Flakes Around the World

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Baby Blessing

AFter our baby blessing the AFrican club suprised us and brought a ton of gifts for CAlvin, this baby has gotten the equivalent of $4000 in gifts and I am not kidding, he is the most popular little baby known to man.

posted by Ally and Moema # 1:58 PM

She is The Boss of Me

My photography skills are disgusting in comparison to Amber's, but here is our little angel.

I am so tired of answering why we didn't pierce Leah's ears and that no, I did not shave her head she is just bald. Last Sunday this little girl came out and stared at us, then went and got her friend and came back and said, "see, she is bald."

Only a few more days until we go to Germany!

Melissa

posted by Levin # 5:30 AM

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The family at the Temple!

posted by Lincoln # 11:25 AM

Amazing!

This girl just facebooked me. I baptized her mother in my last area in Novosibirsk. The girl is the one in the blue dress. the entire family is baptised and very active! I had lost contact with the mother a few years ago.

posted by Lincoln # 11:07 AM

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Three more future missionaries

Preston(e) giving a product endorsement

Lincoln Jr. doing what he does best - being cute

Ethan - "puzzle master" extraordinare

posted by Mom and Dad # 12:10 PM

Friday, March 27, 2009

Our future missionary

posted by Ally and Moema # 5:56 PM

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Portugal

Dad I bought our Portugal tickets for $81 for both of us, all inclusive. We fly in to Porto and see that cool city and take a train to Lisbon for a few hours in that city. Leave early Monday morning, returning to Stansead late Tuesday.

Siobhan and I will be leaving Friday morning and coming back Saturady, but our destination is still up in the air. Leaning towards Romania.

Thanks

posted by Lincoln # 8:02 AM

Oliver

I like Ambers charitable blog followed by her materialistic blog - nice touch.

Mom - I told uncle Ferran he should use my trailer all he wants. He only has two horses and hauls them everywhere in that old massive trailer of his - seriously tell him to use it.

Oliver

posted by Flakes in India # 3:35 AM

There can be only one

Here is a link to the article and slide show of worst places in the world to work. Delhi comes in at a respectable #6. And we already know who is number 1. If you look at the slide show, Mellisa is going fabric shopping on Saturday just around the corner from where that picture was taken. Oh and Taylor, dont let this dissuade you from letting Hyrum come - we are excited to get him over here.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/03/0304_difficult_cities/1.htm

posted by Levin # 1:50 AM

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Another amazing Wow

Thanks for sending the pictures of the zoo experience. What fun . I am sure everything you are both doing you are slowing down and experiencing to the fullest because it is almost over. We all feel sad too because you being in India has given us all a chance to be more charitable, to see how people who suffer can still be happy, and put our materialistic lives in perspective. I am so glad Lucinda is going to get to experience it. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Oliver, I called Ferren, I will get the titel from him. He said it should work out okay. He is nice to store it for you and never use it.

Happy Birthday Shelley. I hope I get to speak to you tomorrow. Mom

posted by Mom and Dad # 10:53 PM

not as uplifting as the last pictures, but...

look at the cool cabinet we just bought. Oliver is getting one made too with a jungle scene on the front, to put his hunting rifles in.

posted by Flakes in India # 10:31 PM

zoo photos

Here are the long promised pictures of the zoo field trip that we took the slum school kids on. The kids all showed up on time, and dressed in what appeared to be their best clothes. Only about 60 kids were able to come, since some of the kids were taking exams. They walked in single file down the dirt road, straight through the garbage dump which we drive through every time we visit. Right from the start, we were all amazed by how calm and orderly they all were. So well behaved that it almost seemed strange! We all boarded the buses, and drove to the zoo. On the way, the teachers led the children in their morning prayers. We met the branch members, who would help serve as chaperones, at the entrance to the zoo. There had been another bus to transport all of them. I have to hand it to Oliver; he did a great job of planning the logistics of this activity.

Then we divided the children into groups, and the branch members helped look after the children. It was fun to see all the kids so excited to see the rhinos, elephants, and other animals. The boys were particularly interested to see some deer engaged in a fight!

I was amazed to learn that Shyam, (the young man you may remember from us building up his home) had never been to the zoo! I am sure that many of the children and some of the other adults were experiencing the zoo for the first time as well.

We took a long circular route through the whole zoo, and we saw so many animals! My favorites were the white peacock, and the white tiger! Maybe all the colors of India are getting to me. There were also many different species of deer, leopards, tons of beautiful birds and, of course, elephants. They have the biggest Indian elephant I have ever seen.

After the zoo, we drove the kids to our favorite park to have a lunch. We were able to bring chips, bananas, juice, namkeen (spicy snack), and little candy bars to assemble into little packages. The branch members made an assembly line, and everyone helped out.

Then we all sat down together and enjoyed a little lunch. Some, no most, of the kid only ate a little, and brought the rest of their food home to share with their families. This is a common thing with them; nearly every time we give them food, they do the same thing. There was some leftover food that we sent back to the school for them to eat for their daily snacks.

I have lately started looking at everything here with a more nostaglic eye. I am starting to feel like I am about to wake up from an incredible dream, a dream that will soon disappear from memory like so many dreams do. I will miss these people and this land so much. I went visiting teaching last night and had a great time. It will be hard to get used to visiting people who don't bring you amazing hot food the minute you sit down, and who don't expect you to stay and talk for over an hour. These people are patient, kind and so generous. Their homes may be small, but they are meticulously clean and full of the spirit. I have been trying to just absorb everything I see. Our lives are about to change in a major, major way.

Amber

posted by Flakes in India # 9:45 PM

Picture Taking Gone Terribly Wrong

posted by Taylor Flake # 5:05 PM

Taylor, What video. Oliver, blog photos of the Levin and Melissa sponsored, Indian school trip to the zoo.

posted by Mom and Dad # 4:59 PM

This video speaks for itself

posted by Taylor Flake # 4:55 PM

Monday, March 23, 2009

How quickly things change

Mom - I find the end of your message amuzing. One minute dad is a crazy old man and then he drives my truck a little and you say he "is the most amazing wonderful man on earth" Now who is the material girl?

Oliver

posted by Flakes in India # 11:17 AM

Darling Grandchildren

I just looked through the blog and saw the St. pat's day stuff Lucinda sent for the first time - Wow that Dawson has grown up. I can't wait to see my Arizona kids next week. We start a new consultant this week. Ethan wasn't making fast enough progress so we fired the old one. Just kidding - we really want to focus on verbal and the old guy just wanted to drag things out so we were led to a new lady that consented to take us on for 10 more weeks. This mid point - we have done 10 weeks and we have 10 weeks to go. In the next ten weeks we will have Ethan talking. Taylor and Shelley - darling pictures of your trip. We had our first grandaughter turn 12 and go into Young Women's on the 21st of March. Happy Birthday Alyssa. You got to celebrate it in Myrtle Beach!. Dad took your truck to church yesterday Oliver. He wanted to pretend for a day it was his. Life is good. I am married to the most amazing, wonderful man on earth! Love Mom

posted by Mom and Dad # 9:41 AM