An Interview with Elder Aiken:
Tell us about your mission and the people.
I’m serving in the Phoenix Arizona mission as a Spanish speaking missionary. Being a Spanish speaking missionary means that the majority of the work I do is done in the Spanish language. I have loved being able to learn the Spanish language and I have grown a love for the Hispanic culture! The Hispanic people are very humble and hard-working and they have taught me many great lessons. The Phoenix area is not my ideal dream location being very dry, hot, and bland but I have persevered through hot summers, sand storms, and flash floods.
What led you to the decision to go on a mission?
Growing up I always wanted to serve a mission. When I was in high school both of my older brothers served full time missions and when I saw them return home I was amazed at how changed they were. This is something that made me want to serve even more because I wanted that same change for myself. I never really knew what the mission would be like but I knew I wanted to serve a mission to better myself and create life-long habits of success. It wasn’t until about half way through my mission that I realized that it’s not about me but it’s about making a difference in the lives and salvation of those around me.
What advice do you have for the youth and YSAs members of the stake that are contemplating serving a mission?
For those contemplating on serving a mission I will be straight forward and tell you that it is hard. It’s the hardest thing that I have done in my life up to this point. There’s a quote that says “There’s no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone”. The mission as been an uncomfortable experience for me to say the least but one thing that I will say is that it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I know that anyone who serves a mission will come home changed for the better in some way and will learn a ton. If you are obedient to the missionary guidelines and work hard you will have a successful future and life.
What advice do you have for how best to prepare for the mission for those that have decided to go and are just waiting to put in their papers or for the call?
For those preparing to serve a mission I would tell you to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon through studying it and praying about it. I didn’t receive my personal testimony of the Book of Mormon until I was already in the mission. If you already have a testimony before you leave then you will be able to better take advantage of every second of your mission experience. Also if you want to be a great teacher on your mission study Preach My Gospel daily. Preach My Gospel has the answers to everything in the missionary work and will help you become an amazing missionary if you study it.
How have the changes allowing for contact with your family impacted you personally?
The recent changes in contacting our families have been a great help for me personally. I love my family alot and it is great to be able to talk with them every week! Also since I am leaving my mission soon it is nice to be able to talk to my parents about my future plans when I get home.
Were there any fears that you had when you were considering serving a mission that you found were simply not warranted or melted away after you began serving?
One thing I wasn’t excited for when I was preparing to serve was the fact that I would be knocking doors all day. When I got to the mission I realized that we actually don’t do very much door knocking, at least not in my mission. There are better ways to find new people to teach, such as; working with the members and using other technological tools.
Overall I will say that the mission has not been the best years “of” my life but it has absolutely been the best years “for” my life. I truly believe that a mission is the best thing a person can do with their life because of the lasting habits, testimony, and close relationship with the savior that you will gain. These 2 years will be a time that I look back to and reflect upon for the rest of my life.
Elder Aiken
