Sister Flake's Mission Blog: Happy Turkey Day!!!!

Now you see what we're really like!😉❤

Aloha my ohana!!! I hope you all had a fabulous week filled with lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of yummy yummy food and treats on Thanksgiving (and leftovers😉😊) I know I sure did!

Last pday we went to the Fijian market and I bought my very first lava lavas!!!! They are so comfy and I wear them all the time at the pad now haha. I don't care what anyone else says when I go home... I'm still gonna wear them😉

After buying lava lavas we went over to the Ahyou's to help them prep for their 7th annual Thanksgiving meal they host at the PCC for the missionaries (the senior couples at the PCC and the missionaries at the VC) and the homeless of the community. HOLY TURKEYS that was a lot!!! I got the job of ripping the foil in loooong strips, and I felt like Buddy the Elf ripping off wrapping paper from the giant rolls over and over and over again😂 It was fun😃 That was the most turkeys I've ever seen in one place at once, dead or alive!! The Ahyou's are soooo kind and selfless, my goodness.

Prepping 200 turkeys at the Ahyou's for the PCC Thanksgiving meal!!!

On Thanksgiving, we kept the VC open this year! The day was pretty relaxed, but we still had almost 500 guests come in. We did our studies, and then we headed off to our first dinner with a YSA ward. I didn't eat too much because I wanted to save room for the dinner at the PCC hehe;) Then we went straight to the PCC dinner, and it was sooooo fun! and so yummy! I had soooooooooooooooooo much sugar... the majority of what I ate was probably sugar today hahaha.

YSA Thanksgiving dinner :)

YUMMMMM

The Ahyou fam❤

For our VC Thanksgiving party tonight, we watched MOANA!!!!!!!! It was so good, I love that movie😉 It was fun to watch it with so many other sisters, some of whom hadn't seen it yet! I'm so lucky to be here in a VC😊

Happy Thanksgiving party at the VC! #moana

I'm officially declaring myself a wimp to the cold already. I walked in from being outside and I asked Sis Goodman what the temperature was and she said it was 71 degrees--and I FELT COLD OUTSIDE. AHHHH what's happening😂 #RIPsisterflake Then, on Tuesday, it was super rainy and humid, and so it made the chilly air conditioned VC feel even colder, and MY NOSE TURNED PINK. My nose is never supposed to turn pink while I'm here in Hawaii unless I get sunburned one day. 😉 It cracked me up. I was seriously freezing cold inside the VC.🌴

MY NOSE TURNED PINK!

WOW this week I had some crazy connections and fun happenings with people I met/saw!!! Sunday in particular had sooo many connections. I met someone who knew the Widmers very well so it was really fun to hear updates on all of their families!

The DeJongs, friends of the Widmers!

...and THEN, at the musical fireside that night, I looked out into the audience during our first number and I thought I saw DOUG HANSEN. I thought "there's no way that's Doug"... I was so confused. My brain was searching for an explanation of why there was a Doug look-alike here at the VC. Then I saw Linda and I started freaking out internally because my extended family was in the audience!!!!! They came with Kerilyn and her family to the fireside!!! It was SO refreshing to receive so many hugs, kisses, and I love you's from them (especially from Linda😊). My heart felt so close to home!

Uncle Doug and Aunt Linda!!

The Pollocks and the Hansens! ❤ohana

I love singing!!🎶

Love my Laie Angels❤ #LightTheWorld

My VC guest highlight was definitely Gail from Alaska! She came into the VC with her brother Bill and his wife who are members of the church, but she is not. They were attending a session at the temple and asked me to show Gail around while they were gone. So I had a large chunk of time with her, and it was AWESOME!!! I was able to teach her the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration, and almost got to the Gospel of Jesus Christ haha. But most importantly, while we spoke, I felt so much love for her. I know that Heavenly Father answered my prayers to fill my heart with charity for the people I meet, because I for sure felt His love for Gail! It was incredible to speak with her. As I taught her the beautiful, simple truths of the gospel (found so clearly in the Book of Mormon), I felt so much JOY. It was incredible! I was reflecting on it after the fact, and was realizing that in those moments, I felt pure joy-- I felt like I was just radiating with the Savior's love! I feel so grateful for the opportunity to testify to people of the reality of Jesus Christ's atonement. I know that my Redeemer lives! I know that through Him, we can overcome our weaknesses and sins. He is our advocate with the Father. The time with Gail passed very quickly, and I wish we had more, but I hope that she feels prompted to allow me to connect her with the local missionaries where she's from so she can continue learning. I KNOW she felt the spirit stirring within her, as was made evident by her many comments of "that is so comforting". This is Jesus Christ's restored church upon the earth today and it is true! I know it!! and I know that you can all know that for yourself if you truly want to😊

Hawaii is so beautiful😍

I had a few good mind-blowing moments during studies this week haha. See PMG ("Preach My Gospel") pg 91: we MUST take the ordinance of baptism upon us or else we don't allow the Holy Ghost to stay with us always!! He won't stay with us always unless we are worthy. Baptism qualifies us or makes us worthy in this case to have Holy Ghost with us always as our constant companion! whoa!!! Baptism makes it possible for the gift of the Holy Ghost to be received. PMG pg 99 The Spirit always EDIFIES. D&C 9:8-9 are so helpful in learning to recognize how the Holy Ghost speaks to us. So many people come on chat with questions about grace. During companion study this week we talked about how the point isn't just to be "saved"... it's to be CHANGED! and if we simply say we believe in Christ, but we don't act on it, we won't change one bit. Through faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, we become more like Jesus Christ--we change for the better, and we become better prepared to meet God again after we die.

Sorry if those thoughts seemed a bit jumbled, they made sense in my head and they were good 'mind blown' moments haha:)

Well, I can't believe it's going to be December this week!!! What beautiful fall/winter days we have here in Hawaii... it's been really rainy the past week, but we still get lots of sunshine and warm breezes and palm trees and LOTS of chickens running around🐔 haha. I love it here🌺

Sending my love and as much warmth and sunshine as I can!
Sister Flake

ps if you have the chance, go onto mormon.org and print off the LightTheWorld calendar! It's a great way to fill the world with more of Christ's love and light this Christmas season😊🎄