Take this challenge...

     Hello everyone how are you?  I am doing great! I
am loving this work so much and learning and growing every day! 
     This last week was so good! We had a funny experience where I went to go buy a new pair of church pants, and as we walked out we saw a man who was wearing a t-shirt with a a little front breast pocket. Normal stuff right? What was not normal was that in that pocket, the man just casually had the rough equivalent of $100,000 in yen. I am not kidding! The pocket was huge and he had roughly1000 bills which
are each equal to $100 dollars in a stack about like 2 inches thick. It was crazy!  I was thinking someone could take that so fast? In America that guy would have been robbed in around 2 seconds!  Crazy.
     The day was only complete when we went to service at a nursing home and an old woman there, read my palm. She told me I would never have any major illnesses and that I would have a great family if I got married. A big family. So funny. Good week.
     We continue to teach a 17 year old who was less active.  He's talking about going on a mission!  What a blessing to be a part of.





     This last week I also had the very humbling experience of doing a "40 Day Fast." It was such a spiritual experience for me and it was so humbling. I felt like I needed to be more consecrated to the Lord and to sanctify myself more in his work. I wanted to feel the spirit to an even greater abundance. So what that "40 Day Fast" includes is fasting
for 24 hours, and during that time, pondering on things that you want to "fast from" for the 40 days. During the fast, as you ponder you write a list of all the things you want to fast from to become closer to our Savior and to our Father in Heaven and feel the spirit more. For example one of mine was little negative things. I want to fast from saying them for 40 days to try to overcome that bad habit forever. It was very humbling, but a very cool experience! I really would challenge all of you to try it on this next fast Sunday. I can
promise you that you will be able to think of things you want out of your life to become closer to the Lord. It can be anything from a behavior or personal habit, to a type of movie or manner of speaking. Then make a list and check it every day. I am excited to see how strong my true conviction to the Lord is and if I can do it over the next 40 days. I had thought about doing this for a little while, but the thing that really pushed me is when I read this in my personal study. "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
     This mission has been the happiest time of my life because I have acted upon my testimony of the Father and the Son and I came out on a mission and I am doing his will. I read this and it pushed me even further to be more sanctified because if I am ever thinking of home, after my mission, or things before, then my thoughts are not aligned with my actions. Home is not where I am supposed to be right now. I cannot be there. So my thoughts and words need to be here
along with my actions, and it will be the happiest two years of my life. It already has been so far. I challenge all of you to at least think in your minds and ask yourself if your thoughts, your words, and your actions truly are aligned. Please if they are not aligned change that. Please "have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness." We cannot be happy ever, if we are not
happy with ourselves. Make the change if you need to. Please try the 40 Day Fast if you can. I know you will find things that you want to change, or maybe do not but you know will make you happier, during that time of special spiritual sensitivity.
     Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Trevor Aiken