HELLO EVERYONE!!! Boy-o-boy has this been a blessed week. I am forever grateful for my life! I love it here! We had a wonderful Stake Conference this weekend that touched my soul. We spent much of the morning conversing with recent converts and close friends from our wards! I just looked at the Stake Presidency on the stand, and I thought to myself, I never thought I could find another place that felt like home! This has become home! I love it here with all my heart. These are some of the greatest people that I have ever met in all my life. What a blessing from God to have been sent to a place that has become so near and dear to my heart.
This week Elder and Sister Oaks visited our mission! We have been blessed with so many General Authorities which have visited this area, but these two were something very special. Saturday they came and spoke to the missionaries. I will never forget the spirit that was in that building! What a Man of God. There were many things said that will touch and shape me the rest of my life! The thing that touched me most was his talk of the evil of the world that exists today. He said that “Now more than ever we must have the armor of God! Without it we are naked before the world.” How true that is. If we do not live our lives in such a way as to allow the spirit to comfort and guide us, we cannot be strong in this ever changing world.
The past week we have been in a few leadership meetings. Recently we were in a Stake Leadership meeting for our Stake. As I sat on the stand it was amazing to look out across the audience. Here were many righteous men who lead and guide us, yet there was a difference between many. There were some who seem to have “plateaued” and used the meeting as a time for Iphone games. Others were anxiously seeking revelation from God, writing the inspiration that came to them during that wonderful meeting. In life it is easy to “plateau". To think, I have learned all I can learn, helped all I can help, and been all I can be. This is when we begin to enter treacherous waters. The storms of life will take us away and swallow us in the deep! ESPECIALLY IN THE WORLD TODAY! Our armour must ever get stronger. We must always seek to grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as with any muscle in the Human body. We can work out for weeks and our muscles can become huge! Can we “plateau” in those workouts and maybe slow down a bit? No. The muscle will shrink. It may not be noticeable at first. But slowly it will fade away! As will our testimony if we don’t constantly nourish it!
Another thing that really touched my soul, was when Elder Bussey of the Seventy spoke on following the spirit. He said, “Never consider the outcome.” It's so easy to receive a prompting from the spirit, and then spend the next ten minutes debating the outcome of following that prompting. When we receive a prompting from the spirit, it isn't debate, think, ponder, then do! It is, Go and Do.
This Sunday was also another special day! Elder and Sister Oaks held a special stake conference for our stake! It was yet another tender mercy from the Lord to be here for this lovely experience. He arrived an hour early to walk amongst the people and shake their hands. It was a special sight to see. There were nearly 1,300 people there! The night before this meeting we had been praying that God would lead us to someone in the Issaquah 1st Ward we could invite to attend the meeting! As we had left the Elder Oaks missionary meeting, this strong prompting to invite a woman named Vickie came into my mind. We rushed over to her house and she said, “I would love to come!” which absolutely shocked us, as she had declined all of our previous invitations! Well she actually came on Sunday! Sister Oaks walked in at about 10 minutes before the meeting began. I brought her over to those who were investigating the Church! She sat with Lisa and her kids for about 5 minutes just talking about life! Lisa just cried as they conversed. Then the most amazing thing happened. She saw Vickie who was crying as the meeting began. She followed the promptings of the spirit and went as spoke with her. Little did Sister Oaks know, Vickie had just recently lost her beloved husband. Right as the meeting was about to begin, Sister Oaks walked Vickie to the restroom to get her a kleenex and to be a comforting ear! It was amazing to see a woman that put everything aside to help someone in need! When Elder Oaks spoke, the spirit just flew into that wonderful meeting. There was something that he said that I will never forget. He said, “As I have visited this stake and looked at its report, it's one of the strongest stakes of Zion in the whole church. But a brief thought I would like to mention. Only 38% of the full tithe payers, donate fast offerings.” He didn’t even expound much but just simply challenged us to ponder it. Last night I could hardly sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about all that I was blessed with! How much God has poured into my life and how easy it is to forget to give back. That’s all the Savior did. He gave ALL for the people! All of those around us are truly our Brothers and Sisters. As we look through the eyes of God, our eyes can be opened to see all those that stand in need. I am forever grateful for that humbling moment in my life where I realized I need to rededicate myself to giving more! To helping our Brothers and Sisters.
I LOVE YOU ALL! My Birthday was amazing! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LOVE THIS WEEK! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I hope that all is well. Please be safe my dear friends. God be with you!
Love,
Elder Aiken
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