Week 83 - March 2nd, 2020 (Sinait, Philippines)

Dear friends and family, I'm so happy to be able to write you all again today! Sorry that last week's entry was quick, I was in a bit of a rush, but this week has been really great. We are seeing so many miracles happening here in Sinait- this is the last part of the Vigan district before it will become a stake, and the branch is just stepping it up and really moving. We had so many people this last Sunday in sacrament meeting they had to open up the overflow, and between us and the other pair of elders in Sinait we had 17 people in church that aren't yet members that we are teaching. It's amazing and so humbling to be here at this time that the Lord is pouring out His Spirit upon this city. This upcoming March we will be seeing a lot of amazing people enter into a covenant with their Heavenly Father and being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ here on Earth. Really just teaching me so much about the greatness and reality of this work and the importance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every aspect. 

Exchanges with Elder Juntilano from Vigan

I've really just been reflecting a lot this week as to the importance, as disciples of Jesus Christ, to not only teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ but to live it in every aspect of our lives. In Preach My Gospel, it talks about the Gospel being both the "what" and "why" of this great work- not only what we teach, but also the reason for which we go out and share it. Because we, as Alma and all the other prophets from the scriptures, need to have experienced this conversion to Christ's grace and mercy ourselves before we can effectively share it with the world, and I would like to assert that it is the single most important thing that we must do here on Earth... First, exercise faith in Christ and His power to save unto repentance- unto true and lasting change. We need to give up all our old evils and worldly ways and just submit to the will of One who is much older, wiser, and infinitely more loving than anything or anyone else we may know. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly coming to know the nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ, in all their glory, majesty, mercy, and love. They want for us to succeed! They are cheering us on, They are on our side! As long as we are moving forward, seeking Their counsel, and repenting of the slip-ups we make in our daily lives, we can follow the path that the Savior has set. He set it for us knowing we are imperfect, knowing that we must humble ourselves and trust in His redeeming love and not our own abilities, and just give Him our all. I love King Benjamin's discourse on our absolute reliance on a Savior due to our own helplessness found in Mosiah, I would really invite all of you to go back and study those amazing words- I know that through the grace of Christ, we can be saved after all we can do- we are here to learn, we are here to practice. Let us always do so, continue moving forward in Christ as we strive to endure to the end, He will be with us every step of the way! I love you all so much, have a phenomenal week everyone!

Love,
Elder Griffitts