Week 84 - March 9th, 2020 (Sinait, Philippines)

Another great week here in Sinait! How is everyone doing over there, hope all is going well! We are enjoying it over here, had a good last week that just flew by- lots of going back to some cool people that came to church and finding others who are looking for truth. Had a fun Family Home Evening on Monday, our branch is great because they always do them every week and we have a bunch of people we are teaching that are invited and have a fun time there. Lots of games, a nice spiritual thought, and food. We had exchanges on Tuesday with Cabugao, I was in our area with Elder Olsen from Canada, he's on his third cycle in the field and is doing great. We had a good day of work here, lots of new people met. Summer is getting underway here, it's hotter than usual. Though this morning was more overcast, actually the first time in a while I've seen that. Also had interviews with President this last Thursday, those always are wonderful and so uplifting. The next day, however, we had to make a trip to the hospital because my companion's feet were so hurt he couldn't walk, so we got some x-rays and spent some time there and that's an experience I'm alright with not repeating, haha. Oh, the adventures you have here that you just never expect. It's all in good time, though, and we are just here to do what we can for these people.

A pic from our Family Home Evening last Monday

One thing that our mission is really focusing on, we actually have an upcoming Mission Tour this Wednesday where Elder Bangerter from the Area Presidency will be coming to speak to us. I'm very excited, we are really going to be focusing on the act of "becoming", rather than just doing good missionary things. We are here in the mission, all of us are here on our earthly missions, in order to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ and receive His grace in our lives, that we may one day return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven and receive eternal life, eternal happiness. In other words, we through striving to live the way He lived are all seeking to become like Him, to emulate His example and follow His commandments in all things. It is such a special privilege, and joyous time, to be able to serve Him at this time with all I have. He is the Savior, the One who was sent to save us from our sins, to give us a chance to become happy despite us often choosing ourselves misery and pain through sin. I know that His is the only true and living Gospel, the only way that we can truly be made clean from our mistakes. He brings that perfection, because He as a perfect being and took upon Himself our own imperfections. I am just so grateful for our ability to depend on Him, if we will but humble ourselves to our desperate need for His help and strive to follow His counsel. I hope all of you can find this peace always that is reserved for the truly penitent and meek, and I look forward to writing to you next week! See ya!

Love,
Elder Griffitts