Wonderful Christmas Celebration!

     Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a great and a wonderful Christmas. This was by far the greatest Christmas of all my life. There just isn't anything like a Christmas in the mission field. I am so grateful to be here. It's such a wonderful place to be! 

     Thank you all for the wonderful gifts and cards! They were so great and touched my heart!  I thank God for all of you daily! How God has placed so many wonderful people in my life, is beyond me.  

     We had a wonderful Christmas Eve at the Rennie’s home! They have a contest each year where the put a white almond in a batch of rice pudding, and who ever finds it in their bowl gets an extra gift. It's quite the fun tradition. I won this year! Haha its was great. They are a truly wonderful family. 

     For Christmas dinner we went to the home of our Stake President, President Johnson. He is one of the greatest men I have ever met. 

     We were able to skype home this year to our families! What a joy it was to see them and feel of their sweet spirit. Christmas was a truly wonderful day!  I am beyond grateful for it. 

     The best part of Christmas for me was the giving of gifts to others. With the help of many from home, we were able to give 18 quads to the recent converts in our wards, that didn’t have them already! Most of them have been begging for them for months but haven't been able to afford them. So we got them all quads with their names engraved on them, and scripture cases. This was the happiest Christmas of all my life. This changed the life of these families forever.  Laly, who has beeng struggling since her baptism with an abusive ex-boyfriend, opened her new set of scriptures as we left. The scriptures opened to a verse that answered a prayer she has been praying for, for months now. What a miracle. God lives and loves us. This Christmas is one I will never forget. Ivan said as we left him his gift “Thank you, I don’t remember the last time I got a gift on Christmas.” What a tender mercy. Thank you to all those who donated and for being a part of these miracles.

     The day before Christmas Eve we had the Batism of Chris and Emily! We have been teaching them for the past month or so. They are two great kids, we love them so much!  We have been trying to teach them for months! Since last year actually. But because of God, and His miracles, the family situation that stopped them from being baptized was fixed! They have blossomed so much since we met them! They have been praying that God would allow them to be baptized so they could prepare to be with God again. There was standing room only at their baptism! The whole family came, some who haven't attended in sometime.  It was amazing to see how God brought this family together on this wonderful occasion.

     Another transfer came and went! I will be staying here another transfer! Transfer number 10! I love it here. We will now only be covering the Issaquah 1^st ward. 

     We taught our last lesson to Nick and Lisa last night. As we finished the lesson we told Lisa that we were being transferred. She broke down crying. We all began to cry as Leslie bore her testimony. I have never loved a family more in all my life! They feel like my older brother and sister, I will miss them dearly. We all cried as Nick said the closing prayer, “Thank you God for sending these Elders, and for inspiring Lisa to let them in. Help us stay on this path.” It was so hard to say goodbye to all of those beautiful kids. I didn’t want to leave. I cant wait to see them again.

     I love this glorious gospel! This has been the best year of my life. I have truly come to know God and Christ and their love for each of us. I have a strong, burning testimony of this gospel and its truth. We are blessed beyond measure to have it today. Don’t be afraid to share this truth with others, we have only got one life on this earth to bless the lives of many. I love you all!  HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!

Love,

Elder Aiken