I made it!

      Hello everyone!  We left for Tokyo a week ago - and before I boarded the plane, I had to get one more Cafe Rio burrito!  I know it will be awhile before I get another one so I couldn't pass it up!

My first companion - Elder Higashi

     The flight to Tokyo was very long - but once we landed - I fell in love with it.  This is the best place on earth!  I have loved every single second. Seriously!
     I woke up for my first full day in Japan at the mission home to get my training and meet my companion. As you saw he is a Nihonjin. That means Japanese person. It is so rare to happen. I am in a tri-panionship because the third elder leaves in a week and me and my companion got whitewashed into an area.  So he'll be helping us get to know the area for a week before he leaves.  
     I got called to the furthest northeast area of my mission and the mission home is in the furthest southwest part.  It is about a 5 hour ride by bus and then a 2 hour train ride and then a 20 minute walk.  We had to leave immediately just to make it to our place in time to have dinner get settled and go to sleep on time so I missed my Facebook training which is why I haven't gotten it yet.
     So I woke up on my first day in my area and my companion, Elder Higashi, does not really do any work outs in the morning except for that handheld hand workout where you squeeze it.  But my other companion on the other hand... asked me if I wanted to get really fit with his workout. He is a Polynesian linebacker that is going to BYU but he broke his wrist and if he injures it again it has to be fused so he is not going to play for them. Anyway the first day was 200 diamond push ups. It took me soooo long and my triceps literally ripped in half - or at least felt that way.  
     The food is pretty good.  We rarely if ever will be fed. For breakfast I just have eggs or granola with yogurt. I miss fruit so much though. One peach down here is 4 dollars. Fruit and meat are outrageously expensive you would not believe. But to my main problem of Japan. They do not kill spiders because they believe it is bad luck to do so... NO LIE!!!!!!  And I am not kidding when I say they are everywhere and they are huge! Because they literally never kill them so they go anywhere they want.  We went to dinner the other night and came out and there was a spider that was about 2 inches around with its legs extended just chillin like it was casual.  I threw a rapper up there and it just flew to it and spun its web around it and had it rapped up in no lie about 20 seconds and I flew to my bike and just hit the road!       
     Now to my companion and my area!  First I have the cool opportunity on the 2nd, 3rd and the 4th of August here in Nagaoka - it's the biggest firework show in Japan.  People keep telling me it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see. It is celebrated because of peace between Japan and the U.S. after WWII. Super cool.  Our area is Nagaoka and has 250 members. But only 25 active members sadly. It is a group.  But these members are amazing. We have been teaching this 17 year old named Koki and he wants to be baptized so badly but his parents will not let him.  So I challenged him to go home that night and bear his testimony to his parents of what he believes and to testify by the spirit and pray that the spirit could not be held back from that room. I told him to just keep believing. He texted me later that night and said "Elder Aiken I did it but my parents are hard to change their mind but I felt so good when I did it and I know it was the Holy Ghost. I believe!"  I have prayed every day for his parents to let him join. He wants to join and serve a mission as soon as possible and he is seriously so powerful. He is studying English a lot and is actually pretty good which is so rare. Especially in this area because we are so far from Tokyo and these people do not speak English. But he wants to go on a mission English speaking in America. 
     My companion is hilarious! He only knows a little English but he is awesome. I was about to step on the scale the other day and my companion says in broken English, "Today you see miracle. But only after you have a trialof your faith. You can do it. Step on" Then I stepped off and he says, "Its ok, God still loves you. And we have faith and ipad." I was laughing so hard. I am learning the language a lot because of it. And I will a ton more when the other Elder leaves and I have to lean on him which will make me learn it more quickly. 

     I learned how to fully explain the structure of prayer with an analogy and how to pray without any English.  It was so cool.  I have to make it very simple to them. I used the analogy of a sandwich. You need the two pieces of bread but you can put anything in the middle. Just as you need to open by addressing Heavenly Father and closing in Jesus' name but anything can go in the middle. But that we should start by giving thanks then ask a specific question that we want answered. I was so excited when I learned that. This Church is so true. These people are so ready for the gospel but Satan has such a grip on their hearts. Pornography plus drugs and alcohol are huge here too in a lot of areas so that is so sad.  
     I love this area. I love Japan!!!  I found some scriptures that I loved for Japan that I thought applied directly:

2nd Nephi 10:21-22

21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the
isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more
than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.

22 For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the
house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold,
the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he
remembereth us also.

     The church is true no matter where you go. These people just need to see that light.  Have a great week!

Love you all!
Elder Trevor Aiken

Goodbye MTC!

    Time is flying so fast in the MTC. I truly cannot believe that I am leaving here in just 2 days. I am truly leaving my home. I look at the mountains and see the big Y on the
mountain and I feel like I am still kind of at home so I am interested to see how leaving the country for 2 years will be. I am so excited to go!! 
     I just want to talk about going to Japan right now. Do not listen to any negative opinions about the MTC from anyone. This is the best place ever. It is ordained of God to prepare missionaries to be the best they can be. I do not care that I learned what to say here in the MTC, it's not about that. It is about learning how to be a missionary. I have learned the language of the spirit and how to teach through it. And that is way more important than any foreign language you will learn. Cherish the MTC. 

     But about going to Japan. I have a direct 14 hour flight straight there from Salt Lake. There is no nervousness!  I
promise that that is true but I say that knowing that every day is going to be so hard, I will not understand anything, and everything will be foreign to me. I know I am going to be stretched to my very limit and that I will be so close to breaking at times. But I am not nervous because I have realized this fact. This is not my work. This is not
about me. I am just a vessel for the Lord's work to spread to other nations. If I worry and think about myself then I am not accepting that this is not about me and I will not be living with the character of Christ.  As President Hinckley said, "This is a time when you will have opportunities you will never have again. On your shoulders rests the responsibility of the Church." I cannot give in, I cannot give up, and I will not back down. I have to work every day for this service and these blessings. In a devotional this last week, the speaker said, "Don't you ever settle for mediocrity. God has given you
gifts. Use them." Average truly is the enemy of excellence. The days that I am not giving my all will be my hardest days. The best part about missionary work is work. That is where the joy is found and the ability to overcome trials is received. God did not call me to Japan to be left alone. I will receive my blessings as I work for them. 

     I want to thank everyone for helping me reach this point. It was hard to get here and become the missionary that I am. Harder than you will ever know. But thanks to all that you have done throughout my life not matter how little and how small. You helped just one youth make the correct decisions in life and correct himself when he made the incorrect ones. I would not be here without you. Yes I am just one youth, but to you I thank you. Never forget that one sheep. There might be one soul, one youth, or one friend that needs your guidance. Never forget the one. You never forgot me. You never forgot me. I am so thankful to have the parents that were always there for me. You might not know this but I have the best mom in the world. She has guided me and always been there for me. She is one of the single best examples of love and charity and service. I will always be a momma's boy! And my dad is also one of the best examples in my life. There is not a better example to me of hard work, dedication, and never quitting. And I have carried that with me every day of this mission. I dream of being half the man he is when I have a family of my own. I have the best big brothers and examples of righteously dedicated missionaries. I have always copied their mannerisms and their examples because I  knew if I could grow up to be like them then I could be someone to look up to and rely on like many have done with them. I have had the best friends in the world and I cannot wait to go dedicate the next 22 months of my life to the people of Japan.

     Thank you all again. I will ALWAYS be in your debt for guiding this one youth to this mission. The next time you hear from me I will be in Tokyo. Aishiteimasu!
Love, 
Elder Trevor Aiken

Be not afraid - only believe!

Happy 19th Birthday Trevor!

      This week was an awesome week! Almost everyone I have met and become friends with has left the MTC because I have been here for roughly eight years. Anyway I had the awesome chance to be able to clean the temple and it was so amazing. The peace you feel and the spirit there was remarkable.

     For this week I want to talk about faith. I have learned so much about faith this week. I know I have touched on it so much since I have been here but in these latter days faith is one of the most crucial aspects of life that will help us endure to the end. In a talk by James E. Faust called, "Be Not Afraid, Only Believe," he talks about faith. He says that, "Faith in every future footstep will fulfill prophetic vision concerning the glorious destinies of this church... If you take each challenge one step at a time, with faith in every footstep, your strength and understanding will increase. We can overcome all of our fears, not all at once, but one step at a time... We are the pioneers of the future." I love this. Faith in EVERY footstep. Faith is a daily concept that must be applied always. We cannot go around with "a prayer in our heart," at all times and not have faith at all times and act upon that faith. We cannot fear. In these latter days when fear creeps in our minds so do many negative, threatening, and damaging thoughts. Actions start with thoughts. They determine our actions.  We must remain positive and faithful to stay strong to overcome life's trials in these latter days. We must always have positive virtuous thoughts. Brigham Young said that, "virtue is knowing the will of God and doing it." 

     We must act just as the Brother of Jared did. In the video we see in the MTC called the Character of Christ which is a devotional to missionaries given by Elder David A. Bednar, he talks of the Brother of Jared's experience in a new light I have never seen before. In Ether 3:6 it says this: "And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear."

     I always interpreted it that The Brother of Jared saw the Lord's finger touch the stones. But Elder Bednar liked to point out that in verse 6 there is a period after finger. That is why I underlined it. He touched the stones, and then the Brother of Jared saw his finger. He pointed out that Jared did not see the finger right away because it was not meant to be a sign from the Lord. It was evidence of things not seen. The Lord touched the stones and then the Brother of Jared saw his finger. That is faith, not a sign. Elder Bednar said that the Brother of Jared's faith was confirmed by evidence of things unseen and after seeing stone after stone being lit, it is safe to say that his faith became a pure knowledge and then he saw the finger of the Lord after his faith was confirmed. I loved that thought. I have never thought of that. The Lord does not just give us signs because then we will base our testimony on those things and those testimonies never last. We need to convert unto Christ. 

     To wrap this up, I thought of President Packer with his funeral Friday and I thought of Enos and how that book is a perfect example of true conversion and enduring to the end. Enos has a wrestle before God because he hungered to be forgiven and to come unto God. He took the time to focus on himself to turn unto God and that was the last time he did so. Just as President Packer he turned unto God and spent the rest of his life focusing on others and serving others unto he met Heavenly Father once again. The last verse in Ether states this: "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."

     I know this is how President Packer met our Father in Heaven. He was such an amazing man.

Brothers and sisters, we have all had our wrestle unto God for we hungered to be forgiven and come unto Him. If we have not I plead with you to have faith and to do so now. He is just waiting for us to return unto Him. Take that time to wrestle before God and then forget yourself. Be as Elder Packer and convert yourself and then spend the rest of your life serving and converting others. 

     I testify of the truth of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love, 
Elder Trevor Aiken

Happy 4th of July!

My new Mission President - President Nagano

Choir practice for the new Mission President's Seminar 

Happy 4th of July!

     Hey everyone!!! How is everyone doing on this wonderful 4th of July week!!!! I have had an awesome week. It has been so hot outside which has zapped my energy but I have loved every second! Our choir leader down here at the MTC told us an amazing story which is on church sites but I had never heard before:

                                 A Vision in the Night Sky

     About two and a half years earlier, on September 22, 1827, two young men living miles apart—who would later become neighbors and best friends—each saw an astonishing vision in the night sky. Their names were Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball. Heber was living in Mendon, New York, near the Tomlinson Inn, and Brigham was 45 miles to the east in Port Byron.

     It began, Heber said, in the eastern horizon—a white smoke rising toward the heavens with the sound of a mighty wind. The smoke moved across the sky, in the shape of a rainbow toward the western horizon. It grew wide, then bluish in color, and became completely transparent. As Heber watched with his family and several neighbors, a large, commanding army appeared, marching in platoons across the sky from east to west. “We could distinctly see the muskets, bayonets and knapsacks of the men,” Heber recorded, “and also saw their officers with their swords and equipage, and [heard] the clashing and jingling of their implements of war, and could discover the forms and features of the men. The most profound order existed throughout the entire army; when the foremost man stepped, every man stepped at the same time; I could hear the steps. When the front rank reached the western horizon a battle ensued, as we could distinctly hear the report of arms and the rush.

     “No man could judge of my feelings when I beheld that army of men, as plainly as ever I saw armies of men in the flesh; it seemed as though every hair of my head was alive. This scenery we gazed upon for hours, until it began to disappear.” 

     Brigham Young, who at that time was not acquainted with Heber, described what he had seen the same evening: “There was a great light in the East and it went to the West and it was very bright although [there was] no moon at that time.” As he gazed at it with his wife, Miriam, they saw “great armies” marching across the night sky. The vision was “perfectly clear,” and it remained for several hours.  

     Heber and Brigham and their family members who witnessed the amazing scene felt it must have been a sign from God, but they did not know its meaning. Neither Heber nor Brigham knew the Prophet Joseph Smith or that he had received the gold plates containing the Book of Mormon that same day at the Hill Cumorah, just 20 miles to the east. These souls were going to fight the evil spirits that were going to work to stop Joseph from that great work. I was blown away by that story!!

     But my main focus this week I want to talk on turning back to God. DON'T WAIT. Satan's number one tool is to get us to sin because he knows we will all sin and make mistakes. Another of satan's tools is for us to delay repentance. He wants us to forget our God. If we remembered our Heavenly Father and His infinite love when we made mistakes there would be no problem. Would we not repent immediately, remembering God's infinite and perfect love for us and know that He would forgive any mistake? But the adversary would have us forget God's promises to us. He makes us feel unworthy to repent and worthless. Too worthless to talk to our bishop, our parents, or even to our own Father in Heaven. 

     In the story of the prodigal son, it says that when he is returning, the father sees him far off. Meaning that he was constantly watching for his son's return even though his son basically told his father that he was dead to him and wanted his inheritance immediately. Because think about it. To receive the inheritance would have meant the passing of his father, and he basically said to his dad that he was not dying fast enough and he wanted his money right then and he left. Now taking into account that he basically cut all ties with his father, his father is constantly waiting and watching in the distance. Just as our Father in Heaven. He is calling to us saying "turn back, turn around. Come on son. I am hear for you. I am not disappointed. Just turn around." He does not say this with anger loudly, but softly and lovingly. God is NEVER disappointed in the one who is repenting. Repentance in Hebrew means to turn around. Like the prodigal son, Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven are waiting for us to turn around. That is why in that story when the son turns around, his father is already running out to meet him with open arms. We need to repent now because God is waiting for us cheering us on the whole way. He never looks down on us disappointed. He knows all that we can accomplish. 

     But we cannot serve two masters. There is a story of a man who when everyone was deciding whether to follow Lucifer or the Savior in the opposing plans, he waited. He could not decide. There was a fence that divided one plan from the other and eventually two thirds followed Christ to one side and one third followed Lucifer. The man then thought, "Wait, I have all of this area to myself, I can sit on the fence, one leg on either side and get the best of both plans." Then Lucifer walked back down to the fence and asked the man what he was doing. He said, "I will sit on the fence and have the best of both plans." Lucifer just smiled and laughed, "Don't you know I own the fence." Do not sit on the fence brothers and sisters!! Do not remain idle!! Turn back!! God is not disappointed. He is waiting for you to just turn around. He cheers you on every day along with all of your loved ones. All He asks is to turn around and face the waves. The power of the Atonement gives the chance that if we just face the waves that are crashing down on us, that the Savior will step in front of that wave and will calm the storm and ease our pains just as he did for his Apostles. In Japanese the phrase used for the Plan of Salvation directly translates to the Plan of relief. That is exactly what it is!! We have so many tools to do so. God has given us the Book of Mormon. Do not see reading the scriptures daily as a chore that puts our real life on hold for a little while. That is real life!! See the scriptures as a motivation! 

     In the talk called the Power of Scripture by Richard G. Scott he says that, "Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world... Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change... Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life. They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior. They can accelerate physical healing." 

     I have never thought of that but the scriptures truly are our friend that we can call upon. In times of trial and temptation it is hard to remember our God and Savior, but as it says here the scriptures can be called upon at anytime, anywhere in the world. Turn towards your scriptures, turn towards the lighthouse, and please turn around. He is waiting and will always wait. But it is always harder to adjust your eyes to the light of Christ the longer you have been in darkness. If we work hard we can make the difference in our lives and those around us, but God is the difference. Just turn around. 

     I love you all so much. I do not know why I felt so strongly that I should send this but I did. Have an amazing week. 

Love, 
Elder Aiken.