Week 80 - February 10th, 2020 (Sinait, Philippines)

Movie night with the Restoration
video and homemade popcorn

Dearest loved ones, friends and family,

So happy to be able to write this week. There are some awesome miracles happening here. We are really starting to work closely with members to get a huge amount of people- their friends and family and others we are finding- to come and see the joy of Christ's restored Church here on Earth. We have a couple people we have been teaching that we just found at their homes who just happen to be relatives with many of the members here, and they are all looking forward to being baptized this upcoming February 22, we are very excited for them. I'm with my new companion as well, met him this last Tuesday. His name is Elder Canales, from Caloocan City in Metro Manila. He's been out for about 6 months now, and I'm excited to continue the miracles here with him.

New companion- Elder Canales,
taga Caloocan City, Manila

One thing that I've really been pondering on and also seeing the results of here in Sinait and among missionaries and members in the mission is the effect of charity in this Gospel, in the hearts of the children of God. It's a topic we hear a lot about in the scriptures, Paul and Mormon describe it as being perhaps the most important attribute that we can ever develop, and when we look at the Father and Jesus Christ there is no other attribute more accented than that of love. But that's the thing about love- it's not something that can really be effectively exercised in words alone. Even good deeds are not enough- charity becomes an attribute that must enter into our very selves and actually define us. I'm really working on building charity to become my motivation for going out and doing this work, for at times I fear it becomes somewhat habitual. I want to come to realize again that true joy comes only in and through living as Christ lived, and Christ never had a selfish thought in His existence- part of His perfection is that He always, always turned outwards. It truly is that attribute, that kindness and humility and love that causes us to seek to serve others and forget ourselves and our own problems and concerns, that will result in our souls being filled with joy and the love of God. I'm so grateful to be in a situation where I can apply this, and seek to live it with all my words and actions, and I just testify to what Mormon said in his epistle to his son, that although all things will pass away, charity truly will never fail us. There will never be a mistake in seeking to help people to come closer to their Savior, to come closer to true and lasting happiness. It overcomes fear, doubt, and pride, and truly, when rooted in the perfect example of charity Jesus Christ, gives us power to overcome any temptation of the adversary.  Let us all follow Mormon's invitation to "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love"(Moro 7:47), and through the Holy Ghost it will be gifted to all of us and we will find happiness above all else. I am so grateful for you all and your examples of charity to me, and I love you all so much. See you soon!

Cool spots in Pug-os

Love,
Elder Griffitts