Happy New Year!

     Hello everyone!  I hope you had a great Christmas!  Mine was amazing!  First off thank you to everyone for all of your cards, letters, and packages!  I really don’t think you will ever understand what those meant to me!  It was so great to be able to open so many gifts on Christmas.  It was hard to be away from home but I have never felt so comforted by the Spirit in my life!  Thanks again!  I am so grateful everyday for my many amazing friends and family! I hope you all had an equally great and safe Christmas!     

   

     

     This week has been kind of slow and tough because of everyone being gone for the holidays. Covering two wards has been a bit tough because of the amount of attention we are supposed to give to each ward but we are finally starting to get the hang of it and it keeps us really busy and working hard which is great! We have been struggling with one of our investigators Nathan because of his addiction to Coffee. He was supposed to be baptized this last week but we have had to move it back because of the Word of Wisdom.  We have been trying to help him understand the importance of abstaining from tea and coffee but it has been hard for him to understand! Hopefully with help from our Father in Heaven, Nathan can quit drinking coffee and enter the waters of baptism. 

     Gerald and Lucy are getting so excited for their baptism!  They just can't wait!  We went over the other day to have a lesson and when we walked in they had bought us a bunch of Christmas gifts.  They have quickly become some of my favorite people.  I am so excited for their baptism this week.  It is going to be just great.  

    Christmas Eve was such a fun night.  We went over to a members house, the Rennies for Christmas Eve dinner!  They had the best Prime Rib, and I just loved it!  We spent the night at their house and I was so grateful to be with them!  Christmas morning was so exciting!  The fact that I got to call my family didn’t hit me until I woke up! We went over to the Trumbulls to call.  It was so great to talk to my family!  They are the best and mean so much to me! I am so grateful that we get to live together forever.  I for sure cried as I told them all how much I love them but it was great to hear that everyone is doing so well!  We spent the night at the Beans house and had such a great dinner!  Sister Bean made my favorite apple pie, really you all need to come up here just to try a piece of her pie! 

     I learned a lot this Christmas.  Christmas just wasn’t the same as years past.  I was able to spend it working for our Savior and had the whole month to truly think about Him and all He has done for us.  I am so grateful that He was born!  

     Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you all have fun and are safe!  I hope that we can all spread the gospel a little more this year! I  know that if we will just open our mouths to friends and family about the gospel, Heavenly Father will fill our mouths with the things that need to be said!  I love you all, thanks again for everything!  Elder Aiken.