Monday, February 26, 2018

Basta ang saya talaga dito

Sooooo I don't have to much time pala. But basta ang saya ng area na ito. Don't worry about me here ;) The members are the best honestly!! We have honestly gotten really close!! We got to have a FHE last night with the members and let me tell you, the kids were amazing!! They brought so many friends!! There was 40 of us in this small meeting house and 3/4 was kids! NO kidding. I was so happy!! I love them. There is also a nanay (grandma), Nanay Saberon here that feeds us every Sunday and she just calls us her kids. She's amazing. 

So that family that we found last week is still doing good! Alex is really interested and everything we teach him, it just clicks in his mind!! I have never had an investigator like him before!! He is really great. His wife isn't too interested as of right now, but I know God is aware of them as He is all of us, and someday His plan will be fulfilled no matter what :)

If you are struggling (work, spiritually, or in any way possible) read the Book of Mormon. 
2 Nephi 31:20 "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

My camera broke so I don't have any pictures.  (Parang scripture no?) Haha

--
Elder Cody Aguiar
Philippines Quezon City Mission

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

President Nelson visits home!

So I saw on lds.org that President Nelson went to LAS VEGAS!! And I can't help but to be just somewhat jealous of that. Especially since I saw our stake president, President Hansen, in the background!! haha What a time that would've been to hear the words of the Prophet of the Lord, but how lucky we are that we (well at least all of you with smart phones and access to computers all the time) can access those words anytime and anywhere! How lucky are we that because of the diligence of prophets of the olden times, that we can access their words as well through scriputres, lalo sa book of mormon! I have really been able to see how blessed we are with the many resources we have in this day and age.  I hope that we are using them as much as we can to learn more about our Savior Jesus Christ.

This week we had tons of opportunities to teach and find new people. One miracle this week happened when we were planning for the week ahead and felt we could add 2 more to our goal for bap dates. As we went forth with faith, God provided!! We were walking and passed this young couple that has a baby.  We were pretty far away and I said "I think we should go back and talk to them", and we did! It turns out the brother is GOLDEN. He said that everything we were teaching just made sense and that he wants to learn everything we know! And right in our first lesson he accpeted a baptism date! :) Faith is truly a power that Heavenly Father works by! We saw many more miracles this past week, especially yesterday. We were working yesterday and my body was just totally dead but my spirit was just saying "keep going!".  It was a great experience really, to recieve that spiritual power to keep going :) haha

Transfers are tommorow (that's why we have pday right now) and we are both staying here in Quirino to keep our work going :) 



--
Elder Cody Aguiar
Philippines Quezon City Mission

Happy Valentines Day!

Monday, February 12, 2018

A Challenging Week

So this week was great and very very challenging honestly.  This whole week, every. single. appointment we had was either busy or not at their home. So we just talked to people we came across and that didn't even work. But it's a new week! And I probably wouldn't have gotten through this week if it wasn't for the Book of Mormon. I've been blessed this week with a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon. I can truly see it as Elder Renlund put it as my "anchor" or center of strength. I'm so grateful for that. There are some people that push aside the Book of Mormon and say it's worthless or not of God, But I LOVE the promise that is given to us. All we have to do is read it with a willing heart, real intent to know if it's true, ponder about it, and ask GOD if it's true. No one is forcing you to say it's true. All we have to do is go straight to our Father in Heaven, and if you do that you WILL get an answer. 

So with investigators this week I don't have to much to share. But just wait on it til next week, this email will be popping with investigators ;) 

This week we gave service to an elderly lady in our ward. We pruned this huge mango tree and cut all these vines out of it (like Tarzan) and other than being bit by tons of huge ants, the size of my thumb, we got it done haha. But lately I have been really itchy and the members think that I may have encountered a... I'll just explain it... It's a catepillar with long hair and the hair is really irritating to skin. So I have all these spots and itchy places so we will see again what our mission nurse says about it!!! haha but I'm not worried. I know the Lord will provide :) 

This week do your best to see the Book of Mormon not just as another set scriputre, but as your center of strength, as a place you can go to get revelation and spiritual strength from our Father in Heaven!
--
Elder Cody Aguiar
Philippines Quezon City Mission

Monday, February 5, 2018

Wait... It's February?

So am I happy? Yes! And trust me it's not because its February, it's because I'm still a missionary :) So this week I got to wear flip flops and I wasn't allowed outside if it was raining, and it was supposed to rain almost everyday this last week!! But a miracle happened and we only got light rain. We also got to work a lot and do a lot of work this week:) So that was good!

We were between appointments when we got to talking to a random guy on the street.  He told us his family's last name is Bautista, which in spanish and tagalog means "baptist". So I asked him if he knew Juan Bautista (john the baptist) as I pulled out a picture of Christ being baptized. As he responded "Yes, that's me, I'm Juan Bautista.." Turns out his name is Juan Bautista!! hahahah We had a good laugh, I said that he and the picture looked alike.  We got to testify and get a return appt with him and his whole family later!! It was great!! 

I have really grown to love this area. I've learned a lot. Time really goes fast though when you 1.) love the work/people you are doing/serving and 2.) are diligent in your labors. I just keep telling people I go home in 2019!! hahah its the best :) 

The Book of Mormon is true. This Church is true, it just is. Everything just makes sense. Especially as I look at pioneer members of the church here, or senior couples, or the older members here. As I look at everything they have experienced, the knowledge they have culminated, the love for the Gospel, it just makes sense. To have a place (earth) where we can gain all this experience and then be transfered by death to the Spirit world, it just makes complete and total sense to me. 

What great knowledge and resources we have in this time of life here on earth!! It's amazing. 



--
Elder Cody Aguiar
Philippines Quezon City Mission

I'm going in!  

Everything is A-Ok

I love this guys shirt!  Haha

Fried chicken... chicken head that is

Area Namin