Flakes Around the World

Wow David, that playset is awesome. I have been trying to call you today and tell you - well done. To see those 4 little children playing on it must do your heart good. It makes me smile. We are happy that the baby Ethan is doing better. They took out the feeding tube and at least yesterday, he was getting stronger. I am so excited to go to Ireland and see my little grandchildren. (Lincoln, Siobhan and Ireland won't be bad either). Not much to report here.

Hey, Oliver are you still planning on stopping by to see us in Arizona? Now that you are famous around there it would be cool to be seen with you. You could carry your plaque around with you maybe they would give us discounts at resturants. I really hope you guys are still planning on it because it would be such a party. Lucinda

Yesterday, David spent the whole day building this. I'm proud of him for being able to do it. The kids are in heaven. We should have done this two years ago.

 

please give me details on ethan as I know nothing. I am emailing some photos of my house and stuff. Well i love you all. i am doing very well and am happy. I wish that you could all come out here. My professor is here and we are working hard getting things going. Well not much else. I wish I could know more about Ethan and see photos.

ally

Here are our travel plans for the summer (Taylor this is news to you but we are invading your house)

July 12 (Wednesday Morning) we arrive in D.C.
July 16 (Sunday Evening) Amber and the Kids fly to Fresno
July 22 (Saturday Morning) Oliver flies to Fresno
Aug 7 (Monday) We arrive in Utah
Aug 25 (Friday) we fly to Chicago and travel to Detroit (arrive in evening)
Aug 29 (Tuesday morning) Travel to Jalaynes
Aug 31 (Thursday around noon) Depart to Chicago
Aug 31 Leave for Delhi
Sept 1 Arrive in Delhi

If there are any beef let them be aired now

Oliver

Taylor- my flight arrives on Friday at 6:35 on Spirit Airlines.

Oliver- Could you blog your travel plans for the summer, I cant keep track of all your flip flopping. Will you be hear for July 15th? There is a cool rodeo - here is the link (http://www.jbarwranch.com/Summer_Series.htm)

Lincoln- please blog pictures of Ethan!!

Levin, You have fillin my shoes well as the wheat analyst - please send me that presentation you gave - I need it next week when I am in Porto Alegre.

If anyone is bored, please go to this site so see a few pictures of my last three trips.

Levin

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/297407/

Now that our prayers have been answered and Siobhan has a baby, we need to remember Ethan in our prayers. He is small, has a feeding tube and is 5 weeks premature. I know our prayers can do alot to help him get strong. With all of the grandchildren praying, it can be a blessing. Love Mom

I ask the family to please keep me posted on Siobhan´s labour via the blog and instead I get pictures of David picking pussywillows?

Seriously, please call me tonite and tell me whats up? My presentation went well, huge crowd and very good reception. Oliver I met the president of ABITRIGO, he came up to me and said he knows and loves you.

Hope all is great!

Levin

 

wow! Mom and dad called me last night and told me about oliver and amber, that is so wonderful! You guys are blessed, I am interested to hear how delivery is in INdia! I am stressing trying to find a place to stay! But I am just praying that I can convince my boss t let me get a car for the whole time. I am not sure about that though. I have been running around and getting as much stuff done as I can, i really need to learn Xhosa! Everyone has been so nice and helping me out a lot. I am sorry that people keep tyring to call but can't get thourgh, I don't know what is wrong. Lucinda will you please call me. Well I am so sad about Oxford and Cambridge. There is pretty much no chance I will get any sort of money. I hates them. Oh well, I am so sad to walk away from it though. I need to find a good job.
well I love you all

ally

I went to Len Winmill's funeral today with Jaron and Alena. Jaron was fascinated with the box with the dead man inside. Dad dedicated the graves. It is funny but no one was crying during the funeral. Everyone was glad poor Len had left this miserable existence for a better one. Lincoln can't get on a computer so I will give the latest update as of about 8 hours ago. Siobhan has not gone into labor and Irish hospitals don't really accommodate long term care so Lincoln may have to get a bed and breakfast next to the hospital for them to stay in so she is close until she comes on her own or the doctors have to do a C section. This needs to be a matter of serious prayer for all of us so she gets her baby here safely and she stays healthy. We are so excited about Oliver and Amber's news. God moves in mysterious ways. Oliver won't brag on himself, but he got Outstanding Alumni for 2006 from Arizona State. They are going to send out a picture of the award he got in the mail. It's a big deal. So proud! Levin - we hope you are safe and having fun in Argentina. He gives a presentation before 800 people on Friday. Allyson is settled in Fort Hare and making contacts for her research. Lucinda and Justin are driving back from a very successful trip to JaLayne and David's (birthday last Sunday). Joely has a birthday on Friday. I am having a blast with Jaron and Alena. Being a grandmother is the best. Thank you all for your mother's day remembrances. I love my flowers Taylor and Shelley and money Levin and book and knife JaLayne and David and coconut butter Lucinda and Justin. Since gifts is my love language, I am feeling really loved. Love Mom

Dear All:

Siobhan called me this morning a few minutes after her water broke. She is in the hospital right now waiting for the contractions to begin. She is a few days early than when Preston was born at 34 weeks. She has received steriods for the baby's lungs - which need 24 hours to kick in. I fly out in five hours to prague and then to cork and will be with her by midnight (ireland time). She has a cell phone with her - so please call her - 353 86 220 3761.

Levin can you call her right when you get to work and email me the details. I will be able to check my email at the airports in kiev and prague. Thank you. Mom could you call mother teresa to learn what is going on? Thank you.

Pray for her!

Taylor,
Thanks for making me look like a schmuk! DAD 

Hey, So I thought I would do a little update for you all. It is so hard to get a computer for a long time so I am sorry for my slackerness in communicating All is well and I am very happy and safe. I am now in Johannesburg in a hostel with Mary, the other student, who just got in yesterday. I had a great trip back to my mission, despite having my digital camera swallowed up by a wave in the Indian ocean. I bought a new one yesterday but havne’t taken photos yet. Also while at the ocean Elder Mothlosi (former AP) thought he lost the keys to our rental car, we were all freaking out and then we found them! That would have been bad. It was so wonderful to see my members and other mission buddies and go back to my areas. Newcastle is doing much better than I feared. The relief society president, Mama Htlatyawo, is the one we stayed with. I slept in bed with her as there were no other beds, that was an interesting experience, sleeping in a double bed with a big Zulu Mama who snores. That was a sleepless night. I also got to give marriage counseling to my former companion and her husband (my former AP). Thanks to Mom I feel like I actually made some sense and they were really eating up my advice. Mom, by the way Sister Kubheka will be emailing you for more advice. They have only been married a few months and already there are big problems. Anyway, it shows I should stay out of other people’s business cause it was me that set them up. So now I feel I have an obligation to save their marrieage, they are expecting twins in November. Anyway, it was nice ot have my old AP there to drive. They paid for most of the petrol which was very generous of them. It was good to see Mission Prezident although I must admit it made me happy not to be on mission anymore. IT was good while it lasted but I am still shareing the gospel but don’t have a name tag. I got two people today to promise they would stop the missionaries/go to church. It is so fun. I am still trying to get my running in, I went two times this week at least. Joburg is so different than the rest of South Africa, it is so developed and is just like the states, except more dangerous of course. Moema, my friend and former district leader who has been showing me around, has been so nice and accomadating. His dad is in the stake presidency and is so awesome, I went with his family, him and another former elder from our mission to the temple and they the dad took usall out to eat after. IT was very nice. The temple was wonderful. They were going again today but I couldn’t make it. I went to institute with him it was very funny – on the way some big truck didn’t see us and hit the car and messed up the side (it is a BMW)! It wasn’t bad though. We were planning on going to a soccer game tomorrow but I don’t think it is going to work out. It has been nice going to townships here in Joburg like Soweto and tembisa and seeing the church here in Joburg, it is so much bigger here. Everyone in this town speaks 7-10 languages, it is so cool.
I am sad that I still haven’t gotten any money for Oxford/Cambridge. If any of you have any ideas who I can get a quick 25 thousand please let me know, I am out of ideas. I am just letting each day play itself out before I come to any decisions. I want to go though, I would give anything if I could just get money. Well I will end. I love you all. Call me 01127783448364
__________________________________________________

Foreign tounges should not be allowed going forward. If what to send things that only one other person understands then use email. I want to clarify my email regarding judgementalness during Sunday dinner. When I refered the "Orginals" dinner table I was talking abou the Dennis Flake family Orginal's. I have absolutly not issues with the way Mom and Dad handled this issue but they were the exception amoung the Flake orginals. A healthy helping of scorn and superiority was on the menu at every Joel Flake family Sunday dinner that I attened and I think it was the same at the rest of the Uncles. Our parents absolutly had the right balance but it feels like some of my siblings are more alinged with my ultra orthodox uncles on these issues.

Taylor

you can't get away from my piercing arguments that easy. I have a computer at the embassy apartment I am staying in. Piercing is the correct word here, my blogs elicit such an angry reaction because of thier truthful natures. The optimal phrase here is - I think thou protestest too much - ie, the excitement and emotionalism behind everyone's attacks on my ideas is proff in themselves that my ideas are true. you follow me?

I just watched Larry of Arabia last night. Was the filming implying that he was molested by the turk genernal and that is the reason he went murder crazy? That changes everything.

Lincoln, Now you are not making sence. Since you are leaving does that mean you will not have access to a computer. Where will Amber and I get our comedic entertainment if we can read your looney philosophies?

Os russos necessitam um líder forte, isso é a razão pelo que eles tiveram Lenin, Stalin e agora Putin. Sem líder muito forte há anarquia. História russa ensinou-nos este muito ponto e Oliver aprendeu-o bem. Quanto ao irlandês, todo que eles necessitam é cerveja e batatas e eles estão em forma boa.

Bem o que uma surpresa – Levin é o empregado de Oliver e escravo. Como quando fomos crianças, você segue seu irmão satânico e não seu irmão mais sábio. Para Oliver para tratar as suas crianças biológicas diferentes do que as suas crianças russas não é um pecado, nenhuma pergunta sobre ele. O deus não se preocupa como eles foram adquiridos na família, todo o Deus preocupa-se com é que eles são selados a Oliver e Âmbar. Vi Oliver tratar as suas crianças piores do que o campo de concentração Nazista tratou animais daninhos judaicos. Ele tem de arrepender-se e começar a tentar ao pai em vez de ser tirano.

Likon, Eu não concordo com seua repreensão de Oliver. É um pai bom e um ser humano bom e os russos recebem o que faz merecem. Não é problema que ele põe Jared no congelador só para risadas. Ele não devia ter conversado costas!

Levin

Oliver can't you buy your precoius reeses at the embassy like everyone else and stop sponging off of our parents. In one hour I will hand in my computer and leave this job in UKriane for good. On monday I travel back to Ireland and then on to the US or Cambridge, depending on certain issues yet to be resolved. Out 10 months here have been very fulfilling and exciting, many travels. Many thougtht it impossible to work full time and make progess on my dissertation but that is precisely what I did. yeah. By the way oliver I think you are a o homem teimoso teimoso, que é demasiado soberbo para escutar seu irmão mais jovem e demasiado mau para prestar atenção ao conselho sábio de seu irmão sábio e espiritual. Humilhe-se e deixe de tratar as suas crianças tão mal e cruelmente. De caminho você dói as suas crianças russas é vergonhoso. Vergonha, vergonha, vergonha apenas eterna.

Regarding our Mom and Dad's parenting, I say the PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING - Meaning that we are all on the straight and narrow because of their excellent examples. (and NOT the literal meaning of that statement which is that we are all a little overweight because of the myriad of dares experinced in our family home.)

Seriously, could you imagine better parents, I cannot. Thebest thing about both our parents is that family was always first in their priorities, and that is what I want to have. Also I beleive they instilled in us the perfect balance of work and laziness to push most of the boys into government work. (How Taylor went amiss I do not know)

Lincoln, Obviously somebody wrote that message for you becasue there were no mistakes and you certainly do not speak better than me at this point. I am not going to get into a debate about past paranting skills exept to say that each generation should improve their skills over the previous one. I gots no beef with Mom and Dads paranting and would give them high marks - everyone turned out well exept for Lincoln and Levin's weird thinking. However, I am not sure I would agree with your "they created the perfect environment" That would be like saying I am kind and gentle to my boys. However, I must be careful becasuse I am still enjoying the candybars that Mom and Dad so generiously provided me for my birthday.

Taylor and I are not to far off on this one. I agree completely that critising other members to our kids and being judgemental is absolutely wrong and distructive. I never mentioned anything of the kind. However, to be fair, I think we can both agree that our wonderful parents were not averse to alittle member bashing around the kitchen table - and are we any worse for it (don't anwser that question on the grounds that it might incriminate our parents) As parents we all have to decide what parental tactics we will utilise in rearing our kids. And taylor is absolutely right, because I am still in the theory stages, my thinking might change once I have teenagers. This critising around the kitchen table comment brings the blog to a new angle of the same suject matter - a bit more controversal but one I have been thinking on for some time.

It appears to me that their are two types of siblings in our family, those that worship our parents as the perfect examplary standard for parenting and those that, well lets just say, take a more cynical view of how we were raised. I am proud to say that I am found in the first camp. Did they make mistakes, perhaps, but I can not identify one for the life of me. The dynamics between mom and dad were such that it created the perfect environment. If I can be half as adept at parenting as they were, I would be happy. Now certianly things like FHE and scriture reading they admittadly did not do. The world is such now that we as parents can't get away with slacking on those things - we will get burnt. But they could, so lets not think that just because we did not have FHE every monday they were not great parents.

I would like to hear your objective opinions.

Decidi aprender o português na noite passada e não sou quase fluido. Oliver teve muita sorte de servir à sua missão em um país onde a língua é assim tão muito fácil. Mas então novamente, a igreja sabe que meninos têm pequenas mentes e que são bastante inteligentes para aprender uma língua difícil. Agora que ninguém mas você pode entender que compartilharei com você as minhas sensações verdadeiras sobre esta família. Sinto-me como o menino Hitler naquele filme - meninos em brasil. Todo o mundo em volta de mim crescer - os meus pais e meus irmãos e as irmãs são tão inferiores a mim e não entendem a minha grandeza. Eles são pequenas pessoas e sou uma grande pessoa.

Just when everyone was in agreement that Lincoln is crazy he is saved by Maternal intervention. And right before Mothers day how can we argue with her. I agree that there is really not a lot of differnce in our view on this. Oliver and I are cerntialy not saying that our daughters should be modeling themselves after the other girls in our ward that dress like sluts. We all can see that the world is getting more and more wicked and unfortunatly many of our member are following.

Mine is only a voice of causion against this strickly "go it alone" attitude. I remember that this approach seem very apealing when all I had was toddlers but it is much less effective as kids get older. It is fine line between having family high standards and turning our kids judgemental of other members of the church. Sometimes Lincoln's language reminds me of the "holier than thou" attitude that I have seen on display at many Sunday dinnners at cerntain Uncles homes -- it was probaby prevelant in the home of the "Orignals" as well. This "we will keep out kids righteous by constantly pointing our the faults of other members" is hardly Christlike dicipleship. Hopefuly I am misinturpreting his comments.

Unfortunaly the Church is not neatly devided into two distinct groups. The infalable Brethern on one side and the wicked members on the other. Local leaders like sunday school teachers, Young Women's Presidents and yes even Bishops also have a big influence on our kids and you know what, some times thier view and even lifstyles may clash with our own. Turning your kids against them is also very dangerous path to pursue.

Oliver your wheat quote was hillarous.

Taylor

Mom, thank you for your wise insightful blog. I am grateful you took my side. They are just to prideful to take anything from their younger brother. Reminds me of other older brothers that were to hard hearted to listen to thier younger brother! You have proven again why most of your children turned out to be such spiritual giants - because you taught us.

I must say that I am a little shocked by Taylor and Oliver's reaction to Lincoln's email. Surely at some point in your fatherhood you have wondered how you were going to raise your children righteously in this wicked world. Surely you have looked around even at other church members and wondered how you could raise your children and keep them unspotted from their fellow members? Have you not? I try to stay away from taking sides since you are all my children, but I must say something here. Lincoln's email sounded like someone who is asking those questions as he begins his family. Living in Utah and observing the youth in our own ward, I believe those questions must be asked. I also agree that McConkie didn't mean - if the whole church is doing it, stay with it - he just didn't want people going off on tangents and leaving the body of the church. (I can't interpret what he meant but I also agree that if we use McConkie as our guide, we are in big trouble). As I write this, I realize that neither Taylor nor Oliver really disagree with Lincoln and their concerns are the same - they just like to make the blog interesting. So I will too. We have to stay IN the programs of the church to influence those we can and be positively influenced by them, but we have to keep a close eye - not be too trusting - of what goes on in church else our children grow up like many of the youth around here - with one foot in the church and the other in the world. Mom

Well played oliver. Levin - I am not preaching physical isoloationism of course. Just trying to delineate in my mind the way i want to live. I just got done with a half hour spiritual discussion with a co-worker where I gave him a ukrainian book of mormon. I am not radical, just trying to live the gospel as best as i know how. Speaking of JFK quotes Oliver looks at the world and the church and says what can i get way with and still have a temple recommend, and I look at the world and the church and say how can I improve it and myself.

Lincoln, I am not sure where you were going with all that wheat and tears crap. I am stick of you comparing yourself to wheat. I studied 7 years of ag - I analyized wheat, wheat and I are friends and let me tell you something - you are no wheat.

P.S. one way to get a sure ticket to hell is to critisize the brotheren, you refer to them as silver beavers as if that was some kind of childish badge and yet you hide under the very protection that those silver beavers provide. I would prefer that you just give the boy scout solute and go you way - but either way I dont give a dam.

Lincoln, although I agree with most of your views, I do support Taylor and Oliver in the fact that if you are talking about isolationism you are wrong. You state the following "And so it is with my family, the rest of the membership of the church can go to heaven or hell for all care, but I am creating a bubble around my family." Do not forget that we do not attend church activities just for ourselves, but to bless others. It is like JFK's quote, ask not what the church can do for you but what you can do for the church. If you have a very strong family, maybe mutual adds little, but more importantly is the influcnce your kids can have on others. Remember the scripture, "Ye are the salt of the earth, if salt has lost its flavour it is hence good for nothing." If we are living righteously but isolate ourselves from blessing others, we are as salt with no savour.

So it is a fine line, we need to teach our children at home the correct principles, but we also must let them develop relationships to bless the lives of others.

Levin thank you, you correctly disarmed some points in Taylor’s last blog. As I mentioned in my email my concern for my kids ofcourse does not come from what the brethren are teaching but what goes on in the church culture. Taylor does very adeptly bring in the only issue which many including myself have with the brethren – namely boy scouts. But once a few of the silver beaver apostles kick the bucket, then that will be a thing of the past. Your comments about being a team player dispite not agreeing with scouts or mutual is absolutely correct. However, When the second coming happens I want to be found in the mainstream of the Church leadership and doctrine NOT in the mainstream of the church membership.

Oliver oliver, we always return to the same argument like a dog to his vomit. Try reading the old testement for a change. A sign of the times is that in God's kingdom(our church) the Lord will allow the wheat and the tares to grow up together for a time, and then comes the purging of the tares. Now as a former wheat analyst surely you can understand better than anyone else the meaning of this parable. In the church right now there are the wheat (members living the way God’s wants them) and the tares (members living wrongly). To not recognise this would be fatal. What you call radical is me just trying to understand the will of God in my life and how he wants me to live. Practical stuff like – what constitutes Sabbath worship, birth control, what I should watch on the media etc. I believe that God is not a relativist and that he has opinions on these things and that those people who have ears to hear and eyes to see that opinion and obey it are the wheat. My opinions might be way off, but I am aware of the wheat-tares parable and the Lords dealings – so I try to figure it out.

Taylor, The fact that the only quote you could only find to support your view of "follow the mainstream of the church" membership is by Bruce R. McCkonkie shows how weak it truley is. People only quote him as a last resort - when they cannot find anything said by anyone else. And trust me if we are going to start using him for quotes than Lincoln and I can pull out and blog all the "Mormon Doctrine" quotes on caffinee, face cards, ect. Dont go there.

And Taylor, even if we do use that quote you interprited it completely wrong. He is saying we are suppose to follow the mainstream of the church leadership, not the church membership. Following your counsel would have lead one to apostasy in Kirtland, cause that is what the mainstream of the church membership was doing.

Also, whenever Taylor uses the term "In threoy I agree but in practice", it makes me quite uneasy. If it is the right thing than do it, then dang what the world thinks. I agree that sometimes Likon exagerates his view a little bit but I agree with his points.

I am on Lincolns side regarding chruch films but Talyor's points were well taken. This goes back to a great line by Ally in a previous blog where she states that Lincoln is on the verge of heading to the mountains to create his own religion. Lincoln, why are you always ripping on Seminary? I suppose you will create your own seminary for your kids. I pesonally liked seminary and found my teachers to be quite good - except for my last one, lance Seaman, that divorsed his wife to have an affaire with one of the student in our class. Taylor is right their is nothing wrong with the mainstream church just the mainstream world. My question is where did you get all your crazy ideas Lincoln - we did all grow up in the same family right?

Kids,
I liked your comments, Taylor. Levin told me something funny that happened to him today which I doubt he would ever write. His "big dog boss", three levels up, saw his evaluation/recommendation by Levin's boss for the Foreign Service. When he passed Levin in the hall he remarked to him, "Levin, I guess you don't do much swimming, do you?" Levin replied, "What the hell are you talking about? (or words to that effect). The boss responded, "Well, I mean, what with walking on water and all." DAD

Far be it from me to defend most of Mormon culture -- when I walk through a Desert Book my stomach turns. I find the Mormon films stupid but would stop short of considering them satanic. Come on, home teaching and church basketball do seem like ripe commedic topics -- although I havn't seen either movie.

I am concerned about your isolationist view concerning your own church "I am creating my own church around my family. I feel I have to in today’s world and in today’s church". Remeber the words of Elder Bruce R. McConkie “The proper course for all of us is to stay in the mainstream of the Church. This is the Lord’s Church, and it is led by the spirit of inspiration, and the practice of the Church constitutes the interpretation of the scripture.” (Doctrines of the Restoration, ed. Mark L. McConkie, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989, p. 67.)

I know your going to say there is a big differnce between the doctine and the culture. In threoy I agree but in practice there are alot of things about the church that fall somewhere in between especaily when it comes to the youth (church dances, youth activites, scouts). Sometime we need to be a team player for the good of the organization even if that it is not how we would run "our church" i.e., scouts.

Taylor

Hyrum, why no mention of the foreign service officer - I have a top secret clearance. You might mention that my diplomatic immunity allows me to kill anyone I want and not get in trouble

Oliver

Taylor,
Tell Hyrum I love his career plan but think he needs to find a place in his report for the CIA's recruting slogan: "Travel to distance places, see interesting things, meet fascinating people and kill them". DAD

It is me. I had a great time in Kwa-Zulu Natal back in my missino and it was a very nice and safe trip. I had Elder Motholis and his wife (my former compaion sister Kubheka) come with me and he drove so taht was really nice. IT was really a fun trip and everyone in all the areas was so happy to see me! It was also nice to not be a missionary anymore so that in church I cuold just sit back and not worry about getting investegators or starting on time, I guess it helped me realize how stressed I always was on mission. It was so great to see the DAvidsions. They were so nice to me and they did so much for me. I really appreciate them. She didn't not want me to go. It is nice staying here in Joburg with my buddy Elder Matsoso and other friends. WE are all going to a Sundowns v Pirates soccer game on Satrueday. My friend Mary is coming in two days and so she will come as well. I will probably start staying at a hotel day after tomorow to be with her. Then we will travel down to east london on the bus. I needt o get tickets. IT is hard without easy access to computer. Please keep trying to call. you will get through eventually. 01127783448364

We went to the beach in Durban and a hgue wave caught me and you are not going to be lieve it but my digital camera is in madagascar by now. that stinks. I will just have to buy another one. i am so stupid. Thankfully the day before I had taken all the photos off of it. I saw mission president and wife as well, that was nice although I must admit I stil don't really like MP, he is fake, but oh well. South africa is as beautiful as ever. I am having a great time and don't worry taylor I will look for something and keep you posted. love ya all please try and call.

the big thing happening right now is Jacob zuma's trial, he is the deputy president who was just aquited of rape altough he most certainly is guilty.


ally

I thought you may be interested in seeing the sppech Hyrum will be giving tomarrow about his dream job.

In case you didn’t know me, I’m Hyrum Flake and I want to be the CIA Director of Intelligence. I can just see myself traveling around the world living in countries like China, Russia and India. My children will learn different cultures that will help them appreciate our country. Later I will settle down in Virginia near Washington, D.C. and direct the CIA but still travel frequently. The CIA means Central Intelligence Agency and is an organization that gets information about foreign countries, corporations, and people. It reports that information to various government branches if there is a need to take action to protect our country.

My Uncle Lincoln Flake works for the Army as an Intellegence officer and has traveled all over Russia and Eastern Europe investigating nuclear weapon’s development. He now lives with his wife and baby in Ireland. His work is exhilarating, hard and even a little dangerous, but he loves every minute of it. Every career in the CIA is a rewarding one. I like the CIA because it’s more than just a job. It will challenge you to the core. It will test your strength, your self-reliance and your intelligence.


When I was researching, I came across the name William Webster who soon became a role model. First he became the FBI Director in 1978, then succeeded a corrupt CIA Director William Casey in 1987. One of many good things he did was investigate police conduct in the race riots, which was a huge success. Later as the CIA director he investigated the FBI and issued a report harshly critical of the agency’s internal security procedure. He cared about keeping our country safe.


In order to work for the CIA I have to start now by keeping my record clean and not breaking any laws. I have to get good grades in High School so I can go to college. I will get my degree in Foreign Relations and then go on to Cambridge in England to get an advanced degree in Chinese Politics. I will have to take studying very seriously. I will take CIA tests and get the best job I can get and then work my way up to Director.

Folks, our phone is broken and will be out for some time so dont try to call. Before I discuss our adventurs in Brazil this past week I must say that I shed a tear or two (insert sarcasim) on Lincolns email - especially the "I am just a poor father" line. I assume you were being funny and it was very much so. However, on this one I wholeheartely agree with you - I hate all the apostate church movies and seriously question the intellegence of anyone who likes them. The only one I could even stand to watch was the one about the missionaries in Holland but even that one was not great. Anyone who recommends these films to a non-member should have their recommed destroyed.

I am presently scarfing down the recies peanut butter cups you sent mom and dad. I have to eat them so I do not to go home where I will have to throw my pearls before swine. Thanks for the Pink tie and the movie ! - we are going to watch it tonight. We watched Gahdi last night (best film ever) and it motivated me not to use violance to punish my kids - from now on they will go on forced hunger strikes for disobedience. It is a must see movie before visiting India.

We went to the Pantanal where it was a disaster. I had reservations at a great farm (like the one we stayed at with Taylor) for us to stay and go on outings. I called the 2 days before and asked if the roads were passable and they were. Well we were going down the dirt road (40 miles from the next town) deep into the Pantanal and had to cross several rivers - each more dangerous than the last. Finally, we came to a deep river that cut accross the road it went about 100 feet down the road and was 3 feet deep. I was contemplating crossing it when a big 4X4 truck of fisherman came threw and said I could make it easy and the rives up ahead were not any worse. Fortunantly a 8 year only boy that was on their truck came up to me and said the guys were crazy - I would get stuck for sure as they almost did. So we gave up and Amber did not get to see the Pantanal. Then we went down to Porto Alegre and were in the middle of the mountains when are rental car broke and we had to wait 3 hours for help. The car was junk and we had to spend the night in a nearby hotel and turn back to Porto Algere. Two disasters on one trip. We discovered other fun things to do and it was not a complete waste.

On our plane trip home from Porto Alegre we all had seats apart. Jared sat next to a Brazilian businessman and spoke Portuguese to him for 2 hours non-stop. I could tell that the guy wanted to pull the emergency handle and jump out the plane but he was a good sport. The point is that Jared is a very very good Portuguese speaker and has a huge vocabulary. Sometimes him and I will only speak Portugese and leave the other family member in the darl - though Amber is good also. Going to a Poregugese school and talking with the maide has really helped.

In all seriousness, the blog for me has been a useful mechanism which I have used to process and consolidate my thoughts on certain issues. In truth, I write for myself and not for other’s consumption. Taylor is right – I do at times feel as if I am Don Quito, fighting ideological windmills where others see nothing but a deranged man combating empty space. Either I am right and the rest of the church is wrong – or the vast majority of the members are right and I am a fool. Because of the numbers against me – I am almost willing to concede that Oliver is correct and that I am on the wrong side of every issue relative to gospel living. But I am a proud man and still believe that my God is God. And so I come to the next issue where I again find myself all alone in the corner with the whole membership of the church laughing and scorning me.

I believe that there is a solemnity that should accompany our relationship with the Gospel. I believe that hymns are prayerful expressions and are not to be turned into rock and roll songs, that ordinances are scared and should not be mocked even in ‘good’ humor, that things like missions and home teaching should not be dramatictised and poked fun at for casual comedy. You know where I am going with this – I despise, abhor and detest the ‘Mormon’ films that have started appearing in the last five years. The result of these films is to de-sensitize members to such a point that the gospel is just a set of cultural peculiarities that we can make fun of. These films appeal to members that are lackadaisical about their church activity, because they lessen the importance of principles by satirizing them. These filmmakers, who I honestly believe do more damage to the church than anti-Mormon campaigners, have turned the gospel into a profit-making culture. Of course these films hurt missionary efforts by portraying a foolish, weird image of the church – but I don’t care about that. The real harm is done within the church where these films, not the prophets’ voice, have begun defining who we are and what ‘Mormonism’ is. And you know what – there are a multitude of empty-headed Mormon worldly-compromisers who are waiting with open-arms to eat this stuff up. But everyone in the church loves them – and I am left alone on my horse.

My older brothers are correct. I am creating my own church around my family. I feel I have to in today’s world and in today’s church (speaking of the culture not the doctrine). When I started my mission, I had a vision of the wonderful mission I wanted to serve and no lazy trainer, no despondent president; no slacker DL could stop me from living it. I created my mission as I envisioned, despite the ‘God’s Army’ elders around me. I did this because I believed that my understanding of what a mission ought to be was also God’s. And so it is with my family, the rest of the membership of the church can go to heaven or hell for all care, but I am creating a bubble around my family where I, not some liberal Mormon filmmaker, will teach my children what missions are suppose to be and what the gospel is. I, not some worldly mia maid’s leader, will teach my daughters what modesty means. I, not some cliquish seminary teacher will teach my sons the importance of the temple. I am battling, not against the membership of the church, but their interpretation of what the church is. This for me is a question of life and death, because I have to decide what church I will have my children grow up in – the church as defined by the majority or the church fortress on which I stand and of which I seem to be the only believer or defender.

So criticize and call me a radical, but please do not mock me. I am a poor father who loves his kids and cries when he looks at the world and even the church culture which they will have to somehow navigate, to get through this life in one piece. It keeps me up at night and gives me headaches. All my blogs to this point, which have offended some, originated not from arrogance but despair, not from belief but hope, not from a fountain of wisdom but a cry for help. I don’t want to lose my children.

Kids,
I have a new lease on life with good results from my consult with a cardiologist. He said it was a benign anomaly and not a precurser to heart disease or a coronary (in effect, go home and stop being such a damn baby!). Thanks for your concern. Happy 34th, Oliver. DAD

I am sorry for not having written in so long. We had the funniest time with allyson and levin in IReland. Such good weather. I miss levin so much that I have to see him again, I bought tickets for the fourth week of May to hang out with him in DC. We are all praying for dad. Hopefully he just needs a pacemaker, I hear that the surgery for that requires only one night in hosiptal. I will be out of the office until wedensday so please keep me posted.

I will be leaving ukraine for good on the 17th, returning to spend two days with family in Ireland and then traveling to DC. I am forced due to visa and passport issues to move back my start date until the middle of june.

As I recall I have already written a well articulated thesis a few years ago on the hypocracy of Uncle L's rate R movie arguemnt. His arguements are so shaky and transparant that I won't even waste my energy arguing about it. I am afraid that my time blogging will be seriously cut down as a result of my life's circumstances. Sorry about that I know it saddens everyone.

Amber - could you please keep special care of the wedding dvd you did for us during your move. In fact could you send to mom and dad a copy of it, ours has stopped working - thank you.

please call siobhan - we hate being apart!

lincoln

Ally and Lincoln - It's time to write something for the rest of us to know what is happening with you. Ally - are you safe in Africa? Lincoln - how are things going? Siobhan - are you okay by yourself? Oliver and Amber, where are you? It seems like we are strung across the world. Dad is going in to a cardiologist tomorrow. He stopped by his doctor today and he made the appointment for him. There is something wrong - but we have known that for a long time. hopefully, we can finally get to the bottom of it. More tomorrow. Love Mom