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
Awesome letter!
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