Week 63 - October 14, 2019 (Santa Teresita, Philippines)

With Elder Morley

In Laoag

Hello my beloved family and friends- kumusta!? It has been a wonderful week full of different experiences and spiritual instruction here in the Philippines Laoag Mission! We have been super busy this week with meetings, exchanges, interviews, and the incredible General Conference where we got to listen to the words of God's living prophets. I guess I will give you all a brief summary of the week's events. On Monday we took the long haul to Laoag, had a great leadership council on Tuesday morning where we discussed a bunch of things in the upcoming cycles- one of which that is very exciting is the new Light the World initiative for this upcoming Christmas season, there is going to be so much amazing new stuff coming out, including a new amazing video about the birth of Christ that was just amazing. Very excited for this upcoming season of joy and peace. We also had exchanges with the Assistants Tuesday and Wednesday, which was awesome. I got to work with Elder Childers, out in Laoag, and learned a ton about finding those the Lord has prepared for this wonderful message and bring them the joy that we all seek.

We went to Buguey for an interview
and met Santa Claus on his own personal beach

That was one huge focus of our prophets and apostles over this past General Conference- finding joy in this world of confusion and trials and sadness. President Nelson made an incredible statement on the subject- he spoke on Saturday about how our joy is not found in the circumstances of our lives, but rather in our focus. There was so much said about us centering our lives in Christ through the making and keeping of covenants with our Father in Heaven as well as a life lived with conscious effort to serve and love Him and our fellow man. I love the focus of joy- not short-lived bursts of heightened emotion but true, enduring, dependable happiness- this is a state of mind and soul that the world as a whole lacks in great amount, and it seems that it only gets worse with each year. That's why we have this gospel- it gives us an identity, a purpose, a hope, and a joy. We are so grateful to be out here at the top of the Philippines giving people in poverty a reason to joy, but the same goes almost to a greater extent to those wealthy in material goods- the root problems of lack of direction and purpose remain virulent, and the only way to overcome these devilish distractions and discouragements is to seek- knock, and find out who we are in all of this. I love you all so much, I hope that all is wonderful and joyous, and invite all of you to share in this infinite, abiding happiness that comes from keeping God's commandments and abiding in His love- you all have an awesome week!

Exchanges with the APs out in Laoag- 
Got to work with Elder Childers.

Love,
Elder Griffitts