How To Even Start With A Week Like This One....‏

Dear friends and family-

The headline of this email should explain it all. It has been one crazy week and I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just start. It has been a whirlwind of emotions.

Don't Hate me.....So MOM!  I tried to extend my mission, but don't worry....this is all President gave me!

Tuesday- Exchanges with the Leavenworth sisters, I got to be here with Sister Davis! (My baby!) and I had such an amazing day just watching her and the missionary she has become, she has grown so much I was literally so proud of her. Tears just streamed as I talked with her and told her how far she has come, she is a powerful servant of the Lord with an unshakable testimony that she bears with conviction and surety. She is training a new missionary and kicking Leavenworth's butt! Proud trainer moment!

Wednesday- MLC. Started at 8am and ended at 5pm, long day but incredible. Sometimes spiritually draining is worse than physically draining, and then I sit and think, this is the most amazing exhausting in the world, when else am I going to be able to feel like this again?

Thursday- CRAZINESS. During weekly planning Sister Guido and I felt inspired to call a set of sisters to see how they were doing because we felt like it had been awhile since we had talked with them last. As they picked up the phone, we could tell something was instantly wrong. They proceeded to tell us that Sister Toutai was going home on medical release and they found out the night before. We called President to see if we could go help them pack their bags and cope with the situation and he told us to zoom over there. We did, and we rain to their aid. They were not in a good place and they were super upset. We then got a call telling us that Sister Crockett would be coming with us to be our companion for 5 weeks until transfers. With all the emotions and high stress, we took them to the Elders to get a blessing. We helped them pack their stuff and clean their apartment and they stayed the night with us at our house.

Preparing for Trainings!

Friday- Zone training. As Sister Training Leaders we conduct half the trainings with the Zone Leaders, and with all the crazy things happening, we woke up Friday morning stressed out of our minds because we had not prepared our trainings yet for the missionaries. So as we drove Sister Toutai to the mission office to catch her flight, we prepared our trainings on the way. I am so thankful for the spirit and our savior Jesus Christ who helps us when we feel like their is no possible way. We said goodbye to Sister T, shed a few tears, and then hopped back in the car and sped to Platte City and walked in right as Zone Training was starting. Feeling unprepared, I pleaded for help. It went well, thank goodness for the Holy Ghost, I was able to accomplish something I was so inadequate for.

Saturday- Kristen got baptized in OP2 and I was able to go back for it! I taught her most of the lessons and was able to find a member ride to take us. It was so special and she was glowing, I realize over and over how much the Lord has blessed me and brought unto us success in his vineyard. The work is real, it is so powerful and life changing, their is truly nothing like it. We tried to finish weekly planning but did not get to it when our phone was blowing up with confusion about where Sister Crockett should be serving, with us or with another set of sisters. So we spend all night trying to figure out with the AP's what would be best, and we are drained.

Sunday- We got up and we had a meeting at 8:00, after the meeting we drove 45 minutes to drop Sister Crockett off with some other sisters so she could go to her ward. We drove back and made it in time for sacrament, and then after headed straight to YSA ward. Drove back again to pick up Sister Crockett and then finished the night out strong tracting.

Which brings us too today.... The mission came to get Sister Crocketts stuff and in the middle of moving it, President calls and says, "Never mind! I don't want her with the other sisters, I want her with you. Take her stuff back." So... We did. and here we are! In a trio and hopefully things will settle down. We aren't sure how being Sister Training Leaders in a trio will work, or exchanges but we will make it work. As my good old dad says, "Its all good in the gospel hood."

Sorry this email isn't super spiritual this week, their is SO much going on!

Real quick, Thursday night when the Platte Woods sisters were staying with us, we were all up talking (probably later then we should have been) and the security system alarm starting going off. And that only happens if someone is trying to break in, and the members we live with were out of town. So we all freeze, and start running for the closet. I grab the phone, we lock ourselves in this tiny closet with the alarm is going crazy and we are all thinking we are about to die. Sister Guido's like, "Call President!" "Call Bishop!" "Call some members!" and then the only smart one goes... "Call 911 you idiots!" So we called 911 and they told us that cops were already on the way.. and the lady asks about us and I say, "We are Sister missionaries for our church." (I wanted those to be our dying words, just in case) and she says, "can you walk upstairs and let the police man in?" "Uh... NO! There's someone up there! Why would you even say that" So here we are... 4 sister missionaries, in a closet, pajamas, and looking for whatever weapons we could find around us. Sister T found a metal hanger, I found nail polish remover to splash in their eyes, and Sister Crockett found herself some tweezers. (sounds funny but we were terrified, okay) Except we have Sister T who is a huge Tongan from the Hood of LA and will fight off everyone for us. The cops come in and of course they send the old man cop who like donuts and is barely awake. So we have two cops going up the stairs with guns in hand and then 4 Sister Missionaries tip toeing up the stairs in the single file line right behind them. Along the way I picked up a 10 pound weight just in case. They checked the whole house and their was nobody there, we kept saying, "did you check this? what about behind that dresser? the closet?" and I'm pretty they wanted to kill us. Then the neighbors started showing up to make sure everything was okay. I would love to say it was the highlight of the week but we've had so much going on that it was just another thing that happened!

The four Sister's that almost died!  

Hey!  Mr. Police, don't leave us!

To close, on a spiritual note to that story, I want to testify of the power and influence of the Holy Ghost. As we were talking, the most clear and distinct impression came to me, "Go set the alarm and make sure the doors are locked." and I ignored it, and again it came. "Go set the alarm Sister Flink." and I kind of sat there, and it came again stronger than ever, "GO set the alarm now." And I jumped up and grabbed my companion and set the alarm and rechecked all the doors. The situation happened about 30 minutes later. And as we were hiding in that closet, 4 sister missionaries kneeled down and prayed like we have never prayed before. We were shaking, we could barley speak, and yet we pleaded for protection and guidance to know what to do. I know God heard our prayers that night, I know he protected us. I know he is aware. I don't know what would've happened if I wouldn't have listened, and Im grateful we did not have to find out.

We will be in a trio for the next 4 weeks, and it will be great. I love you all, make it a great week.

XOXO Sister Flink