Names: Doug & Denise Gustafson

Giving birthday: February 12, 2020

About Doug & Denise: Doug and I moved to Holdrege in 1989. We were both raised in Southern California most of our lives. Doug’s dad, Wes, was the first Fullerton EFC pastor after serving in Canton, China with his wife, Lenore as missionaries sent by the Free Church. Doug’s parents both had hearts for unbelievers and felt that making disciples of Christ in another country was important for the advancement of the Gospel to be carried on by the people who lived there. They loved the Chinese people and established a love for people of other nations that was emphasized in his family and upbringing according to Jesus’s instructions to his own disciples.

We’ve been married 55 years and have been blessed with two boys–Abe and Grant. Abe and his wife, Rebecca have two boys–Leroy (23) and Ivan (20). Abe had a brain aneurysm in 2008 and died suddenly. Rebecca married Tom Neth in 2012. They live in Northern California. Grant and his wife, Beth also have two boys–Gray (23) and Jake (21). They live in the Nashville area.

Doug has been a contractor/carpenter most of his life, though he is multi-talented. He owned and operated his own construction business in Kearney, Nebraska for several years and built one of the first earth-sheltered homes in the state. A move to California in 1983 gave him the opportunity to lead projects building homes, apartments, restaurants, and other commercial facilities. After returning to Nebraska, he spent 13 years with Brown Church Development Group, working with churches in growing and building facilities for their ministries, which he found very fulfilling. I have done secretarial work throughout the years while raising two boys. Doug Reed and I were on staff together for many years at Trinity Church. Doug G. and I are now both “retired”.

Doug G. and Doug R. have known each other since 1990. We have been aware of Doug’s love of missions and, of course, farming since that time. Watching Doug R. as he grew in ministry and administration at the church and never losing that pull towards missions gave us a solid foundation for hearing what he had to say about P.A. Doug’s presentation of the model of how P.A. was working under Martin’s leadership made a great deal of sense to us and we enthusiastically came on board.

Both Doug R. and Martin have been very influential in our desire to keep supporting the ministry. They are passionate and immersed in the foundational concepts of P.A. – training local pastors in group settings to equip them to go back to their homes to share the Bible truths while teaching people how to support themselves, providing the option for business loans, offering the hope of finding and establishing their own ways of support and contributing to their communities. Giving hope instead of handouts opens the door for pastors to return to their own villages and teach the Word of God and the love of Christ. 

We are grateful for the countries in which P.A. already has a presence and pray for God to continue to make his name known and bring His people to Himself.

Our Contact Information
Possibilities Africa
PO Box 209
Elkhorn, NE 68022
3089910402
possibilitiesafrica.org