He Is Not Here, For He Is Risen!

 

Hola my friends and family! I sure hope you all had a spectacular week! I can't believe it's already almost April.  Always a great time at District Meeting!

Facebook Post by Sister Connie Hall March 25th at 6:02 pm - "These two Sisters have a huge announcement but since they can't do Facebook I get to give the announcement!"  BAPTISM this coming Saturday at 9:00 am.  Yes, I know it's early but branch president want to be there!  WHO???  Keith Lurten!   

Well, Keith Lurten got baptized this Saturday! What a tender mercy from the Lord. Let me tell you a little about it. When Keith finally decided to be baptized, we set a date for the 5th. We ran out SO excited, until we realized that was conference weekend and it wouldn't work. So we called him to see if the next weekend would work, and he is going out of town for drill. We were so bummed! Putting it off 3 weeks for no apparent reason, that's just more time for Satan to work on him right? So we told our leaders about it, they called the AP's, who then asked President, and gave us permission to baptize Keith that Saturday even though he had only been living the word of wisdom for a week and a half. (the rule is two weeks) He said, If he's ready, and living the word of wisdom and will keep living it, get him baptized. MIRACLE! We ran over to the Lurtens, told them, whipped up a baptismal program, and it was held at 9:00 am on Saturday morning. He was so happy, he was just gleaming. The most beautiful part is that if he will stay faithful to his covenants, his entire families life will changed for the eternities. They plan on going to the temple in 2 weeks. The gospel is beautiful.



I have a feeling I am going to get transferred on April 1st!  I love Sister Davis!  We have had the best time together!  So many miracles! 

So great to have Sister Allred come back for Keith's baptism!  I love her!

We have had such a busy week with the baptism, finishing up Keith's Lessons, the Women's Broadcast (which was awesome by the way), and teaching the Combined lesson yesterday in the Branch. We taught about missionary work and the importance of the members, Sister Davis was very soft spoken and gentle, I wasn't so much. I was a little more iron fist, completely out of love though of course! Lets just say if I get transferred this Tuesday, I left with a bang and the members know they need to step it up! This is the work of the Lord, and it is far too important to be scared to share. My favorite line, "Are we too afraid of offending that we never, ever, save them?"

 

The church has come out with the Because He Lives Initiative for Easter Sunday. And just like I committed the members yesterday during the lesson, I am asking all of you to please spread the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter. Go to Helives.mormon.org and watch the video. Then share, post it on facebook, tell your friends about it, and bear your testimony of the Savior who has risen, and what he does for you TODAY. 

 

I don't represent him for the things he did in the Bible, although I treasure those stories, I represent him for what he does for me today, because he lives. He lives brothers and sisters, he is here.

"Everything changed because the tomb was empty. Everything." Elder Renlund

I know the Savior lives. I know he died for us, and he rose on the third day. I know it was the most glorious event in the history of the world, that because he lives, we too will live. If we have done what we have been asked to do, we will live with our families and with God and Jesus Christ in glory. Because he lives, we can be succored, we can be comforted, we can be made whole. I am so grateful for the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of the profound truths that are available to all Help share the true meaning of this Easter season, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by sharing #BecauseHeLives

I love the cars in Missouri, Albany area! 

Building that caved in on the Square in Albany, over 100 years old

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!  Sister Flink

 

My Great Grandpa Flink passed away this week!  I will miss him and know that I will see him again!  What a great example of service, hardwork, and dedication to his beliefs  I am so blessed to have this handsome Dutchman as my Grandpa!  I am glad that he is with my Grandma Flink now and I can have them watch over me!

ADRIAN FLINK FEB 3, 1922-MARCH 29, 2015 - AGE OF 93 
PASSED AWAY  PEACFULLY IN MURRAY, UTAH
In lieu of flowers, donate to your ward missionary fund.

BORN IN ARNHEM, NETHERLANDS

The Gospel Is Too Comfort The Afflicted And To Afflict The Comfortable

Hello to those I love, another week has come and gone in the M.I.M!

We have had a wonderful week laboring for the Lord in Albany. All of our investigators are doing wonderfully and are progressing in the gospel. Yesterday at church we had 4 investigators and two families brought non-members, that is a miracle in and of itself. The Lords work is rolling forth. Are you apart of it?

I'd like to shed light on a few miracles/tender mercies this week. Bear with this long email.

Tender Mercy #1. We were going through the branch list and trying to look for a less active named Thersea.  We went to her address in Albany and they told us she had moved. We weren't sure where to go from there so we continued on with our day. That night we were in Stanberry (a few towns over) and it was 8:30 p.m., almost time to go home and it was dark. We were driving and saw a lady coming out of a Christian church walking towards home.  The spirit said "Stop." I sat and thought... and kept driving. The spirit said, "STOP the car Sister Flink." I pulled over and sat there. Sister Davis confused was looking at me like I was crazy and I said, "We're saying a prayer.  We need to go talk to that lady. I don't know why." "What, were going to chase her down the street in the dark?" "Yes, get out of the car." So I started walking with Sister Davis hesitantly walking behind me and  then I ran after this lady and introduced ourselves. She says, "I didn't know there was Sisters!" "So you've seen missionaries before then?" "Yes, I was baptized Mormon. My name is Theresa Harsh." My eyes went big, Sister Davis eyes went big, and we knew in that moment we were lead and guided directly to her at THAT moment, or else we may have never found her. Brothers and Sisters, this is the Lord's work. But we have to listen. I am so eternally grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Tender Mercy #2. We are teaching a part member family, Keith Lurten is our investigator. He has been meeting with the missionaries for YEARS, but has never taken it seriously until recently. There has been a change in him for these past 4 months. We are really close with the Lurten family and yesterday someone asked us what appointments we had and we said we didn't have any for that night. Keith popped up and said, "They're coming to give me a lesson! Will you?" I looked at him and said, "Oh, this is too good Keith." and he just started laughing. Well, I myself have invited Keith to be baptized 3 times since I've been here and he wouldn't commit, so we went in praying for the spirit and expecting to have a good lesson. In the lesson the spirit told me to say, "Keith, why won't you commit to a date?" He went serious and just looked at me. I was expecting some sort of sarcastic comment or joke, but the spirit filled the quiet room. He said, "Well, I guess I do. I think I should.." I thought I was going to jump for joy but I kept my cool... He said, "I enjoyed watching the baptism today, and I just kept picturing myself getting baptized. I took that as an answer, lets do it Sisters. Lets set a day." and THEN, (Because I love them so much) I jumped up and did a little happy dance. Keith Lurten is getting baptized in two weeks! The miracles happen, the Lord softens the hearts, and the church is true.

Tender Mercy #3. Do you remember Kezia, the investigator who was ready to be baptized but was so persecuted from her family she told us we couldn't stop by anymore? Well, persistence pays off, because do you think we listened to her telling us not to come by? No way. We knocked on the door and left notes every 3 days. Well, she called us in the middle of the night and asked us to come by the next day! She is taking the lessons again and wants to be baptized on the 25th of April.

That makes 6 investigators with a baptismal date in the Albany area, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude to my father in heaven. The only words I can use to describe how I feel is from my personal study this morning,

 

 "And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what‍ the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

I love him so very much. I love this gospel, and I love this work. The work of saving souls!

"Spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip a switch. It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the light of Christ."

I miss you all. I love you all.  I am so happy out here!  The doctrine of Christ will change your life forever, if we only let it and listen.  Have a spectacular week.  We are spending Pday today with Sister Lurten in Bethany. We are gonna hang out at her neighbors cabin out in the country and make crafts!

Xoxo, Sister Flink

The Tender Mercies Of The Lord

Greetings from warm and sunny Missouri!  What a wonderful week is has been, full of miracles!

Week full of MIRACLES for both of us!!

Miracle #1 We had 6 investigators at church yesterday.  It was a mad house and I loved every second of it.

 

I want to start by saying our dear Father in Heaven hears and answers our prayers. This week we finally got to go to the temple, and while I was in the temple I was praying so fervently. I was pleading with my Father in Heaven to help us find those prepared souls to hear the gospel. That week we found a couple, Mariah and Brian, we taught the first lesson too and they accepted baptism and came to church yesterday and loved it. We found Kevin, a single guy who meets with us everyday at the park and loves the gospel. We found Cassandra who accepted baptism on the first lesson and is reading the book of Mormon. Last night we found another couple, Leanna and Noah, they have been to church before and loved it. We have another appointment with them this week. Not to mention Thomas, Larry, Nathan, Angela... The miracles are endless brothers and sisters. I love this work, I am so grateful it is God's work and not mine, I would mess it up too bad.

Yesterday in church I heard something so profound!  This women was talking about how the gospel works, she said, "We inhale faith in Jesus Christ, we exhale repentance." Think about that, we inhale, exhale, we breathe to survive. We breathe to keep our physical bodies alive. Well, it is the same with our spirits. We have to keep our spirits alive but the constant cycle of faith and repentance, so we may someday qualify to return to our heavenly home.

 

Heavenly Father loves us so much, his love is eternal. Talk to him, rely on him, he wants to hear our whole story, not just the right side, but the real side.

I testify of the truth and divinity of a Savior who saves, who sustains, and who strengthens. And a Father in Heaven who loves us enough to send him. I testify of the truthfulness of the restored gospel to the earth in is fullness, for truth is things as they really were, are, and are too come.

 

I love you all, and I hope you embrace the light of the gospel to enrich and change your lives and heart. That is what it has done for me.

 

Xoxo, Sister Flink

The RM Project Completed!  #thehomecoming

Busy as BEE'S!‏

I hit my ONE YEAR MARK, what is happening?

The work of the Lord is keeping us busy out here. I have a lot to say so I will just focus on the highlights of this week!

Saturday- Our movie night went awesome. We had a great turn out and a few non members. Thomas came and loved it. We had 3 different types of popcorn and hot chocolate! The members all said we should do it again. I was grateful for the Lord.  I know that he cares about the things we care about. I know he helps us when we work for what we want.

This is where the Albany Branch attends church now!

Albany's Future Missionary~  Sister Merseal!

Sunday- We went to Liberty Jail with Thomas and some other branch members to watch "Meet the Mormons" and tour the jail. It was amazing, as expected. Thomas expresses this to us about not deciding on a date for baptism yet, "I'm only going to do this once, so I'm going to do it right." So just prayers for him! Then we went down and stayed the night with other Sisters so we could make it to the conference the next morning.

Thomas and some other branch members to watch "Meet the Mormons" and tour the jail!

Elder Renlund, from the Quorum of the Seventy, came to our Zone Conference to speak. It was awesome. He said so many powerful and profound things that touched my heart, I know he was called of God and sent to us on behalf of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. Zone Conferences are always a time of revelation and reflection, I am so grateful I have a Heavenly Father who teaches and instructs me on how to be better.

"This is where our kids were today. Anyone spot their missionary?" A sweet sister added this to Facebook for all the MIM Moms wondering why their missionaries didn't email on Monday!

Mom!  I am so glad you saw something on facebook yesterday, I figured you would be just wiggling around nervously probably predicting that I was hit by a flying mistle, or possibly taken captive by some crazy people, all the worst possible things. But I am safe and well, went to the temple this morning and just wrote you a letter!   First time for me in over 6 months.  I love the temple!

Kansas City Temple Day

Tomorrow we have interviews with President Vest, so lots of things to do.  I just love this work, I know it is his.  Elder Renlund said something that hit me so strong,

 

"Change what needs changing, and do it now."

Whether it is a change of desire, heart, thought, action, sin, behavior, whatever it may be, the Lord is always waiting with outstretched hands. And we don't know how much time we may for our mighty change of hearts to come. Christ said, "I must work the works of him that sent me WHILE it is day, the night cometh, when no man can work." I love him because I know he is full of second chances, and I know he lives. God doesn't care about past tense.

 May we all purify our lives and perfect our souls.  I love you!    Xoxo,  Sister Flink

 

The Work of the Lord!

Friends and Family whom I love ~ Greetings from cold Missouri.

This week has been a good one, we have stayed busy! Our teaching pool is growing after it took a hit there for a little while. The members are supporting us more and more.

Thomas is ready for baptism. We aren't sure what exactly is holding him back. He talks like a member, acts like a member, and the members all love him. So on Monday we recommitted him to pray about a baptism date that he will be comfortable with so we can work towards. We used the example of Peter walking on water towards Christ and when he took his eye off his goal he began to sink, as it is with all of us, is it a lack of faith or a excess of fear? We set two more people on Baptismal date this week, Hailey and her daughter. We are always blessed!

 

Our less active work is going great, we are having an activity this Saturday, praying for a good turn out for that one! Sister Lurten, a less active we've been working with came to church on Sunday. I love seeing people change, and I love this gospel so much. She came to church yesterday and bore her testimony and just cried and thanked us for all we have done, and how she wants to be better and do better for her and for her family. Shes working towards the temple as her goal and is reading and praying every single day. She leaned over in Relief society and said. "I love you Sister Flink. You've saved me so many times, I can't thank you enough. You sisters are my best friends." Then she started crying telling me I could never leave and how much she needed me. I reassured her over and over if she continued to do the things we've been telling her, all would be well. She really wants Keith, her husband, to get baptized before we leave, we are working on him.  I have seen the hope of the atonement and the gospel transform her. Its been awesome.

Member Missionary Movie Night is this coming Saturday, pray that people will come! Then on Sunday we are going down to Liberty Jail with Thomas to watch Meet the Mormons. We've found some new investigators this week and have appointments this Tuesday.

What good is missionary work without love?  I am grateful for all of you and I hope you have a wonderful week.

Xoxo Sister Flink