Week 96: Real Joy

Hello everybody! Yet another week has gone. Just crazy how time seems to fly by on a weekly basis. I actually took some pictures this week so, you are all welcome.

3/01/2020

Here’s a picture of one of my favorite families I’ve met here in Laoag. We met them and helped them get married and baptized. Really cool people, and I gave my bag to them so they won’t forget me ;) hahah

3/04/2020

Some nature appreciation pictures, again! Yes, I’m in the Philippines. Yes, it really looks this pretty.

3/06/2020

Here’s a gross picture of a kidney stone one of our people we're teaching had taken out. Pretty crazy. Good thing though she’s on the heal now and the surgery was successful.

3/06/2020

Another one of our friends were teaching, she loves the Book of Mormon and won’t let us leave her house if we don’t read it with her.

3/07/2020

Here’s what it looks like to eat delicious Philippine food. Clams, fried pork, fried chicken, and squid (under the tin foil) Good stuff! Gotta love good homemade squid. This family is amazing, they’ve been to church every week since we met them and are going to get baptized in a few weeks.

3/09/2020

This morning we woke up early and went to the house of our friends. The brother will get baptized this Saturday which I’m really excited for. We cooked some native foods (I want to learn how to cook at least one thing Filipino so I can prove I was here for 2 years) hahah

The thing he’s cooking is called a “pritong saging” it’s basically mashed bananas with flour and eggs, like a banana pancake. its delicious.

Anyways, I’ve had a lot of thoughts this week on what actually makes me happy. I've been pondering the many "nagpapasaya sa akin" or the things that increase my happiness. I think sometimes (a lot of times for me) we can get caught up in a daily routine that we lose our sense of purpose. Kinda like dancing for hours and hours without any music. When this happens to me I just feel sad and stressed. I question why I'm even doing the things I'm doing, looking for change and something new to try.

In my studies this week I came across and focused on the word “joy”.

Here’s a quote I now have written down on my desk.

“The true test is to be able to look in the mirror, first thing in the morning, and feel real joy.” - Russell M Nelson

Joy clearly doesn't come from dancing without music. It doesn't come from the day to day life routine with no color, no substance.

However, the music, color, and the LIGHT of LIFE is here and we can have access to it!! This real joy comes from Jesus Christ and His gospel. No matter what we’re going through, we can feel this joy and a sense of belonging and security as we reach out to God. I know that if we actually TRY to come closer to Him, He will come closer to us and we will feel His love and peace - the REAL JOY in our lives.

I'm trying real hard to pass this test President Nelson says here, to look at myself in the mirror first thing in the morning and to feel the real joy. To be grateful for all of God's blessings, faithful in optimism and expectations of the many good things that lie ahead, confident that "in His strength I can do all things". I love this learning how to feel like that each morning. It helps, try it! It's turning my least favorite part of the day, getting out of bed, to something that I look forward to and something that carries me through whatever happens in the day. True joy is so powerful.

well, I hope you all have the best week. Let's have some joy!

take care always!

Elder Childers