Press Forward with Faith

 With Sister Fui

 Zone Conference

"Press forward with faith." I don't know how many times Sister Fui and I looked at each other and said that this week. When allll our plans fell through and we didn't have any members to come and fellowship with us on Friday, we prayed and left the apartment. We were on exchanges and I was in another area working with Sister Molina. All I could do was pray for them and they pressed forward with faith. When they got to their area, they found that Sister Donna had come back early from her trip and was able to go with them. Miracles from a prayer of faith and pressing forward :)

It happened again on Sunday night when all our plans fell through. We looked at each other and said, "press forward with faith" and were led to Brother Sonny, who came with us to his brother's house and introduced us. We were able to teach Brother Rusty and really felt the Spirit as Bro Sonny testified to his brother of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. :)

We also told Sister Lydia and Bro Rodolpho to press forward with faith last night as we sat cross-legged on their bamboo floor and taught them by candlelight. We told them that even though they can't see how they will be able to save enough to get their marriage papers in order, God will provide a way for them as they continue to press forward with faith. Sister Lydia is almost done with Ang Aklat ni Mormon and asked what else we could give her to read. She is amazing and we know Heavenly Father is blessing them by providing work for Brother Rudy this month :)

We also pressed forward with faith this week with Sister Mau and extended another baptismal date to her and this time she accepted! She will be baptized by her dad (a newly ordained priest!) on Saturday :) When we asked her how she was feeling about her baptism, she said she is so excited "Dahil alam ko na ito ang unang hakbang para sa akin na bumalik sa aking Ama sa Langit." Because she knows that this is the first step for her to return to her Heavenly Father. The light of Christ just radiates from her eyes and we couldn't be more happy for her :) 

I'd like to leave you with my favorite scripture from 2 Nephi 31:20. Look it up :)

I love you all and this work,

Sister Gustafson :)

Our service project earlier this morning- cleaning out the storage area for all the extra mission furniture. Let's just say we found lizards, snakes and spiders galore!

 Sister Fui and I gave a short workshop earlier about how to 

make our prayers more meaningful.

 

 My birthday surprise at 6:30...ignore the hair and glasses! Haha! Sister Fui and the other sisters here in Villasis woke up at 6am to surprise me with ice cream and a card that the whole zone and some ward members had signed :) we sat down right away and finished off an entire container (1.5L) of filipino ice cream in about 10 minutes flat. It was heaven :) (let me just explain that Filipino ice cream's first ingredient is water, so it's not too rich, but it's still delicious :)) I love being a missionary and the best gift I received was to serve Him the whole day long :)

 Birthday package from home!

What a week...

What a week...

It started with having two Sisters stay at our house on Monday and Tuesday nights because they went to Manila on Tuesday for fingerprinting for visa stuff. Then we had district meeting and DL/SL/ STL meeting on Tuesday, exchanges on Wednesday, weekly planning on Thursday, more exchanges on Friday, a DLZLSTL meeting in Mangaldan on Saturday and our baptism and MCM and then church and a half-day mission on Sunday. It was a whirlwind, but all I can say is that I'm so blessed and happy and grateful for the Lord's hand in the work. I thank Him in all my prayers for His patience with my weaknesses as His servant, just trying to do my best to please Him. :)

Brother Rabara was baptized on Saturday :) His daughter, Mau, was not baptized, but it's the Lord's timing. That's what we said in all our prayers and planning. We trust His timing and we knew that she would either be baptized with or by her dad :) I'll keep you updated on when her baptism will be! It was a great service, even though we were a little bit late (but right on time if you are going by FST- Filipino Standard Time :). I grossly underestimated the travel time from Mangaldan to Villasis and we ended up in traffic, calling and texting everyone not to worry that we were on our way and to please take care of Bro Rabara at the church. Despite flying into the church parking lot in a tryke a little bit late and with really wild hair, we were able to have a very spiritual baptism. Bro Rabara bore his testimony and expressed gratitude for finding the true church :) Last night we had him introduce us to his brother and sister-in-law and were able to teach them as well. His whole family lives on one street, so we're going to try to meet and teach all of them! Someday there will be a Puelay-Lipay Branch :)

We are teaching the sweetest family, the Versola's. they were a referral from the Antoqiua family, members. They have four adorable kids, three girls and a boy and I just love sitting on the blankets on their dirt floor and feeling the Spirit and their humble desires to keep the commandments :) Sis V works on Sundays selling snacks door to door, but after we taught them about faith and keeping the sabbath day holy, she promised to do anything to find a way to come to church next week. The miracle too, is that Bro Versola has also started listening in the lessons in the evenings instead of drinking! Heavenly Father is blessing their family!

The mission is going way too fast. I can't even fathom that I only have 4 transfers after this. I just keep feeling like I still have the whole world in front of me. But the longer I serve the more I realize how precious this time is and how little I have left. I'm just going to keep giving everything I've got to Him for the next 6 short months. what a blessing to serve! 

I love you all and hope you have a great week :)

Sister Gustafson

The Little Things

First of all, I just want to tell the whole world how proud I am of my little grown up brother, Sam who got his mission call to serve in the Spain Madrid Mission and reports to the Spain MTC on January 20!! :) I am so happy for him and so excited to serve alongside one of my best friends in the work of God! :)

 Picture taken September 2013

Sister Lala's baptism was beautiful, simple, and spiritual. She bore a great testimony afterward, comparing the day of her baptism to the day of her wedding. She recognized that it's a once in a lifetime special day that has forever changed who she is :) She expressed gratitude for finding the true church after nearly a lifetime of searching and for the changes she's seen in her life because of it :) She told us that this is the only church with a living prophet and continuing revelation and she knows it’s the true church of Jesus Christ here on the earth. I love hearing the testimony of those who have come to know the truth for themselves! :)

Brother Rabara will be baptized this Saturday. We're praying that his 17-year-old daughter will join him. She got sick this weekend and wasn't able to attend church or her interview and his some concerns about being ready. We really feel that she is and has demonstrated it in the last seven weeks since we met them at a tindahan (store) by coming to church faithfully and keeping every commitment. We gave her 3 Nephi 27 to read and pray about. We are just trusting in His timing and know that she will receive answers to her prayers :)

We had an amazing lesson with Sis Lydia and Bro Rodolpho on Friday. They've already been taught all the lessons, so sis Fui and I read 3 Ne 11 with them. The spirit was so strong as we sat cross-legged on their bamboo floor and read about how the Savior of the World appeared to the Nephites after his resurrection. Sis Lydia also shared with us her favorite scripture, 2 Ne 31:14, the scripture that she told us keeps her going when it gets hard and she feels like she will never be baptized because of the trials they are facing with their wedding papers. She has such amazing trust in Heavenly Father's timing!

This week it was about the little things… A simple baptismal service. A great lesson with a beloved investigator. Finding a new family to teach after being rejected by two others. Buying a 15 peso ice cream cone from 7-11 before your meeting with the zone and district leaders. Having your investigator's little kids run out to greet you before the lesson. :) Your companion writing you a note and leaving it on your desk. Eating an entire bag of banana chips in two sittings. Having members work with you. Planning for three half-day missions with the ward and having trust and support from ward leaders. It's things like that that remind you that Heavenly Father loves you and is in this work. All the blessings we have are from Him. Enjoy the little things :)

Have a great week,

Sister Gustafson :)

Trusting the Spirit

                               With my new companion, Sister Fuimaono from Samoa

 Hello ang aking mga minamahal :)

Wow, what a week. I was a little confused about which names to write on our Progress Record this week because I worked with 5 different companions :) After Sis Flores went home on Tuesday, I was with the Villasis A sisters Brown and Aruwititi. On Wednesday I had the privilege of hosting three brand new sisters from Samoa and Tonga and working with Sister Toai until Thursday. We passed them over to their trainers on Friday and I was happily surprised to hear that my new companion is Sister Fuimaono, that 26-year old Samoan sister I told you about with a giant, loving heart for everyone. She makes me feel so calm and peaceful and I just love her humble, hardworking attitude. It is her first transfer as an STL, but already she keeps telling me, "I just love the sisters so much!" She is going to be a great loving friend and example to them and to me :)

 New Sisters from Tonga and Samoa

We are so excited for Sister "Lala" Melanie's baptism this Friday :) She is so ready and passed her interview on Saturday with flying colors. She's attended so many different churches in her life, but has never been baptized before because she says she was waiting to find the "true one". And now she's found it :) It is such a blessing to be an instrument in the hands of God to help people find the true church, true happiness, and the only way to return home to live with Heavenly Father :)

Bro Rabara and his daughter are doing great :) They're so ready to be baptized on the 30th! We'll be visiting them nearly every day this week to finishing teaching all of the lessons they need to know for their interview on Saturday. We love them so so much!

We have a new(ish) investigator, Bro Bryan, a young dad who just has been a miracle. We met him one rainy afternoon, cooped in the house with his two very active little boys, trying to keep them entertained and out of trouble. We taught him about how the gospel makes it possible for him to be with his wife (who is working abroad) and his two adorable crazy boys forever. That's where he got hooked. He brought his 5-year old with him to church last week and then again yesterday. Last week when I was working with Sister Toai, we invited him to be baptized on September 20 and he accepted! He is working to quit smoking, but knows Heavenly Father will help him with his 10 sticks a day. He likes peanuts, so if Sis F and I have to give him all the peanuts in Villasis to keep his mind off of the cigarettes, we will :)

This week I've learned a lot about companionship unity. Having worked with 5 different companions this week and a lot more than that throughout this last transfer on exchanges, I have definitely experienced all different styles and experience levels when it comes to teaching. One thing that is always the same though, is the Spirit. This week and this last transfer I have learned to trust Him as the true teacher. I've learned that no matter if it's your companion's first lesson as a missionary and they don't understand what the investigator is saying in Tagalog, or if it's your companion's last day in the field, as long as their desire is to teach the Gospel with the Spirit, everything works out okay. I've learned that Tagalog and experience don't matter. What matters is the Spirit. HE is the real teacher. People won't remember what we say or what we did. They will remember how they felt. As long as they felt Heavenly Father's love and the Spirit, we did our best to help them understand. Sister Flores once prayed, "If all else fails, please bless that they will at least know that they are loved." That's my job as a missionary, to just spread the love of their Heavenly Father :) I'm so grateful to have that sacred duty!

Have a great week :)

Sister Gustafson 

11 Months :)

Happy 11 month anniversary as a missionary to me! :)

 American spaghetti!! Yum!

 

My dearest Sister Flores goes home tomorrow. I can honestly say that this has been the best companionship of my mission so far, probably just because of her never-ending happiness and our openness with each other. :) We have been close since day one because we always share what's on our minds with each other. We have been through some interesting things this transfer as STLs and as companions, but one thing I've never questioned is her love for me or for the work. :) I hope that someday I can love the people as fully as she does and give my all to serving Heavenly Father as I have seen her do. It's hard to see her go, but I like I told her earlier, I know I will see her again in the Celestial Kingdom :) Thank you for being one of my heroes, Sister Flores. You've taught me more with your unspoken sermons than you will ever know. :)

 This is a FHE we had at a member's house. There's a tradition here in Villasis where you shower the missionary going home with flour :) We were covered! 

 

 

 
Bursio

Sister Lydia and Bro Rodolpho and their baby, Bursio came to church yesterday. :) They are so committed to saving for their marriage papers, working towards sister Lydia's baptism and eventually, eternal marriage :) We taught the law of tithing on Saturday and asked Sis Lydia how she felt about the commandment and she looked us in the eye and said with a smile, "Gusto kong sundin ang kautusan niyan" "I want to follow that commandment". Her faith is amazing! we love their sweet family so much. It's so great to see them working together to achieve their goals! :)

 

The Rabaras, brother and his 17 year old daughter came to church yesterday for the 5th Sunday in a row. We met them 5 weeks ago and they've come together every week since. They are incredibly ready for their baptism on the 30th! It was so sweet to see them wiping away tears as Sis Flores gave her last talk as a missionary. It's sad that Sis Rabara is not yet open to hearing the Gospel and leaves the house every time we go over, but we know that someday her heart will be softened. We had a great lesson with them this week about life after death. I am so happy whenever we teach people who really are humble seekers of truth and they accept and want to live the truths we teach! We love them so much!

We are also teaching Sister Lala (maybe I've mentioned her before). She will be baptized on Aug 22 :) Her husband is not yet interested in hearing our message either, but we know that through our prayers and fasting, someday he will be baptized as well and they will be sealed to their adorable two-year-old son, RJ, in the Urdaneta Temple :)

I wish I also had time to tell you about Bro Bryan, a single dad with two adorable hyper-active boys, who has a sincere desire to know the truth and came to church yesterday. I also wish I could talk about Bro Wilmer, who is an ex-con who feels misunderstood and just wants to change. He's come to church the last 4 weeks and hopefully will be accepting a baptismal date this week. It's amazing to see people's lives changing along with my own because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ :)

I love this work so much and couldn't be more happy!

I love you all,

Sister Gustafson 

Our new investigator friend, Brother Carlos, we met last night.

Brother Carlos with a huge bunch of growing bananas.

Here is the Gallarin family. I LOVE this family!

 The Gallarin's adorable grandchildren.

Still "True Blue!"