Week 73 - December 23rd, 2019 (Sinait, Philippines)

Some late Christmas Conference pics
Playing some football!

My dearest friends and family, Merry Christmas for real to all of you! I am so happy to be able to write to you all this wonderful Monday as we get very, very close to Christmas day. I'm writing this week from out here at the opposite end of the mission, I made it out here to Sinait this last Tuesday and since then have been loving the time here in sunny, hot Ilocos with my new companion, Elder Gajete. He's from Negroes Occidental down in the Visayas region of the Philippines, and he's just starting his second cycle in the mission, so I'm what's called his follow-up trainer, I will be finishing his 12 week training. It's so much fun, he's amazing and right off the bat we were out just going house to house looking for those who the Lord has prepared to live the Gospel and accept those invitations that we have for them. I've never talked to so many people in 5 days in my entire life- we just had so many people that we met. This wonderful experience has resulted in a bounty of miracles, and this area is about to explode- we are so happy and excited despite my newness here. We had some amazing miracles, one example is we met this awesome sister out in one of our areas on the coast, sister Rhyna, who right off the bat we were able to give a pamphlet about the Restoration and she accepted an invitation to church, then we went back and taught her again about the Restoration and she was amazed by the concept of living prophets, and then was even more amazed when we gave her a Book of Mormon, and she was so grateful and excited and then came to church the next day- those are the kind of people that the Lord has prepared, those with a "broken heart and contrite spirit" who are earnestly seeking the truth. We are so excited for her and all the others we were able to meet this week, many of whom came to church this last Sunday. 

This area is absolutely gorgeous- on one side, these huge mountains, and on the other, white beaches and blue ocean. It's nice and hot, no rain makes its way over here, so it's nice to not have to worry about the mud. The area is huge, we could explore for months and still not get to everything, but we are excited to try. I just want to wish you all a very merry Christmas, this time of year is just so full of hope and faith and looking forward to the future with an eye of joy and working for those things that we desire. I know that this Gospel is founded on faith and hope in Jesus Christ, that despite our imperfections and weaknesses He is still willing and eager to help and lift and fix us and bring the joy of eternal life to all willing to hope and seek with all their heart, mind, and strength. We are here on earth to learn, not to be perfect, but in order to return to our heavenly home, we must be made perfect through the eternal Atonement that Christ performed, becoming as humble as He was at His birth and throughout His life, perfectly submissive to the will of the Father and willing to repent when we make a mistake. I'm so grateful for the changing and enlightening power of the Atonement and the grace of Christ, and I hope we all this year make the decision to choose light and goodness and God's will so that we can choose and receive happiness- I love you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas, see you all soon!


Love,
Elder Griffitts

The lights in Centre Santa Teresita

 

More lights

Brothers Jonel and Alan-
Bro Jonel made me a mini-bamboo
 hammock for a going-away gift

The Santa Teresita boys- one last ride

Goodbye to Santa Teresita... and Franks

Bye to Cagayan jeeps

Santa Te thanks for the miracles

Welcome to Sinait,
paradise on the Ilocos coast!

Say hello to Elder Gajete,
out here having fun in the
sunny side of the mission

Saw this member from our branch
out in Santa Teresita on my second day here,
she was on vacation and actually came
 to church on Sunday so that's a small world

The beaches out here are gorgeous

Another beach out in our area

Some pics of the apartment

A washing machine!!

Week 72 - December 16th, 2019 (Santa Teresita, Philippines)

Exchanges with Elder Lalamoro

Well, here we are again, another transfer day and it's off to a new adventure! Just got the news that I'm transferring tomorrow from Santa Teresita to Sinait A, way out on the opposite end of the mission, leaving tomorrow morning. My new companion will be Elder Gajete, who is on his second cycle in the field. Getting on that long bus ride again bright and early tomorrow, haha. It has been absolutely the greatest and most amazing time of my life here in Santa Teresita with Elder Morley, I am so grateful for the miracles and joy of these past weeks and months. I'm going to miss these people that I feel like I've known for years, these relationships that we've made are never to be broken, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have found them in the everlasting Gospel that makes them eternal. We finished up an amazing three months together with the baptisms of the Palattao family and sister Precious- those are some amazing people and that is such a miracle that we were able to witness. I have learned so much over the course of these last six months in this area, and especially about this work during the period of Elder Morley and I's companionship  We have had a great last week of exchanges, finding, and visiting with those that we have grown to love in Family Home Evenings and sharing messages that bring us all greater light and peace, as only Christ and His Atonement can.

The little town of Santa Teresita-
you will be missed

Exchanges with Elder San Diego

Seeing the progress and change that enters into people's lives as they apply and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ has really taught me how powerful and real the Atonement of our Savior actually is. It's one thing to read it in the scriptures and feel that power from those past stories, but I feel that only in this past couple months have I really begun to understand the meaning of the joy of God, the glory of His work. Before the mission, I really had the impression that the most joyous experiences were those in which I was directly involved and a cause of whatever made me happy, but now I am so grateful to be learning the truth behind the joy in this work- it's really literally that I am not involved in it, or rather I do not directly influence the miracles that we have been witnessing. It's a humbling experience, and it just testifies to me so much that this is the Lord's work, I have seen the way it changes lives, unites families, brings a sense of purpose and peace, and more than all a way to change and become better- and I've observed most of all in all these souls coming unto Christ that they are doing exactly that- this work is between them and the Lord, and I am simply a fortunate observer of the power of Christ's Atonement in these lives. I am so, so grateful to be counted worthy to be an instrument, and I just feel like Ammon in that I could glory in God forever- I know that this is the single most important work any of us could ever do, the work of the Father to bring to pass the eternal life and joy of His children. It teaches me that happiness is not found in helping myself, it's in following the two great commandments to love God and thus love our neighbor, help them grow closer and know of His Plan. I know that God has a divine Plan for us to return to Him, and Christ and His restored Gospel are the absolute center, the power around which all else revolves. Every time we watch "The Christ Child" at someone's home, it just reminds me how He, the greatest of all, began and lived and died in the humblest and meekest of circumstances, simply seeking to love and serve His fellows and ultimately paying the price for us all- so that as He, we could live again and inherit the glory of the Father. We cannot inherit as He has unless we become as He is, and see that that is truly where joy lies. I love you all so much, and extend the same invitation as He does to "go about doing good" this Christmas season, and light the world with the hope of His Coming. I love you all so much, and will see you all very soon.

The baptism of the Palattao Family-
Brother Jun, Sister Mayang, and LJ, along with
Sister Precious Villarosa- such a miracle!

Elder Morley and I- I'm gonna miss this
companionship, we have had such a
 blast these past three months

Brothers Jonel, Darrel, and Alan- Alan's baptism
 is this upcoming January, they are all great

Members in the branch

More members and friends

The Morla family- Sisters Jen and April Joy-
 lifelong friends, it's been such a miracle to see
them change through the Gospel of Jesus Christ

More members

The Carbonel Family-
will miss them all very much

The Palattao Family- I thinkBrother
Jun is the funniest person I know, haha

The Flores Family, our Elders Quorum President-
 we had a lot of good times with them

They made a Statue of Liberty
in the Municipal Square

Our Family Home Evening activity
 we had at the Palattao's home with a
bunch of different members and families-
 a great way to go out

Week 71 - December 9th, 2019 (Santa Teresita, Philippines)

Pizza at Juval's

Hello and Merry Christmas my dear friends and family, how goes it as the Christmas season truly gets underway? We have had a wonderful, wet December so far, lots of great experiences and people. We had an awesome Christmas Conference out here this past Thursday and Friday, we were out in Santa Ana during a very rainy and cloudy time, so those coming from afar did not get to see it in all of its beauty, but nonetheless, the company was wonderful and the food delicious. We had some really good training, activities, and games, and really enjoyed the company of our fellow missionaries over a couple days. Had a fun sand/mud football game out on the beach in the rain as well, so that was about the most American thing I've done since the 4th of July, haha. Here in Santa Te we are having a great time, this week we have really been meeting a lot of new people and looking for those who are part of scattered Israel. We had an awesome training about two of God's great promises to His children which have not yet been fully fulfilled- the first being to gather scattered Israel and the second is the coming of Jesus Christ to reign on Earth. Right now, The Church of Jesus Christ is working to bring this first promise to pass in preparation for Christ's coming, and that means searching every part of the world to find those who have been prepared by our Heavenly Father to be gathered and establish Zion. We are to gather those who are seeking to be gathered, so that they may also help in this work. I can testify to the truth of this literal gathering of Israel, and of the divine source from which this goal comes. 

Exchanges with Elder De Lara

Various Christmas Con pictures

In other thoughts, I had one really cool experience this week which deepened my testimony of the Holy Ghost. We had a recent convert that this last Sunday for the first time since she started coming to Church had scheduled to work after meetings were over, and in our next visit with her she asked us if the Gift of the Holy Ghost could leave, and told us about how she felt a presence leave her on the last Sunday as soon as she went into work. We explained and reminded her that she was not supposed to work on Sunday and that was the reason that the Spirit had left, but that as soon as she repented and sought it again the Spirit would immediately return. It was an awesome experience because she had actually kind of forgotten about this part of the Sabbath Day, and really testified to me that the Spirit is a real, perceptible, light influence that sometimes members have a hard time distinguishing until it is gone, but that it is not just a feeling or a self-fulfilling prophecy, but truly does guide and lift us according to our following of the commandments of God and gives direction and peace to our busy and otherwise troublesome lives- no matter what happens, I know that the Spirit is there for those who are seeking God's will and will witness of all truth, especially of the love of God for us and His desire for us to become like Him through Christ's restored Gospel. I love you all so much, will see you soon!

Love,
Elder Griffitts

The senior missionaries skit

Elder Egana

Reunion with Elder Tuyak

Week 70 - December 2st, 2019 (Santa Teresita, Philippines)

California burrito in the Philippines

Hello everyone, Merry Christmas for real now! This is gonna be quick, but we've had a really great week here in Sta Te- we started out going out to Laoag for the second time in two weeks, that is a fun bus ride but it was a great experience, we got to go on exchanges with the Assistants, where we learned so much about the nature of the work here and how to effectively find those who are searching for truth, and how we cannot convince people but must simply help and find those who are searching. It's kind of like a seed- a farmer knows that he must go out and plant a seed in order to ever have hopes of growing, and in order for it to grow, he must care for it. However, if that farmer goes out and plants a rock, no matter how much he takes care of it, he can't make that rock grow. In other words, in the work of the Lord, we don't really have the power to force things to happen. We can care for things, seek to have the Spirit always and do all we can, but ultimately it comes down to the power of the Sun and the willingness of the seed to bring forth fruit, and so we must be able to discern what seeds must be cared for, what can truly grow and bear fruit. This also really taught me that we ourselves must be good seeds, willing always to seek God and His will for us, and not close ourselves off to new knowledge. We have really been finding here in our area that all those who are seeking God will find Him through the Spirit, and those are they who are willing to follow the commandments and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, willing to conform and submit to the will of God and show it through covenants and baptism. This is why we are here, and obedience is really what will bring us more happiness than we can bring upon ourselves- He knows infinitely more than we. We had the baptisms of two awesome individuals this last Saturday and Sunday, sisters Nerissa and Jocelyn, that is always such a powerful experience. 

Happy Franksgiving everyone!

Hope all of your Thanksgivings were wonderful, we celebrated ours with a traditional Franks n' Burgers dinner after work, lots of fun (Franks is the lifeblood of the Cagayan area). Also got to make some mashed potatoes a couple nights ago, those were good. I'm so grateful for my time here, it's such a wonderful, short period that is going so fast and is just so rewarding. I've never been so focused on one thing in my life, and I'm so happy that that thing is this work, the time to help others become converted to Christ and His Gospel and receive a lifetime of peace as well as eternal happiness to come. I love you all so much, and I hope that as we enter the Christmas season it brings reminders of the birth of the humblest and yet most important child the world has ever received and that we can always remember the sacrifice and success that was made by Christ over sin and death. I will see you all soon, take care this week.

Love,
Elder Griffitts

Made some mashed potatoes as well

The baptism of sister
Nerissa Realica this last Saturday

Another picture with her cousin, sister Len.

The baptism of sister Jocelyn Taloza

Group picture of some of the
branch at Sis Jocelyn's baptism