Jan 28, 20214 min read

Reflecting on 2020 and Blessed in 2021

Updated: Jan 31, 2021

Feeding hundreds of people and sharing the the Good News in Nepal.

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

It has been one year since God placed me directly in the center of his plan for my life. This time last year I joined Going Global Inc. as Director of Growth and Finance. The mission that God has placed on my life is all about sharing Jesus, being faithful to feed, clothe, shelter, and educate orphans and widows, and train pastors and leaders in remote overseas countries.

Two things really stood out to me from 2020 — FAITH and SEEDTIME & HARVEST.

FAITH

The word God gave me for 2020 was FAITH, and it was a year where God taught me a lot of what it means to have faith, trust, and surrender to the God who holds me, loves me, and is leading me into His preferred future for my life. Just this morning I read this out of Psalm 16:5, “Lord, I have chosen you alone as my inheritance. You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion. I leave my destiny and its timing in your hands.” I love that. This journey is learning to leave my future and its timing in the very capable hands of God. Faith looks like God truly being our prize, our pleasure, and our portion.

SEEDTIME & HARVEST

In November 2020, God showed me that this season in my life, relationships, ministry, and finances was going to be an intentional journey of learning the supernatural principles of seedtime and harvest. It was going into a focused time of intentional seed sowing. All seeds sown have a harvest. If you plant corn, then corn is what you get. Whether the seeds planted are good or bad, we will reap a harvest. It was time to get intentional with sowing good seeds that would have a good harvest, a quiet and peaceful harvest of righteousness. I have experienced more of the miraculous in my life last year than in all my decades of following Jesus. Many of the miracles look just like the harvest of the seeds sown (we should have coffee, I would love to share some cool God stories). One of the most fun things in this journey is what my mentors Dennis and Robin Nonnemacher told me, “Just be faithful with what’s in front of you.” God has moments and opportunities for us to sow seeds of blessing throughout the day. I pray that we’d have eyes to see even more in the days to come.

Currently, I am working full time at Bleu Restaurant as a server, which I truly love. We have amazing food, people, atmosphere, and I get to be a light for Jesus all day long. This is allowing me the ability to build my financial partner base at Going Global Inc. until it is strong enough for me to go full-time as a missionary.

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021

The word God gave me for 2021 is BLESSED. God’s showing me that the core of the word “blessed” resonates with Paul’s words, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13). Only a month into the year, and God has spoken to me about how much blessing there is in-between seasons. I look forward to sharing more about this kind of a blessing in future newsletters.

God has been so faithful and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the days ahead. Would you prayerfully consider joining with me with monthly financial support of my ministry with Going Global Inc.? Together, we have the opportunity to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. I would be honored to have you join me!

Love in Christ,

Bob Gustafson

FROM THE MISSION FIELD

BEAUTY FROM ASHES

Standing in front of their beautiful new home

Our partner in Nepal gives food, water, clothing, Bibles, children’s devotional materials, and support to villages in the mountains. These remote areas are a 1-2 day journey on foot to reach. They have no electricity, running water, and a short supply of food. While working here, we found a family who had just lost everything they own when their home burned down. Here they are shown in the ashes, but God moved in this situation. We were able to provide funds to build them a new home, new goats and pigs (their animals died in the fire), and new clothing. We were even able to financially bless the local pastor as he serves the people in the village.

A day is coming where I will meet this family and share how they have also blessed me. What a wonderful beauty from the ashes story—Praise God!

PRAYER REQUESTS

James 5:16 declares, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Your intercession for Going Global Inc. and our family is powerful. How you can pray for us:

Pray for our new president.
Pray for your church and your pastors.
Pray for Paul in Nepal, he has been traveling into the mountains to share Jesus in very remote areas.
Pray for me and my family, that we’d experience God’s continued work in our lives.

IMAGES FROM THE MISSION FIELD