Christmas Phone Call

We were able to talk to Josh today from 10:00-12:00 - two whole hours!
Talking with him truly made Christmas for us all. To know that he is still really out there and doing well was such a blessing for us. It is so weird but since I haven't heard his voice in so long I was so relieved for just that simple blessing. He was so upbeat and funny. I am sure today was hard for him but hopefully our prayers were heard and he was able to enjoy the day and not think about home too much.
Our Christmas package for him arrived a couple days ago on the bus. I was getting a little nervous about him receiving it. However, it doesn't really matter how he got it or when he got it -- just that he did get it.
So happy he has the opportunity to serve and teach the DR people.
Endure to the End Elder Flake!!!!!

fellowship of the unashamed

I have been meaning to get this in the blog. Josh send us an email explaining to us about a quote he had found and how much he loved it. "It is awesome and it has become my new favorite quote, my goal as a missionary is to become a member of this fellowship of the unashamed." He quoted a bit of it for us but not the whole thing. We found it later and so I wanted to share it.

"I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made-I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, worldly-talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, hired away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, give up till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes my banner will be clear!"

-From Words Aptly Spoken by Dr. Bob Moorehead

What power in these words. Hopefully we will all be members of this elite group!!!!

420

Our email from Elder Flake was very short but so amazing. We have been praying as a family all week that Josh would achieve his goal of 400 contacts. They received 420 contacts-more than any other in their whole zone. We all cried knowing how our Heavenly Father had blessed him and his companion. No doubt he worked hard and said there were a couple who were really close to baptism. I continue to be in awe at the work that is being done out there by these young men.
Good job!!!!!!!
I had asked Josh what he wanted in his Christmas package. Sister Naumann from our Desert Vista ward is traveling to the DR in a few days and is taking his package to him-so we needed his requests. He responded, "I can't really think of anything in particular to put in the Christmas package, thanks for asking though, maybe some skittles or something." Easy to please right. Skittles it is then . . . !!!!!!!

BARAHONA

We received an email finally today around 3:00. Josh is alive and surviving.

Like you see his first area is Barahona right by the beach. It is located 3 hours west of Santo Domingo. He just kept saying over and over how beautiful it was. They are surrounded by mountains and everything is green.
His new companion is Elder Carver from Texas-he has only two months left. Josh said that he isn't wanting to work too hard so he let Josh make the goal for week. The weekly goal for the zone is 200 contacts-Josh set a goal for 400!!!! Prayer will get him there. He is so excited to work hard-that would make any parent proud.
Wilky, a man they met, helped them push a guys truck out of the street. As they talked to him they realized what a cool guy he was and they even got him to go to church with them yesterday. So great!!!!!
I called my friend Annie from our Desert Vista ward who is from the DR and she couldn't say enough good about Barahona. This is where her mom was born. Annie said they spend a lot of summers there because it is so beautiful and there are a lot of cool little towns to enjoy.
His feet hurt but said it was awesome. Pain never felt soooo good?!!!!!!!!
We love you!!!!

In the past few emails Josh has talked about going to a university that is real close to them. They seem to be giving out a lot of Book of Mormons and getting a lot of referrals. A band of missionaries-who can stop them?
New room-mates came in this week: 22 Dominicans, 1 Mexican and 1 from Argentina.

Our first email from Josh in the DR was awesome.
Some of the fun things he mentioned were:

1. It is so beautiful here and also very humid.
2. Everything here is so green and tropical.
3. It rains a couple times every day and the power has gone out 4 or 5 times.
4. MTC is called the CCM in the DR.
5. 32 missionaries from the U.S. and 13 from Haiti in the CCM.
   
6. Teachers speak very little English which makes it interesting.
7. Sister Perkins, President Perkins wife, challenged us all to memorize the First Vision, D&C 4, and our purpose as missionaries all in Spanish. She said that the record for anybody doing it in the year and a half that she has been here had been 2 weeks-I got it done in 4 days!!! (That's my boy!)

As you can see he is doing great. What a guy!!!!!

Traveling to the DR

On travel days your missionary gets to call at whatever airport they are at to let you know he is safe. Best rule ever! So today being travel day we were able to talk to Josh three times. The first time was this morning at 4:00 am-best wake up call I have had in a very long time. He was leaving Salt Lake and going to Texas. Then around 9:00 we got another call and talked for about 40 minutes. Around 3:00 he landed in San Juan and then at 4:30 he landed in the DR. We received one last call and he got to talk to all the kids. It was so good to hear his voice. He sounded so happy.
Some memories he told us about in the MTC were:

1. Orange juice drinking contest. Of course he won, however, he paid the price afterwards when he threw up.
2. Attending the temple each week.
3. Spanish-being able to sing, pray and testify after only 2 days. (Josh said he learned more the first week than he had learned the 4 years he took Spanish in high school and college.)
4. Using therabands as a gigantic slingshot. They put them between the bunk beds and had a ball.
5. Giving a blessing to Sister Wilde, who they were sure had cancer. After the blessing she went back and there were no signs of cancer at all. She was reassigned to go to Ohio just as a precaution.
6. Eating lunch with President Hinckley's son.
   
7. Firesides.
8. Feeling the Spirit.
   
9. Having to have a prepared talk for Sacrament Meeting. You had no idea if you would be called on to give a talk or not until that very moment. Josh was never called on but give it time!!
10. I asked him what the hardest thing was, which I am glad I didn't know what it was until now. The 3rd night was the worst. He had just gotten letters from us and it hit him hard that he missed us and wanted to be with us. No sleep that night. However, the next day was filled with experienced that let him know he was doing the right thing and was in the right place. Each day since then has become easier and easier.

Now we are on to more experiences at the MTC in the DR.
We love you Josh
Endure to the End.