The Book of Mormon (B.O.M.) is BOMB!!!!!!!!!!

The closest I'll get to surfing while I'm a missionary! #pro

Aloha my ohana!!!!!

Wow what a great week this week! It flew by! I love it here in Hawaii... being a missionary is the BEST! Well this week was awesome!

Funny highlights:
- Apparently not only do the missionaries in Hawaii gain weight and grow out of their clothes... the bananas do too!!! This happens a lot here... the banana just splits open! It happened to me for the first time this week and I thought it was pretty funny😂

- We took a bus from the PCC to the VC this week that had 6 sister missionaries (no Japanese speaker) and 2 Japanese tourists. They knew hardly any English at all, so we couldn't really do anything for them on the way over to the temple (they wouldn't have understood an English tour). When Sister Blake said "my name is Sister Blake" in Japanese, they started CRACKING UP and they were DYING of laughter the whole way to the temple. It was definitely one of the most uncomfortably weird experiences of my mission so far hahahaha I didn't know how to react so I/we all just started laughing too... 6 sisters and 2 Japanese women laughing on a bus tour in Laie. love it :)

Spiritual highlight:
- Emma and Kate came into the VC this week. They're from Australia. We had some great conversations with them and they had SO MANY questions. It was AWESOME!!!!! We were standing over by the Book of Mormon table and they were asking a bunch of questions about how the church came to be. I got to explain the Restoration briefly, and then I felt prompted to recite Joseph Smith's experience in his words as I explained. I did so, and it was SO COOL what happened... the VC was really crowded at that moment and was quite noisy. But as soon as I started reciting the First Vision, it was like the spirit was physically turning down the volume dial of the VC around the four of us. It was INCREDIBLE!!! I KNOW Sis Blake and I both felt it, and I'm confident that Emma and Kate both did too. God is with me every second in His work! He is leading my every word, step, and action. I am an instrument in His hands! It's so neat to get glimpses of His hand in this missionary work. Wow it's the best!!!!!

New wall going up in the VC!

Finished the new Plan of Salvation wall!

- I FINISHED READING THE BOOK OF MORMON AGAIN WOOHOO!!!! I started reading it again back when I came home from spring semester, and I just finished it! IT IS SUCH AN AMAZING BOOK... and it's not just any old ordinary book. It's a testament of Jesus Christ that has brought me SO close to Him! I have felt so much peace and joy through studying the Book of Mormon. It has helped make Christ the anchor of my soul :) God is a God of miracles... still!!! Faith precedes miracles, and we need to doubt not. Mormon ch 9 is so amazing!!! and 1 Ne 19:9. and Moroni 9:25 (don't get down about the world, instead let Christ lift you up). and Ether 12 too... Gosh darn it the whole book is the best haha ;) Go read it!!! Right now!!! It can improve your life. I promise!!! Try and prove me wrong, I dare you ;)

Hawaiian highlight:
- There's this super cool grass here called "bashful grass" that contracts it's little leaves when you touch it. Super fun! Also, the ocean is BEAUTIFUL. It's so blue!!! I'm so lucky to have the most gorgeous landscape to look at every single day of my mission.

- We've had some pretty crazy/fun rain adventures haha. NEVER underestimate a Hawaiian cloud! Ever!!! It may look nice and fluffy and white.... but it could POUR on you 5 minutes later hahaha--and the rest of the sky looks so nice and sunny! It's crazy!

This week Sis Blake sent referrals to both Sis Corbridge and Sis Grover in MN!!! Crazy huh?! Small world. Missionaries are bringing the world God's truth!

I love you all soooo much. Continue to trust in the Lord. Try to apply what Moroni 9:25 talks about... don't let the things of the world get you down, but instead let Christ and His mercy lift you up! Also, live in a spirit of Thanksgiving daily❤😊

Aloha,
Sister Flake

PCC canoe show on pday!

Samoa show...😂it was really funny

There's a person up there! It's like me climbing the rope at gymnastics;) 

Me trying green banana cooked in this coconut garlic sauce stuff... it was actually quite good! It's Samoan.
ft Sis Shimabukuro in the background hahaha she's adorable

Another new food to try...passion fruit mochi!! So good!!!

"A harmonious combination of creamy and gourmet ice cream wrapped in a sweetened rice confection." Mmmm!

Last food item: Triscuits! Not new, just a FAVORITE❤❤❤ Yay!

This is at Laie Point from this morning:) We got to explore the area some more. It's beautiful here, no doubt about it!!!! I'm so lucky:)

ALOHA!!!

Drove to the southern part of our zone to an elementary school with this fun wall art

spot the similarities😂😂

Dinner apt with Serena! Mongolian food❤

I got mail!❤❤❤😊❤😊❤😊❤😊❤

I love being a missionary. I know this is exactly where God wants me to be.