California Knows How to Party

It looks like California was a nice place. I'm glad you had fun together. 

On my side, I have been happy. As of late I have, noticed the hand of the Lord in all aspects of my missionary work. I have been feeling the spirit guide. I have been feeling very comfortable with my position here, and together with my companion we have really been having great teaching opportunities. I am very excited about the progress we have been seeing and I am beyond excited to see where these things go. We have a number of investigators who are very serious about the gospel, and it is an amazing thing to see the conversion in them. I am eager to participate in the upcoming MLC to reevaluate our zone, and together with the other leaders, find answers and solutions to the  current concerns that affect us and our work. I know God has good plans for this mission and this people, and my testimony is firm that these blessings only come in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Other than that, I have been very pleased with the direction that God has been giving me through personal revelation and scripture study, and I am happy and evermore prepared to go on in this great work. 

I love you all! Have a great week. 

elder fraga

FRAJHA

Going Back Home

July 23, 2018

🍕

I don't want to go home. And I don't have much to write about this week.  We spent it all in Nairobi 'cause we had to show that we aren't illegal. We had some few open days because they didn't want to accept my documents, so me and my homeboy Elder Nyanhamo were able to go back to the stomping grounds, Lucky Summer and Zimmerman, and see the place again. It was amazing. Nice to see my home again, and talk to the people I used to interact with everyday. Lady I used to buy veggies from was very excited to see me, and a lady who has a small hotel (restaurant) across from my old apartment just about fell out of her chair. The moment I walked in the old compound, one of the little kids playing in the parking lot dropped her skateboard and immediately ran up to me and gave me a hug. It was nice. 

Something spiritual that happened over there: Contacted a guy when we were in line at the immigration center and found out he was from the Zimmerman area, gave him the phone number of the sisters in Zimmerman. We went to Zimmerman in a place called trm and when we were about to walk into a store, I was like, wait a second, I got a funny feeling that we oughta go over here first, cause I want to check if one of my old friends is still working over here. They weren't, but when we were walking back to the store we were gonna go in, who do I run into? The guy from the immigration center, and he is like, "Yeah now for sure I'm gonna call those sisters! Wow!" and then he called them on the spot and they have an appointment to meet, so woohoo! 

Love you all,

elder fraga

Hello Fam

July 16, 2018

Just a small update this week. It's transfer day and things are always a little tricky when that happens... But things are good! I'm stickin' around El-d for another transfer, and I am very happy about it. Crazy for me to think that I got one more round of transfer news left... 

This next week we are going to Nairobi for some foreigner paperwork which shouldn't be too bad. Hoping to try Pizza Hut's all you can eat thing while we are over there. 

Things in the Huruma branch are good. Although we were to have some baptisms this last Sunday, but because of polygamist problems, that has all been canceled... It's sad. But in good news, the family that was supposed to be baptized are super strong, with awesome testimonies, and we are really hoping they can stay strong even though they've got this tough trial at this time. When we broke the news to them, their reaction broke our hearts. We were told the next day at church that the kids refused to eat that night and cried themselves to sleep. Super bummer... Love em though.  If you could keep them in your prayers so that they will stay strong, "Ruth's family". Man, I wish you could hear their testimonies. So strong. 

I don't have much to report on this week, but maybe I have a couple pics that I can send your way... I think that's the only one I got right now. That was when I was with Elder Mahanzu. From left to right: me, Elder Merz, President Kogo (district president), Elder Mahanzu, Elder Limu. That was just after a meeting we had with the president over Eldoret and Kitale. Me and Elder Merz came in the same group. 

But yeah! That's what I got this week! Love you! 

Wait maybe I can tell you what I've studied lately. I have been doing something interesting. I call it "culture vs legacy" just thinking about what will happen after mission. I have been studying the final words of the Book of Mormon prophets, their perspective in the end. I would highly recommend it! It's a really interesting exercise! You can ask yourself, "Who do I most relate to?" is it Lehi, or Nephi? The ones who left their comfortable life with the promise of a greater one? Jacob? Who was born in tribulation and seemingly without a place to call home? Or maybe Enos, who after seeing the change the gospel made in his life, labored up until the end of his days teaching it? It is really, really interesting! A lot you can learn from it! So please, if you don't already have something you are working on study wise, try it out. It's cool. And if anyone is comfortable sharing, let me know what you learn. 

Anyways, love you all, 

elder fraga

Love That Dog

July 9, 2018

I believe Diesel was my best friend. It was not an easy thing at all to get the news that he passed away. I could always hang out with him. He was always happy to see me. I could tell him anything, and really I would. I would tell him everything that used to run through my mind. I used to tell him that one day I would find a way to take him up to the mountains with me, but it seems like whenever I tried he always got in trouble. But I loved him most because of his love. Never once did he bark, or bite, or fight back, unless it was a situation when he was scared (for example: cactus, porcupine) but even then he had an undeniable trust in us, and no matter what we would ever do to him, through negligence or misplaced intention, he would always come back to cheer us up and love us, and he would. He could run around all day with us to play with balls too big for him. Or he could just lay with us and chill out for a good long while. I'd always like to say goodbye to him in the mornings before going to school. Man I loved that dog. I loved that dog from the day he came home and we could hold him in our arms to the moment I said goodbye for the last time on October 4th. That was the only farewell I cried at, but I hid my tears from you guys.. I'm going to miss him, and no dog will ever be able to replace him. That book "Love That Dog" was my favorite when I was younger because of him. It reminded me of him. I think I want to read it again when I'm back. I'm doing my best not to get down about it, but it's still a loss. But I'll get up. I'll keep on keeping on so there's no need to worry about me. 

-A

Here's To Now

The end is coming. 

It's a sad thing to see your friends leaving the mission field, which is such a weird thing... I thought it would be much easier to come home than to leave it. The other day I was talking with my companion and I said, "You know, one of the biggest regrets of my mission is not keeping in contact with people as well as I should have..." And then I thought for a second, and I said, "But I suppose I can change that..." So I went to my journal and I called and called and called people from past areas. People from Kisumu, a few more from Zimmerman, and not them alone, but people going back even to my bush days in Chyulu. It was sweet. I talked for so long with some of them, and to be honest it was just about as good as calling home. The mission field is an amazing place. You make eternal friendships. I am grateful for that.

This coming week we will be traveling to Nairobi for yet another MLC, and all I can say is that I feel like I'm running out of time. I don't want to waste any of it! I'll report on how things go over there this week! But, till then, just know that I love you all, and I hope you have a great week!

Elder Fraga

"Don't cry for me, Argentina" :,(