Today is the time to prepare!

     GOOOOOD MORNING ALL YOU GREAT PEOPLE!!! This week has been absolutely wonderful! God is great, and this work is wonderful. I love life! God is so good to us, and how blessed we are to have the Atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during the times of life that aren't so good. I shout for joy each morning that God has restored his church to the earth today! COULD WE BE MORE BLESSED? I think not! The joy of this great gospel, sure makes it much easier to spend your life spreading it til all know.

     There are a few things that I feel especially impressed to share today. A few things that have been deeply impressed upon my mind. God has taught me so much since I have entered the mission field. I have learned lessons that will guide me all my life. You meet people all the time in their thirties, and all they still talk about is “When I was on my mission I….” well yes, a mission is a great experience. But God has only given us a mission to prepare us for a real mission when we return. As children of God we should have learning and growing experiences daily.  Daily we should feast upon the words of Christ and have spiritual experiences. So we can then say, “Yesterday I…” or “As I studied the scriptures this morning I….” Often I think we feel that our spiritual experiences are confined to Sunday or certain events during the year. That is not the case.  It's amazing to be around such wonderful leaders of the church.  Every week we meet with President Johnson, the president of our Stake, to review the progress of the work.  I look up to him so deeply.  I am amazed at our discussions each week, they often involve an experience he will share from his studies that morning or an impression he had as he drove to work. The work of God is never ceasing. Our spiritual growth shouldn’t be either.  Each day is given as a new day to draw nearer unto God, to move past the previous days mistakes, and take time to learn of Our Eternal Father. This week I was simply amazed at His love for me and for others. 

     Over the past few weeks I would have flashes in my mind of a home that we tracted into.  As we were walking a distinct impression came over us that we need to stop by that very home. As we did, a woman answered. Her name is Jamie. The words out of her mouth were music to our ears. “I just moved here. I don’t know much about God, but I just had my second child, I am now 30 and realize that I am going nowhere.  I want to learn more.” She said she had been pleading that she would be able to find a church.

     My dear friends and family we must live our lives to be constantly lead by the spirit! This is the time to prepare to meet God.  He lovingly gave us the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our guide and friend, let's live everyday to be worthy of that.  I love you all! HAVE A WEEK OF GREATNESS.  God lives, and Jesus is the Christ!

Love,

Elder Aiken