Great first week in Federal Way!

     Hello everyone!!! How are you all doing today!? I hope that all is well and that life is great!! This past week has been just better than expected!  I sure miss Issaquah.  I used to have dreams about missing home but now they have switched to missing Issaquah!  It's great.  I love Federal Way! 

Elder Bunton from South Carolina

     My new companion is just amazing and I am very blessed to be his companion! I am looking forward to this transfer. The past week I have learned and been taught so much!  As a zone we have been working on polishing our lives, becoming pure and holy vessels of the Spirit.  In my life I always looked at repentance as a scary thing, something you only need to do after doing something really bad or specific.  We have made it a priority to repent for all of the little things and ask God to purify our hearts.  This has brought me to a much deeper understanding of the Atonement!  The Atonement is for everything, all of our weaknesses and imperfections, no matter how big or small!  I have seen such a deep increase of the Spirit in my life. It has brought me to an even greater knowledge that my Redeemer lives.  The Atonement purifies our hearts so that we can be lead by the Spirit.  It's such a blessing.  I am so deeply grateful that Jesus Christ died for us, and that His hand is stretched out to forgive us and help us change if we will just reach for it! 
     Yesterday we had an amazing church tour with a man named Wayne.  We met Wayne earlier in the week as he was sitting under a car overhang.  We took him to the chapel and sat on the bench and talked of the Atonement.  Wayne has had a very hard life.  He lost his only brother 8 years ago and his mom 4 years ago.  He has no family left.  He hasn’t been able to find a job in a few years and is addicted to cigarettes.  As he shared is life with us I was brought to tears.  I looked in his eyes and just loved that man.  I felt so deeply that God was there for him if he would but turn to him.  He got emotional as he described his life and his past, his DUIs and being homeless.  He said his heart was just torn up.  At that very moment I realized he felt lost, alone and unworthy to be in the presence of God.  I then realized that no matter how deep and far we travel from the path that God has for us…it can be healed through the Atonement of Christ!  No matter what we do, the Savior can heal our hearts and fill us with love.  I know that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can draw closer to God.  It truly is the only way to happiness.  If I have learned one thing out here it simply is that. The gospel is true and leads to happiness.  It has yet to fail me.  Every person that we have introduced to the Gospel has been filled with a greater peace and happiness. What a blessing.  I love you all, and bear my testimony that God does live and Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and redeemer of us all!
Love, Elder Aiken!