Wednesday, April 9, 2014

week 10! Eric is transferred.

First the e-mail from Eric:

TRANSFERRED.

Aqui eu estou escrevendo para vocês de Colatina! Look it up. It has the third most beautiful sunset in the world apparently! Go figure. There is a gargantuan Christ statue on the hill - just like Rio! The city is located on the river Doce, and a bridge connects the two sides. I live on one side with Elder Mason - from Utah - my second trainer. 4 Sisters live on the other side - which has the chapel. Because this weekend was conference, we spent a lot of time walking back and forth, braving the 40 minute walk across the bridge to the chapel. Also I just have to say, the city is a giant moho - hill. Every time we visit somebody there are 1000049344950 steps to climb.

Elder Mason is amazing. He speaks a lot of English with me, but when I want to speak Portuguese, he is willing. He is always really excited and ready to change whatever he can to help me out in any way! Every night he asks - what can I do to make your life easier? How Christlike!

Apparently when I arrived, they had just cut most of their investigators that were not progressing. So we are looking for new people to teach. People seem more receptive here though, and Elder Mason is really warm and genuine with evrybody. I am learning a lot from him. He even actually does the training exercises! 

Unfortunately, we spent a lot of conference time looking for investigators to bring with us. We watched the first session, as well as the second half of the second session. The Priesthood session was past our bedtime... We saw the prophet speak on sunday morning and all of the last session! I cant believe I missed Elder Ballard and Elder Nelson and Elder Bednar - some of my favorites. I especially loved Elder Scotts discourso! Anybody who didnt hear should look it up.

I just thought you might want to know, everybody in Brazil watches Naruto. Which is really strange to me..! It is like Dragon ball Z, but a little different. Brazileiros love it.

I loved one of the discourses in conference about ancestors - The more connected we are to our righteous heritage, the more desire we will have to stay true to the faith - ...I think. Mom, you could send me some stories of my ancestors in print! I wouldnt mind.

Please get in touch with President Jensen, the mission president from Tallahassee, and let him know that everybody loves the obedience tie - and yes, I am being obedient! Every time I wear it, todas outras pessoas estão com ciúmes! 

I testify that the Lord answers prayers! I am so happy here in Colatina. It has only been a few days, but I know that He heard me. I know that if we trust in Him and strive diligently to do His will we will see His hand in our lives.

I love you all!

Elder Olsen

Here is Eric's address. for those of you who have asked. You can send letters or packages to this address:
Elder Eric Christian Olsen
Brazil Vitória Mission
Avenida João Baptista Parra, 633
Salas 1501/1502
Edf. Enseada Office, Praia do Suá
29052-123 Vitória - ES 
BRAZIL



And now the e-mail from Nick:

Nossa cara sou muito com ciúmes sobre sua área é tão tão muito bonita! Aqui é só tipo casas sujos e bars na cada esquina. 
BUT oi gente espero que vocês são bons. For conference we got to watch every session! Did you see Benton James in the choir for priesthood!? I freaked out. Also listening to the choir makes me very trunky for you pai. My comps think I am really good at singing haha I tell them its because of you two. And the investigator family who watched the video so many times came with us for one session.  I think they will be baptised! Its a little bit frustrating, the people aren't really keeping commitments here. The other day we were accompanying sobre a pamphlet about the restoration we gave someone and Elder Silva was like did you read it? yes read it. What was your favorite part? ah, i liked it all. Did you like the part with the horse? oh yeah yeah, really cool. And in the moment I was thinking "dude i just read the pamphlet today for study, there's no horse." and then later I realized he was just seeing if the dude actually read it... haha clearly not. 

But anyway! Phil that is awesome about the scholarship! I can't say I had much doubt to be honest, but still it is a pleasant surprise. Its crazy that school is practically wrapping up there. Also mom can you put my address on the blog or facebook or somethng bc some amigos quer enviar things to me! And ps ainda não tenho the package com glasses :(

So i wrote some things down to explain for yall haha. First is about the churches. There is a city in my mission called Anapolis, and it holds the records for most igrejas por população. Nossa! And so there are just like a billion igrejas in cada bairro. including mine. Also Americanos chegaram esta semana! I feel bad for them because in the other missions, they were effective and everything but now they cant do anything and forgot Portuguese. THIS is really important!! EVERYONE HERE thinks im german, idk if i already told y'all but today i was just like yep im german thats right. My companion said its because Im loiro but i dont know haha i guess its not that important. Eventually I want to have a good accent and say "não eu sou de la em santa catarina!" 

AH também I was trying to watch most of conferencia in portuguese right? except mais ou menos for the prophet because I needed to understand and hear that voice. But apparently I was falling asleep in one part (IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CANT UNDERSTAND OKAY??) and Sister Marshall disse para mim: haha it reminds me of when your dad was the bishop. sometimes he would sleep on the stand too! So i guess it runs in the family dad :)

The work in general has been pretty much the same. We´re about to kick it into overdrive: more contacts, more recibidas, more lessons, more challenges, more datas, more batismos. Im still learning portuguese, obviously, but a lot of the missionaries brazilieros disseram para mim que meu portuguese está progredindo muito bem and compliments like that. So Im sure within 2 months ill be well enough off. I appreciate the prayers on my behalf for health and courage and habilidade to aprender.

Guys how great is it that we have a living prophet today. With all that's going on in the world, we need someone who can speak with God and receive revelation on our behalf. I presto meu testemunho pra vocês que ESTA IGREJA é a unica igreja na face da terra verdadeira e viva. Eu sei com todo coração que Joseph Smith vi Jesus Cristo e Pai Celestial, não por que alguém me contou, mas por que eu orei e eu perguntei, como Joseph mesmo. E eu sei através O Espírito Santo que estas coisas são verdadeiras. Vocês seria surpreendido com como O Espírito sempre vem com a Primiera Visão e com testemunho.

Eu amo vocês. Eu oro para vocês cada dia e cada noite, especialmente você Elder Olsen. 

Love,
Elder Nicholas Olsen

Here is Nick's address where you can send letters or packages. If the value of the package is less than $50 they won't have to pay customs. 
Elder Nicholas Don Olsen
Brazil Goiânia Mission
Rua 18, 110, Salas 1105 a 1107
Ed Business Center, Setor Oeste
74120-080 Goiânia - GO
BRAZIL  

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