Feliz Navidad!

Christmas with members and Santa Clause came.

 December 25, 2015

I am so grateful for Christmas. This beautiful time that we have to reflect specifically on the birth of Christ. During this time we have the great privilege of singing about his birth and the joy that that brings. I have found great happiness as I have sung these hymns for the past two months and I wanted to share today some of my favorite lines and messages. I have put them in Spanish and English they are not exactly the same but I hope you will be able to understand what I am trying to convey.

¡Regocijad! Jesús nació,
del mundo Salvador;
(Joy to the world, the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!)

In a world of so much sadness and hardship let us rejoice! The Lord has come! These things shall pass away. Our hardships and trials will pass we will learn and grow. Let us embrace Him and experience the joy that we receive from the knowledge that He came and that He lives!

Te pido, Jesús, que me guardes a mí,
amándome siempre, como te amo a Ti.
(Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.)

Tiny Christus

I echo this plea. There has been no better gift that I have received this last year than becoming closer to my Savior. In Spanish in the second line is the the request that He loves me always as I love Him. His love is perfect and never will fail. He will be there always but we must show Him our love for Him by doing as He has asked. Let us be obedient to Him.

Escuchad el son triunfal de la hueste celestial:
Paz y buena voluntad; salvación Dios os dará.
Cante hoy toda nación la angelical canción;
estas nuevas todos den: Nació Cristo en Belén.
Escuchad el son triunfal de la hueste celestial.
(Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise;
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!)

Because our Savior is born we can receive Salvation. Every nation understand that message so that they can sing and give glory to Him. I am grateful to be in Spain sharing this message with those who can now sing with me in this great joy that I feel because I can live with God and Jesus and my family forever! Let us all share his message with those that we love!

Noche de luz, noche de paz;
Ved la luz de Su faz.
Es el alba de la redención;
Dios, por Él, nos dará salvación.
¡Oh bendito Jesús!
¡Oh bendito Jesús!
(Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.)

Night of light, night of peace. See the light of His countenance. Christ is light. He is the dawn. Light expels all darkness. Light is warmth and happiness. I am grateful for the Light of Christ which is given to all men to discern the good from the bad so that we can choose for ourselves to follow that light. I invite each of us this year to keep our eyes focused on the example that our Savior left us. Let us follow his light.

Have a Merry Christmas!

I love you all,

Elder Gustafson

Christmas morning with stockings from home

Elder Johnson opening his stocking.

Attitude & Faith

With Elder Johnson from Odgen UT

I have been thinking a lot this week about Laman and Lemuel. Laman and Lemuel get a bad rap in the Book of Mormon because they were rebellious and whined all the time but I think that sometimes we don't give them quite enough credit. They still left Jerusalem with their family and then they went back to Jerusalem twice, and they still crossed the sea to get to America. Sometimes we believe that, there is no way that I would ever end up as Laman or Lemuel completely off track but it happens very slowly and it begins with our attitude. The difference between Laman and Lemuel and Samuel and Nefi is that the younger brothers were willing to go and do with faith and hope for the future. Let's not go to church or read our scriptures or pray because we have to but instead because we want to. It is a wonderful blessing that we have to be able to this great knowledge that we do. So what does that have to do with my adventures of this week? This last week Elder Johnson and I arrived in Talavera and as we got here we heard "this is a hard area" "the people here are very hard headed" "you are going to struggle in that area", we am here to say no to all that. We are here in an area where the members are excited to work and want to do everything they can to see their little branch progress to become a ward. It is an area where they have vision and leadership. It is an area that has the faith to see miracles happen. We are here to help them accomplish their vision and progress the work of the Lord. I know that there are people prepared here. I know that it will take diligent work but that is required in any area of any mission.

I am grateful that I have been taught that we can do miracles according to the preparation that we put into the work. In Moroni 7:29 we learn about miracles when Mormon asks and responds to his own question "have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay" as he continues he says in verse 33 "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." I know that this is true. I ask for your prayers and your faith so that we can see miracles happen here in Talavera.

I love you all,
Elder Gustafson

Talavera de la Reina

With Elder Hendrix at the temple

Well it is once again transfer time. Due to Christmas our transfer got shortened to 4 weeks and I have left Torrejón. It has been an amazing learning opportunity here in Torrejón. I am so grateful that I have been here and for the friends I have made. I have very mixed feelings about leaving. Very sad to leave the great people here that I love but also grateful and excited for a chance to start fresh and do better. I will be headed to Talavera de la Reina which is by Toledo down at the southern part of Madrid. I am still uncertain as to who my companion will be because I once again have the great opportunity to train a new missionary. I am so grateful for Elder Hendrix. I am grateful for his ability to work and his love for the savior. I am so grateful for his amazing musical ability. I am grateful for the times that we spent together studying the scriptures. One of the best things about Elder Hendrix is to ask questions as we study the lessons and the scriptures together. I have learned so much from him and will miss him. 

This week I just wanted to share how grateful I am for my Savior. Last night we went to see a choir on temple square (in Spain) sing. I am grateful for that moment that I had to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ. The birth of Jesus Christ is more than a day to buy presents or eat delicious food. It is a day to spend with your family remembering who makes it possible that you can be together forever. I am so grateful for Christmas. The lights, the hymns to Christ, the happiness and atmosphere that prevails. I remember a couple years ago as a family we talked in a family home evening about what Christmas really means and whose birthday it really is. If I remember correctly my mother invited us all to take a moment and think of what we were going to give to Jesus this Christmas. We all took a little piece of paper and wrote what it is that we were going to give to the Savior and then we put it in a box and put in the center spot under the tree. I invite each of you to think about what it is that you can give to Jesus Christ this Christmas.

I love you all,

Elder Gustafson

The Torrejon District with Felix

Christmas lights in our apartment

My signature was the first on Elder Hendrix guitar.

I am grateful for...

Preparation day with part of our zone in Madrid at Sol.

November 30, 2015

I am grateful for...

A bag of carrots

This week we met with a member here in Torrejón. He doesn't have a whole lot of money, not even enough to pay the light bill in his piso. We set a meeting with him on Thursday in the afternoon and as he walked into the church he came in swinging a plastic bag full of big carrots. It was very clear that they had been carefully washed and prepared for us with love. He handed us the bag apologizing that he didn't have anything better to give us. We thanked him for his wonderful Thanksgiving gift to us. I know the sacrifice made in order to give us a bag of carrots and they are probably the sweetest carrots I have ever eaten.

The power of a testimony

I am so grateful for Felix and the testimony that he has in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been teaching him about the law of chastity and modesty. As we taught it to him he told us that he had an appointment to go and get a new tattoo that he had already paid 500€ for. As we talked he told us "I know what is the right thing to do. I've gotta go cancel it." I am grateful that he has a solid testimony of what is right. It is one of the coolest things to have an investigator who we can teach and have an incredibly spiritually experience with but who is also one of my best friends.

A mission president's wife

This week we had a training with all the hundred and something missionaries serving in the Madrid area. It was a great training, we talked about the way that commandments are a way of keeping us free. Sometimes we think of commandments as things that keep us chained up, or sometimes we think of commandments as a fence that keeps us inside the boundaries so that we are free within our fence to move, but I believe that the commandments are even more than that. I believe that the commandments keep the evil trapped in and keep us outside and free. Sometimes we can't see more than the fence right in front of us and don't know which side is inside and which is out. After this great conference we had a full on Thanksgiving Dinner complete with Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, etc and even included Pumpkin Pie at the end. I am grateful for this sacrifice of time and resources from Hermana Pack and all those who helped her in this endeavor.

A hard working companion

I am so grateful for my companion. He is a great example to me. I am grateful for the things that he has taught me these past two transfers. This week in particular though I am grateful for his dedication to work hard even when we are out contacting meeting few who wanted to hear the word of God. When I asked him how he was feeling he said terrible. We talked about going and taking a rest for a minute but he said essentially there is work to do let's keep going. I think about Brigham Young and his companion who upon leaving for their missions, and being very sick, stopped the wagon rose and shouted Hoorah for Zion!

My family

I am grateful for my family. I don't give my family the credit that they deserve in my letters home. I am so grateful for every member of my family. I never realized how great I had it until I left and probably won't until I have a family of my own but I know that I owe everything to them. I am so grateful for a Mother who has shown me love in everything that I have done. I am grateful for her example of love she shows me the importance of demonstrating our love to others through our actions more than just through words. I am grateful for a Father who teaches me to work diligently and to spend time working for others,selfless service. I am grateful for Mckenna who teaches me the importance a of being true to yourself and what you value. I am grateful for Eliza who teaches me that love comes from the heart. I am grateful for Andrea who teaches me the importance of being engaged in good causes. I love my family and am grateful for the ordinances that bind us together for eternity.

My Savior

Above all this Thanksgiving I am grateful for a Savior who allows me to change who I am. I am grateful that through Him I can become different than the person that I am right now. I am grateful for the relationship that I have with Him and the opportunity that I have to help others build this relationship with others.

I love you all
Elder Gustafson

PS this week I am ponderizing the scripture Alma 26:22

We are Children of God

November 23, 2015

This week has been a great week. I love you all. This week has been super fun. I got to do an intercambio with Elder Bailey our Zone Leader. (I did between 4 and 5 intercambios with him back in Pontevedra and so it has been great to be back with him.) Life really is good. We had a conference with a General Authority this week which was awesome. He talked about the importance of knowing our identity. He talks of when we know what our identity is we can conquer Satan and we will always have purpose in what we do. I have been studying Moses 1 as a follow up and it has been cool to see how God emphasizes the importance that he is a Son of God. My invitation to you all this week is to reflect on what it really means to be children of God.

Felix came back from his trip this week so we are super excited to have him back with us. We are loving the work here.

I love you all,

Elder Gustafson

Another Week

Elder Gustafson and Elder Hendrix with an Elder just leaving to serve in Argentina.

Another week has gone here in Torrejón. Life here is good! We have had kind of an interesting week. We have had the privilege to do a lot of service for ward members. We got to teach in an Elder's Quorum activity about studying the scriptures which was interesting. We taught about how to really learn from the scriptures and talked about at least 7 points of doctrine that we can pull from the first verse of the Book of Mormon. I love being able to be taught from the scriptures by the Holy Ghost as we read. Really having the Spirit with us as we study is the way that we learn through the studies that we have. We then talked about answering the questions of the soul with scriptures. We posed the question "If God loves his children why do bad things happen to good people?" And then gave them 7 minutes to find a scripture verse or story that answered that question. One of my favorites to answer that question is in Doctrine and Covenants 58:2-4. I challenge each of you in your next study of the scriptures to search for one of the questions of your soul or to take the one presented above and look for answers in the scriptures. As we do that with a spirit of humility and prayer we will find answers.

We have also been helping a lot of the Africans here with talks that they are preparing for sacrament meeting. It is really cool to be able to get to know so many different cultures here in Spain. We have Romanians, Africans of all countries, South Americans, Central Americans, and a couple of Spaniards here and there. It makes the area really interesting. I realized last night that we had not taught a full out lesson in Spanish in a week because most of our investigators are African. I love it though and African food is delicious. On Friday we had intercambios with the Elders in Azuqueca and so we all eat together at about 2 o'clock. Later we went to an African lady's house and ate African fried rice with Turkey which was delicious but she brought out a pot of rice about a foot in diameter and just as high just filled with rice that we were expected to eat. We did the absolute best that we could...it was a fun experience until we walked out and my companion threw up behind a car. The next day he was completely out of commission. Good news though, he is better now.

Other happenings from this week, Leo is not really engaged anymore in learning because he needs a job so bad that he can't focus on other things such as the gospel. He needs our prayers now more than ever. I am grateful for your prayers on his behalf. We also have been continuing in our teaching of Felix which has been absolutely great! He is starting to involve himself more and more in the YSA activities here which is super cool to see that transition starting to happen from the missionaries to the ward members. He is really just the coolest person ever! Keep praying for him and his progress. He came to church for all three hours this week!!!!
Anyways we are doing well here in Torrejón life goes well. I pray for you all back home every day!

Love,
Elder Gustafson

Progression

Put on the whole armor of God - In Sergovia with a "knight."

Felix and Leo came to church! This has really been a great week! It was so great because we just have awesome investigators, an awesome district and my companion is a boss. It was great also because the members threw me a surprise party on Tuesday. It's even greater because the Torrejón District survived transfers with everyone staying. So all said it has been an awesome week to be a missionary here in this time and in this place.

Let's start by talking about how cool Felix is. Felix is progressing really well he has really sincere desires to learn and make the changes in his life so that he can be baptized in December. This week we taught him about the law of chastity and he told us that he wants the Hermanas to start teaching his girlfriend so that they can learn and progress together. On Sunday in Sunday School we talked about eternal marriage and he leaned over to my companion and said I don't just want to get married, I want to get sealed. It was a super cool moment. Thank you for your prayers on his behalf. I know that prayers are answered.

Leo also came to church this week! He has been coming regularly but for some reason he hasn't picked up his phone for the last 2 weeks. He never called us back and so we didn't know what was up. We were worried that he was going to drop us but as we called him on Saturday he picked up and told us that he would come to church this Sunday. He came and we were able to have a long talk afterward about what was going on and help him feel of the peace of Christ. I am so grateful for that peace. Sometimes life as a missionary just gets crazy trying to keep all the people that we, teach, visit, and are concerned about in order but the peace of Christ stays with us as we are worthy to have it.

Life is great in Torrejón. Please keep praying for our investigators.

I love you all!

Elder Gustafson

Surprise Birthday party with members and missionaries

GF cookies at the birthday party

Sword I got in Segovia

(It's really only about 4 inches long and isn't a sword at all, just a letter opener!)