A beautiful baptism!

     Goood Morning everyone!!!  I hope all of the women had a great Mothers Day.  I just want to take a quick moment to let you all know how much I love you!!  I have been blessed with so many great Mothers in my life who have changed my life forever!  I truly love you all, thank you for being here for me and for your prayers and for all ways being there for me throughout my life. 

Elder Aiken, Natalie, Josh and Elder Berry

     This week I have learned lessons that will shape my life forever.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve this mission!!!  On Friday was Natalie and Josh's baptism.  It was a great evening!  To see this family's life begin to change forever was so touching.  We have worked so hard with this family for months and truly they are just amazing!  I am so grateful for them and that I was able to serve here at this time. They have become family.  Josh will go on to be a great leader in the church someday.  I firmly believe that!  He is a special young man with a tender spirit.  The Lord has blessed me dearly to get to know this family!!  This week I have been blessed with a few other great experiences.  The past week has been a bit tough, struggling with the weather here!  Not seeing the sun for months can be tough!  But I have felt the calming love of the Savior. I found this talk on the floor in the apartmeny by Joseph B. Worthlin. And in it, he talks about leaving the spirit world and in it he says this: “ We must have sorrowed that a veil would cover our eyes and the bright memories of our lives would be cloaked in the forgetfulness of mortality.  How we must have yearned to stay close to our Father in Heaven.  How we must have covenanted to ever reach after Him and commune with Him.  Undoubtedly our separation from our Heavenly Father was softened when He promised that as we sought after Him in prayer,  He would reach toward us.”  How true that is!  What a special knowledge to have that as we pray to our Father in Heaven he WILL reach toward us!!  I have felt that strongly this week. 

     Saturday I wanted to fast for some things and I kept feeling that I should fast for strength. “Fast for Strength!” kept coming into my head.  When I called home on Sunday I learned my dad had been ill.  My emotions were raw as I yearned to be with my family.  But the peace from fasting overcame me!
   This week my life has been deeply touched.  We all go through struggles, things that we feel we can't ever overcome.  But thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ, he has walked our paths before and is ever reaching down to lift us up! We must look to him and turn to him in time of need.  I love this life and this world.  At times our struggles seem to be that hardest thing we can go through, but at the deepest point in our struggles it always seems that the Savior lifts us up!  I am grateful for this church and this life!  And for all the Mothers who have lifted me up over the years.  And for my Mom!  She is my best friend and has helped me greatly throughout my life. What a special lady she is!  I love you all!  Have a wonderful week!!!

Love - Elder Aiken.