Oh Baby! A Blessed Week in Issaquah!

     Another great week in the City of Issaquah!  I hope that all is well.  I have had a very touching and special week.  I have so much to say and I hope that I can express it all. 

One of my favorite families - the Noel's

      I have been so spiritually blessed this week.  My heart is full and my faith built.  On Wednesday we had a lesson with Laly and her two sons.  They are just the most amazing family, I love them with all of my heart.  As we sat with Laly and the boys watching the Restoration DVD, the spirit was so tender!  For all of you who haven't seen it, it’s a video portraying the events that lead up to having a modern day prophet on the earth.  As we watched this special message my heart was so full!  I just knew that they had all felt something special.  I turn to JJ and I asked him what he felt!  He said, “ I felt like the Holy Ghost was watching it with me!”  It was so special to here such a young boy be so touched by the spirit. That is the spirit of truth.  As we then talked about baptism I asked him how learning about baptism has touched him, he said, “ I want everyone to know about this!”  They are the cutest kids! Their baptism will be really special!  We are working with four people who have chosen a baptismal date! A very exciting and blessed week.  

     The following experience touched me and will bless me all my life!  Elder Berry and I go down to a nature trail every morning behind our apartment for our morning work out!  As we walked down the path I saw my mission.  The fence far down at the end of path was the end of my mission.  And each succeeding step I took was a day in my mission.  As I walked down the path I envisioned people walking down from the hills on both sides and joining me along my way.  When I reached the end of the path I was with this great family!  A family that had become as my own, people that had entered the waters of baptism.  As we walk along our missions we are blessed to find and teach people that become family.  They feel like home.  And by the end we all leave with a bigger family than when we arrived!  Such is the path of life.  Our lives will all come to an end and we have the blessing of bringing a “Gospel family” along with us.  It's our choice to follow the promptings of the spirit and share the gospel with others, and gain a bigger “family”.  

     On Sunday I was blessed with a really rare oppurtunity!  I was able to bless a baby!  I didn’t think I would be doing that for a few years! A lady in the ward just had a baby a month back and her husband left while she was pregnant!  Shalmay asked me a few weeks ago if I could bless the baby!  It was amazing.  As Elder Berry, the bishop, and I held the baby in our arms in sacrament meeting my heart was filled with joy.  To stare into the eyes of this beautiful baby that is blessed to experience this great life.  The power of the Priesthood is real!  I loved that day and will treasure it forever!  I love you all!  This has been a great week.  All is well in Washington!  Love, Elder Aiken.

This from former awesome companion, Elder Workman:

"Transfers took a lot of lazy missionaries out.  We have 2 brand new District Leaders who are just excited as ever to be in leadership and willing to magnify their callings.  There are going to be some amazing things happening this transfer.  And we still have Elder Aiken who is dabomb.com.  That is where all the magic is happening!"