First from Elder Nick Olsen:
SO this week was transferencias. I have a new companion, Elder Vieira. The best way to describe him is like Kyle Francis but Brazilian. He has 1 ano e 8 meses na missão, and he is already getting excited to go home. Change is hard, but every day is getting easier with him. I really want to baptise. Na verdade, I want people to feel the strength of my testimony and come unto Christ, but I know that its their decision, and I have felt the Spirit testify through me so i know that Im doing my part. Still its been hard, but pelo menos this transfer is the only transfer in the year that's 5 weeks instead of 6!
But Elder Moon was also transferred, so we now have Elder Brito for the District leader. He has only been a member for 2 years and he's really cool and smart, from Sao Paulo. He wants to be a chef when he's older! He made a pudem for a gente (which is like flan) and its funny because antes the missão i tried flan and hateed it, but now i love it. Haha, the things the mission does to you. But its weird because like Elder Vieira is kind of like a squirrely kind of funny, and Elder Diego laughs at everything. Sometimes I think maybe Presidente messed up and I was supposed to be with Brito and Diego com Vieira haha. but Ill get through it. In the movie of Emma Smith, Joseph said to her " we will do the best that we can, and go on". I will do the same.
Church was cool this week! I know I've improved in Portuguese because the beginning I couldn't talk to anyone but now I can pretty easily, and also I played the piano for the first time and Bispo was grato demais haha it was funny.
I was thinking a lot about paciencia this week. There are like a ton of examples in the scriptures, and I found out something interesting. La na história do Alma, when theyre in Helam (i think?), and the people of Alma are enslaved by the Lamanites, it talks about pacience. And after a ton of humildade and oração, the Lord does not take the burdens away. He strengthens them, and helps them be able to get through it. Thats how we grow. So with qual quer dificuldade you have, just think about that!
I love you all, thanks for the words of encouragement and news of you. I'm pretty much sure I'll cry when I see you haha and I'm about to send pictures so don't worry!
Love, Elder Olsen
Elder Silva leaving
at transfers
a baptism
this sister is from Vitoria and her mom knows Elder Eric Olsen!
And now for Eric's email:
Tudo certo com vocês? Tudo certo. É minha frase favorita.
First and foremost, mom, I have been wanting to tell you for a long time that they make salads here really interestingly. They always add salt and oil to lettuce and tomatoes. Just in case you were wondering! It hasn't really grown on me yet, but I eat it anyway. My goal that I tell all the members and investigators is to try all the fruits of brazil! This week I had kaki, fig, cana, fruta pão... esqueci. But my favorites are guava and banana da terra! Interesting stuff.
We are FINALLY having some success here! Leidiane will be baptised this week WOOO! MOM THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! I dont know how she changed her mind, but she is so rock solid in her testimony right now - she was even teaching her sister about the Book of Mormon! We have a couple other investigators that are progressing too, which is a miracle in itself, and we brought 8 people to church Sunday! Literally I cant explain to you how different this is.
We also are teaching a family that is incomplete - the parents are members, but they are inactive. They have 3 daughters that can be baptised. It was really cool - last night we went there to talk with them, and the parents were talking about how they wanted all their 5 children to serve missions! The girls themselves still have to get a little more excited, but.. we will get there! The only problem is they live laaaaaaa encima no morro. At the top of the mountain - and we live at the bottom. So when we visit, it is a hike. For real. But vale da pena!
I learned somethihng interesting this week! It seems like many times in the Book of Mormon, the prophets pray to be blessed with something - According to their faith. They use that phrase in prayers a lot! It made me realize how much we need to rely on the Lord. Realmente, nada acontece until we have enough faith that the Lord can help us.
Tomorrow there will be a meeting of zone leaders and district leaders in Vitoria, and my companion is a DL. ...and there are no other Elders here in Colatina. So I will go on a split to Aracruz and work with a hispanic Elder, Elder Aguayo, that only has 5 months in the mission. He is muito simpatico, but pray that we can understand each other!!!
Na verdade, I saw the hand of God this week. I cant describe it. Everything just took off. It was like he said, Youve worked hard enough. Its time that you find dos eleitos! And we did. What a blessing that He loves us. He lives! Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. I love you all and yall are in my prayers.
Elder Eric Olsen
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