Great Week in Espana

May 2, 2016

Well, once again this week has been absolutely amazing! I love being a missionary, with all of the rough parts of being a missionary it just makes the great parts amazing. This week we saw some amazing miracles! We were at church yesterday, we get there half an hour early in order to great those that come in and a man walked in who we did not recognize. we greeted him and he told us that an inactive friend had invited him to come to church to see the new chapel, but that the member had decided not to wake up that morning so, Salvador, the man, had decided to come by himself anyways. He told us that he didn't want to stay for the meetings but wanted to talk and pray with us. Perfect! We went into a classroom and talked about the Restoration and our beliefs he was very open and agreed to stay for part of Sacrament meeting as he had an appointment at the top of the hour and so could not stay for the whole thing. We were stoked! It is very rare that people walk into the chapel by themselves looking to talk about God. Then during the second hour, the branch President pulls my companion and I out of class and introduces us to a woman who had come the church looking to pray and talk with God because her mother was very sick and in the hospital. She asked if we would be willing to go and give a blessing to her mother, we happily agreed and will be going in the next couple of days. It was like God was saying here, this person needs to hear the gospel, and this person, take good care of them. I am very grateful that He sent these people to us so that we can help them find the peace and the answers that they are looking for. I know that miracles exist.

My companion is a boss. He is really one of the best teachers that I have met. I have learned a lot from him and have grown so much in the last couple of weeks. But there is a lesson that I have had to learn with him as with all of my companions, which is the danger of comparison. Comparison is a tool of the devil to either build up pride or to tear down oneself. When we compare ourselves to others, we say he is better than me or I am better than him. Both frases are destructive and will drive away the Spirit. We are all sons and daughters of God, He knows who we are and what we need in our lives. The most important thing is that we trust in Him to mold us in His way. As we eliminate those feelings of better or worse we can feel love for others as well as love for ourselves. The second great commandment teaches us, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." I invite all of us to look for our strengths and our weaknesses not to put ourselves down but so that we can go to the Lord looking for the strength of His Atonement to change, which we will find. Let us look always for the good in others but also in ourselves so that we can use our gifts to bless the lives of those around us.

I know that God loves us and has given each and everyone unique skills and talents for the reason of building His Kingdom and blessing His children.

Love,
Elder Gustafson