The Spirit... and Spiders!

I'm very thankful for this week. It was super great and I'm really grateful for Heavenly Father. I can say that this is the closest I have been to the Lord in my life. Just as I feel that I have learned all I need to in order to become better, you guessed it, I learn more. As I look at myself before my mission or even at the start I know that I have come a long way. 

Fun Fact: I'm now gaining a desire to catch and hold spiders whenever I see them. (All the kids and my companions do it, so I'm just thinking its my time haha) 🕷🕸The only thing holding me back is not knowing which one will kill me and which one will not! haha I'm sure next week I'll send some pictures ;)

But this week was full of the spirit. On Wednesday we had zone interviews with our mission president, President Koster, and I'm so thankful for that. We were able to have a great conversation that was able to help me to become even more learned about the Lord and myself. As Elder Remulta and I relied on the Spirit, not on our own knowledge or on our own instincts, we were able to find a member that hasn't been able to attend church for years. We were the first missionaries in 30 years to talk to him! That just goes to show to me that Heavenly Father knows all of us individually and has a plan for each one of us, and in that plan, there is a divine design. Through the Spirit we were able to witness two other miracles as we asked inspired questions to our investiagators! We were able to find truly what their concern was and help get them closer to baptism.

In short, I know that we are all loved no matter who we are. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and you can come closer to Him by its precepts, than any other book on earth. I know the Spirit doesn't lie, and whatever we come to know through that special spirit is important revelation for us. The Church is True!!

-- 

Elder Cody Aguiar

Philippines Quezon City Mission

ang bilis ng oras

So this week was so fast... But nevertheless the Lord has blessed us so much. I dont have that much time this week, but I do have enough time to tell all of you how, without a doubt, that I know that Christ lives. He is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that God, is our living, loving Heavenly Father and He loves us no matter what. And all He wants is for us to be able to return to live with Him for eternity. I know with my heart that, the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that Joseph Smith was called of God in our last dispensation here on earth.

Elder Cody Aguiar

Philippines Quezon City Mission

FHE with the Babante family!

Bagong Nayon Pa rin

Yun, so transfers are right now, and I'll be staying in the Bagong Nayon area for 6 months! haha but it is totally ok because this is my favorite area by far! The members are just so funny even if they are makulet, but they all have a special love for the gospel of Jesus Christ. So I'm not sure if you can really tell, but I'm really trying with my english right now. Some of the kids here or some of the rm's that are learinng english ask me for help and to speak in english or to translate something. I can't!! haha when I say something it just sounds so wierd!! ENGLISH IS WIERD! haha who would ever think I would say that? 

But these last weeks have been really... wonderful. I can honestly say that I have not seen so many miracles in my last 15 months than I have seen in these last 2 weeks. I'm extremely grateful for the many blessings from my Father in Heaven. As recorded in the Book of Alma, I too know that Man is nothing! Or as Moses had explained after his amazing experience with the Lord, he too knew that Man is nothing compared to God. 

Every Monday we have been having Family Home Evening with the recent convert Babante Family!! (Whose goal will be to be sealed next year in the Temple:) )They absolutely LOVE IT! They have been inviting their family who aren't members over and it's so fun! Last night Brother Babante ended with some closing remarks, and he expressed how much he loved us for helping him and his family be so happy. It was a heart touching experience. We met with Udices again this week! And I absolutely love him. The lessons we always have with him are always the best!! As he explains his week to us, he's starting to realize all the blessings and the miracles in his life! He said ever since we met with him, all the "bad demons have gone away". He's so great! We asked if he wanted a blessing with some other things he's been going through and he said yes. After the blessing he asked a question that I have never been asked after a blessing... "What was that? What did I see?" Me and my companion looked at each other because I was honestly so shocked. He said during the blessing he saw an image. He saw some sort of VISION.  He drew it out and It was something I have never seen before. I searched later that night in the book of Revelations, and found nothing. There were some correspondence but we still have no idea, but I think that's just between Udices and the Lord. 

I have been humbled to know of the confidence the Lord has had in me personally these last couple weeks. I'm so thankful that our Heavenly Father has more faith and confidence in all of us than we do in ourselves. That because He can see our infinite potiential and truly see what we can become.

I dont have pictures I'm sorry. I left My camera at homee.. Next week:)

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Elder Cody Aguiar

Philippines Quezon City Mission

Note from Mom:  I got this picture from President Koster's post and I'm re-posting it so we (and by we, I mean me) don't have to be deprived of Cody's happy face this week :)

Daming Himala

So this week has been easily the BEST week of my mission. Our week was full of miracles! We have just had tons and tons of random and amazing referals from members, and a lot of miracles with our finding this week. So just to make it short, I'll just mention one amazing miracle that has easily topped what I have been able to experience this far. We were finding this week and we honestly didn't know where we were going, but I was just walking and saying hello to everyone as always, and one peson had answered and I felt like I should go back and talk to him. Turns out his name is Udices and with the many, many... many experinces he had shared with us, it seemed like he had no more hope for this world. He had literally said he had no care for where he was going after this world, because all care would just vanish after we died. After about 30 minutes of trying everything we could think of, finally I felt impressed to just lay everything out there so he could really know for himself, that the message we carry is the answer to his questions. After asking him questions, he explained he had faith in God to answer his prayers, and that he had sincerity with all his heart that he truly wanted to know. I then said, "You have those things, can we all kneel and pray to God if this is His answer to you?" We had shared about the role of the Holy Ghost and the fruits of it so he can recognize it's presence. We all kneeled , and he said the prayer. After the prayer finished, he said nothing but just cried. He asked where the church was and said he would attend church! He also knew that God had answered his prayers. I know of a surety the power of the Holy Ghost and that it can soften anyones heart!! Even my new best friend Udices' heart. I know how powerful faith is, and as Moroni put it in the book of mormon,

 37 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith thatmiracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because ofunbelief, and all is vain

Faith is essential for all of us! 

This week is the last full week of the transfer! It was flown by talaga.. Gen Conf was sobrung maganda and I loved the spirit that was there. I know this church to be true and that our Savior, our Master is the head of it. I know faith, if you use it every day, can grow into something totally wonderous and powerful. I love the Lord and can't wait to get back out and testify to the people searching (whether they realize it or not) about the Gospel of JesuCristo

Elder Cody Aguiar

Philippines Quezon City Mission

General Conference!! joke lang, next week for us :)

I'm thankful for all the emails about how GREAT General Conferece was! Unfortunately we have to wait until next week. But that will give us the oppritunity to work on our patience ;) 

But I'm so thankful for this week! I can't elaborate my feelings this week, but they were amazing!! There have been ups and downs obviously, but I'm thankful and I can tell I have changed so much. So lately we have been struggling with new investigators in our area, so we just put our faith in the Lord, and went finding everyday this week. On Wednesday we went finding 2pm-6pm and we were able to find 10 people that were willing to listen to the wonderful message we carry as missionaries. Something I like to say when we explain about the message we have, I'm always sure to say when I feel prompted to, is "What we will explain to you is not "our" message as missionaries, or something our leaders had made up, but it comes directly from Christ, through Prophets, our church leaders". 

One experience I'm so thankful for and something I think about often is what happened on Wednesday. We were able to find 40 workers, (what did I do? I got in and helped them dig of course and it was so awesome haha!!!!)  who all live in a boarding house they fashioned using what materials they could. It turns out they are here building cement walls near our house and will be here for more than a year. Those we talked with all came from different parts of the Philippines just to work here and gain money. I met a 16 year old who came with his brother, all the way to a 60 year old man. As we just sat on the curb on this back street, I was completely humbled by them and by the circumstances they were in. We shard about the Plan of Salvation and they could feel the Spirit working in them, because when we asked what they were feeling, they said it was a beautiful feeling. 

I'm grateful for the gift of charity, because I've been able to really love those we have been teaching. It's such a special feeling and it has changed me. I know this work is the most important work on the earth and I'm so humbled I'm able to be here engaged in it. I love all of you, and I know so strongly that Heavenly Father has such a perfect love for all of us.

Elder Cody Aguiar

Philippines Quezon City Mission

(Note from mom, Elder Aguiar is in the second to last row, third from the right)