January 30, 2012

     HELLO, GOOD MORNING, AND HAPPY LAST FEW DAYS OF JANUARY! I hope that all is well. This past week has been absolutely wonderful, the hand of the Lord is ever-present in this work. What a joy it is to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ change the lives of these people. This week has again been full of miracles, full of the Spirit of the Lord. I love this work. I am honored to be a part of this noble cause, to preach the gospel unto the ends of the earth.

     The Castro family is doing very well! I love them with all of my heart. I love to see the spirit change inside the homes of those that learn of this gospel. This week we taught the Word of Wisdom and Sister Castro said, “I used to drink 9 cups of coffee a day, but last week for some reason I just decided to stop. So I have been drinking only one cup, and today I forgot to.” What a miracle.  She also said, “I think it's unfair that the kids get an extra class during the week (Scouts and Young Womens), can I have an extra class too?”  They have been prepared from the beginning. Now at a humbled time in their life, they are ready to accept the restored gospel.

     Vickie is also doing great. My life has forever been touched by this woman. She is so full of charity. Vickie has had a very rough life. For years she was married to a husband that abused her daily, and had a horrible time. This week as we taught her, the spirit filled the room. Tears welled in my eyes, as I look at this sweet sister, striving to do right, but so hurt by life and its bruises. She cried as she said the closing prayer, begging God that he would heal her from this pain. This cute woman spends her days volunteering at the food bank, helping those she feels are more in need than her. I cry thinking of this woman, so valiant in her service before God despite life's challenges. A foundation in Christ, never, ever faileth!

     My heart overflows this week with the power of the Book of Mormon. I just finished it yet again this past week, and I am forever grateful. These men who spent so much time, and effort writing those pages, wrote so that one day we could be converted unto the Lord. I wish I would have spent my youth, diving into its pages more. For in it, we draw near unto God. We learn of Him, we learn of Christ! And who they really are! My heart has been most touched by the importance and power of Charity. Forgetting, “What's in it for me?” As we forget about ourselves, we become one with God. His spirit, His guidance can dwell within us. We live in a world that pulls our focus inward. How am I better than this person? We live in a world that mocks righteousness. That mocks charity. The Book of Mormon re-centers our focus, back to what matters most. The happiness and joy of others. In Moroni 10:21 it reads, “Except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God…” Despite all that we have done in this life, except we have charity, except we have the pure love of Christ, except we have purified ourselves from the world, we cannot return to live with God. It's my prayer that we can all, strive with all our souls to gain that charity, for in it lies true happiness. Gossiping, back biting, and hatred have no place in the kingdom of God. I LOVE YOU ALL, IT’S A TIME OF MIRACLES!  Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Aiken

POWER-ful Week!

     HELLO EVERYONE!  I hope that all is well and that you are having a great start to this wonderful year. 

     The past week has been a very crazy one. We lost power for a few days because of a huge ice storm that came through. We got about a foot of snow along with the freezing rain. During studies you would hear trees snap about every ten minutes! The area looks like a war zone out here! Trees are everywhere, with some roads being closed for days! There were power lines all over the roads but things are finally starting to get a bit cleaned up. 

     During this storm there was a lot of time for reflection. I am so grateful for this life. God has given us all so much. We truly don’t have to take any thought for the things we need because they are given to us so freely. God has blessed us all. I am forever grateful that God has given me this life, challenges and all. Each opportunity is given to help us grow in charity. 

     I have felt the spirit strongly this weekend of something I would briefly like to share. As a missionary, I have developed a deep love for the mothers of this world. I have seen single moms that work tirelessly to support their children, and never leave a cent for themselves. Moms who run from place to place to help their children have the experiences they were never given at their age. It's humbling to me. Some time ago we ate dinner with a wonderful family who had a few children that had gone astray. A mom that I have always admired for her devotion to to her children, to God as a temple worker, and to those in need. As we left the family with a message, tears filled her eyes as she could barely hold back the sobs. The spirit touched me, as I sat back and pictured this woman seeing two young men serving missions, with hers choosing a different path. I left the house with tears in my eyes. I wanted to grab this woman and just tell her how proud I was of her. I barely know her, but quietly I felt her frustrations. 

     To all of you moms out there that work so tirelessly, I hope you know that your efforts don’t go unnoticed. God is proud of you. Abraham, a man much more righteous than any of us, worked tirelessly to see the blessings of his efforts in his life, but never was able to see the realization of those promises in this life. I have seen the prayers of faithful mothers change the lives of many we teach. Children who have gone astray who come back after many long years. To you moms that feel you have failed in someway, stop those thoughts. You have a divine nature that changes this world. I hope you know that I love you. Every mom that I have ever met has touched my life.  I have had my own struggles in life, as we all do. For some reason I was lucky to stay on this path, sometimes we just have free agency and choose to not follow the path we know is best. To you moms, you are loved of God for all you have done and are doing. We can't measure our own success as children of God necessarily by the fruits we see, but by the peace we feel with God. God lives, He loves us all and we are never forgotten. I hope you know that I will never forget the faces of all those who have blessed my life.

     This week was another week of miracles. I know that God works by angels. He prepares the hearts of people to accept this glorious gospel. On Friday after days of the power being out, it was restored right before a very important lesson! An answer to many prayers! We taught a man that lives with the Castro family named Everisto. We watched a DVD call the Restoration and the spirit was so strong! We asked Everisto if he wanted to be baptized and he said, “What time?” Haha they are the most amazing family. As we walked out the door and left the home, the power failed again to the city. That was a miracle from God. GOD LIVES AND LOVES US ALL!  As we draw near unto Him, He will guide us! I LOVE YOU ALL, HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Love,

Elder Aiken

Snow day!

HUGE SNOW STORM HITS SEATTLE!

     Good morning everyone!  I hope that everyone is well! This past week was a week of miracles! I love this work, it's the greatest thing that we can ever be a part of! 

     My heart is full as I relive the past week. I bear my witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all. His suffering and death, the Atonement, is the most powerful thing we can come to comprehend. I have felt the guiding grace of His love in my life, He lives! He died and suffered all that we will in this life, it's no wonder he fights so strongly for us. How simple it is just to turn to him so he can guide our way.

    I have often wondered why God has blessed me to stay in this area for so long, but truly it’s the greatest blessing I could have imagined. For the past year I have been getting my haircut at the same place in downtown Issaquah. Tori somehow is always there when we go in on Preparation Day to get our hair cut. We have talked a lot about the gospel and how it could bless her life. Well this past Monday was a day of miracles! Elder Berry was getting his haircut and I was waiting in the sitting area. She came and sat by me so we talked for a bit. She then said, “I think the church is true, how do I get baptized?” Next thing I know we are going over the baptismal interview questions. It was a miracle to see that God has been softening her heart. Over the past few months she found out that her grandpa was a Bishop before he passed away! A true miracle.  

     I love these scriptures from Mormon chapter 9: “For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles. But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are… And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles. Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God? Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought? And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles. And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."

We referred Tori to the missionaries in her area and she is now working towards being baptized next month!

     This week we were able to get back in with a woman named Carol that we taught awhile back and have been trying to get back in with her for weeks. This week we finally got back in. She is an amazing lady with grown children that has been searching for the truth all her life. She has been struggling with many little things, mainly that she doesn’t know if the miracles in her life are from God or from another source. She decided that she wanted to come on a church tour with us the following day. We left her with a promise that if she came with a question on her mind , that as we pondered the spirit in the chapel, God would answer that question. So we did just that. We took her on a brief tour of the church and then proceeded to the chapel. As we sat there, the spirit was so special. We said that we would then just sit for a minute or two in silence, to ponder the feelings of that special room. We all must recognize the feeling that exists in a chapel, it is where the spirit of God dwells. We must use that time each Sunday to learn of Him, put aside the world, and build our testimony. After the quiet moment we asked Carol what thoughts came to her mind. She paused for quite some time and then said, “The question I have been wondering for months, is why do you all keep coming by? Are these miracles of God or just coincidence. As I sat by her I heard the voice of Christ say, "Carol, I have sent these people in your path." I will never forget that day. Mosiah 4:9 reads “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” Carol has been wondering for months if Christ really exists. Each of us in life must continually nourish our testimony, when we continue to seek God, he will teach us.

     Vickie, once hard-hearted, saying that she would never quit smoking or drinking, has completely changed. I know that God is a God of miracles. We are just in awe as her heart continues to change. We went over this week and had an amazing lesson! She is going to be baptized on February 4^th! We went over this Sunday to get all of her coffee.  She said, “I want you to come with a bag and take it all away!” So that we did! When we showed up she said, “You are going to need a bigger bag!” Just then she unplugs the whole coffee machine and chucks it in our bag. She is done with her past and wants to change. It's amazing what the spirit can do. She said, “I have always wanted to get closer to Christ in my life, I have always wanted to follow Him. I just want to be closer to Him.” Every day we go by, her smile brightens and widens! GOD LIVES!  He loves us and will bless us as we follow Him. 

     Another miracle in her life occurred after church. While in Sunday school with her we were talking about the Godhead. Coming from a Catholic background she was really confused to say the least. The teacher then asked what she was concerned about. She said, “I don’t believe what you all believe, but that’s ok!” Haha, we were really worried. When we went by that evening she said, “I believe that now.” Our mouths must have hit the floor. “I came home, and said to my son, "Can you believe what they told me in class?" He then said to me, "Yeah that’s true mom! Open up the bible!" Coming from a son that doesn’t believe in God, even he was able to help Vickie along this amazing journey.

     The final experience that I would like to share is one that I won't ever forget. I will cherish this moment for all of my life. When I was first called to be a Zone Leader here in Bellevue South, there was a missionary that would never follow what we had to say. Anything we felt inspired to say, he just went the opposite direction. It was really hard to say the least. I prayed and prayed many nights, pleading that God would soften his heart. That he would be filled with charity towards us and that we could also be filled with charity further. One day we saw him at a zone meeting he wasn’t the same person. He came up with the biggest smile, “Elder Aiken you’re the man, thanks for all you do.” I worried it might be a fluke but for the past month he has been the most kind and loving missionary I have ever met! He runs and leads all of the missionaries around him. He had a dream one night that changed his life forever, and he called and apologized and committed to serve to the end of his mission with no regrets! Soon after, he was called to be a trainer! One of the greatest days of my life. This week we had a leadership training and he drove with us in our car. On the way back we played a CD speaking about Christ, tears filled our eyes as we all contemplated our Savior. After we got back to the church to meet up with all of the trainers missionaries, he ran to me and gave me a hug. We both wept as we hugged for about 2 minutes. It was as if God opened our souls, it felt like God was with us. I will never, in my life forget that feeling. He has become one of my best friends. I love this Elder. We couldn’t be more different, he is Polynesian….twice my size and plays rugby. But through the church of God, through charity we have become eternal friends. This experience has truly changed my life forever. 

     God lives, Christ has restored a way for us to return back to Him. I feel like I got a glimpse of what God must feel when we wonder astray and we take a turn and come back. His arms are ALWAYS OPEN!!  We can all be the change the world needs. Let Zion in her beauty rise!

     I testify that I know that God is God of miracles. He truly is the same, yesterday, today and forever!! He leads this work, He will guide us in every footstep if we will just believe. This life isn't about being worried and concerned! We must believe in God and the He is!! I love you! 

     We are snowed in, a huge storm has hit! Church ended early and people were running out the doors! It’s a whole different ballgame when it snows here. The work is much more fun when people are told not to go into work! It’s a time of miracles. Just believe. I love you all! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Aiken

Another week of miracles!

     Hello Everyone!! I hope that you all are safe, happy, and well! My dear friends and family, my heart and soul are full of joy! God has blessed us richly this week, it's been a week of miracles. I have a firm testimony of the reality of a living Father in Heaven who still loves us, who wants us to feel of His love. I have had many experiences this week that have blessed my life forever, and I just want to share a few today.

     Tuesday evening we got a call from a companionship that needed some Books of Mormon. We didn’t want to miss proselyting time so we decided to drive out there during our dinner break. During times like this we often wonder to ourselves if we need our time more than someone else does.  It's during those moments that I reflect back to our Savior Jesus Christ and His ministry on earth, did He spare any time for himself? He spent every waking moment in the service of others. As we were exiting off the freeway, returning from North Bend, a picture came in the mind of a man we taught months back. As we passed his apartment it was as if someone took ahold of the wheel. We ran up to his door, and Robson opened the door and asked us to come right in. The apartment is a bit of a rough place, located above a bar. As he invited us in, he beckoned us to come back to his bedroom. He parted the curtain and said, “These people need some prayers.” The people in that tiny bedroom were all smoking, and had beers in their hands. Tears came to my eyes as we bore testimony of Christ, for a brief moment I saw what God must feel when we lose our way. How he must yearn to have us back. One man looked at us, bowed his head and said with tears in his eyes, “It would be a mochery to pray right now.” We then left with loving words, and headed into the living room to share a message with Robson. As we shared a message of the power of repentance, out of the corner of my eye is saw one of the men come through the curtains of the back room, and hide behind the wall separating us. The spirit in that room, was that of rare occurance. God loves us, and he will fight to help us all on the right path. We ended with a prayer, and while we began to pray the I felt the presence of another body enter the circle as we prayed. It was Derek, one of the men in we talkd to earlier. He said, “I listened to you talk. I want to change my life, and be right with God. I just want to pray with you.” These men, all from rough backgrounds have veared far from Gods path, but they still remember the closeness they felt with God as a child. I have learned to never ignore promptings of the Spirit, this truly is God's work, and He is a God of miracles.

     Saturday afternoon we went to another area in our Zone with a few companionships to help a struggling area. I went with Elder Williamson to tract at an apt complex in their area. We first began to knock the North part of the complex, and winds were just freezing. So we ran back down to the car to grab our sweaters. As we said another prayer, Elder Williamson felt prompted we needed to go the another end of the complex. As we began to run there, a woman walked outside to throw something in the garbage. We asked if we could share a message about Christ, and she said, “Please!” As we began to teach her I asked, “Wendy, when have you been happiest in your life?” With tears in her eyes she said, “I don’t remember the last time I was happy.” As we taught her, my mind reflected back to the trials I have faced in my life. She said, “I don’t care about money, jobs, friends, or cars. They have all left me, all I want is to feel the peace that comes from God.” I know that true peace and happiness comes from God and Christ, the atonement of Christ is that peaceful place we can all turn to. I don’t know how I could have made it through this life, without Christ. He is the Prince of Peace. She ended our meeting with a prayer and in a portion of it she said, “God, thank you for allowing me to feel a portion of peace. I forgot what that feels like". Wendy will be baptized this month as she prepares to change her life. I know that God answered her pleadings for peace, and that God has a plan for each of us. I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost that can guide us daily in helping the people. 

     This past week was a tough one! It's been a trial of faith to try and find those who are ready for the gospel. Sunday I was pondering much about this past week and pleaded with God that we could find His children that needed us. I reflected much about trials and their importance. As we read the Book of Mormon it's amazing to see how many times they are taken into the “wilderness.”  In life we will all travel through many of them. How grateful we should be for them! Those times are cleansing times in our lives, times when we become teachable. Following church we pleaded with God for a miracle. As we left our dinner appointment we asked them to pray that God would lead us to a miracle. And that He did. We were driving up a road to visit some people that asked us to come back. We received a strong prompting to return to an apartment complex we just passed. As we ran up the steps, another prompting came to visit Vickie, someone we taught months ago.  She would never give up smoking or coffee, so we had to move on for a time. She opened the door with a huge smile and said, “I am ready to give up smoking and coffee, I want to know how to get baptized.” She said she had been praying with God and that it was her time to do what felt right.

     I love you all so much. This life is the greatest journey we can ever take. We choose which “wilderness” we travel. We will all experience trials. We choose whether or not to learn from them and draw closer to Christ, or to faint with fear, and fall away. We can glory in tribulation, so we then can attain the godly attribute of patience! I bear my testimony that all things are for a purpose with God. And all things are times to learn and grow from. I love this work. There isn't a greater thing to be a part of. Be safe. Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Aiken

Happy New Year 2012!

     Hello everyone and Happy New Year!! This has been such a wonderful week. Oh the excitement and wonder of what the new year will bring. 

     I have pondered a lot over the year 2011! This has been the best year of all my life. I have learned so much, and God truly is helped me become the man I want to be, and the man He needs me to be. I have come to deeply know the purpose of life and the need for a Savior. The work of Jesus Christ is amazing to watch.  It’s a marvel to see His hand in our lives.  I have come to understand that no matter where we all are, what path we are headed down, are down, or have been down, He won't leave us.  He wants us back, all of us back. And we can all play a role in bringing people unto Him.

     There was one brief experience this week that helped mold my testimony of the power of prayer and the importance of trials of faith.  Towards the beginning of the week, we were really having a hard time finding people to teach.  It seemed as if we were working harder than ever, but we weren't able to find anyone.  It was New Year's Eve and we had just prayed with every fiber of our souls throughout the day that we could just find someone to teach that would except a baptismal date.  It was about 8 p.m. and we still hadn't found anyone. We went to this certain area of apartments that we had just recently knocked, and a man named Edgar answered. He greeted us with a huge smile and wanted us to share a message. As we began to share a message my mind and heart were filled with peace.  He said, “I was just talking to my Dad about wanting to go back to a church. I really want to change my life around.” He wants to be baptized and we just had the most tender lesson I can remember. I realized something really important. That truly, everything we go through in life, good or bad, is to help us gain charity. Trials of faith, help us learn to have true charity. To love when its hard to love, and to press on focusing outward, rather that inwardly focusing on despair. I am grateful that we have trials in this life. They are all part of God's plan. We can choose whether to rise or fall.

     As I was sitting in a church meeting yesterday with the Elders Quorum, I was really touched by the spirit. I looked around at all of these men, all from different walks of life. Some making millions of dollars a year, others much less fortunate. We were all woven by one common thread, that we were all children of God with the same divine potential.  I wondered where these men would be spiritually, if they would just do all that God asks and be 100%ers. The power in a new year is that we can change. Our mind can change right away after we gain new knowledge. 

     This morning as I was studying the scriptures I was really impressed with a section from 3 Nephi 14:21-27:  “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock—And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a afoolish man, who built his house upon the sand—And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”  In this walk of life we can all be church attenders, we can all say that we know Christ and that we follow Him. But do we really? And what are the consquences when we don’t follow God with all of our souls? 

     Here in Issaquah it's really interesting to watch the growth of trees. Many trees are 100s of feet tall and have been there for what looks like forever, they have withstood the test of time and are striving to reach its full potential in height and beauty. But then there are the ones, mixed in between all the others that haven't made it. That have fallen short, and decayed and eventually end up tossed across the ground, merely a stump in the road. They must not have sought to grow and deepen their roots in their times of trial. God has given us every tool, to ensure that we don’t fall short! We have been given everything to return and live with him again. 

     I want to end with this wonderful scripture, from Doctrine and Covenants section 76. “Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out. His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand. From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail. For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations. And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught. For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.”

     I leave you all with my testimony that God lives, that we can only reach our full potential in this life through following our Savior! I know that He lives, that He will guide our every footstep! The path may seem hard, but in the end, following it is the only intelligent thing to do. It is happiness. It is eternity.  I love you all!! This year can always be better than the last. It can be a year we draw nearer unto Christ!  Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Aiken