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| Finally got to play some basketball! |
This week was so good, so much better than last week! I have learned so much, including the fact me and my companion are complete opposites. He is native Japanese so our food tastes are very different. The food he eats every meal so far as a missionary, not kidding, has been rice or noodles. For the three meals, curry, ramen, then rice for dinner. Next day. Curry, udon with cabbage, rice with fermented beans. Then, udon with cabbage again, curry then ramen. Then the other thing was, I asked if he wanted to work out with me and get strong. He responded in Japanese but I did not understand one word. He told it in English and then I knew his meaning. He told me he would rather be soft. He likes it better that way! I had never heard that in my life! He is the best! It is pretty quiet in the apartment but I love him so much! I have determined he is so quiet because he gets all of the noise out when he sleeps. It is like a straight full grown Kodiak bear. Like a male Kodiak bear in hibernation in a thunder storm just to give you an image! It was the first time I have ever used ear plugs in my life but I am thinking it might be a permanent adjustment. I love my companion truly and I am learning in every way!
Anyway, on to my spiritual thought. This past week I had the blessed opportunity to be interviewed by President Nagano and his wife separately. I conveyed to them my thoughts about working to find the line between being promised a baptism every month and trusting in the Lord's timing and being patient. I am being obedient and working hard and giving my all. I did not know what I was doing wrong. Sister Nagano just sat there silently nodding her head, but did not say anything to comfort my worried mind. She just looked down at her paper and said, Elder Aiken I saw your transcript, I know your GPA in high school. You are have a smart mind. Why are you wasting it?? You could become a tutor and offer to teach English and math! You are wasting the gifts God has given you! You are serving with all of your heart, might, and strength. You need to serve with all of your heart, might, MIND, and strength. I was stunned. Her words pierced my core. It was so obvious. So many ideas came to my mind of how I could help serve using the gifts God has given me. I was not using my mind. How are we using our minds in serving the Lord? Are we simplifying things in our homes rather than making them more complicated? Are we paying heed to God's rules rather than creating our own? Are we truly sending up our sincere thoughts and desires to the Lord in our prayers at night? Are we pondering our scriptures?
Also, during Sacrament meeting are we giving our thoughts to the Savior? That is 1 hour a week out of 168. I think we we can give one hour to the Lord. He gave His life for us. Take that hour to renew your covenants with your Savior each week and start that week refreshed. You do not need to "refresh" your Facebook page to see a new post or Intragram to see a new photo. You do not need to "refresh" your thoughts on work on Monday or that long awaited afternoon nap. You do not need to refresh thoughts of anger or sadness for things that happened that last week. That is what the Sacrament is for. To take those away. Refresh your thoughts of the Savior's atonement and all that He did for us. Use your minds to simplify the over-complicated. Use your minds to find new ways to serve the Lord in your callings. Especially if it is youth oriented. If we serve with all of our heart, might, MIND, and strength, we will have no time to have thoughts of doubt, discouragement, and displacement. Which is also why it was brought up in conference to start "ponderizing." I have started ponderizing for the first time this week with Genesis 18:11-14. Because if our mind is set on the Lord, resembling actions and deeds always follow. So walk into that Sacrament meeting every Sunday resembling the Savior. Meaning we spent our week in his service and we are worthily and willingly ready to partake of that sacred bread and water. I am working on using my mind to be an example of the believers and to strive to find the youth here in Japan that are ready to hear about this gospel even if they do not know it yet. Sometimes there are situations where we cannot put our gifts and talents into use. But I have realized that a mission is meant to not only use them all but it calls upon a higher purpose. This is God's time so I need to use God's gifts He has given me. I ask you all to do the same! Please direct your mind to the Lord! Please Ponderize a scripture every week to come closer to the Lord and to His word. Keep your feet on the path, your hands on the rod, and keep your eyes on Christ! I love you all so much!
Also, during Sacrament meeting are we giving our thoughts to the Savior? That is 1 hour a week out of 168. I think we we can give one hour to the Lord. He gave His life for us. Take that hour to renew your covenants with your Savior each week and start that week refreshed. You do not need to "refresh" your Facebook page to see a new post or Intragram to see a new photo. You do not need to "refresh" your thoughts on work on Monday or that long awaited afternoon nap. You do not need to refresh thoughts of anger or sadness for things that happened that last week. That is what the Sacrament is for. To take those away. Refresh your thoughts of the Savior's atonement and all that He did for us. Use your minds to simplify the over-complicated. Use your minds to find new ways to serve the Lord in your callings. Especially if it is youth oriented. If we serve with all of our heart, might, MIND, and strength, we will have no time to have thoughts of doubt, discouragement, and displacement. Which is also why it was brought up in conference to start "ponderizing." I have started ponderizing for the first time this week with Genesis 18:11-14. Because if our mind is set on the Lord, resembling actions and deeds always follow. So walk into that Sacrament meeting every Sunday resembling the Savior. Meaning we spent our week in his service and we are worthily and willingly ready to partake of that sacred bread and water. I am working on using my mind to be an example of the believers and to strive to find the youth here in Japan that are ready to hear about this gospel even if they do not know it yet. Sometimes there are situations where we cannot put our gifts and talents into use. But I have realized that a mission is meant to not only use them all but it calls upon a higher purpose. This is God's time so I need to use God's gifts He has given me. I ask you all to do the same! Please direct your mind to the Lord! Please Ponderize a scripture every week to come closer to the Lord and to His word. Keep your feet on the path, your hands on the rod, and keep your eyes on Christ! I love you all so much!
Love,
Elder Trevor Aiken
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