Beautiful baptisms!

     Hello everyone - what a truly awesome week! I have loved being a part of this work but the time is going by way to fast! I want it to slow down. This point of my mission I am so happy to be where I am. The Lord has blessed me and my companion so much.

     For for the past couple of weeks we have been seeing a bigger number than we have had at sacrament meeting in a long time.  We had 5 new investigators at church, including three that have baptismal dates for the month of September!  

    We had our baptism this week for Ari and ..... It was such a great experience and the spirit was so strong. As we walked into the waters of baptism, I couldn't help but have such love for these people who will now have the opportunity to walk back into the presence of God by receiving this first covenant in their lives. We have planned for Ari and ..... to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead this week! 

     This week we also had another great experience.  We  received a referral for a woman who needed help to move into her apartment and help her mother move in as well. We headed over to her house and helped them unload the truck. We had the opportunity to talk to them about some previous missionaries who had taught them. They began to tell us that they had received their answer that the Church was true and began to bear their testimonies of our Savior Jesus Christ. I was blown away! We set up for a return appointment later in the week. We went back to their house and shared a message with them. The spirit filled the room as we testified of how the gospel had changed our lives, when all of the sudden the lady we were teaching says, "I want to be baptized on September 1st." My companion and I looked at each other and smiled.  We immediately told her that would be perfect! Her daughter then began to tell us how she also wanted to be baptized on that date! I was so shocked by the end of that lesson. Both of them had been going to church up in Atwater and will both be baptized next week! 

     I love this Church and I know with all my heart that this Church is true. I know that God lives and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that God answers our prayers individually and listens to us. In the first vision, God the Father appeared to Joseph Smith and said, "This is my Beloved Son, hear Him." God appeared to Joseph Smith and answered his prayer! What a blessing to know that we can communicate with our Father in Heaven who loves us so much! 

     I hope you all have a great week! Love you!

Elder Tanner Aiken