Elder Flake's Adventures in the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Mission: Unity, Brotherhood, and Another Month of Miracles

November 3, 2014

This week has been great for me and the progress of the Lord's work here in this area!! :) I have literally seen His hand in His work EVERY day!! Also this week my companion and I have really become even more united in our teaching and in our trust in each other when it comes to testifying and just working together. I LOVE IT!!! It makes the work so much more fun!! :)

So, a first that I had a couple days ago...we went to visit a family (in an area about a 40 min hike from here) who is becoming less active...we are NOT going to let that happen! Well, while we were there we actually taught her boyfriend/spouse...they aren't married, but he is still referred to as her esposo...Guate life!! haha :) But right before we left the member asked us if we would give her a blessing because she's been sick all week. So of course we said yes and as we were walking over my companion turns to me and in Spanish said "seal this annointing...just remember...seal this annointing..." Wait...what? I was able to give my first priesthood blessing in Spanish. It was a wonderful experience, feeling the spirit, the words just coming, the thoughts and feelings coming in Spanish not English...I loved it!! :) Just a small tender mercy from the Lord to me this week! :) We then went and visited the esposo again yesterday and have a tentative baptismal date set (means that he will be baptized if he feels prepared and feels that it is right) for this month!!! :) We just helped him open his heart to the spirit and the spirit did the rest) :) The miracles are already coming in!! :)

Alright, so Halloween here is different. They don't celebrate it...it is actually a very bad thing to them to celebrate Halloween. But they celebrate the two following days...referred to as Dia de los Muertos. Everyone visits family, goes to the cemetery and pays tribute to those that have passed away! :) Its actually pretty cool, I heard it can get pretty rambunctious in the larger cities, but here it was an awesome experience to see how they commemorate their dead :)

This week also brought more opportunities for me to teach seminary and I actually conducted sacrament meeting yesterday :) :) I am LOVING every new and fun experience the Lord is and has and will give me while I am about His work! :) I love it!!!!! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! :)

Love you guys a ton!! Love love love love each and every one of you!! :)

Love the coolest missionary you guys know,
Elder Flake

PS I should be able to achieve my goal of finishing del Libro de Mormon by Christmas!! :) woohoo!! :)