Hello family!

Things seem to be going really well over there in the states. Things are going quite well here too. I´m really starting to feel how big our mission really is. With 225 missionaries and about 100 apartments that I take care of, things are a little crazy. I have felt this week like I´ve had an endless pile of work. I´ll get done with a huge project just to look down and see another one staring me in the face. But no biggie, it has just meant some long days of working really hard. It´s kinda nice to have a work in which the success can be measured, but I miss the in field work. But the Lord has me where he needs me, there is no doubt about that. I´ve learned that I learn quickly. Elder Norton (my predecessor) left a lot of work. Not that he left things undone, he had just done a lot and made lots of big things happen. And the only way that it could have all kept going is with someone who´s learning curve was small, and mine was. I´m still learning, but on the go now. And that´s the way I like it.
So I was definitely thinking about Bro Roby when I started thinking about criminal psychology. I´d definitely want to do a little bit of interning or research there if I could figure it out. But I have a million ideas running through my head every day and I seem to change my mind every 20 minutes. So I finally decided just to stop thinking about it. I´ll worry about that elephant in the room when it´s right up in my face :) Good work carrying on the Harry Potter car Micah! It looks quite similar to mine. I think I still have mine somewhere. But that´s awesome. Sorry you didn´t win, I never did either. It was always those kids that had the ferrari car that kind of looks like they bought it online. But no biggie.
So yeah, I was pretty sure you would have that schedule :) No biggie, I give you permission now to call me whenever you want. But just like I tell the missionaries here, if I don´t get back to you it´s because I´m really busy (or it´s my pday and I just don´t want to worry about other missionary problems until after pday :) ) But if you call 3 times in a row I´ll know it´s an emergency and call back.
So eating vegetables is eating babies. That´s dark. But funny :) I like it. I´ve been eating lots more vegetables actually and just bought two zuchini. I finally got a zuchini bread recipe (no thanks to you guys, thanks Liz!) and I was thinking about making it, but then I realized that there were quite a few things I don´t have and didn´t buy. So I might just make some random zuchini foods this week. And I´m eating lots of salads. They have really good salads here and they make me happy. I just don´t have money for meat to be honest. Maybe I´ll become a vegetarian...psych! Yeah I´ll become a vegetarian only when the heavens rain down and God stands from his throne and says THOU SHALT NOT EAT MEAT. Then I´ll be like, FINE!  But for now, I´m happy whenever I can get it. I probably could get it now, but I don´t have a lot of time or imagination to cook. So I buy paella in a bag and heat it up or make a salad or pasta or something simple like that. I made german pancakes the other day (thanks again Liz!) And they were quite delicious. I´ve decided I´ll eat basically anything now. Mom you should have seen what I had for a snack the other day and thoroughly enjoyed. It was sliced up tomato with salt on it and green olives. Yep that was it. It was delicious. After eating it I realized how much I used to hate both of those foods and laughed. I guess tastes change. Sugar and candy has become less appealing also. Weird right? The only thing that draws my attention are peanut butter and chocolate candies. Mmm. Well I´m making myself hungry and really don´t know how I got on this subject, so I just wanted to add a spiritual thought.
I was in priesthood the other day and a scripture was read that I had never really paid attention to before. It was right after Christ´s resurrection. He says to Mary "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." What got me thinking was the emphasis he put on the fact that God is his God AND our God, HIS Father and OUR Father. It made me think about my relationship with our Heavenly Father. What is it like? What are it´s strengths? It´s weaknesses? How can I improve it? I asked that question while teaching a sunday school class the other day. How can we really come to improve and have a relationship with God? With someone that we have never met (on this earth) and maybe never will? And Elder Castillo (incredible man) says, "well just like you get to know other people you haven´t really met, facebook." And we were like, "What?" And he says, "Yeah, like facebook. First you have to send a request. Get down on your knees and let Him know that you want to be friends. After he accepts it (and he always does), how do you find out more about him? Well from his wall. You read what others have written about him and what he has said about himself (scriptures). How else? Well you look for mutual friends, other people that you know that know him (church). Then once you build up the courage you can start a chat with him. The cool thing is he´s always on line." And we were like, " That was a really good metaphor :)" But really it is just that simple. To come closer, learn of him, and talk to him. Christ is really our perfect example of that. He had a perfect relationship with the Father. For that purpose I find it incredible that in His moment of greatest suffering He called out to his Father using the term Abba, which is a familiar form of the word Father, basically he called him Dad or Daddy. That is His truest and fullest relationship with us. That of a Father. "of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that are given to Deity, He has asked us to address Him as Father."  - Quorum of the Twelve. I love him and he loves all of you, and so do I. Have a wonderful week and remember always that you have an earthly Father, earthly Brother, earthly Mother and other family and a Heavenly Father that love you dearly.
Love,
Elder Charlie Flint