Monday, November 14, 2016

The Nature of Happiness

So good news, I am staying in Lipa with Sister Uba!! Yay! People like to call us big and small haha but we like to call ourselves the power team! We are having fun and seeing sooo many miracles. 
Me and Sister Uba

We found our investigator reading the Book of Mormon like this!
Another great week...zone training meeting, found some more families who accepted baptismal goal dates, a SUPER full Sunday School class on Sunday with our great investigators. We are moving into a bigger room next week! I love being an instrument in the hands of God. Oh and we have a small family of cats living in our roof hahaha. We are working on finding a solution, no worries. 
I love the Lipa Zone!!
Something I really liked in my personal study this week was in Alma 41:10-11. The phrase "wickedness never was happiness" is a common one to us but I learned a lot as I studied it more in depth this week. I love verse 11 when it says when people are wicked, "...they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness." I love that phrase. "nature of happiness." God is a happy God!! He is loving and merciful and His only desire is that we find joy and eternal life. When we are disobedient we are choosing to be alone. We are choosing to take ourselves far from the Holy Ghost. But when we are trying to change our natures and do what is right, we WILL be happy!! It reminds me of Mosiah 3:19. Latter Day Saints should be happy people because we are working to develop a "nature of God" and a "nature of happiness." Filipinos are happy people because they are so giving and loving and humble. Let's strive to develop more Christlike attributes so we can live in a nature of happiness!!

Mahal ko kayooooo!

Sister Giles 

I asked Abby if she had heard about the election in America and this is what she said in her personal email to me which I thought was interesting:

The Philippines is taking the election hard. All the news reporters are freaking out saying nobody can get visas now. It is actually scary for separated families in America and the Philippines. I feel lucky to be far away from it. It has strengthened my testimony that the Gospel is the only way we can find true joy and peace in a changing and scary world. And it is a good wake up call that these are the last days and we have a preordained responsibility as members of the church to speak up and spread light. God is with us no need to fear!

Monday, November 7, 2016

Pinakamakapangyarihan Aklat!

Helloooo to my dear family and friends!! 

I loved this week! Pretty normal week but we had MLC (Mission Leadership Council) on Friday and it was amazing as usual. One huge thing I learned was about the power of the Book of Mormon. Our great AP's gave a workshop about using the Book of Mormon more powerfully in our work and wow, I learned so much. We focused on using it to address the concerns of our investigators. I am sooo thankful for the Book of Mormon. It really is the pinakamakapangyarihan aklat sa buong mundo!! (most powerful book on the whole earth). I love reading and studying it every day. I have come to realize that there is a lesson to be learned in every single verse. It answers the questions of the soul and it is how we can receive answers to our prayers!! If you are not reading the scriptures every day I invite you to change and enjoy the power that just flowssss through daily scripture study!! 

Philippines San Pablo Mission Leadership

At Mission Leadership Council
 

We had a fun zone pday today!! We had a "boodle fight" where you cut down banana leaves, lay down rice and meat and eat with your hands!! Haha so fun. I love this Filipino culture. Life is good, my companion is my bff and being a missionary is the BEST!! 






I know the Book of Mormon in another testament of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that through the Book of Mormon we can come to truly know our Savior. I know He loves us and THIS is His church once again established on the earth!! This is the most beautiful message we have for the whole world!! Families CAN be eternal, God LIVES and LOVES all of us individually, the heavens are open and we can receive personal revelation and revelation through living prophets and apostles. I love you all!! Have a great week! Eat with your hands this week, it's fun. 

Love, 
Sister Giles