3 days of sunshine!!!

     Hello to everyone in Utah! I love you all and hope that all is well. Everything is just great here! Its been a blessing of a week.  Three days of sun! Three!  It was just about the greatest thing ever!  I was so grateful for it! The weather was so nice we thought we would have our district meeting outside! 

     This week has been a week in my mission that I will never forget.  A time in my life for refining and growth!  So many lessons learned and things that will change me forever.  This past week I came to know the Church is absolutely true!  I always have known that this is Christ's church on the earth!  But now I know for a fact and will never again question it.  

     I am so grateful for it!  We have the greatest news and what a blessing it is in our lives!  This week I cannot wait to run and tell people about this!  

     On Friday we stopped by Natalie's to set up a time to share a message.  It was one of the most touching experiences of my mission.  As we talked to her from the doorway, she stood up and began to walk towards us!  She began to cry as she said “You guys I have been so worried about finding a job and the boys, and school and all I have to do in my life!  I have had the spirit since my baptism!  I am comforted in it all!”  She began to cry and said “ The Book of Mormon is true!  I read it every night and pray often! It's true!  I know it!”  She then asked us how she could have the missionaries sent to her sister and if she could take cookies to the lady next door we are teaching!  It's just amazing.  She is different now, her smile, her demeanor, everything is different!  The Spirit is with her and her life is just amazing. 

Best buddy Alfred!

     As we live our lives correctly and endure to the end, our lives can be changed for ever!  This life is so much easier as we have the spirit in our lives!  As we repent and purify out lives we can be lead by the Holy Spirit of the Lord.  Is there a greater comfort?  On Saturday we had another really neat experience!!  Rob told us he had a job interview! He has been looking for a job for months and months!  He only has one pair of clothes though!  A sister in the ward just stepped in and did amazing things.  She took us to a Nordstrom Rack with Rob down the street and bought him outfits for his interview!!  Rob has come so far.  He has come from a man lost and aquainted with grief to a man with hope and joy!  Every week he changes.  That is the fruit of the spirit!  It brings about a change in us and in our lives!  His baptism is on Friday, and what a blessing that will be!  
     I have been deeply blessed this week!  I know that Jesus Christ, our very Savior and Redeemer lives!!!!!  He loves each and every one of us and knows our pains!  I love you all!  I love this mission and all it has brought me!  This is true!  I know it and I sure know that God knows it!!!!  Love, Elder Aiken.

A beautiful baptism!

     Goood Morning everyone!!!  I hope all of the women had a great Mothers Day.  I just want to take a quick moment to let you all know how much I love you!!  I have been blessed with so many great Mothers in my life who have changed my life forever!  I truly love you all, thank you for being here for me and for your prayers and for all ways being there for me throughout my life. 

Elder Aiken, Natalie, Josh and Elder Berry

     This week I have learned lessons that will shape my life forever.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve this mission!!!  On Friday was Natalie and Josh's baptism.  It was a great evening!  To see this family's life begin to change forever was so touching.  We have worked so hard with this family for months and truly they are just amazing!  I am so grateful for them and that I was able to serve here at this time. They have become family.  Josh will go on to be a great leader in the church someday.  I firmly believe that!  He is a special young man with a tender spirit.  The Lord has blessed me dearly to get to know this family!!  This week I have been blessed with a few other great experiences.  The past week has been a bit tough, struggling with the weather here!  Not seeing the sun for months can be tough!  But I have felt the calming love of the Savior. I found this talk on the floor in the apartmeny by Joseph B. Worthlin. And in it, he talks about leaving the spirit world and in it he says this: “ We must have sorrowed that a veil would cover our eyes and the bright memories of our lives would be cloaked in the forgetfulness of mortality.  How we must have yearned to stay close to our Father in Heaven.  How we must have covenanted to ever reach after Him and commune with Him.  Undoubtedly our separation from our Heavenly Father was softened when He promised that as we sought after Him in prayer,  He would reach toward us.”  How true that is!  What a special knowledge to have that as we pray to our Father in Heaven he WILL reach toward us!!  I have felt that strongly this week. 

     Saturday I wanted to fast for some things and I kept feeling that I should fast for strength. “Fast for Strength!” kept coming into my head.  When I called home on Sunday I learned my dad had been ill.  My emotions were raw as I yearned to be with my family.  But the peace from fasting overcame me!
   This week my life has been deeply touched.  We all go through struggles, things that we feel we can't ever overcome.  But thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ, he has walked our paths before and is ever reaching down to lift us up! We must look to him and turn to him in time of need.  I love this life and this world.  At times our struggles seem to be that hardest thing we can go through, but at the deepest point in our struggles it always seems that the Savior lifts us up!  I am grateful for this church and this life!  And for all the Mothers who have lifted me up over the years.  And for my Mom!  She is my best friend and has helped me greatly throughout my life. What a special lady she is!  I love you all!  Have a wonderful week!!!

Love - Elder Aiken.

Happy Mother's Day!

     Hello everyone!!  Time is flying by almost too fast out here, it doesn’t seem real!!! 
     This week was one of ups and downs but a great one at that!  My testimony has grown so much this week.  My heart has been deeply touched at the blessing it is to see lives change. It gives us time to contemplate our own testimonies and the role they play in our lives. 
     This week was a busy one with a few five hour training days but they were so uplifting!  We have been blessed with an amazing Mission President who has blessed my life dearly.  Natalie was supposed to be baptized on Saturday but it has been moved to this weekend.  On Wednesday while I was at the meeting I got a text from my companion saying that Natalie had texted our phone saying she had decided that she wasn’t going to be baptized.  My heart sank.  I just wanted to run out of the meeting and knock on her door!  I couldn’t get out fast enough.  Once we got home from the meeting we hurried over to her house.  When she answered the door her face was full of sadness and confusion.  As we sat at the dinner table she poured out her concerns and the reasons why she felt she shouldn’t be baptized.  For a moment I lost all hope as her testimony seemed to have taken a 180. We paused for a moment and asked how have you come to know these things are true?  I will never, ever forget the spirit that entered that room. As tears fell from her eyes, we all bore testimony of the truth she already knew.  She said “Satan is doing all he can to stop me.”  It was amazing all of the things that Satan had put into her mind.  He has done all he can to stop this special family from being baptized. We asked Natalie if we could leave that night with a kneeling prayer. As Brandon, Josh, Natalie, our fellowship, Elder Berry, and I knelt, the spirit was just burning.  Natalie said the most hearfelt prayer that I have ever heard, that God would continue guiding and helping her and Josh towards baptism!! As we got back up she said “ I finally am excited!” And we sat and planned the whole baptism! It was amazing to enter her home and see her face as it was filled with sorrow and to watch the spirit change her demeanor to a bright smile.  I will never forget that night as long I live. The Holy Ghost is real, and the light of Christ is given to each of us to know the truth before we enter baptism! 
     On Thursday during our morning studies we got a text from Natalie saying, “I can't be baptized, I just can’t.”  I have never felt that kind of saddness before. We have developed a sincere love for this family, they feel like my own.  She said I need space to decide on my own!  So on Friday after the next set of meetings we felt impressed to stop by her house but there was no answer.  So we biked out to our tracting spot which was 25 minutes away.  As we got to the top of the hill and began to pray where we should go tracting we both looked at each other in the middle of the prayer “Natalie!!!”  We booked it back down the hill and across the valler to her apartment! Again there was no answer.  We walked next to the building and it was Elder Berry’s turn to pray and I said this is weird but pray that God will send her home. When we said "amen", Natalie pulled in.  She was so excited to see us and we just had such an amazing lesson. The night after the amazing lesson we had she had horrible nightmares about joining the church!  So we decided that we were going to start a fast with her!  She was so excited!  Much of the ward fasted with us.  As we were about to start the fast Josh, who will also be baptized walked in the room and asked what we were doing! We explained we were going to fast.  He asked if he could too!! It was amazing! As we fasted with her on Sunday we were in shock.  Every single person bore their testimony on one of her concerns!  My life was touched forever.  The faith of a young boy and his mom was built so deeply this Sunday as they saw the powers of heaven influence the members of the ward. The power in fasting is real.  The Lord knows each and everyone of us and as we are willing to sacrifice for an answer we are struggling with He will touch us! I know this church is true with all of my heart! I know that God lives and answers our prayers.  Every time.  
     Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful women who have helped me in my life - especially my mom!  I love you all - Elder Aiken.

Transfer mix-up!

     Good Morning Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Easter!  We had an amazing week!  The weather has been great.  I sent a picture from attending the Stake Presidents home during the amazing weather!

     I forgot to explain the bike crash last week! Two Mondays ago I got new brake pads.  But for a few days after we didn’t use the bikes because we spent most of the time in the Issaquah first ward!  On Friday we headed out to Tiger Mountain and decided to bike down a dirt road to hit a few houses.  And so I realized there was a huge pot hole and slammed on my brakes because my old brakes were horrible! So totally forgetting I had brand new brakes, my face flew straight into the dirt road!  I flew completely end over end. That was a great experience! One I will always treasure! 
     So there was a big mix up at transfers.  Elder Berry and I are now covering the Issaquah first!  I am very excited.  I will surely miss the Tiger Mountain ward.  It was such an amazing place to serve.  I can't wait to come back and visit them, they blessed my life more than they can know!  
     This week was just great.  Natalie and Josh are scheduled to baptized this upcoming weekend.  I am so excited, I have come to love this family so much!  This week she is very sick so we hope and pray that things get better!  
     There was an amazing experience that happened on Friday!  There was a man named Rob that we taught a few months back but has had legal troubles.  We've struggled staying in contact with him.  For weeks I have been praying to find him again so we can continue teaching him!  We are on bikes now, so on Friday we had biked up this huge hill to begin tracting.  But after awhile there it didn’t feel right! We began to pray to know where we should be and I just kept feeling “Look at your planner!” I opened up my planner and Rob's name stood out in 1000 point font!  We biked down to his home and knocked on his door and no answer!! As we got back on our bikes and put our helmets on a taxi pulled up. I was just like no way.  And out walks Rob!!  We were all so excited to see each other!  Rob is back on date for May 21^st and I am so happy for him!  His life was changing so dramatically when he began to learn about the gospel. 
     I know with all of my heart that the Holy Ghost can speak to us.  It’s the greatest gift that we can be given in this life and is the great blessing of this church!  The priesthood power has been restored to the earth so we can be given the Holy Ghost as a constant companion at baptism!  I love you all and hope you have had a great Easter!  We spent ours with the Rennies!  A family that I have come to love with all of my heart.  Easter was a special one for me.  The spirit of the Lord was so strong and so close.  Have a great week my dear friends.  Love, Elder Aiken.

Staying put - companion #4!

Last day with Elder Lindeman

    Good Morning!!!  Well I have killed another companion off! Elder Lindman has been transferred!  I will miss him so much!  I have had the best companions and he is just amazing!  He will do great things for the mission! 

Companion #4 - Elder Berry

  

   Elder Berry is my new companion! From Las Vegas!  He is such a great Elder.  He was actually Elder Lindeman's MTC companion!  This will be another blessed transfer!  We are now covering the Tiger Mountain ward only.  The Issaquah first ward has its own elders now!  I will truly miss that ward and area.  I grew to love our investigators so much!  

    This past week has been amazing! (Other than crashing my bike!)  Words can't describe!  It felt as though everything that I have been working for the past transfer has all wrapped up.  After the many struggles and hard work we were able to leave that area with a full heart.  They have three people that are on date and a few more to come!  I will truly miss serving there!  Natalie and Josh have my heart! The gospel was blessing their lives so richly!!  Natalie and Josh attended their first service last week. We met this week and we asked Josh about his class.  He named every thing they talked about and just loved it!  He said “I felt warm inside there, I felt comforted!” It was the most humbling thing to talk to a 10 year old so in tune with the spirit to feel the difference between that building and any other. 

    We had six investigators at church this Sunday! Three in each ward!  The Lord sent down his richest blessings.  Dallas and Kam came in the Tiger Mountain ward - people I taught my first week here.  And we just barely got back in.  They came to the ward party on Saturday night and just loved it!!!  Dallas tied in the Oreo eating contest.  Haha it was so funny!  The spirit in our lives this week was very touching!  So many people began to progress and move forward with the gospel!  Truly amazing!  I learned much this past week.  I learned a lot about the heavenly virtue of patience:  “To accept the Lord's will and timing.” 

    Yesterday we ran into yet another man struggling without the knowledge of life after this one.  As we walked down the driveway I saw an older man working on his old 1940’s dodge pickup.  He had some beautiful antique cars that I was just amazed by.  After a bit of chatting about his cars I asked him about religion.  As tears began to form in his eyes he said, “That’s not for me, never has been.  Not since I had my son.  We just lost him last month, he was handicapped and struggled for 40 years.  If that’s part of the plan I want none of it.”  My heart sank.  To see a loving father struggle so deeply.  He said he doesn’t know where his son is but he hopes that he is where he wants to be.  As we walked back down the driveway my mind began thinking for the next hour or so about life, and what I know it to be.  How has this life blessed me?  And why am I here?  God has an amazing plan.  A plan that does, at times, involve suffering and pains, if not for us, watching those around us suffer.  I know that God does live and that His plan is for us to grow and become better.  So that we can enjoy the richest blessing we can receive, returning to live in His presence.  We hope and pray that our testimonies touched that man!  I know that God lives and loves us all!  If we will just lean on him. HAPPY EASTER! 

Love, Elder Aiken.

(Elder Lindeman's letter)


Well... i got transferred again.  Transfer calls came on Sunday night. we were both positive Elder Aiken was leaving. We knew he was. He has been in his first area for 6 months. He started saying goodbye to people in the ward cause he thought he was leaving. Elder Aiken and i worked really really hard together. the last week we were together we found a couple new investigators, one of which looked like a bishop. We got Natalie, Josh, and Kim on date for baptism. It was like we had been suffering for 5 weeks and then God blessed us with miracles. that last week things picked up and we were blessed for our hard work and sacrifice, and then i got transferred before i saw the end result of our labors.

 My last day with Elder Aiken we spent 9 Hours tracting. 4 of them were on bike on the muddy, gravel, mountainous roads of Tiger Mountain. It was a fun experience. :)  elder Aiken was joking that we could take on lance.

This transfer really hurt me. i still really can't believe i have been transferred. after six weeks you finally start to get to know people in the ward, and you begin to love your investigators, and then your ripped away from it... Oh well, that's my sad story. I'M Done Feeling Sorry For Myself.

It's "Bump Week"!

     Good Morning Everyone!!!!  I can't believe it's "bump week" - or my 6-month mark!  Time has gone by so fast.  Just a quick side note. The sun came out twice this week! The first time in three weeks that we have seen the sun! What a great sight this has been.  (Which gave me the chance to do what I love - mow a lawn!!!)

     The experiences of a mission are truly wonderful.  So full of things that I will never forget.  I am sad that this is already the last week of this transfer!  It feels like walking on an escalator backwards! I can never seem to catch up, time is always slipping by. 
     Yesterday Natalie and her two boys came to church.  After a long week it was so great to look over and see Natalie enjoying the speakers and coloring on paper with brandon ( He is 4). They are such an amazing family who I have come to love so much. The gospel just changes people.  It really does.  A new light comes into their lives!  It’s the greatest testimony that THIS CHURCH IS TRUE!!  Natalie and the boys love church!  Haha Brandon was a bit rambunxious but when we went to pick him up from his class, boy did he come out folding those arms!  A great little sunbeam now!!  
     Earlier in the week we had another experience that really touched my heart.  We went to go set up an appointment with a lady that we haven't taught for awhile.  As we were walking up to her door we saw a lady standing on the curb with luggage next to her.  So we hurried over there to talk to her!  We asked why she was waiting here for a ride, and she said, "I don’t know I just told my friend to meet me here"! As we talked to this sweet lady she explained that she was waiting to get a ride to go and visit her son across the pass. We talked for a brief minute and asked if we could share a message about families when she gets back.  And she said what about families?  “We just want to share a message about where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going!”  She began to cry and said “I have lost two dear friends recently.  My friend died in front of me and I tried to revive him but he passed on.”  She said, “do you know where they are.”  She began to cry and said, “No.”  I am not sure if we will ever see her again.  But I was touched deeply.  
     Many times in my mission I have met people who have a loss of hope.  Either from their mistakes, the shape of the world, or because of the mistakes of others.  The gospel is the light that we all need in our lives.  The gospel is hope!  Oh how much the world needs of it.  I am ever so grateful for the chance that I have been given to spread hope to the world! That God does live and Jesus is the Christ!  He died for our sins and overcame death so that we can be together forever, as FAMILIES.  I love this Church with all of my heart and I love seeing the light that can come into people's lives as they learn more!  I am so grateful that the priesthood power is on the earth today!  I just wish everyone knew that.  With Easter around the corner, I am so grateful for my Savior!  I love you all more than you know - Elder Aiken.

Refiners Fire

     This has been such a great week in my mission. The spirit of General Conference was something I will never forget. The week prior to this was a bit trying. We were going through a “refiners fire.” Going through a refining time is hard while you are going through it. But it's amazing to see how much you grow when you come out on the other side isn't it? 
     I loved Elder Christofferson's talk when he talked about being trimmed and cut down.  It’s the most true statement in the world, God truly does know who he wants us to become.  We have to go through trials to be able to grow.  
    We went through a tough week to be able to experience the joys of this week!  This week was a true blessing from heaven. We were able to find a new investigator in each ward and begin re-teaching a few others!  One lady Lora, we have been trying to get ahold of for weeks. We were planning on giving up.  On Friday we were praying where we should go and we felt strongly to go knock on her door. So we drove down there and we knock on her door and she answers “Come in!”  It was such a miracle!  There wasn’t another male in the house so we asked if we could come right back and bring a member!  A member was there within five minutes which was another miracle because it was in the afternoon!  As we taught she said she had previously been to church activities from friends in Arizona, but was nervous because all Mormon families seemed perfect!  Very far from the truth.  We are all far from perfect!!  She was amazed that there was a prophet on the earth she said "there is not a more needed time for a prophet!"  It was an amazing lesson.   This week was one of many miracles and a week I will always be thankful to the Lord for! 
    I love serving here in this wonderful mission!  Conference was simplying amazing.  I was most touch by the talks on charity!  It is my hope that we can all reach out a little more to those around us. We are truly blessed beyond measure, our cups are overflowing and the world needs us.  There are many less fortunate than us!  I love you all so much and hope you truly have a great week!!!  Love, Elder Aiken.