Rob gets baptized!

     Goood Morning everyone at home! This week has been amazing! THREE DAYS OF COMPLETE…..100% BLUE SKY SUNSHINE!  I was so grateful for it. 

Elder Berry, Rob & Elder Aiken

Sister Young, Rob, Elder Aiken & Elder Berry

     This has been a very blessed week.  Rob was baptized on Friday. Rob means a lot to me!  He is evidence that this gospel is true and that the Holy Ghost is real.  Months back we tracted into him.  He was drunk when we knocked on his door, but he begged us to pray with him and come back the next day!  He was so searching for the gospel and sense of peace.  Over the weeks of teaching him, his life began to change before us.  He was happier and happier everytime we saw him.  For a few weeks we lost contact with him and prayed fervently everyday that we could be able to get back in contact with him!  And at the beginning of the month we found him again!  We have been teaching him in the Sparks home twice a week preparing him for baptism.  He gave up all his addictions and his life then began to change!  The gospel is true and the word of wisdom is real.  Rob's baptism was a wonderful experience.  To see this man walk out of the baptismal font and see his change was unreal. He has become the man that he wanted to become.  I love him with all my heart.  I know that his love for the gospel will now go on to help many enjoy the blessings of the gospel! 

     In the mission we have been talking a lot about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.  Our mission president has quoted it a lot lately and has talked about its importance.  The story of the Prodigal son is easily my favorite in the whole Bible!  His son wasted his life away with riotous living and became so poor that he was eating with the pigs.  His life is in shambles you can only imagine.  Sad would be an understatement.  He wanted to badly to return to his father but was afraid he would never accept him.  I think our Father in Heaven is much the same way.  I can only imagine Him daily looking down the path, staring “A far off” waiting for his children to enter the pathway to baptism so they can be wrapped in the arms of his love and of the Holy Ghost!  I think at time we can feel much like that, we feel so ashamed, so turned away from God that he will never accept us back!  But that is never and will never be the case!  God is love and has created the perfect plan of repentance!  Asking for forgiveness of our sins!  All he wants is for us to turn to him!  He misses us and loves us and is never ashamed of us.  What a blessing that is!  None of us will ever be perfect, he just wants us back!  And as members of the church we have the blessing of helping others enter that path back to our Father in Heaven so they can experience the joy of the gospel!  I love this gospel.  I know that he loves us all!  We must never be ashamed and always turn to him. 

     Last week when we were praying we felt that we should go tract a certain apartment complex and found a nice lady who asked us to come back next week - which was Friday - to teach her and her boys!  We taught Laly, JJ, and Lorenzo.  She has been waiting until they were old enough to decide on a church with her!  They are one of the most amazing yound families I have ever met!  She is an great mom who just gets it.  And she understands the importance of the gospel and is looking for that “glue” that will hold them together.  JJ and Lorenzo are so mature.  As we shared the message of the first vision we asked what the boys felt.  JJ said “ I felt everything! I felt warm!” The greatest response!  The Lord knows each and everyone of us!  I can't wait to watch this family progress in the gospel!   I know that the gospel is the change that we all need.  I love you all.  Thanks for all you do and your prayers and letters.  They mean more to me than you will ever know!
Love, Elder Aiken.