Love.

Happy Thanksgiving week!!

I totally did not know that thanksgiving was this week haha then someone asked us what we were doing thursday and i was just like "uhhh missionary work?" then i clicked!! Crazy that the holidays are already here. President Bateman put out a music policy for Christmas music and we get to listen to any lds artist christmas music so I have some James the Mormon in my head phones right now #sogood #yetsovirtuous 

Well this week was super great and a really good learning experience. We were able to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ a lot of different times and we emphasized what repentance was. A lot of people quickly assumed that it was a scary thing and that it meant we were a bad person. But we focused on the definition of it. Love, repentance is the outcome of love. For ourselves and for our Savior. When we love someone or something we are willing to change and thats the outcome of repentance. We recognize we want to become better and the Savior gives us love and grace to make that possible. How much faith does it take to repent? "Its not as much faith as it is to move mountains. Its not enough faith to speak in tongues or heal the sick" Its enough faith to feel remorse for our wrong doing and enough faith to feel love for our Redeemer. For the man who already took on our sins before we even repented of it. I think thats been one of my favorite things to teach/learn on my mission. Repentance isnt scary and it shouldn't be intimidating. It should be one of the most joyful experiences we have. We may feel pain from our sin but we will always feel love during the process. 

So this week we have been wanting to find new people to teach. We know there are people in our area ready for the lessons but who? and where?? We had no idea how to answer that question so we let Jesus do it!! We prayed and picked out 10 streets then we individually prayed and picked out 5. We had two in common and both agreed that they were the ones we had the strongest impressions for! So off we went. So many tender mercies on the street that He picked out. We didn't even have to knock 3 doors before someone let us in and invited us back(: We decided to try that everyday. We want the holy ghost to be the "senior companion" in our companionship. Its been amazing to let God lead my life. I didnt think i could let myself be this vulnerable and not be in control but more peace comes from his way(:

Oh this last week it also decided to get really cold!! Like actually cold... even though everyone says its going to get WAY colder 😱 My hands were so numb and it hurt to knock doors haha. Missionaries say to wear gloves and just keep a golf ball in your pocket to knock or an eos chapstick. Because its so cold though people either dont want to open their doors and let cold air in or are super quick to let us in and get out of the cold! 

This week my favorite thing I heard was at church yesterday. Everything was thanksgiving themed (duh) but it was a quote by Thomas S Monson... "To express gratitude is gracious and honorable. To enact gratitude is generous and noble but to live with gr attitudes in our hearts is to touch heaven. " The lady giving her talk went on to share how she had lost 2 children over the course of a couple years and how people would call her and ask how she is handling it so well. She said "choose gratitude to change your story". I thought about my mission a lot through out the talks and how truly thankful i am to be here in Missouri. Its not a normal opportunity to get to put life on pause to help the Lord in such a close way. Every person i meet and even every door that gets slammed is an opportunity for me to give thanks. 

Love you all have a good thanksgiving. 

XOXO

Sister Bustillos

always making friends with the animals

Potatoe sac dresses!!

Adios Mexico

Holy Cow this transfer has come and gone so quick! and its November? NUTS! Itll be Christmas before we know it! 

So the dreaded day has come and its time for me to leave Mexico ): It was one of the hardest things to be told that I am being transferred but after 6 months it was kind of inevitable. The weekend was full of goodbyes and lots of tears. I never thought i would come out on my mission and find people i consider family. It felt like i was leaving home for a mission all over again. Mexico will always have a piece of me and I hope and pray that i made a tiny difference there. I got my new call to Crystal City MO. I have no clue where it is. Just that its closer the St Louis, i guess! I know some sisters that have served there and have heard great things so I am stoked to be able to experience more of the mission.  Here is my new address:

3235 Richardson pl. Apt #8

arnold, mo

63010

Letters much appreciated (;

Okay so lets start with the funnies of the week shall we!?

First of all, who remember the shed we live in? Ya well the door fell off!! Like on the floor in the dirt off!! haha shed happens i guess(; But we had to wait around for the door fixer guy to come put it back on because we didnt want to just leave the shed with no doors on... plus the front door was hanging on by a screw...one screw!! haha it made for a funny story but the shed was covered in bugs!! Earlier that week we went to a members home for dinner but before we could go we had to drop off the daughter at riding lessons down the street and she insisted we bring bingo!! Whose Bingo?? Her pet goat! He is the cutest thing ever! I sat in the back with him on the 2 minute drive over and he just chilled by me the whole time! Someone get me a pet goat when i get back pleasse??

So Yesterday we got to have a pretty cool experience before we left Mexico. I taught a lesson in SPANISH!! Okay not really but we taught and a member translated for us. I was so so nervous going into this lesson because of the language barrier and was quiet the debbie downer with my negative thoughts. I didnt think the lesson would go well or that anything would be undertsood so i went dove in with the worst attitude! We asked sister loyd ( the member ) to give the opening prayer in spanish and that instantly changed the mood of the room. The spirit quickly softened my heart and gave me a reassuring touch. We jumped into the message of the restoration and the words flowed out of our mouths. The lady we were teaching seemed to follow along quiet well and had a lot of good insight. We were all able to watch the first vision video in spanish and it brought tears to my eyes as Heavenly Father said " " (thank you google translate  ) but the spirit touched me so strong as those words were said because i was able to get a little glimpse into how much our Heavenly Father loves us and how true this gospel is anywhere in the world. and im only in missouri!! Our Heavenly Father knows how great each soul is worth and He is able to show that love to anyone in any language. He loves us so much that He will give us every opportunity to feel that love. As the lady who we were teaching watched the miracle of the first vision it was made known to me by the holy ghost that no matter the language barrier He was going to make sure that this daughter of His felt His love and have the opportunity to experience more truth. With both me and Sister Ellertson leaving im not sure what will happen with her but i know that the little lesson we had with her planted a seed that Heavenly Father needed to be made. We walked away saying how cool of an experience it was to be part of something like that and for our testimonies to grow on how true this gospel is and that the truth has been restored!!

I am so so sad to be leaving Mexico but Im ready to go share my love for the Lord in Crystal City!! My mission is changing my life in ways i didnt know were possible and I can honestly say its because I have the chance to be around such amazing people and focus on them and not myself. I'm always so happy with the decision i made to come back out to Missouri and even more greatful to my Heavenly Father for directing me to do so.

 Love you all!! 

XOXO

Sister Bustillos