Thanks and Giving

So to start off this weeks email, I do want to confess something... I am just a little bummed I missed all the great turkey and stuffing. It looked absolutely delicious.... BUT I'M ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH RICE!!  Haha. 

This week has been great. After having the opportunity to go to the beautiful temple in Manilla on Wednesday, it set the tone for the rest of the week! Then on Friday, we got to do some SERVICE! We got to help one of the members in the ward build a house, but because it was in another zone, we were fortunate enough to get permission from President Koster to continue to the service. We traveled to the Morong Zone and it was absolutely pretty there. It was so green with trees, I loved it. After about a 20 min trike ride, we arrived. Then during the service, we shoveled tons of sand and cement powder and rocks into bags for the pouring of the walls and foundation. It is always joyful to serve, I love it so much. "When you are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God"

(Mosiah 2:17). 

On another note, I had the great opportunity to start reading the New Testament personally along with the Doctrine and Covenants! The New Testament is super great. Being able to learn about the Savior's ministry here on this earth is such a blessing!

Also we are seeing alot of progression with a few of our investigators Kristian and Alfredo! They are both openly receiving the Restored Gospel and are getting closer to their Father in Heaven. They both have been smoking for a long time but as we have shared with them the power of prayer, the love of God and the Word of Wisdom, they have been trying their best to stop and they have been improving so much!

I unfortunately dont have any pictures this week, because the computer isnt working, but next week for sure!

-Elder Aguiar

Temple Week!

So I dont have that much time this week. But, it was an amazing week. Elder Reyes and I have worked as hard as we could this week, not only in our lessons but with being obedient. Through our hard work we were able to see the fruits of our labor. We were blessed by the Lord this last week with more progressing investigators and 5 new baptism dates for December. It has been a great week to see the blessings the Lord can give you, especially when you are doing His work on the earth! Today we were able to have a temple day at the Manilla temple (that's why my p-day was changed just for this week) and it was so beautiful! I'm blessed just like we all are, to live in the time of the Restored Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ! I know Christ lives with all my heart and that he knows all of us by name. He suffered for us so we could return to Him and Our Father in Heaven. I encourage you, especially during this time a year to help someone you know or even just someone in need. Or, if you are wondering whether to serve a mission, have FAITH in Jesus Christ and do it! I know by serving the people around you, you can feel undesirable happiness for our friends and neighbors. I love you all and Merry Christmas! ;)

Elder Aguiar

Manilla Temple

Eating Balut... again

Not sure what to make of this...

Transfers... Not Transferred

So sorry I didnt get to email yesterday, its transfer day so we have p-days on tuesday instead!

But I want to start off by saying that, through the help of the Lord, and faith and prayer, our zone was the top baptizing in the mission last month!:) So Im super grateful from the Lord. And the reason I say these things is that all success that I accomplish here I know for a fact isnt from me but from the help of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Also Elder Reyes and I are staying here in Tayuman for another transfer!

So this week has been pretty slow. Elder Reyes and I werent able to get out that much this week because of his knee.. We had I think 2-3 appointments with a doctor in the Manila Mission. So the travel time takes the WHOLE day. But after an x-ray and an MRI, Elder Reyes found out that he has a full ACL tear and also a meniscus tear in his knee. So we will have to go to physical therapy 3 times a week. He is great though because he pushes through the work day when we dont have doctors appointments! After his appointment, we got to help Sister Koster (President Koster's Mom) shop at S&R. Which is like a Costco but in the Philippines. It was so big and I saw alot of things from home there. But we got to know Sister Koster and Sister Pfau (President Kosters Sister) alot because they are kind enough to take us all the way to the appoinments we have!

I also want to say that I truly love the Philippines. I walked out of our house last week and smelled the air and "oh it smells like home". So im glad that this is my home for the next 2 years! I ALSO AM NOT A "GREENIE" ANYMORE! Haha! 

That's it for this week. Looking forward to working as hard as we can these next 6 weeks and to be able to be instruments in the Lords hands. This transfer I really got to see my faith grow in the Lord. I know with all my heart that Our Father in Heaven listens to all of our prayers. And he answers them always. I testify that Our Redeemer Jesus Christ knows you. He knows all your struggles, trials, sadness and heart break because he suffered for every single one of us. Because of His sufferings he knows how to comfort us and make us feel better and Im so incredibly grateful for that knowledge.

Here is a partial quote from President Ezra Taft Benson that truly touches my heart:

"...By his stripes we are healed".

Love,

Elder Cody Aguiar

Shopping at S&R (Filipino "Costco")

Kumon!  My old work place!

Humid and Happy

So I have just a short time (like always) but this week was amazing!! To start off I will tell you about Boy Cerdena. He has been my investigator for 9 weeks now. Ever since we have taught him, he has been very skeptical about the Book of Mormon. He would always ask for physical evidence and say that the Book of Mormon is not true because the Bible is the only word of God on the earth. So, as we have taught him these last 9 weeks, we taught him about faith and to just read the Book of Mormon.  Every time we would come back to teach him he would say "Just let me finish the book." So that's what we did. We sometimes came back just to talk about the Holy Ghost and what it feels like to receive an answer from God. Then we got to meet with him Saturday, and he had asked me and the missionaries that were with us about the "brotherhood and fellowshipping" (as he said it), and he wanted to know how we recieve people at our church. So, when he asked me, I told him that we are all children of our Father in Heaven, that he is my brother and because he is my brother, I want him to come to church and read the scriptures to feel of the same joy the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have. That joy is knowing of the true everlasting gospel on the earth. Towards the end of the lesson he said that he would COME TO CHURCH!! How amazing is that? I don't share this because he is coming to church but instead to show how POWERFUL the Book of Mormon is.

I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know it to be the word of God and I know it to be another testament of Jesus Christ, and because the Book of Mormon is true, I know this Gospel and this Church to be true also. 

If you are having trouble reading the Book of Mormon at times or if you havent tried reading it, read it. I know that you can change into the person God wants you to be, and if you pray sincerely and with real intent, our loving Father in Heaven will tell you, through the Holy Spirit, that it is true. 

Love,

Elder Aguiar

Mom, you asked for more pics!

Me and Elder Reyes

Me and Alfred

View from today's hike

Hiking with our zone

Rice and Rain

So this week has been super amazing. On Tuesday Elder Reyes and I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the AP's in our area. I was kind of nervous at first because I'm still getting used to how big our area is, but it went so very well. We got to find new people and I got to learn from the AP's. They taught me a lot and I'm glad to be in the area I'm in!

This week, I want to say that I set a record with our kabahays (roomates). We had a rice eating competition and let's just say that I was very hungry that day. I had 11 cups of rice and some chicken on the side. It was pretty funny to see everyone looking in disbelief haha! Aside from eating cups and cups of rice, I'm losing tons and tons of weight. I cant keep any weight on whatsoever here. I'm going today to get some pants made for me that I can actually fit into! Its super great to be in the Garments capital of the Philippines because there are so many things you can get made.

On a more spiritual note, this week has been amazing. I know I have talked about this before, but it shows that it's real. The power of prayer is real. I'm still a "greenie" as they call it. So I'm still trying to learn how to survive in the mission field. I've been really trying to become the best I can at not only being a missionary but at speaking Tagalog, and this week I can see that I have received so many blessings from my Father in Heaven. As we were walking this week, we met a family that said that they had a Ang Aklat ni Mormon (Book of Mormon) and so we got to talk to them about it. They asked questions about it and asked personal questions about us. As Elder Reyes and I had said goodbye and left, I realized that I understood everything they had said to me and not only that, but I could answered them too!!

I'm super grateful for this mission. I can see that I'm becoming more and more refined and slowly becoming like Christ. Being here in the Philippines has helped me work on weaknesses I never knew I had and has helped me strengthen them. I'm not perfect at all, but I know through Christ and by coming unto Him and His gospel, we can be perfect.

Love, Elder Aguiar

Riding on a Trike

Me, my comp and roommates

I will go, I will do

Helping build a house

Beautiful sunset at our apartment

Happy Birthday Mom!

So I’ll start off with something funny this week.  Last p-day, we were at a mall and this drunk guy comes up to one of my roommates (there’s four of us) and starts talking to him about Christ and then at the end of his conversation, he hugs my roommate and gives him a big KISS on the CHEEK!! Then he got into a Jeepney and drove off!  So gross but the funniest thing I have ever seen!!

This week has been the fastest week ever. It has been a tough week, but I know that Christ directs this work and that he doesn’t send any of us forth to fail. This week Elder Reyes and I were able to receive referrals and it was amazing to say the least, to see these people, these Children of God searching for the truth. 

I love the Philippines, and even though trials may arise, we can conquer them through prayer. I just want to say in my short time that I’m thankful for the gospel. I’m thankful to see how it change peoples lives. Sometimes we may feel lost or sometimes lose our sight of our purpose here on earth, but remember, that we are all children of our Father in Heaven. He has a plan for each one of us, and I promise you, that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ you can know that too. I know with all my heart that God and Jesus Christ love us, and they are so anxious for all of us to return to them! I know that this church is true. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of Christ on this earth. I know if we ever have doubts about anything, even about this church, God can answer that. Through sincere prayer we can know all 

things. :)  I love you all so very much!!

Love,

Elder Cody Louis Aguiar

Another Week in Taytay

So I am very short on time this week, but I will try my best to share whats happened this week!!

Last Saturday Donna was baptized! It was such an awesome experince to see someone who doesn't know much about the gospel, but has that desire to learn more about Christ and God. To see someone progress in the gospel is one of the most tremendous things you can witness. I know that she has a lot of potential and I'm glad to meet those people prepared by the Lord.

Another amazing blessing happened yesterday. Elder Reyes and I were walking to an appt at about 6 at night. As we were walking, a man came up to us and said he had a question for us. He asked what he can wear to our church! How great of a question was that?! We have never talked to this man before but as we talked to him we got to know more about his life and him. He told us that he was having trouble with his wife and kids, and because of that he has felt really depressed. As we listened to this child of God and the trials in his life we were able to see him as he really is. As Elder Reyes talked about church and about the gospel, you could see the look in his eyes of humblness and sincerity. As Elder Reyes spoke to him and as we both testified to him that God loves him, he started to tear up. I had a lot of love toward that man and hope to see him this Sunday because he gave us his word that he would attend. I know that we all are instruments in the Lord's hands, and that one of the most powerful things we have on Earth is the power of Prayer. I know that the Lord listens to us and blesses us and knows us perfectly.

Love,

Elder Aguiar

Comforts from home!

Yep, Dunkin Donuts

My comp loves mayo