The Angel by Joseph Beuhler Gustin

This is a story written about my boy, his leaving, his mission and the angels who have helped push him along the way written by his best friend, Joey Gustin. Joey read this to us on Mother's Day after we all said goodbye to Alex again after our wonderful Skype call. While we were already crying with joy (and a little sadness) it further brought me to tears and will you too, I am sure. This is being published with Joey's permission to be a memory for Alex of what he tells us really happened for him, that day, sitting in the airport before he left his home, family, friends and all that he loves, to serve the people of the Philippines for the next 2 years.

The Angel

"Okay..." The Instructor said, pausing to fabricate the words... "I need you to go down there.... I need you to make sure, he stays on that plane... Keep him there, I need him" Tension rises, the "instructee" stands ready to carry the burden of his mission. Sparks in his eyes, fire in his heart, wings upon his back. The instructor continued, his words boomed like thunder,"he has dreamed the script you shall follow, he dreamed of your arrival but doesn't believe it to happen.... Show him otherwise. Then you wait in the shadows for those who need him to call out. Give them hope, give them signs to stay alive.... NOW GO."

He dove off the edge and plummeted to land of sin. The feathers flickered in the wind... The land below blue and brown in sight, but his internal vision saw black and red in patches, indicating sin and struggle. He searched desperately for a safe spot to land. He then spot his target.... He landed in the safety of his presence. Standing in the shadows, masked as light and air, watching over his target man. Stares on as his man closes his office door, lays his hands on a head of curls, surrounded by people who love him, the man closes his eyes and begins to pray. 

Hidden in the shadows, the one with wings closed his eyes and channeled into his target, allowing the words from his mind to flow through to his man. This provided comfort to the target he could feel. He closed his prayer and released his power, returning to overseeing. He waits patiently for his day to move. 

The day arrives. The winged one feels the struggle within his man....he provides strength and power to stand and press on. He flies over them as they all travel to the airport, feeling the grieve among the souls and faces with his target. They arrive, he remains omniscient and oversees the final goodbyes, feeling the strength of importance his target has within those around him. He follows his target as he waves goodbye, one last time from the end of the terminal. They carry on. 

The winged one feels his man desire to turn back and his hesitance to continue on... Both becoming too strong to combat from the shadows. The winged one closed his eyes and felt the atmospheric pressure of the earth on his face as he did when he was alive. He opened his eyes, he was standing in the terminal, disguised as an old man, he took his place. He watched his target board the plane, he followed suit. 

He sat down beside his target, he was crying and mumbling. The winged one spoke up, " why are you crying young man?" His target looks over at him white as a ghost and covered in tears.... He began his story of mission and loss, pain and power, leaving those he loves to serve. The winged one followed the fabricated dreamed script, "well expect No hug or pity from me..... But you are doing a good thing and they will all be here when you come back" his target looked at him in shock.... He had seen his sign, he had to be here. He had to go. He had to serve. They stepped off the plane and the winged one disappeared into the crowd. He now watches over those who need him most, in the absence of his assigned missionary man. He watches from the shadows, he shows those around the signs of the life of the one they love off in another world, working, sharing the strength that those put in to his heart. Like an endless cycle of support and power. Just a sudden spark in a dark shadow of time that is the mission.

by Joseph Beuhler Gustin

Week #28 - Mother's Day Skype Call!!!

 

 

 

 High points in our Mother’s Day Skype with Elder Alex Dahle
· He LOOKED and IS HAPPY!!!
· Elder Baldove seems really sweet!
· He loves being a trainer!!! Open area is hard!
· Their time is very filled with looking for and teaching investigators.
· Not as much time with service because they are in an “open-area”
· They have 6 investigators on date for baptism right now! PRAY FOR THEM!!!
· Has many scriptures memorized in English and Tagalog. Favorite right now is in Corinthians
· It is 110+ degrees and right now is dry but they have had some big rain storms lately.
· Highest temp was 123 degrees . . . HOT!!! Admitted to NOT wearing sun screen!
· Food – dog (big not small like Ava), ballut egg (egg very close to hatching – bones and all), and blood meat and dip, chicken feet
· Grossest food – chicken intestines very full of waste! L
· Yes Josh . . . he caught a lizard just the other day!
· And they caught a huge spider in their apartment the size of his fist!
· He is now in a much more urban area – and have access to a dunkin donuts and some other fast food favorites etc.!
· He was clearly struggling with English! He told a story of how he and Elder Arrington were struggling and debating for a hour and a half to remember the American word for “oven mit” Hehehe!
· He now uses rubber shoes he bought there during the week – they keep his feet dry and he uses his nicer ones for Sundays
· They have a very sweet, hard working, lady that does their laundry for them.
· He wishes he had not slept through seminary!
· He was blown away by how his siblings have grown!
· He LOVES the people!
· The place is very BEAUTIFUL!!!
· He spoke with his siblings alone – their memories:
              Work hard on getting ready to go on missions
              Do what you believe is right!
· Spoke with Joey, Tori, Ali, Steve & Colby
              Lots of laughter between the bunch of them!
              Song lyrics & lots of teasing!
              Plans – graduation – etc was talked about
· Spoke with Grandad
             He misses going to the temple!
             They have chosen a site for the Urdanetta Temple but he probably won’t be there   when it is finished.
· Spoke with Mom and Dad
            Lots of tears!
            He loves and misses all of us!
            Keep writing letters!


After his skype he was given time to email us as well!
Hello!
Talking to all of you was so wonderful! I wish I could have had just an hour with each of you! Because I can't, I just want to write each of you a little bit.

Dad and Mom.
I just want to thank you and tell you I love you and that I am only who I am today because of my two wonderful parents. You built the foundation for me to reach my potential. Don’t ever regret the hard times. Afterall it is in the furnace that metal is shaped to its form. I needed those hard times. please go review the talk from conference about the music of the Gospel. I love you!!! Please just keep trying. That’s all that is required of you. God will do the rest. You do your best.

Paige:
I just want you to know how much I love you, and that I am so proud of you. I am so proud of your accomplishments in education, in work, in church. I want you to know that you have always been a good example for me, and I know I didnt understand when I was younger but now I think everyday about how strong your testimony is and how close you are to your heavenly father, and how I can follow that example to strengthen my own testimony. Often I read the words you wrote in the first pages of my journal. Those have become true words to live by, and the words I share (not in English) with many of the people we teach.

Ethan:
You are HUGE dude. Like woah. Seeing how much you have grown is ridiculous! What are you eating!? haha I love you man. I just want you to know I miss hanging out with you. I miss playing xbox till the early hours of the morning and driving in my car listening to really really "phat" Dubstep. I miss your goofy impersonations of movies, actors, and really anything your imagination seemed to create. As you grow, please. DO NOT lose your imagination. Everyone thinks when you grow up you have to get rid of that and think more logically, scientifically, and "realistically". But what is "realistic, logical, and scientific" is only the stuff that exists now because someone had the imagination to think it up before. Do not ever lose your imagination. I love you so much Ethan.

Josh:
Joshua. You are sooooo TALL!! Its ridiculous! I dont even think I grew that much! haha. But I also noticed not just your change height. But there is something different about your face. Something different about your face. More mature. I can tell you have grown and taken a step closer towards that young man that is going to lead people. The young man that is going to be a light in dark places. A source of peace in chaos. And most importantly and worthy priesthood holder through which God will visit his people. God will make you an instrument in the next few years. But you have to keep yourself refined. A knife only works when its sharp. A pen needs ink. A machine must be greased with all its parts. Keep your life in order. Do not disfigure or damge your precious spirit with ANYTHING that comes from the adversary. I love you Josh. Though there may be lessons you will learn the hard way as I have. Learn them once, not repeatedly. I love you so much.

Samantha:
Samantha you are so much older! What the freak is happening to all my siblings!! haha Samantha please always know you are loved by your big brother. I miss you. I miss that crazy frenzy laugh when we were goofin off and telling stories. I miss you so much Sam. I love you very much. Keep away from boys, they are not to be trusted. Do good in school, etc. And dont forget that life is GREAT. Life is wonderful. It is supposed to be. The trials and difficulties are there to give up beautiful contrast. I love you Sam.

Love, Elder Dahle

Week #27 - 20 Open Your Mouths (OYMs)!!!

Elder Baldove and Elder Dahle with the kids of Mangaldan

Hey Mom and Dad

Well this week was way intense. There is a new goal in the mission of doing 20 OYM's (open your mouths) everyday. IT IS SO HARD. We set aside 2 hours one day to do it and we could only get 16! Its really time consuming and super exhausting. We do our best to teach all of them and whenever you teach a new investigator you count it in your key indicators as a new inv. at the end of the day. We got 23 NI's!! So now we have no shortage of people to teach. Elder Baldove is a really sweet kid, way humble, teachable. He has a really wonderful depth of Spirit and character. Training is way cool, I am pretty sure I am learning more than he is! We have tons of fun, I feel really close to him as a friend and we are doing some serious work here. I am so excited for the call, feel free to invite colby steve and whoever to come I want to see them. I love you so much!!!

Elder Dahle

Week # 26 - Training NOW! New Area, New Companion - Mangaldan

Hey Mom and Dad,

Well I transferred. That is nuts. My trainee is Elder Baldove, a Filipino from Quezon City (you have no idea how happy I am that he is Filipino). The past week we have done some really awesome work and even just with 3 days of work here in Mangaldan our stats look like my stats from San Manuel, so a whole week is going to be awesome. I feel some really personal responsibility for the trust the Lord has given me with this trainee and the 2nd most progressing area in the mission. The difference in this area is night and day from my previous. Still have things to improve on but it is significantly more manageable than San Manuel.

Anyway I just want to share a little bit from my personal study today that blew my mind. I really have been studying the life of Jesus and the things he did. I studied about when he was taken up to the mountain to be tempted. I thought it was really interesting, Satans use of the word "if". "if thou be the Son of Man, change these rocks to bread" Knowing Christ was human, and still had weaknesses (though he was perfect) Satan would do anything to get Christ to doubt his divine and Royal lineage. Then later Satan works through those passerby's as Christ is on the Cross "IF thou be the Christ" The adversary will do to get us to doubt our potential and destination and royal sons and daughters of God. And it is also interesting the way he tempts Jesus. "turn the stones into bread..." To be clear this action is not inherently bad. Jesus (having complete control of the natural and physical state of all his creations) could easily do this. In fact only 2 weeks later he changes water to wine for his mother. the difference is WHO is offering it. There are examples of this in our world today. Sex between a man and a woman is not bad BUT if outside the bonds of marriage it is from the adversary. Sometimes we say "oh the content in this movie is bad but it doesnt hurt you" But that is not even the issue! it is less the sex, drug use, swearing, and violence in the film but WHO is offering those things. Anyway haha that was a way cool study I wanted to share, Iove you have a good week!

Elder Dahle

April 2015 Zone Conference

The theme for this conference was: "Sacrifice: Becoming a Consecrated Missionary." 

We must have the desire to place God above all else in our lives and recognize His hand in all things. Those who do this become instruments in hastening the work of the Lord and experience true miracles.

Week #24 - GREAT CONFERENCE!!!!

Magandang Buhay!

Hello all! I am so sorry it has been so long since I have sent a big email to all of you! To update.

1.I am still here in San Manuel, I did transfer but only to a different room in the house because there are two sets of Elders that live in this house.

2. My new companion is Elder Yadao from Ilocos Sur. He is waaayyyy cool, and can speak Ilicano, which is super useful for our investigators.

My new area is way different from my old one. It is 100% rice terraces. and to get to a lot of our investigators you have to walk through them on little paths no more than 8 inches wide to get to them. Also this new area is full of really really mangy dogs. I will send pictures. words can't describe!

Right now we have 2 really really cool investigators Ian and Anita. Anita is Ians grandma and she is is being baptized next week! Ian is the coolest Filipino kid I have yet. He and I are way tight and he is excited to follow his grandmas example!

Wow. What a wonderful conference.  All talks were inspired and motivating. I really needed that and now I feel a real sense of motivation to push over and through the struggles this branch has. As usual, this transfer was lightning fast compared to the rest. I feel the time I have here in the mission slipping out of my hands getting ready to drop me into the "real world" YIKES. But all is well. I am savoring this time to serve by giving it all I have got.
I love you all!!

Elder Dahle

Week #23 - Weathered Typhoon Maysak well!

Elder Dahle & Elder Arrington 

Hey all!

It's Alex's Mom again:-) He again ran out of time and was unable to write a blog post so I will do my best to give you an update on the boy!

Gratefully Typhoon Maysak happily fizzled out by the time it hit San Manuel. He said it was "Pretty much just a little rain like you would see in Ohio haha." It was a very challenging week with investigators and his branch is struggling. He asks for prayers for him, his companion, his branch and the people he is teaching. On an up note - he is still keeping his sense of humor about him as he sent us a picture of a water buffalo because according to Veggie Tails "Everybody needs a water buffalo!" :-) Gotta love the boy! And we got a picture of him with Elder Arrington (the Elder who also knows the Ogdens!!)!!

"EVERYBODY NEEDS A WATER BUFFALO"