I hope you had a very merry Christmas!

This week was wonderful. I mean, how could it not be? I am a missionary, I am celebrating my saviors birth my sharing his gospel, I get to wear a name tag with my name right next to my saviors, and I get to be with wonderful people. I am grateful for all of you and your emails and cards this Christmas season, it is hard to recall times in my life that I have felt THIS blessed.

Christmas Eve Jammies with the Merseal Family!

It was a wonderful week full of lots of food and laughs. We spent Christmas eve with members and less actives, and.. CAROLING. It was awesome spreading the true meaning of Christmas. Last week, my entire email was my testimony of The Savior Jesus Christ. I just want to confirm that one more time, he lives. He is the savior, he saves. He the bread of life, he sustains. He is the light of the world, he illuminates us. I know that is true and I am a living reality of his power.

Our investigators are making great progress, we finally had someone come to church. This entire transfer we haven't been able to get anyone to come, we committed 4 and 1 one came, it can only go up from here right? Lillie is still working towards baptism and word of wisdom. I am so grateful to have people to teach, I know first hand what its like to have no teaching pool, so with that alone I am counting my many blessings. Its cold out here, but the spirit keeps us warm!

We finally got a Branch Mission Leader, its been about 5 months, and he is just as excited and engaged as we are. The work is going to shoot through to roof over here in Albany. No matter how small the town, their is still prepared souls and we see miracles! Our loving heavenly father is a father of miracles. I do know that. 

We drove 2 hours this week for a pancake breakfast with the stake.. yes, 2 hours, FOR A PANCAKE. Woke up at 5:15. Anything for the work right? Plus, I got to be around other missionaries as well.

The Platte City Missouri Stake Presidency hosted the missionaries from our zone this morning to a pancake breakfast to celebrate their hard work towards baptizing 10 people this month!  If you look close you can see Elder Jeff Hansen from Syracuse.

The Andersons and Bourlands are two less active families that are coming along so well. They are both working towards the temple.  It was a great week folks. The sure are flying by.

I love you all, The Savior lives and he loves unconditionally.

I know someday we will be able to give our Savior and our Heavenly Father a big hug and all the trials, and mountains we climb, will be worth it. I know that.

Xoxo, Sister Flink

Hey mamma.

Can you believe Christmas has come and gone? You just cant say all that we need too in an hour can we? Oh mom, I had just as many emotions as a missionary. Sometimes you think "I don't even want to Skype! I feel like I just want to see them in 8 months that way I don't get homesick." but it always works out. Plus, I would never do that to you! hehe. Sister Allred and I were crying on the way over there cause we were nervous and missed you! It was so great to see everyone. yet hard at the same time because I never know who to talk too!

Off to skype with our families!  We were so nervous and excited at the same time!

It was so great seeing Grandma Kay, I know the Lord has many plans for her when she leaves this mortal life and gains her perfect body and mind again. And cute grandpa.. I love him. Conner is adorable, I am the luckiest aunty in the world. I had to be careful with that one to not get too homesick. Seeing Kenz and Hayden was awesome! I am blessed with such a good mom who wants to make everyone happy.

 I am afraid they will split up our COOL District next week!

It was so good and I love you so much. Grateful I was able to talk to just you and daddy too. By the way, yes, Jeff Hansen is in my district. I remember how  we used to watch W-files with! He is right behind Sister Hall, blue tie!

I had a wonderful Christmas. I was so blessed from all of you. You especially, Kai and PJ, Connor, Kenna and Mitch, Jerrod and Kristen, Grandparents, the Scotts, Mamma Steinle, Mikenzy sent me a package, lots of branch members, Brayden, Mooders, and all those letters! It was so funny, I had opened all the presents and I just kept going back and reading letters. That's what matters the most. Thank you Mamma!

Elder Brayden had a little village lady hand make this for me!  He is currently serving in Malaysia!

We were stuffed, we had meals every two hours on Christmas day. I thought I was going to die, I was in a food coma. I have not been feeling too hot this past week, there is a nasty flu going around but I feel like im drained. Ive been scared I have mono again, sore throat, super achy, exhausted. But I doubt it! Probably just a bug. I never go home early because I believe in working thorugh it but last night I had to go home and go to bed early.

I love you mom, send the family my love and tell them sorry if they don't get letters. I have ALOT of thank you letters to write to people today. Plus a nappy.  Have a fantastic week!

Love,  Sister Flink

I didn't miss one celebration at "home!"  Mom made sure of that!

May all our hearts prepare him room

Have a very Merry Christmas!  

This week was great! I have so much I could say but really I just want to focus on what really matters this holiday season, our Savior Jesus Christ.

As I have studied his life, his teachings, his atonement, and every good gift that he offers us, I have come to know my Savior Jesus Christ more fully. He is real to me, he is more real than he has ever been and I love him with my entire soul. I love him because without him I would never be able to change, and I have. Because of my saviors infinite love, grace, and mercy, I have experienced what the scriptures call a "mighty change of heart" and I will never be the same. I understand now that Jesus Christ came BY the will of his father, and he did the will of his father, and he did a perfect job in all things. He said, "I am Jesus Christ. I came by the will of the father, and I do his will." And when we truly understand the savior we understand that because OF him we can too say, "I am Sister Jacqueline Nicole Flink. I came to serve a mission (or too earth) BY the will of the father, and I strive to do his will." I never cease to be amazed at the submissive humility of the savior. Because he who was innocent suffered SO much, our "Whys" will never compare to his. YET, we can still offer the same submissive response of "Nevertheless.." That is just it. It is not what we want, it not what we think we need, and our purpose in this life is too understand that our will is not our fathers, and we NEED our Savior Jesus Christ for those wills to align. We can be happy and we will find joy in all things through our Savior Jesus Christ, and he is the perfect example. He didn't just come and "do it" to get it over with, he came, he did it perfectly, and he LOVED what he did because he loves us and he loves his father. That is the beauty of the perfect sacrifice of the son.

He is the gift. He is Christmas. He is everything to me and he is my savior. I love him, I want to draw closer to him each and every day. He has filled me with his love and I know of his peace, it is real. He is real, and he can become real to each and every one of us. Heavenly father gave us the gift of his son, give him the gift of your heart.

May we remember this Christmas the true "light and life" of the world, our savior Jesus Christ.

I love you all, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Package from my family!

P.S. Go eat lots of sugar and enjoy family. God bless you all, I will be thinking of you!

Sister Flink

Mom~  Here is a picture for all the people that I didn't send presents too... 

I also need you to print something off for me and send it, a story called "Don't leave it on the desk" its an analogy about the atonement. See if you can find it.



Karen Grant Merseal

We had a great teaching week! Our investigator Thomas in progressing well, as well as Lillie. She wants to be baptized on the 8th, Sister Allred and I will make sure she will be ready! We found a SWEET way prepared investigator yesterday when tracting in the freezing rain.. We're going back to see him on Friday. Last night we gathered up the Senior Sisters and The Sperry family and went caroling around the town. It was a blast. We texted everyone  in the branch and invited them.  

The Sperry Family

I did my "25 Days of Service" for Christmas! Here are a few pictures!

The weeks are flying by here. Its like a blink and then its pday again, that makes me afraid for the rest of my mission!

 

Well, I get to talk to you on Christmas so I'll tell more!

love you! SEE you SOON!

Angles we have heard on High

Hello My Dearly Beloveds~

Happy Monday from Albany!

Missouri style heating

This week was great. We had our all mission Christmas conference, it was so fun!

Best Mission in the Church!! I love MIM!

President and Sister Vest!

 

Sister Penman

My sweet Mission Mom, Sister Vest

Said goodbye to Elder Holt,  He was the greatest missionary and such a positive influence on me. Headed home for Christmas!

He's in our ward! Elder Dean, he's waiting for his visa in this mission!

Its always nice to see other missionaries especially when you're up in Albany and you only get to see other missionaries at Zone conferences because you have to drive 2 hours. So when you're up here, you better like your companion! Good thing I have an awesome one.

We have found some pretty sweet new investigators this week, two of them being families so we are stoked about that. Yesterday at church we had a less active FINALLY come who hasn't come in years and said she'd be back next week. We also had our Branch Christmas party and a few people came, not as many as we had hoped but the ones that did brought non members and so we were happy about that. We did a cute little program and had yummy food, the branch is really coming together. We are going to start doing "Missionary Movie Night" once a month, we will pop popcorn and show a good church movie, good opportunity to bring families and invite friends. Ill keep ya'll updated on that one.

Kiss under the mistletoe this year...

I finally received by "Hump Day" package from my Mom!  It took forever to get here!  I loved it!  I loved the 25 days of  Service" Banner.  I love getting things from home!

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my Savior Jesus Christ. Do we truly understand what he did and what it means when he says, "My grace is sufficient." The dear savior was born into the world to do the will of his heavenly father, and with his perfect love, perfect kindness, perfect mercy, perfect humility, perfect submissiveness, he did a PERFECT job for his father. He truly glorified him in "taking upon him the sins of the world" but not only our sins, everything that we face and feel in this life. The savior knows, he understands perfectly and completely. What gift could we have greater than a savior who suffered for me, for YOU, and for all of us. Being a missionary, you truly understand what is most important. Please do not forget your savior Jesus Christ, this Christmas. Go watch the 'He is the Gift' video, and PLEASE share it. Share it with all, show appreciation for the gift your savior Jesus Christ has given you, by representing him more fully, and by bearing witness of his divinity and precious atonement.

I love you all, Merry Christmas.

Xoxo, Sister Flink