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!!