Week 81

     How fast these weeks go! It was a good week. We took the ferry again to Niigata for Zone Conference and it was pretty smooth but Zone Conference ended around 4:30 and the ferry we needed to take was at 4:00 so we did not know what to do.  President Nagano gave us special permission to take the 7:30 ferry to get home that night and it was late, stormy, and the ferry was rockin. I was like don't rock the boat baby don't tip the boat over. Wow, sorry! That was a bad one.  I sound like my dad! 

     But it was a great Zone Conference. We watched the district (and we also found out they just finished filming the District 3 if you were wondering! That is like seeing a preview for a new Star Wars movie for missionaries!  Hope it comes out soon!) and the sister just said, "my time here as a full time missionary will now soon come to an end..." and I was done. The lights were off in the room so no one could see me but I just started crying. The thought of going home even in 6 months just was too hard for me. I feel like I still have sooo much more to do and to learn. As a missionary as time goes on and the time to go home approaches, the more you realize that you are already home. Japan has become my second home. I love these people. 

Going to miss Sister Riggs (behind me) who just went home!  We were in the MTC together.

     But the work is great! Seriously me and my companion are like the same person sometimes. We talk and laugh literally... always. You have never seen two people talk this much ever. 

     This week I had a spiritual thought come to me that I really wanted to share with you and it's about prayer.  

 I thought about how many times I have kind of zoned out in a group prayer just to zone back in for closing in Christ's name to say the resounding "Amen." Or sometimes giving a really heart felt prayer at a set pace, slowly speeding up and saying that closing line thoughtlessly because it becomes so routine. But I really thought about what we are saying when we say, "Amen." So many times I feel like we say it robotically like it is nothing. Like it holds no meaning. But through that Amen we connect ourselves to that Heavenly communication with the Father by agreeing to what the person praying is saying. We have heard that before. Amen is like agree. But what are we agreeing to do. To ACT. We are agreeing and promising to the Father to act. Especially on the promptings we receive. That humble Amen that we say to end that heavenly "phone call" with the Father is our way of promising him we will do what was said in the prayer and what He told us to do as we listening to what we felt in that prayer. Promising him that we will act in order to be worthy to receive blessings or help for the dozens of blessings and guidance we just asked for. We do the same resounding Amen at the end of every talk in church and conference. Every testimony and lesson. But we sometimes just shove that one word under the rug and don't give it a second thought. In prayers it is probably the word that gets the least amount of thought to be honest.   

     But this week I have a challenge. I want to challenge us that every time we say Amen in our prayers this week, mentally change it out for Act. Thank the Lord for what you have been given, ask the Lord for guidance, tell him what you wish to improve, then close in the name of Jesus Christ, Act. Of course do not say it out loud but mentally agree with the Lord and the other person praying, or yourself if it is a personal prayer, to act. To act on promptings received. Act to be able to receive the blessings and help that you just pleaded for. I love you all. May we all Act, on the promptings we receive and all that we know to be true. 

Love,

Elder Trevor Aiken