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

God can soften any heart!

      Hello everyone! This week was such a blessing. It was transfer week and I'm staying. By the end of this new transfer I will have been here in Reedley for 7 months. I think they might name a street after me! 

    This week, Elder Pazmino had been working so hard to find new people to teach and to get to church. We were knocking some doors when we decided to go contact a referral. As we went over to the home and knocked, a lady answered the door.  We said that we were there to share a message with a man named jose. He didn't live there. This lady went on to tell us that she had heard from missionaries about 6 years ago in another part of California and was shocked that we found her house. I was not shocked by this as I knew that God had placed us at her door to re-strike missionary lessons with her. She was more than happy to listen to what we had to say. We felt inspired to talk about prayer. Because there wasn't a man home we shared it right there on her porch. When we began to talk about how God answers prayers, she said she found it interesting how she had been praying this past week to help her get rid of the confusion about religion. And there we were standing at her door as that answer to her prayer! The spirit immediately swept in as we testified the reason why we were there and how we had been sent there. I know that it was not by accident that we were sent to her home. We invited her to church the next day and she said yes. The next morning she was there at church! She said that she felt at home as she came into the building! 

     This week we also have been teaching Ari and -----, both have been progressing and have come to church the last 3 weeks. It's funny that ----- initially wanted nothing to do with religion.  When we started teaching his girlfriend Ari he wanted nothing to do with it.  But slowly each week he starting participating in the lessons and then he was saying prayers. The first week when he came to church he was in a dress up shirt with the top buttons unbuttoned, the next week he was wearing a red shirt with a tie, and this past week he was in a suit, white shirt and tie! God softens hearts! Ari and ----- will be getting married this next week, and will be getting baptized on the 25th of August! 

     I know that God lives and He can soften even the hardest of hearts! I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior! One year in the mission has gone by so fast! I have learned so much and am so grateful for the opportunity to serve our Master, and King Jesus Christ! 

     I love you all - have a great week!

Elder Tanner Aiken

Power of the Priesthood!

     This week has been great.  We were able to have Jorge's confirmation which was so memorable.  
   This week we also received a call from the Relief Society President who said a woman in Reedley needed a blessing.  We went to her home and she told us she had been having a hard week where she was having flashbacks of her past when she was abused.  We gave her a blessing and she was so happy to have received it.  Within 30 seconds of giving her the blessing, she received a miracle phone call she had been waiting and praying for!  She told us we were "miracle makers"!
     I know that God has helped me again see the power of the Priesthood.  I love serving as a missionary!  These times will never be forgotten.  I have seen some truly amazing miracles and have been able to feel the guidance of the Holy Ghose each and every day.
     I love you all so much!  I thank my Heavenly Father each day for the wonderful family I have been given.  I know that families can be together forever.  I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ is our  Savior.  The Atonement is real.  This is Christ's Church here on the earth today.  How blessed we are!  Have a great week - and be strive to be someone's miracle each and every day!

Love,
Elder Tanner Aiken

The pure influence of the Spirit!

Elder Pazmino, Jorge and me at Jorge's baptism!

     Hello everyone! This week has been a true blessing from the Lord.  First, we had Jorge's baptism.  He's the man who ran after us on the street a few weeks ago asking if we were from the same church he found in Mexico.  We were so grateful we found each other, and his baptism was one I'll never forget. 
     Also this week, Elder Pazmino and I saw some true miracles. We had four of our investigators at church.  We had been working so hard to invite all that we could to church!! We prayed and prayed that the Lord would help us to have people there and the Lord blessed us.
     This week we have been teaching the woman that cuts our hair, her name is Ari. She has a 7 year old daughter and lives with her boyfriend Sal. This week we taught the importance of families and how they can live together forever.  Sal, who never even seemed interested in one word we were saying, asked how and when he could marry Ari! I was absolutely shocked, but the spirit had softened his heart in that moment, and I knew that God had a perfect plan for this family. We invited them to be baptized on August 11th and they said yes. They are currently working on getting their wedding license! 
     I feel this week, more than ever, I've felt the pure influence of the spirit in all that we do.  It was such a good feeling to know that the Lord is using us as tools in His hands to lead us to His people that are prepared to hear the gospel. I have a testimony of this gospel!  I know that God lives and loves everyone of us! This is the true Church of Jesus Christ here upon the earth! I challenge each of you to pray continually everyday for missionary experiences and I know the Lord will bless you and help you to share the gospel with those who are prepared to receive it. Have a good week!  Love you all!!

Elder Tanner Aiken

New companion!

Elders from my District!

     This week has been a good one! This week was transfers, and although I was sad to see my last companion go, I was excited about the news from President Gelwix that I have the opportunity to train again! Being District leader and Trainer have been so much fun. I have loved getting to know the Elders in my District. We are all best friends!! 
     This week when we went to go pick up my companion, they put all the trainers in one room and all the trainees in another, and we wait for about three to four hours while president Gelwix prays for our companionships! While sitting in that room I felt comforted that the Lord would put me in a good companionship, one that I would feel right at home with. When we walked into the trainee room I just felt so glad to be there, it is so much fun to see a whole group of new missionaries who look so faithful and excited to get going. As President began announcing names for companionships, I was still unsure who my companion would be. As President called my name and he said Elder Pazmino, I knew for sure that I had the right companion. As I ran over to hug him we sat down and he began to tell me that he new I was his companion as soon as I walked in the room. He told me that he had a dream 2 weeks before his mission and saw that I would be his companion. I was so grateful that the Lord had prepared my companion to be with me! Funny thing is my trainer in Mexico was from Ecuador! I am currently helping him learn English and loving every moment I get to better my Spanish! I don't know what it is but the Lord must be telling me something! It's probably just because I love the Spanish people so much! 
     This week I was so grateful to see our Branch be as full as it has ever been this week. Elder Pazmino and I did all that we could to go around and invite all that we could to church. We know it paid off because the branch numbers were almost near a ward level! 
     I truly love this gospel! I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and to have these small two years to serve Him! With this new age of missionaries coming in you can truly sense that the hastening of the work has begun! I love it! Have a great week!!

Love,
Elder Tanner Aiken

Miracles never cease!

   

With President Gelwix at Sequoia National Park during recent P-day!

     Hello!  Well no transfer for me! I have been called to train again on top of my district leader duties.  President Gelwix says he has a great trust in me and wants to have me train again which I am really excited for!  I think it's always fun to get a new companion who has that deer in the headlights look the first day they get here! 

     Yesterday hit 114 degrees!  It was a furnace!  When you knock peoples doors and you have sweat dripping of the tip of your noes I think it makes them a bit hesitant to let you in!     

     This week, Elder Arredondo and I had an absolute miracle!  We were still having some struggles with finding some real strong investigators.  This past Thursday Elder Arredondo decided to read one of our favorite talks, "The Challenging and Testifying Missionary".  We really felt the spirit come over us and knew that we would see a miracle!  We set out on our day with a firm prayer that we could find someone who is ready to be baptized right now! All day we went through the heat knocking doors and knocking doors and having appointments fall through.  We were pretty depressed thinking why are we having such bad luck right now? We have worked so hard.  As Elder Arredodno and I were walking to the library to print out his driving record, we saw a woman sitting under a tree who looked a little upset.  We approached her and said we were representatives of Jesus Christ and asked if we could say a prayer.  She looked up at us a little shocked and said she would love a prayer. We offered that prayer and as soon as we finished she was sobbing, saying how hard this week has been for her after losing one of her close friends.  We sat down with her and shared the Plan of Salvation.  The spirit was so strong as we talked about the Celestial Kingdom and having that chance to return to live with our families again. We invited her to church this Sunday and she said yes!  

     Our day was starting to turn around but we still knew someone was out there.  After dinner Elder Arredondo and I went by to see a former investigator.  As we knocked no one answered and we headed back to the street, when all the sudden we see a man walking towards us.  He asked if we were the missionaries from the church that uses the Book of Mormon and we said yes we are.  He went on to tell us that he had just moved from Mexico a week ago, and had been taught by the missionaries over there.  He said I love that book I don't know what it is but I feel good when I read it.  He said he had also gone to church with the missionaries over in Mexico.  My companion and I looked at each other and smiled. We walked with him back to his house and we shared a message with him about baptism. He said he had not been baptized and we testified of the need to be baptized by the priesthood authority of God, the spirit swept in and we invited him to be baptized. He said, "yes, I don't not want to miss this opportunity again! right now we are helping him change his work schedule so he can be baptized soon".  It was such a miracle!  I know God is a god of miracles when we pray and ask in faith we will see them!  But it isn't until after that trial of our faith!  I have seen such great things happen in this area of Reedley and I know obedience to the mission rules and commandments has helped us through everything!

     Happy 4th of July everyone!

Love,

Elder Tanner Aiken

The Power of Prayer!

Grapefruit the size of my head!

      This week (June 2nd through 9th) has been a week full of tender mercies! I have had some great experiences and the Lord has directed my companion and I in all that we do! 

     This past Saturday, we had a appointment with one of our investigators. George is a struggling alcoholic and had a baptismal date for the 16th of june but that has kind of fallen through. We walked into his house and as his brother invited us in, George walked in from the back of the house, stumbling and as drunk as I have seen him. He looked at us and started to weep. He said, "Satan has a hold of me and I cannot stop drinking"! He sat down and began weeping harder and asking how he can change his life. He has tried to stop drinking but he can't do it! The withdrawls are so bad for him. We sat there a moment in silence as the spirit filled our hearts and minds. We bore testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, how  he is a good man in spite of his struggle with addiction to alcohol. My companion bore testimony of the power of blessings we had given him a week earlier. I felt such sadness for this man! He was grateful for our presence and knew that we are representatives of Jesus Christ! That was a powerful moment on my mission, one that I will never forget.   

We are currently teaching his family as well. We know that his family can help him overcome this trial so that one day he may walk into a baptismal font. 

     This Sunday (the 2nd) we also had a very neat experience. One of the sisters in the ward who is a single mom and also a recent convert of about 4 years, had us over for dinner. Right when we got there I noticed that something was wrong, she seemed very sad, but she was also so grateful to have us in her home. As the dinner ended I pulled out the scripture Alma 37:37 to, "counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct the for good"! As I ended the scripture and bore testimony of prayer, she said, "how is it that you knew I was struggling with prayer"? She said, "I was thinking that I have not had consistent prayer in months and have been struggling with some things". I was so happy to have been there in that moment to bring her the comfort that she needed at that time. As we got up to leave I felt an impression to just ask her if we could give her a blessing. When I asked that she said, "yes please! I was to afraid to ask you because I have been struggling with depression for the past few months and I know the power of blessings"! I was so happy that the Lord used us as instruments this week to bring some comfort to His children! 

     I know the power of blessings and prayers of faith are real! I have seen it, and I have lived it! I know that God truly does answer our prayers and He does work through others to answer those prayers! I also have a firm testimony of the Holy Ghost and know that we must always be in tune to receive  those blessings so that we can be directed for good!         Everything has been going great here in Reedley! Very hot... Very fun...and I am loving my mission! Everyone have a great week!

Love,

Elder Tanner Aiken

(Though he didn't add this to his weekly blog, we thought we'd share a wonderful email he received from his first companion in California: 

Elder Aiken!!!!

I love you so much!!  I have great news for you!  So remember at the last leadership meeting we had last transfer and I updated you on G------- and her family?  She's the one that was telling us about her bad experience with this other Mormon lady and how she didn't want to hear anything from us and was ready to kick us off her door step?  When you with your Christ like heart full of charity and pure desires told her that we simply wanted to bless her and her home?  And how that touched her heart especially after you gave the Harvesting Blessing?  Well we had been teaching her and she got baptized last Saturday, June 1st!  I wanted to let you know how much of an impact you made in Modesto, even only being there for a few weeks. I also wanted to thank you for your example, that is one of those things from my mission that I'll never forget.  I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to serve with you and to have that experience together, you taught me a lot.  Keep up the great work!  And if there's anything I can do to bless your life please let me know!!

Elder Blake)