Oh Man...

January 29, 2018

It was so bitter sweet to leave Kisumu.... Yes, it was a tough area, and yes, those luos really tested my patience, but I left a piece of my heart behind with those people. Change is so hard, and it gets harder and harder as we go! I can't imagine what it will be like leaving Kenya... But, as one of my favorite songs says, "life is change, and change is good" and it's true, so long as we are on the Lord's side. I have witnessed that myself. When I came out on the mission I felt very confident about who I was. But during my time here there were some MAJOR  changes in my life... and at times, I thought those changes were too much to handle. But looking back from where I am now, I can see how much I've grown. I can see how much I've learned, and I can say that I feel closer to the potential that God sees in me more than ever before.

Thinking about ch-ch-ch-changes this week has made me look at the way I have been both working as a missionary, and living life. I can say to a big sense of satisfaction that I have lived in crescendo, and I have worked as a missionary in crescendo. Really, that is what this gospel is all about. When we were all living together in the pre-earth life we accepted the plan, because it was a chance to progress, a chance to grow, and an opportunity to one day be like our Heavenly Father! The ability to improve ourselves and to live in crescendo comes from what? OUR COVENANTS! Wow! We make more and more covenants with God as we become more mature and as we honor them there is an amazing power that comes from it!

Whenever we may be tempted or tried to sway with the world and go against what we have felt and know to be true, we must remember our covenants. We must remember what they give us, because they give us ETERNAL POTENTIAL. So let's all strive to be better, and find ways to go faster and further! (haha 8th grade x-country...) 

I don't really have much else to say this week besides the fact that the church is true and I love it, and I love you, and God loves you too.

Elder Fraga

BTW I'm in Eldoret now as a zone leader, so I guess we'll see how this goes... And my new companion is Elder Ngele from South Africa (Durban South Africa). He's super cool. I knew him in Kisumu. 

ENERG-ETIC ENERGY EMPIRE

THIS WEEK WAS GOOOOD!!!

January 22, 2018

Wow! This week was good. I'm so excited to tell y'all stories about the mission! I love it out here! Everyday is a miracle!

M. Russell Ballard said:

“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”

As of late, we have been working our tails off to see our area improve. We have been doing this by using all the principles of Preach my Gospel that we possibly can handle into our work- especially proper goal setting! And it is amazing what has happened. We have seen success, I feel like a better and harder working missionary, I feel really good about my efforts in proclaiming this awesome message, and I have had greater peace of mind with a stronger testimony of God playin a part in every single itty bitty fiber of our lives. And of course, He does. And it has come not necessarily by working harder, but working smarter! Which actually kinda brings me to another point. We had a mission tour a few months back with Elder Palmer, and his wife talked about S.M.A.R.T. goals which was all very very nice and much appreciated on behalf of the missionary. It is important to set good goals for ourselves. Although.... If I remember correctly way back to when I was in Yosemite *shout out to Roberto(my dad), Greg, and Grant* we listened to a big long podcast kinda rippin on "smart" goals haha.... I don't remember exactly what was said, but the main message I got from it was, DON'T PUT LIMITS ON YOURSELF! a"Raise... the bar... shoot for the moon!" And remember that we don't just give an accounting in this life, but in eternity! (see D&C 72:3) So I think that ends my schpeel on goals and stuff, but this past week we got to go on exchanges! I went with a missionary named Elder Foulk! It was nice and we had a really powerful lesson with a sister named posh (pronounced like Porsche [but the average joe way, with a silent e pops] and we testified to her about her identity as a daughter of God and long story short she cried, we thought about crying, and she was baptized the following Sunday. But when she was baptized it really changed my view on baptism. It is not so much of a "Welcome to Gods church" but a "You have found who you really are, and where you really belong! Welcome back sister!" A little deeper than that, but yeah... Made me think of some scriptures in Alma 7 though:

14 NowI say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

15 Yea I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.

and,for after they've been baptized/repented/started over:

19 For I perceive that ye are in the path of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his path straight.

I wish that I had more time to email about all this stuff, but Posh is such an amazing example to me about not having fear to leave behind any behavior in our pasts that isn't in line with God's commandments and laying hold to the blessings which are rightfully ours as children of our Heavenly Father! For real, I wanna go on and on and on, but I know it'll lead to more and more scriptures to share, so I'll just call it good here. But I hope I was clear! If you are scared of leaving behind sins that bind you down and lead to your destruction, don't be!  GOD IS WITH US!(I love verse 15) But along with that, have I ever told you my favorite Book of Mormon verse? It's Ether 12:4 it's crazy awesome. But again, I hope you can put together all the crazy puzzle pieces my mind just spat out... 

Love you guys! 

elder fraga

footnotes:

a- eminem song

The Boys!

These are some of the fantastic Nairobi Kenya missionaries that we got meet at Elder Rasmussen's homecoming!

Where's My Beard?

January 15, 2017

***Roberto got his results back from his Ancestry DNA test. Aidan first responds to his results.

14% Scandinavian??? Where did that come from?! Haha! That is way awesome! And I guess we have figured out why Conner and I got our calls to Africa!! 4% Northern Africa baby!!! That is super awesome! And Dad, that sisu thing you wrote me about is awesome! I feel like that could be a cool brand, or like the Sottomarino Sisu... But I guess that isn't Italian... But I think I'm going to write that on the front page of my planner! Super legit! 

This past week has been very, very nice. First off, zone conference was just great as always! I learned so much and I have been happily applying those things into the work! Another thing that was nice was district meeting. I presented a training on Ether 12:7 talking about faith and different experiences on the mission, and both the trials that we pass through as missionaries, as well as the opportunities that confront us daily to try our own faith! I told the elders that I want to have amazing powerful experiences each and every day of my mission, and I do. I want to sprint to the finish. Together we discussed the chapters that we need the most help with together as a district and made a plan of how we will each individually and collectively apply all the topics from Preach My Gospel, and not only become preach my gospel missionaries, but become the missionaries that God sees in us.  Just alone this week I have had amazing opportunities at doing just that. I have made a bigger effort in talking to everyone that I get an opportunity to, and  I have been shocked. Just yesterday we were traveling in a matatu and I decided to contact the driver (I was sitting in the front seat) and shortly there after I got his contacts to meet later, BUT then I had a prompting to talk to the person on the other side of me. I said "would you like a book as well?" and all of a sudden he said "yes" and that he had been listening to me talk the whole time and that he has a best friend in Salt Lake City right now and that he has been looking for the church for a very long time. If I hadn't been in the middle of both of them I probably would have fallen off my seat. My jaw just dropped! I got his phone number as well and we have plans to meet soon, which will be awesome. 

We have some amazing investigators progressing towards baptism right now, and we are all very excited to finish the lessons with them! 

I love this gospel! I love Christ! I love God! We have also been invited back to that Hindu temple that I had mentioned a few months ago! It should be a nice time with a wonderful discussion! I love it here in my mission!!! 

I guess Conner and Aanika were once again too busy praying to email this week... bbbbbblllllll... Anyways, I love you guys I hope your week was awesome! 

elder fraga

P.S. Those are the boys!!! Elder Lotu, Pavs, Rass, and Hales!!! I love those guys haha! Crazy you got to meet them!

Impala Park

Celestial Happenings

January 8, 2018

I don't have a whole bunch of time, so I'll make it quick. But as a recap of this past week here is the following:

-President Msane came to Kisumu this past weekend and it was awesome! We had interviews with him which is always super awesome!

-This coming week we are traveling to Eldoret for zone conference, which should be SUPER awesome!

-And we have a bunch of investigators who are awesome! Examples, Robert- super prepared and learns FAST- like fast, fast. Nicodemus- a pastor at a church, also interested in our teachings and having his congregation join the true church!

BUT, I will give you the juicy stuff... First off, let's say this, "I LOVE the Book of Mormon". I really, really, love the Book of Mormon. A week ago or so, I sat pondering a question which has long been present in my mind. When I ponder this question, I put myself in the shoes of the saints in Christ's time, or the saints in the early church in this dispensation, and I ask myself, "If I were them, would I have the courage to back Christ, or to back the prophet with my faith and testimony in all situations?". I like to think that I would. Just a few weeks ago, at the last zone conference, President Msane challenged us to read from, and study the Book of Mormon daily. If I'm being honest, the challenge didn't sink into me at first as much as it should, have but a couple weeks after, and after reading a Book of Mormon experience of another missionary serving, I was determined to see what happened, so I grabbed a fresh copy of the Book Of Mormon and began at the beginning. The very beginning! I sat there looking at the pictures at the front. I saw Christ's picture, and I was like, "Man, I love that guy!" and then I turned the page to see Joe Smith's. The big question popped into my head "Would I back the prophet in everything if I was there with him?" and I told myself, "I WOULD." Then almost like the guy spoke to me from the page i heard "Prove it. I admonish you to prayerfully study the Book of Mormon each day". The words of Thomas S. Monson flashed in my head and I realized more than ever that if we are to sustain and support Christ whole heartedly, we must support his servants whether they be the prophet, or the mission president, or our branch president President Okila, or your bishop Bishop Grey. If they say something- DO IT! But on to the REAL- nice stuff. When I started the Book of Mormon I was looking for something special, some type of amazing experience that I would never forget, and immediately after I began from the first page, I felt different. I felt happy and peaceful and less stressed, and I felt so good that I told myself I had to write down the blessings that I had seen in the last week. After about 5 minutes I had a three page list and I called it good for the time being. BUT the next morning, I decided to read my patriarchal blessing for the first time in weeks and to my everlasting awe, I discovered that almost every single blessing that I wrote from reading the Book of Mormon related to the ones in my patriarchal blessing!!! And as the icing on the cake, there were some that were word for word!!! Amazing! So, lesson learned: read from the Book of Mormon everyday, and along with that, Remember to read your own personal scripture at every chance! I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. But anyways, it was a nice confirmation to me that 1) I WOULD follow the prophet and I WILL follow the prophet! and 2) that I am on the right track. It was like God told me, "You're doing alright Aidan! Keep working!" So wow... I don't know if it will be as amazing for you as it is for me, but it was NICE!!!

Outta time! But I love you!

elder fraga 

Sticks and Stones

December 18, 2017

I don't know if I really get along with white people anymore... A stranger came and visited our church the other day, and he was just such a weirdo... Not in anyway like the white people I remember back home! He came up to each of us missionaries and asked us what we wanted to do when we got home, and after I told him my thoughts about studying psychology he looked me dead in the eye and he said "This is the problem with your generation. GO PUT SOME COLD WATER ON YOUR FACE AND WAKE UP BOY!" At this point I was a little confused and frustrated, "Yeah, you can study psychology, if you want to be living in an apartment and driving a used car for the rest of your life!..." Then he went on to try to convince me not to go after my dreams and pretty much just crush my hopes. If I were to put it in to his own words, he "peed all over my future"... I didn't fight back or anything, just had the sticks and stones kinda attitude towards the guy ya know? sticks and stones... :,l

In other news, I guess that Christmas is coming?... So that's nice. We'll get to talk soon!

Um did I tell you the electric fence story from Impala Park?... Well, I don't know what I was thinking, but I had everybody link pinkies and then I grabbed it... I'm an idiot... But it was pretty funny to watch the video after, and I can check another thing off my bucket list! WORD OF ADVICE: If you are in a national park that literally houses lions and hyenas, DON'T touch the electric fence... It is a very bad decision. Funny though... But a very bad decision... 

But, I want everyone to know that the Book of Mormon is true. I don't care what people may say. It could not be possible for Joseph Smith, or any man, to write that book. It is far too good, it is far too spiritual, and it is far too complex. I had talked about a study of Alma and Korihor last week, and, though I'm still not done with what I'm doing, I have learned SO much. 

1. The philosophers have said time and time again that we can know things through five different means,

                 a. reason (Ex. mathematics, it is a sure thing)

                 b. sense experience (Ex. you hear the tv, you see the tv, so the tv really is there)

                 c. authority (Ex. you can trust the word of a doctor, because he is an expert) 

                 d. intuition (Ex. "how do you know when you're in love?..." "well... uh... eh... um.. ya just do...)

                 e. phenomenological awareness (Ex. something told me to enter that raffel and I won!)

2. As I was pouring over the arguments this past week, Korihor brought up several different points on his side,

                  a. No one has ever seen God (false), and so there must be no God (also false)

                  b. All these silly traditions are taking peoples freedom away!(also false[another interesting thing to study with this is the difference between the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders, kinda see where he's coming from])

                  c. you get along by your own means and can't do anything wrong and there is no Christ (wrong, wrong, and wrong [and as well, all these points remind me of a special conversation between a special man named Jacob and a whacky man named Sherem, Jacob 7])

I could go on and on, but I feel like you get the point. Anyways, Korihor makes all these points and tells people to follow him out of his authority?! Because he's an expert in this stuff?! Ppssshhhh yeah right Korihor.... Let's jump back to how we know really quick, to point C. This form of knowing, though very possible and common, is parasitic to the other forms of knowing. It has to piggy back on the other 4! Did he have any other root to base his knowledge? No. Every time he spoke he was only giving dogmatic assertions, or in other words, he was opinionated and said a lot of arrogant things! For sake of time, I will leave you with this, Alma comes back and just blasts the guy with the truth and bears his testimony. I would like to add mine to his. A perfect harmony exists in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of the modes of knowing. We know for ourselves that this is Christ's gospel and church, through all of these things, and it is proven time and time again. Let us all either find out for ourselves that these things are true, or hold tight to what we already know and put full faith and trust in those with authority! Thomas Spencer Monsen is God's prophet on earth today, and I know that. I want you to ponder the question of "How can I be more in/all in with and for this church and Christ?". I can go on and on and on with this and I hope that I didn't just butcher it because of the lack of time, but again! The church is so stinkin' true! In the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!

elder fraga

SORRY!!!

December 11, 2017

Hey Mom, Hey Dad,

So I don't have a lot of time today because Jakson got on at the same time I did, and I kinda forgot about weekly letters.... I'm super sorry. 

But this week is transfers! No idea what's gonna happen.... Though I think I know what I want to happen.... 

Another thing is that I finally think that things are dyin down with the election stuff! Ya! And we went to Impala Park again this week and saw crazy animals and stuff! Baboons are super turds! I don't like those guys! They're super crazy! But I sure do love Africa... One day I'll take you guys here... And we came just in time cause there were a bunch of baby monkeys! So cute just hanging on to the bellies of their mommies... Oh babies... So cute... Also, about my camera. It has had a little trouble charging lately?... So no pics this week... But maybe you could find stuff from the other missionaries?!... Nonetheless, I love you guys like crazy and perhaps we can join in some good fun this week! I have plans to study Alma chapter 30 this week, the one with Korihor. So, if you all collect your thoughts on it and I collect mine, we could have a nice talk on all those nice scriptures! But I love you guys! We'll talk later!

elder fraga

Hey Family

December 4, 2017

Yeah, 

How are things? I hope they are good. Things are good here, which is good. I don't really have anything big to talk about this week. But we get to have zone conference, which should be good. But ya know, I have been doing a lot of thinking this week, and I've kinda come to a conclusion of some sort as to what I would like to do with my life, which is good. It's kinda long, so I hope you can follow along, but anyways:

After I get home, I want to go to BYU Jerusalem for a semester or two, who knows, and really get to know the scriptures in the Holy Land. I have really loved how much I have learned to this point in my life, and looking at things, I would much rather be studying the gospel than anything else. But of course, by the sweat of my brow, I will earn my bread or whatever. So getting into job stuffs, A lot of people have told me cheesy things like, "Oh, you're very comforting" and "You know just what to say" and "Ah, you understand people" and I was all like "Suuuuurrree....." but someone told me that I really should get into something that has to do with the mind. Long story short, I want to study psychology and perhaps become a therapist/counselor or something, though... and here is the big part... with a lifelong pursuit of, for lack of a better word, translating all these psychological terms into a universal language AKA the gospel of Jesus Christ!!! Woo-hoo! Example, what is often times referred to as conscience can also be called the light of Christ! Everyone is born with the light of Christ. And then maybe after years of study and experience I become a professor at some nice university, teaching all this stuff (but if it's a university talking about the gospel, it would probably have to be BYU.) There was this one guy named Truman G Madsen, he is pretty much one of my idols now, and what he did in his life was he took the unanswerable questions in philosophy and gave us the answers through the writings of Joseph Smith and the restored gospel, which is way legit and kind of my inspiration behind this whacky idea... But any who, I know it's a big goal, but why not set big goals, huh?! It's the only way we can do big things in this life! But yeah, I got more plans too. It's a little long to talk about just over a simple email so maybe we can talk about it when we have that call. But another thing is perhaps I will do wildlife biology part-time as well, so I'm spending time outdoors and getting away from the stresses of all that deep stuff. But who knows? If any one knows some way I can make it into BYU Provo after I'm home though, that would be much appreciated... Haha... 

And so also, by the way, dad you sent me that long email and at the end you said, "I hope it wasn't too boring", but it was WAY TOO EXCITING because seriously I haven't really been able to get my mind off of that stuff!!! Thank you!

Also with the wildlife biology, I think I would want to go to USU for that jazz. I've heard its pretty easy to get in there...

But yeah, there's my stuff. I'm gonna be happy to talk to you guys soon! Love ya and remember to light the world! Wipee! Also, I heard the Cristina spoke in the Christmas devotional! That is so legit!! Tell everyone back home "Hi" for me! Love you all very much, and oh my goodness! I just can't seem to finish this email before another thought comes to mind... So, how are Alec's mission papers coming along?! Super excited for him!!!

-elder fraga

I forgot to tell you guys!!! I was helping a lady fetch water from her 80 foot well the other day and my tag and white handbook fell all the way down that wretched hole!... But it's kinda okay because they ordered me two new ones (i don't know why they ordered two?... now i'll have three) But they are both pocket ones, one in english the other in SWAHILI!