'Brightly beams our Father's mercy'!

Hello everyone‼ I hope that you have had a great week. I am just so humbled and touched by the spirit as I write to you today. This has been such a miraculous and touching week. I love this work with a passion that I just can't contain. I can't wait to walk with these converts from the past two years back into the presence of our Father in Heaven! And to see their smiling faces as they are welcomed home pure and clean! This work is amazing. No other work involves the preparing of souls to live with God for eternity! This is the greatest work of all.

     Two weeks ago, Elder Lindeman and I went on exchanges back in Lakota Creek. That day we went and visited Tammy and Ashley. The wife and daughter of Greg who Elder Lindeman and I baptized a few weeks back. We taught Tammy and Ashley for weeks, and they just couldn’t give up smoking. Before we walked to teach them one last time we bowed in humble prayer and asked that we could teach with the power and authority of God. As we taught them, the spirit filled our souls and that room! They promised and committed to not smoke again and committed to be baptized on August 25th! I in turn promised that I would return for their baptism. Well, they never smoked again! As the days approached I worried. Their baptism was at noon, and the Marshalese people usually aren’t awake before noon. And to attend the baptism we needed to have an investigator attend with us. On Friday night we had no one to go. I prayed with all energy of my heart that night, that if they would benefit from us coming, God would provide a way! That next morning it was 11:30 and we had found no one. We bowed our heads to pray in the courtyard of a Marshalese Apartment complex and asked that a miracle might occur! And one did! Marylynn came running to us and wanted to see a baptism before hers that afternoon! So we hurried and called our Senior Couple Elder and Sister Byers! They gladly came and picked them up to head to Federal Way. 

     We walked in right as the baptism was about to begin! I will never, ever forget the smile that came upon their faces and the tears that filled their eyes. It was a joyous reunion! Greg baptized the two of them, having received the Priesthood a few weeks prior. It was amazing. Tammy and Ashley have become the two happiest and loving people I have known! They are just different! That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It truly is the only thing that can fill the holes in our soul! 

     Another great miracle was that J----- was baptized along with them! Elder Lindeman and I found her and her family a few months back! She is the lady that Elder Brown and I ran into in Kent a few weeks back, right after she had found out about her husband's infidelity. We too had promised her that we would attend her baptism, but she didn’t get baptized on the date the we had set with her due to some family troubles! She was baptized right along with Tammy and Ashley. She has had such a tough life, and has always wanted to be apart of the church! Well...her dream came true. She walked into the water with tears streaming down her face, she was so happy. What a blessing it was to be a part of these wonderful baptisms. I just love these people. As I left, they took part of my heart with them. I just love them with all my soul. I feel so close to them as we have grown together in the gospel.

     Later that afternoon we had the baptism of Marylynn! It was just the best. She is such an amazing young girl! Both of her parents are members of the church but haven’t been active for quite some time! For the past few months Marylynn has faithfully attended church with her friends. She had told us many times that she was already baptized! Well last Sunday she came up to Elder Brown and said, “I have a secret to tell you! I have never been baptized, I think I am ready!” She is the cutest little girl I have ever met. Her greatest desire it seems is to be everyone's best friend, and always wants to do what Jesus would do! She is truly a light and example to me. I will never forget the smile that she came out of that font with! She is a precious daughter of our Father in Heaven!

     I wish to end with an experience that I had on Monday evening. We were driving from Renton to Bellevue to go on exchanges with the Bellevue South Zone Leaders. As were driving on the freeway towards Issaquah, we came over a peak in the freeway to a section of road that over looked the valley. As I looked toward the sky I saw the sun perched high in the sky, covered by clouds. The clouds dotted the sky, allowing rays of sunshine to scatter across the valley. As my companion and I looked to the sky, we were so touched by the spirit. I will never forget that feeling. In this dark and troubled world, our Savior is the only light that can shine through the darkness! Satans clouds try ever so hard to block the light and power of Christ! We must seek the light! There is no time to tarry in the darkness. As we looked to the sky a song came into my mind, one that I have quoted before. It is one of my favorites:

“Brightly beams our Father’s mercy From his lighthouse evermore,

But to us he gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning; Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled; Loud the angry billows roar.

Eager eyes are watching, longing, For the lights along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning; Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman You may rescue, you may save.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother; Some poor sailor, tempest tossed,

Trying now to make the harbor, in the darkness may be lost.
Let the lower lights be burning; Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.”              

     Brothers and Sisters, the night of sin has settled, the angry billows are beginning to roar! We are here to “keep the lights along the shore”! I humbly testify that world is longing, waiting, and hoping for the light of this gospel! It will only come into their lives through Christ and His beloved Atonement! He lives! He lives who once was dead! He lives as a light in this troubled world! We must keep the lights along the shore, the lights in our lives bright. It's our time to make a change in this troubled world! Christ is waiting, longing to help his children. It's our time to bring them home unto Him! 

     Today I received a letter from my Brother, Elder Tanner Aiken currently in the MTC waiting to depart to his mission. As I pondered our Savior this morning, I opened his letter! At the end, he bore his testimony in Spanish. In one part he said, "Yo se que jesucristo is mi redonter, el es my Salvador!" Tears turned into weeping, as I felt the power of his deep and sincere testimony! I too add my testimony, that of my brother who I look up to so much! CHRIST IS OUR SALVATION! Through Him will I be able to return home with my family, and future family! Through Him, is my life full of light and joy. There is simply nothing greater that we can do than spread that joy! I love you all! This is the truth. I testify with every fiber of my soul that God does live! Christ can heal us from our many sins. I truly am weak. I have fallen short in so many ways. But the Light and forgiveness of Christ can heal every wounded sinner. Have a great week! To Zion!

Love,

Elder Aiken