Time Never Stops Flying...‏

What a CRAZY week! (I think I say that every time now)

 

Run-down of this week, Tuesday we had exchanges with the Blue Mills sisters and I was in the area with Sister Pistorious. I was able to train her and help her on a few of her concerns. Wednesday we had district meeting and back to back lessons! Friday we had exchanges again with the Clinton sisters, which is an hour away so we got up extra early and headed to fulfill our Sister leader duties! I was in Clinton with a new missionary, Sister Forsyth, and their area is struggling right now and I was grateful I was able to go and help her find new people to teach. We saw miracles. Saturday we spent the day in Grandview searching for YSA's and having lessons across the stake. Sunday, I spoke in church and Sister Hunt played the violin. With everything that goes on, I never have adequate time to prepare trainings or talks when I'm asked, its amazing how I try my best with the little preparation time I am given and the Lord always takes care of me. We had correlation at 8:00 yesterday, then church in the ward, headed straight to Branch Council and then church at the branch with back to back lessons the rest of the night. What a beautiful thing to be so busy! I literally am so grateful.

 

This week we are going on Blitz with the Warrensburg Sisters, which means instead of exchanges, both Sister Hunt and I will be going to their area to work with them. Which will take us out of our area for an entire day but we will make it work! Wednesday is Anthony's baptism interview and Saturday his baptism is scheduled! We are working with some amazing people.

 

Luis is doing great, he came to the ward yesterday and is working for the 9th of May for baptism. This week we taught him the Word of Wisdom and asked him why he thinks God would give us this commandment, he says, "Well, God created the Engine sisters. He knows the oil we have to put in it." Yes Luis, you are right my friend! We are taking him to the liberty jail this week!

 

Kris is a miracle YSA investigator. He is preparing to be baptized on the 23rd of May. Kris brings a drawing pad to church every week and he draws out the things he hears so he can understand it better, it is so cool. He is one of the most sincere investigators I have seen!

 

We started teaching a girl named Alexa This week. in December she was in a bad car accident, she flew out of a bed of a truck and was ran over. She broke every bone in her face, sliced her brain in half, broke two places in her femur+, ruptured her liver, almost lost her foot, and in blind in one eye. She cried as we talked about our loving Heavenly Father who has a purpose for her life, she asked us to please come back and teach her more and prepare her for baptism. The Lord gives us all different trials, but he never gives us more than we can handle.

 

Ill share a special experience of the week while I was on exchanges in Clinton, it had been a really long day, and we had 30 minutes left of proselyting. As we decided to go contact an unknown person on the ward list, we were able to meet Brother Hayes. As we talked with him, tears started to swell up in his eyes as he told us of the passing of his dear wife and how much he missed her. He expressed to us how badly he longed for her and how lonely he felt, as I talked with this old man, I began to feel such love for him. I talked with him of his heartache and I began to weep with him, I could feel the pain in his soul and I was saddened I couldn't find the words adequate to comfort him. I felt their was nothing I could say or do but just be there to listen. It was interesting the scripture that came to my mind as I stood on this mans porch, there is a scripture that has two profound words, "Jesus wept." and I knew that Christ knew how he was feeling. That if Christ was there with him, he would be weeping with this man because he loves us so infinitely and eternally. Following the conversation of sorrow, came the conversation of gratitude for the gospel. I shared my favorite scripture from Mosiah, "The sting of death of swallowed up in Christ."  and we were able to then rejoice together for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. It reminded me of the quote, "Joy always comes after the sorrow." I didn't know this man, and I will probably never see him again, but I love Brother Hayes. I felt for an instant how Christ feels toward us, and we aren't even strangers to him. He knows us and he will lift us up. And we will see those we love again.

 

"We know life doesn't end after we die, that's why we work so hard."

 

I love you all, I look forward to hearing from you!  

XOXO, the One and Only, Sister Flink

 

I love you Mom, I got the package and again always am overwhelmed with gratitude for all you do for me! I love my mission, but I will be ready for the next phase when that time comes.

 P.S. I dyed my hair...the red is coming back my friends! in 4 months time.....

 

"Don't Try To Judge Who Is Ready, EVERYONE Is Ready To Be Loved." Taylor Lasue‏

Good morning Ladies and Gents!

 

What a beautiful week it has been! Great things are happening in the work of the Lord!

 

We went to the KC zoo last week for P-day, it was sure fun!

YSA's Ward having fun in the sun at the Kansas City Zoo!  Great P-day!





Josh Mack and Sister Flink

Our Fleming Park Ward cookout this week was awesome! Good weather, good food, some volleyball, and Luis came and the members took him right in! Activities are perfect opportunities to invite your friends, never forget that!

 

We had two salesmen try to hire us this week. We chatted on the street for a half hour, we told them they could give us their pitch if we could give them ours, we did so. They asked our schedule and details of missionary work, they couldn't believe it when we told them we don't get paid.

"Please work for me, you can tell people about Jesus AND sell these at the same time. You work this hard without getting paid, I'll take ya anytime!"

We laughed, invited them to church, and are trying to set up a time to teach them more.

 

We had Zone Training this week and as a Sister Leader I was asked to train on a talk called, "The Challenging and Testifying Missionary" all about inviting these children of God to the waters of baptism as soon as possible, preferably the first contact. Boldness is something I have never really struggled with on my mission, but even I knew this would take much faith and trust in my Heavenly Father. As I trained 20 missionaries and testified that we need to be inviting everyone as soon as possible to be baptized, I felt the spirit so strongly tell me that I need to make sure to do what I am preaching. That day, we had a first appointment with a YSA investigator, Kris. We only had 30 minutes and didn't even get to teach the restoration. In fact, by a miracle we had found him and we were doubtful the appointment would even stick, we didn't believe he was solid. Lone behold, he was waiting for us, he had read some of the Book of Mormon and was ready to learn. As the end of the lesson came closer I KNEW I had to invite him to be baptized or I was just someone who doesn't practice what I preached earlier that day, so I did. He accepted, and he's on date for May 23rd and came to church yesterday. Miracles happen as we go out of our comfort zone.

 

"There is no growth in the comfort zone, there is no comfort in the growth zone."

 

Anthony is doing great, and preparing to be baptized on May 2nd! He is a big black guy with a heart of gold! The gospel is changing his life. We are finishing up his lessons this next week. Yesterday we did a branch fast for him to be able to overcome temptation to smoke, and he received a priesthood blessing. When faith comes together, miracles are promised. Little or big.

 

Luis is progressing towards baptism for that same day. It will be busy! We had an amazing lesson with him in a member home last night, as we taught the plan of salvation he said, "It is hard to describe the peace I feel as I learn, I know it is from God." He is Hispanic, (on a funnier note) we asked him what repentance means and he said, (Spanish accent) "When we do good, God, he uh, he blesses us. And when we do bad, God, he uh... he spanks us." God lovingly spanks us, hahaha! I love missionary work!

 

If I look a little plump in my pics, the members have literally taken us out EVERY NIGHT this week, and the YSA's take us out for lunch almost every day. There is no hope.

 We have been finding sweet people to teach! This journey of being a missionary, is one I wouldn't trade for the world. When people have asked me what my mission has done for me, I say,

 

 "My mission has shown me where I was, my mission has taught me who I am, my mission has shaped who I will be forever more."

 

Jesus Christ is the center point of all we do, he was selfless to save the selfish people. I know he lives,!  I know this is his true and living church. I know with all my heart that Christ strengthens and enables us to do that which we could never do on our own. I know he gives us trials and tribulations so we will remember that not all is easy in Zion, and we need his strength. I love you all!

 

XOXO, Sister Flink

 

Another Name for God Should Be "Somehow!"

Dear loved ones-

 

Happy Monday! I hope you have had a wonderful week. This week has been... absolutely exhausting, straining, and wonderful. This week we have had a lot of meetings, but spiritually fed in the best way. Wednesday was MLC (Mission Leadership Council) and it started at 8:00 and went until 5 pm, Sister Leaders were trained on specific things and I was once again reminded of the responsibility and privilege I have to be a Sister Leader. On Thursday, we had Zone Conference where I gave a 20 minute training on 'Developing the Christ like Attributes of Charity and Love."  I was grateful for the opportunity. Stressful as it was, with hardly any time to prepare, the Lord provided!

 

We are working with some amazing people, Anthony is an investigator in the singles branch, he is getting baptized on the 2nd of May! Louis is a Fleming park ward investigator, who came to church yesterday, and was well welcomed by the ward! He is on date for May 2nd as well. And other investigators we are trying to get progressing. Covering two wards, we are in 6 hours of church, and then branch council and ward council. The Lords work keeps us busy as bees, the Lord must be preparing me to have some hectic calling when I get home.

 

Tender Mercy of the week: Garrett Ourth, my recent convert whose family I taught and baptized, got his mission call! Puerto Rico, San Juan Mission! I fought tooth and nail to get permission to go and see him open his call, but to no avail. I got to hear it over the phone! With tears flowing I thought "this is what its all about" The Ourth family is so special to me, and they are moving forward in the gospel! There is no words to describe how when those moments come, every hard day and discouraging moment as a missionary because completely and totally worth it.

Elder Garrett Ourth - Reports to the MTC July 1!

Things are wonderful! An insight this week I have been able to focus on is the complete and utter gratitude I have for my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. Sometimes I wonder if I can ever repay them, ever give back what they have given to me. Then I realized, the thing thing they WANT that they don't have, is our heart, is our will. When I realized by giving my heart and all that I have to him, my entire will, I feel purpose and satisfaction knowing that I can give something to them. Through sincere prayer and fasting, through fervent action of being better, we can become and gain all that our loving Father in Heaven has in store for us.

 

TIWI: our new black box put into our car... he is my friend. Tells me when I speed, when im not wearing my seatbelt, when I'm aggressively driving, when I press the brake too hard, when I press the gas to fast.... He even talks to me, and each time I get in and out of the car, I have log in and out. What a joy!

Our New Friend! 

Sister Hunt!

Our New Friend Tattles On Us ALL The Time!!  The Tiwi system is a computer that uses GPS technology to let MISSION PRESIDENTS monitor their MISSIONARY'S driving behavior.

I love you all! Keep up the good fight, the church is true, the book is blue and I love you!

 

Sister Flink

The Lord Knows Why!

Hello from Fleming Park Missouri!

Sister Hunt rocks!  She is hilarious and so much fun!

Let me just update you on this crazy week we have going on here. I have been transferred from Albany to Fleming Park Missouri, to serve with Sister Hunt as a Sister Training Leader, to serve in the Fleming Park Ward, and to serve in the Young Single Adult Little Blue River Branch.

 

 Yes, I am in a singles ward. Yes, it is just as fun as it sounds. We cover the entire stake with the Singles Branch so we stay busy. When President called me on Tuesday morning to extend the call to be a sister leader I accepted the call with gratitude and excitement for this amazing opportunity the lord has given me. I am just having a ball, the work is what matters the absolute most to me. Hurrah for Israel!Saying good-bye is always hard!  I love Albany, Missouri!

I love you Tori Bourland!  Don't you ever forget that! 

I will be back Tori, I promise!

 

Sister Anderson

The Anderson Boys

Cute Danny Anderson

Keith and Jacqlyn Lurten

Powers Sisters

The Newey Family

The Sperry Family

Sister King!  I will never forgot our laughter as we got stuck in the mud! I love you!

Thomas!

Youth of the Albany Branch spreading #BecauseHeLives

First off, WASNT CONFERENCE AMAZING? Man, it is like a holiday as a missionary. I loved it so much as I'm sure you all did too. So many highlights were my favorite!

1. "A saint is a sinner who keeps on trying."
2. "The most important service you will do is the service that is usually only noticed by God."
3. "Twas I, but tis not I" Through the power of the Atonement we can say "that's who I was, but not who I am anymore" we can be changed and transformed. 

I am so grateful for those opportunities we have to be spiritually fed and reflect often on what the living Prophets and Apostles addressed us on.

Conference Weekend!

When you serve in a singles branch..... you do singles ward things.... Conference Party!

This coming week we have Missionary Leadership Training for Sister Leaders and plenty of things to do. I am loving being here, I was so sad to say goodbye to those special people in Albany, but... Adventures out there! Especially in Fleming Park!

My new address is

 

1714 SW Parkridge

Blue Springs, MO, 64015

 

"Ya know, as missionaries, God let's us get fat, nasty, and frizzy, and that's just okay." Sister Hunt.... this is going to be a great 7 week transfer!

Easter Love from HOME!  Some BUNNY loves me!

Easter Baskets left for us at our door!

I hope you all had an amazing week, keep me updated on your lives! XOXO, Sister Flink

Sister Nikki Flink Has Been Transferred! Sad day- Sister Flink loved Albany!

We received a Facebook message from a sweet friend in Albany, MO (Robin Bourland) that Sister Flink is being transferred on April 2, 2015.  She is leaving Albany, MO and heading to Fleming Park Ward in Blue Spring, MO!  Can't wait to hear all about her new companion, new apartment, and new area!  Monday email can't come soon enough!

Robin Bourland and Family in Albany, MO! Saying good-bye is always hard!

Sister Davis and Sister Flink

Is this her new companion?  I guess we will find out Monday!

Good-bye Sister Davis, Nikki's  sweet companion! 

Sister Connie Hall!  She has taken such great care of my Nikki! 

Sister Flink looks a little LOST!