I'm a Rebel Just For Kicks

March 13, 2017

Well, another great week in the beautiful land of Kenya. Honestly, so much has happened in my life in the past week, it’s crazy. So much in fact, that if they don’t make a movie about my mission experience to go along with the Saratov approach, Freetown, and The Other Side of Heaven, I’m going to be thoroughly disappointed... Literally, just a few seconds ago as we were typing, a bus crashed into the building next to us. We all seriously thought that it was a bomb, but nope. Just your run o’ the mill bus hits brick wall kind a situation ya know? Oh, wait. You probably don’t because you are in America. Luckily no one got hurt and they all walked away with just a really beat up car pretending like nothing happened... WTFetch?... Seriously... Ridiculous... Life is crazy here, but I love it. A couple of elders went into the national park today and saw 6 lions, 10 rhinos, and over 30 giraffes! Isn’t that crazy?! It’s crazy to think that that is literally in our backyard.  Now, before you go thinking that Kenya is a paradise, I want to help you guys realize that I would much rather take ANY boy scout kaybo over the toilets that we have to use here... We have a river that runs around our apartment building!... But it’s so black that it looks like tar. And before you think you need to run up to the mountains for fresh air, just think about the type of nasal sensations I get to experience on a daily basis. But, in all seriousness, I do like Kenya. It is so awesome and I wouldn't trade the opportunity to serve God as a missionary for anything in the entire world! I can’t even begin to explain how humbling this experience is and how it makes me into a better man each and every day. If you have ever thought about serving a mission, DO IT! Seriously. DO. IT. Nike it up big boy! Just DO IT! It will be the hardest, and best most terribly amazing experience you will ever have.

Now to get into the juicy stuff. I had an experience this week that was FAR different to any other I have EVER had before. Not just as a missionary but as a human being, and a son of the big guy upstairs! Honestly, it’s another story that’s gonna have to wait till I’m home, AND unfortunately it’s not for everyone’s ears... Only a select few will be able to hear it. So, start showing me some love through email so I can decide who I’ll tell... Just kidding. But seriously, it was that good. Like woah! I’m getting shivers just talkin’ about it... Awesome. They need to make a movie or something about this. WOW.

Much love,

Elder Fraga

The Bee-Gees and a guy smoking a cigarette backwards

February 27, 2017

This week has been quite eventful... First of all, BOOM! Eleven pounds down the drain! That’s right, I have officially lost 11 whole pounds! I do feel like I should mention that because I had gained 16, I am still 5 pounds over my starting weight... But BOOM! I can’t believe it! 

We also had another baptismal service for an awesome guy named Joash! I can’t tell you why there is an A in his name... It’s a little weird... But we are also having ANOTHER baptismal service in a couple of weeks for a lady who spells her name Ardrine, but pronounces it Audrey?... Weird...

Another thing that happened this week: Sitting in the flat late at night, playing darts and listening to The Lower Lights, when all of a sudden the phone starts to ring, I walk over to see who it is? Turns out it’s none other than PRESIDENT MSANE! I pick up the phone, greet him, kinda just see what’s goin’ on ya know? After all that was done, he said, "Elder Fraga, there are being some changes made in your companionship." So, yeah Elder Ngabonziza is headed off to be a zone leader in Kayole, and I am staying here in Zimmerman to be companions with a guy named Elder Covarrubias! Seems like a cool guy! I don’t know why they put me with the missionaries with the long names but... Anyways, he is from Arizona and funny enough we used to message each other over Instagram before we came out on our missions! He has had a pretty crazy mission so far... Apparently he was arrested one time, and he was kissed by a drunk man twice... But I’m excited to be companions with him!

But in other news that happened, I got to listen to the Bee-Gees in a matatu this week and I saw a guy smoking a cigarette backwards, or at least trying to, the other day. It was seriously so funny. I just watched and watched and couldn't look away...

And now, again, I would like to reiterate how amazing the book Jesus the Christ is. James E. Talmage is just awesome. If you haven't read that book, PICK IT UP. Seriously, if you have time to read it, you will not be disappointed. It has given me such a greater understanding on Christ and such a deeper appreciation for what he has done for us. It’s amazing. He’s amazing. And I know he loves and cares about each and everyone of us. Really, read it.

I love you all and have a nice week!

Elder Aidan Hamilton Fraga

OOO BOY!

February 20, 2017

Buckle up and sit down folks You're about to go on a wild ride... This week was CRAZY.

 DO YOU KNOW WHAT TEAR GAS FEELS LIKE?... Not good. OOO boy! That stuff stops you in your tracks. It seriously feels like a million tiny needles in your nose and eyes.  When it hit us, I just started bawling my eyes out! Haha! Like, you have no idea, how dangerous that stuff is... I understand why they use it to stop riots... BUT before you start getting worried, I was not in the midst of some great conflict... There had been a crazy fight going on about 10 minutes before we arrived in the area, that we were not aware of, and the police showed up to end it, and they did, and when we got off the bus there was still a lot of left over stuff in the air and it just full on punched us in the face... it was crazy!

This week was also exchanges. My companion switched with a guy named Elder Ellis, and he is a cool guy, but when we were getting ready for the switch we hopped on a matatu(public van where they fill it to the max before travelling onward, litteraly it is not a big car, and the average amount of people that they fit in them is 23-24...) and embarked on our journey to pick up the other guy ibn an area named Allsops. As we were amidst our journey, with people hanging out the doors and windows, I had just enough room to look out the window. The sight before my eyes stunned me. It was a man riding a double-humped camel in the next lane over. It was galloping elegantly and it was just awesome! It was surprisingly graceful...

Now onto transfers. Something really crazy happened... Me and Elder Ellis may have saved someone's life... There was a man named Myk, who came to us completely out of hope, telling us how he had nothing left for himself. He had tried to kill himself multiple times, taking poison, jumping in front of traffic, and even trying to get a police officer to shoot him. It was a tense situation, and we basically talked him out of trying to commit suicide again... We did our best to tell him of how God loves him and has a plan for him, and we tried to show him the good that was in his life. I believe he walked away with a whole new outlook on life, and with a glimmer of hope for the future. It was also very special because, we could tell that he was not a christian, and that something (a.k.a. the Holy Ghost) had led him to our church building. Wow.

Now we continue to live here in Nairobi, facing some CRAZY stuff each and every day... There is one thing that is REALLY stinking crazy, but I'm not allowed to talk to very many people about it, but I'm sure you will all hear about it in the coming months... Anyways, I love you all! Also, the church is so stinking true, and if you don't think so, just freakin' ask! That's all we have to do to get our answer. JUST ASK. I hope you all have a really good week! I love you!

Elder Fraga

Holly came from Miami F.L.A.

I don't feel like I can handle a big ol' email this week so I'll just tell you some cool things that happened this week:

1. I met Holly this week and when I was handing her a pamphlet, his voice told me that this person came from Miami F.L.A., hitchhiked her way across the USA. plucked her eyebrows on the way, shaved her legs, then he was a she, and she may as well have said, "hey babe, take a walk on the wild side.". Also the Adam's apple was a dead giveaway. It was startling.

2. I had two people ask me to marry them in one day. Obviously I had to turn them away, being a missionary.... But these guys are CRAZY... One of them (who was around 40 years old) said, after being turned down, "Well I'll take your dad too..." WTFlip!

3. We ate many mangos because they have a bunch of mango trees behind the chapel and they just fall down and they are there for the taking.

4. We had a lot of good lessons and Kevin got confirmed. Also, lesson wise, we had some Liahona cover story type lessons, which I dont even feel like I can talk about over email, so that'll have to wait for another little while.

5. They played Cat Stevens in a matatu. :')   "oh, baby, baby its a wild woooorrrlld...."

6.Nothin' much more besides all the stuff that is different when you are living in Kenya and not America... This experience is very humbling. please be grateful for what you have! Like, please please.

Anyways, I love you guys, hope you had a good week.

Elder Fraga

Drop It Like It's Hot

February 6, 2017

Well, hello again.

This week has been exciting at times, and mediocre at others, but all in all, I have no complaints. For starters, we had a baptism for a guy named Kevin! WOOT! It's was great to be able to participate in that. He is a really cool guy, who only speaks Swahili, but the nods and the thumbs ups that we share are just so great. He has been investigating the church for a while now, and he was SO prepared for the gospel. The other lessons we had were great as well! 

Being in the city has been a big change of pace, compared to being in the bush. I really like Zimmerman though! I love being able to teach others about this gospel, and one of the greatest blessings that I have received besides seeing the change in them, is the change in me! I have learned so much in the time that I've been here, and I am so grateful for that. 

One thought that I have been pondering lately, is a lesson that I had learned before my mission, but wasn't able to see the importance of until now. When you are camping in the mountains, you will find time and time again that the darkest, coldest part of the night is just before the sun comes up. It is interesting how that can apply to trials in our life. Sometimes we feel as if everything is falling apart, like there is no more we can handle, and though we have tried, we are ready to give up the race. But, if we keep pushing through, we do find that light. I have had many experiences like that in the past few months, situations where I find myself wondering if I can handle anymore. But, it seems that every time I press forward, I see that light, and I recognize how much I have grown through the road bump. It reminds me of a scripture in Psalms 30:5 which says, "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.". When we experience hard times, all we need to do is stay faithful and pray for help, and we are guaranteed that light. It's awesome. Anyway I hope I was able to explain myself clearly. I'm rushing a little bit so I didn't have time to review my thoughts. But, I love you all and I wish you all a great week!

Elder Fraga

P.S. A lot of the busses have big stickers on them that say "Gospel Brunch" I don't know exactly what it means, but in my opinion, I believe it is a much catchier name than "Face to Face", so please inform church headquarters for me.

WU-WU-WU-TANG!

January 30, 2017

Oh man... Some crazy stuff happened this week... For starters, I'll address the title of the email.  

The other day I got into a big ol' bus to head to town. The people here really like to take a 
specific theme and decorate their whole bus in that theme... For example, maybe stuff about 
Adidas, or stuff about some popular tv show. But the bus of choice this week was one that was
totally tricked out in all things Wu-tang... It was sick! The people here also REALLY like to 
blast the tunes in their vehicular devices, and when I got on the bus, the same thing was 
happening, only instead of blasting the classic hits of the Wu-Tang Clan, they were playing 
Celine Dion's "All By Myself", and it was rockin' the house... Immediately, my mind started 
saying "What the he..." but then I remembered that I'm a missionary and I decided to give up 
on my sentence and just embrace the moment. It was odd, but I felt more peace and happiness 
than ever before.... 

The rest of the week consisted of some AWESOME lessons. One guy who I really like teaching 
is named Eric. He is a total genius, and he asks some deep questions. It's so fun to get into these 
deep discussions with the guy. It often times becomes a battle of the wits. But, ultimately after
all I can do I'm saved by the Holy Ghost. It's such a great testimony builder to see that even a 
great mind like that stands no chance against the HG! 

The rest of the lessons went well, and there are a couple of families that are on their way to 
baptism which is really exciting. 

To leave you all on a more spiritual thought, I will say this: For those of you preparing to serve 
missions, take advantage of ALL seminary, institute, and mission prep classes available. I am 
so glad that I was able to bring the knowledge gained in those classes with me on my mission! 
They have helped me SO much. I know what it's like to be a teenager. Whether we know it or 
not we all want to sluff. But, PLEASE HEED MY COUNCIL! If you want to sluff a class, choose 
any of your other 7 classes! Seminary is worth it! But also go to school. It's good. 

And to all others, I would like to share a nice scripture that has been on my mind lately. It is 
found in Ether 12:6. I am sure that many of you know this scripture already. It's all about trials 
and building faith. In the verse it states, "...ye receive no witness until after the trial of your 
faith.". Often times we think of trials of our faith coming in big calamities and catastrophes, 
and although they can come in that form, that isn't always the case. We are presented with trials
of our faith each and every day. Richard G. Scott said, "You can learn to use faith more 
effectively by applying this principle taught by Moroni: '...Ye receive no witness until after 
the trial of your faith'. Thus, every time you try your faith, that is, act in worthiness on 
an impression, you will receive the confirming evidence of the spirit. Those feelings will fortify 
your faith. As you repeat the pattern, your faith will become stronger." We receive promptings 
from the spirit each and everyday, and if WE try our faith, by worthily acting upon them, we
will gain a greater witness. Faith is what gets us through life. This place is tough! Earth chews 
ya up and spits ya out! And everyone is one day going to go through some rough stuff! I 
encourage you, and plead with you, to build your faith now. Act on those impressions so that 
your faith will be able to carry you through the hardest times in your life! It works! That is why 
it is here! Faith is here to lift us up when we feel as if everything in the world is against us.
 I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE. 

I again know that this church is true, and my heart is so very grateful for it. I love this gospel 
more than anything in the entire universe! And because of that I'M PROUD TO BE A 
MORMON. Also, shout out to TC for always teaching us that he is proud to be a Mormon, 
I LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder Fraga

Straight Fire!

January 23, 2017

Hey guys...

It was nice to hear from you this week. I'm sorry I didn't get to email very much last week. I was busy with transfers. Zimmerman is nice though. Luckily I haven't seen any prostitues, but it might just be because i am too innocent to recognize one... This place is really nice in terms of Kenya and it was a big change from Chyulu... A little bit about my area is that it has been closed to missionary work for the past two years and along with whitewashing it, we are also opening it, which is tough, but you know how it goes... 

We have had some exciting times over the past week, and although I miss being rejected by those living in the bush, it's nice to be able to have easily over 80 contacts a day! The people here are so prepared for the gospel! It's like those past two years have been fermenting them into a nice golden wine (golden wine only because there are a bunch of golden investigators...) that we as missionaries get to enjoy... 

This past sunday we had 13 investigators at church!!! Can you believe that?! 1-3! WOW! Pretty cool! I have some high hopes for this area. 

Still having some hard times though. It's been tough lately... But I've been pushin through... 

Anyways, there are a few investigators who are really cool that we have met. There is Salomon, who just randomly walked into the church one sunday wondering what it was all about and is now very serious about the gospel. There is also Eric who is a super awesome guy who studies religion and knows he has finally found the true church and he askes some NICE questions! And also a cool guy named David, who was just about to go and becaome a preist for the Catholic church before he met the missionaries and said that we were an answer to his prayers... Pretty awesome! More news on them later! 

But one thing that I have been studying a lot lately is Jesus the Christ. If you have not read that book I encourage all to do so! Even if it's just to read a couple of the stories from it because the way Talmage explains all those stories is straight fire! Unfortunately I no longer have that book because someone swiped it from me when we went to the mall the other day, but all i can do is hope and pray that it will bless their life as much as it has mine! 

Anyway, I love this gospel, I love this church and I know it's all true!

I love you all!

Elder Fraga