's something I really thought a whole lot about, just kinda tried to keep at the back of my mind. And it has been amazing to see how the Lord is willing to bless us. Otherwise, this week has been filled with laughing, joy, and lots and lots of the Spirit!
So this next week, I am going to be in Megszentelési hét! (consecration week!) Basically this means, that I am only speaking Hungarian, and I am giving up a TON! Like soda, candy, choc milk, mail (excpet right now during email) and other such things. Yeah, it is super hard. But I can't wait to see how the Lord will bless me for it! A couple of scriptures I have been thinking about as I started cons week have been 2 Nephi 2:2 and 2 Nephi 32:9. I know that if I give my all to the Lord, He will consecrate these things for my welfare, and so that I am able to bless the lives of others. I am so excited to be able to bless others! Right now it feels like we're just getting ready. Which I enjoy, but I am soooooo ready to just get out there, and do it. :) So that was why I wasn't able to talk much with Elder Anderson or Sister Taylor Allen, who I also saw. But it's like I said, I know that the Lord is eager to pour out blessings upon me! :)
So, minden jó. Misszionáriusi munka nehéz, de nagyon jutalmas is. (I think that was right. My hungarian is still coming.. :) ) És tudom, hogy jó Megváltóm él. Tudom, hogy az Úr meg fog áldani minket, amikor betartjuk a parancolatait. Isten szeret minket, és akarja a legjobbat értünk. Nagyon hálás vagyok ezért az evangéliumért. És szeretlek benneteket. :) Légy jó!
 
Sok sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Week.... a lot. [6]

So this week has been a little slow and uneventful. But it has been good, I mean, how can learning about this gospel not be good! Haha.
I guess the biggest thing this week was that we got new Hungarians!!! :D They are all going to Hungary, but just got here. It will be so strange to see how that dynamic will change, if at all, my district. Now it's our job to be the good examples, not just follow someone. I hope it affects us for the better. I have seen how much the Lord blesses us when we are obedient.
Also this week, I made to the sons of Mosiah chapters in the Book of Mormon. YYYYEEEESSSSS!!! Haha as soon as I got there, I was so excited, I had to tell the elder sitting next to me. He just kinda chuckled. :) haha. But I can't hold it in: I love the Book of Mormon! It's so amazing to see how the Lord works the same, and how often we mortals forget Him, even with all the things He has given us.
I have learned, while I have been here, that the Lord will not give us something we are not ready for. It might feel like that because of our own inadequacies. But He is always there for us to call on Him for help. and I know He wants to help us! Just let Him. :)
Tudom, hogy Isten él. És Jézus Krisztus élett érted. Ő meghalt, hogy mi élhessünk újra. Nagyon hálás vagyok, hogy lehessünk mint Jézus.  
Well time is short this week. But I love you all!! And so does your Father in Heaven. :)
Much love,
Elder Flake
Elder Flake and his zone! (without the new Hungarian Missionaries)

My District at Jamba Juice! 



Me and Elder Josh Cox! Known him since we were 11!


Just being dorks :)

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Week Five

Hello all! Sziasztok!
 
Well, this week has been a lilttle crazy. Crazy in that nothing out of the ordinary happened! Normally, there is some crazy thing happening at the West MTC campus! But not this week. All is well, and I hope all is well with you.
So a couple really cool things happened to me, like last week, one of our teachers gave a spiritual thought about our divine origin, and keeping our heads up. Well, that night, or the next day. I do not really know, time is all screwy here haha. Anyway, one of the elders in our disctrict and I shared that same message, with our testimonies, to some new missionaries in our zone. And it was incredible how much I felt the Spirit. I thought I enjoyed the thought when the teacher gave it, but it was so much more powerful to me when we got to share it. It just goes to show how truly powerful this message can be when we are only thinking of the service and well-being of those around us, those who might not have as much as we haven enjoyed in this life.
Another cool thing was that one day I was reading my scriptures and came across a verse that I just fell in love with, which was Mosiah 4:20. Mostly it was because it perfectly summed up how I felt right then when I read it: that I was so joyful and my heart so full that I could not find utterance. I just felt like my heart was overflowing, and no words could express the incredible joy that I had. I felt true joy because of this gospel. And continue to feel it each day! Anyway, the next day, one of my teachers had a little interview with me, to see how things were going. Well, after it was over, she decided to share a verse with me--the same verse (and the next one) that I had just fallen in love with the night before!! It was truly a miracle in my eyes to see how in-tune with the Spirit we both were. And the Spirit when she shared it was incredible. SO peaceful and calming.
So every day, we get to teach "investigators" which is just our teachers, acting as someone they remember from their mission. So when we went to go teach, we started out, and it was a really cool lesson! Well, I guess András (the investigators name) didnt think so! In the middle of the lesson, he was totally dozing off!!! I even remember saying his name, "András." His eyes were shut. He did not even respond. It ws so bad, I was so close to just bursting out laughing at him and the whole situation!! Luckily, I just kept my cool, and acted like I did not even see it. And I though that was the end of it. NOPE! The next investigator, Péter, was in a lesson, and, right in the middle, was dozing off! He would answer a question for us, then we would talk a little bit, and he would already be dozing off!! Hahaha, good times.. I just hope that doesn't happen in the field! haha.
SO here at the MTC, I have been able to learn a lot. One of the things I have learned is about the Bible. Sometimes, it seems like Bible prophets are way harsh, and all doom and gloom, talking about Hell and being destroyed and what not. And that actually kinda bugged me for a while. Then I was thinking about it one day. And I realized why. It so vitally important for us, in this life, to see and understand the necessity that for us exists to repent, and to rely on the power of the Atonement. If we choose not to use it, it doesn't hurt anyone else but us. It is so crucial for us to understand that we have a literal need for Jesus Christ. Without Him, none of this would even be able to be thought of. And as hard as that is to wrap our heads around, I know it's true. I know that sometimes it is hard to rely on someone saying "I know" because we don't know for ourselves. So I encourage you all to ask God. Find out for yourself if God is there, has a plan for us, and if the Atonement really is the one-fits-all solution to all our problems. Becasue I did, and now I know. But I know that just reading that or hearing that from some kid doesn't mean nearly as much as feeling it for yourself. So go ahead and try Moroni's promise. Mert tudom, hogy Isten válaszol a kérdéseinkre. És Isten hallja minden imáinkat. És amikor Isten beszél, hallgassunk Neki.
 
Well, that's my week in a nutshell. Hope all is well. Love you all.
Sok sok szeretettel, 
Much love,
Elder Flake

 
 
 
 
 My Companion! Elder Blackman




 My District!



My Bed! Close up of my Wallpaper!