It's Thanksgiving this week I just realized, so I'd like to share a few things that I am grateful for :)
I am grateful for our ten progressing investigators and 12 investigators that came to church yesterday. It is soo much fun to see so many investigators keeping commitments and preparing for baptism! I am grateful for Sis Mylene for coming to church, even though climbing the stairs is a really struggle for her lungs. I am grateful for the members that sat by her and put their arms around her frail shoulders and took her home early when she couldn't stay anymore without her oxygen.
I'm grateful for Sister Neth and her three adorable kids, CJ, JJ, and MJ for coming to church for the second time yesterday. I'm grateful for CJ's hilarious sense of humor that always gets Sis Sarte and I cracking up during lessons :)
I'm grateful for members like Sis Cleofe and Sis Ivy and Sis Tere and Bro Jared and Bro JP who sacrifice their time to work with us and bear powerful testimony as we teach and sit by our investigators at church. :)
Here is me and my lovely companion, doesn't she have great hair!!? She calls it her "Brave Princess" hair :)
I'm grateful for my dear companion, Sis Sarte who is so patient with my weaknesses and loves me and makes me laugh everyday :) the work is not easy, but at least it's fun with a companion like her by my side :)
I'm grateful for the wonderful sisters that I'm surrounded by and have the privilege of working with during exchanges every week. I learn so much from their examples. This week I worked with Sis Alvarez (Bicol, Philippines) for the third time on exchanges as well as Sis Fronk (Logan, UT) for the fourth time :) I learned so much from their positive attitudes, despite the trials they are facing in their areas. :) They are amazing!!
And this week, I am grateful for hot vans and buses and jeepneys with no aircon :) We traveled to Labrador, a huge area tucked away in the mountains about two and half hours away with about 30 active members. We visited the sisters there last Tuesday. We also had two exchanges and spent a lot of hours in vans and buses and jeepneys travelling for meetings and exchanges.... all those hours cramped in sweltering hot vans feeling the sweat dripping down your back and front and legs gives you a lot of time to think. :) I pondered on my purpose as a missionary and why I'm doing this. I came to the conclusion that all the sweat and hours travelling are worth it because, as we are taught in PMG, NO effort is wasted. Any effort we make to reach out to others in love or to do Heavenly Father's work is worth it :) I was also reminded that I need to be grateful that we even have vans (even if the air conditioning is a hopeless noisy excuse for a fan :)) because without them, we would be walking :) I wrote in my journal this week that I bet Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith had wished that they had had vans and buses and jeepneys to transport them as they did their work. So, because it is Thanksgiving this week, I am grateful for vans and jeepneys and buses that allow us to travel and do Heavenly Father's work :)
I am also grateful for all of you and for your support and emails and letters and prayers, especially my dear family:) I couldn't do this alone.
But most of all, I am eternally grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. He is my Redeemer and my strength. I love Him and am so grateful to have his name pinned to my chest and painted on my heart each day.
There is so much to be grateful for! Look at how much Heavenly Father has given us! :)
I love you all!
Sister Gustafson :)
Me, Elder Uhi and Elder Ponce with our "trunky letters" aka travel questionnaires :)
(I'm not sure if she wants to jump for joy or melt into a puddle of tears.)
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