Caro Família,

Fico muito feliz por conhecer vocês. Tem tantas vezes na semana quando eu fico falando sobre meu irmão, que é um super gênio - estudando direto. Ou minha mãe, que me ensinou sobre o batismo quando eu era muito jovem.  Amo vocês tanto. Não consigo expressar o meu amor por cada um de vocês. Peço desculpa por tudo que eu fiz em qualquer momento de errado; saibam que eu só quero o melhor pra vocês.

This city is super difficult, nobody wants to talk to us, but I just remember that we are here because Jesus Christ sent us here. He told an ordained Apostle to send us to our respective missions, he placed an inspired leader at the head of each mission, and we should be where we are! I heard a story of a woman that was baptized at 75 years old, and then received her Patriarchal Blessing. In it, she was told that she would have accepted the Gospel at 13, but the missionary who would have found her decided not to serve a mission. So even if we dont baptize everyone, we are planting seeds and influencing people.

This week I really learned how to let go of myself. Usually I am really selective about who I talk to. I justify myself, saying - oh the spirit didnt tell me to talk to that person! But this week, just about every appointment we had fell. So I ended up talking with EVERYONE - literally had no exceptions! And through this, we actually found a few people that showed some interest. I never thought of myself as someone with fear to talk to everyone, but this week i lost that fear that I didnt even know I had.

I am really grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I have never felt so much purpose and... fulness? in my life. I dont know if that makes sense, but that is how i can describe it. I have gained a testimony of the scriptures, from so many experiences. I know that D&C 18:15, specifically, is true - How great shall be your joy! I know that Jesus is the Christ and that he suffered greatly for us, and I KNOW that we are His children. I have no doubt of this. 

Mateus 7:7 Pedi, e dar-se-vos-á; buscai, e encontrareis; batei, e abrir-se-vos-á.

Muito amor,

Elder Olsen

This was our week.

the catholic temple here in Teofilo Otoni

our zone

DEAR MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!!

16!!!!!! Haha now that I am LD I have to say our baptism goal of our district for this month when I answer the phone, and so I end up screaming "DEZESSEISSSSSS" on the onibus, in the dangerous neighborhoods, etc. How are you both? Good to hear that you have meetings early in the morning dad haha, I am already telling all the High Counselors of our ward that you are also suffering... I mean glorying in afflictions! And mom haha que saudade of the Y! My friend Keeley sent me this pic today too so Im pretty much set with memories of the ol' homestead (kinda) for the week.

Mom thank you lots for sending that CD. I especially like the "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy", before the mission I mal conhecia that hymn, but now it is definitely one of my favorites. Before we left home I remember Eric wanted to sing it with us 3 and you playing piano and I didn't want to, but now I remember it very fondly! And we sing bonito demais! haha. Also can you send a recipe for pancakes? because somebody asked me for one and I had only used the one that Elder Vicente had, so I would appreciate it!

So the Sisters (of my district but other ward but use the same chapel) had 2 baptisms on Saturday, 2 senhoras. And the one was like 79 or something, so I think she didnt understand very well how the baptism would be. So she went down in the water with her mouth half open, and when she came up she started coughing and coughing and having trouble.  Needless to say it wasnt the MOST spiritual baptism in the world, but it happens.

This week we have been working a lot a lot. We moved to another neighborhood and weve been working there, so well see how it turns out. I have been studying a lot about faith and how it affects what happens to us. Its like, first of all there's faith. And then you have enough faith to do something, so you have actions. And THEN you have to have actions but your faith has to be REAL, like you really believe that your faith will make things happen! So its hard. And also I read in a talk that missionaries show their faith not only physically, but mentally. So its not enough to have shoes full of holes, but you have to have FOCUS and really concentrate your thoughts on the Lord and on bringing people to the fold. So ultimamente I have been working on that, its been hard but I'm getting better.

We had some investigators but they decided not to go to church, but I had faith and Elder Araújo também, and I knew that the Lord would help us have somebody there because we really did everything possible. And we got there and some of the members had brought people so we ended up with 4 instead of 0! Also next Sunday were doing an activity in the ward so I'm hoping they will bring a lot of investigators, pray for that!

But long story short, I am well. The work could be going better but I know that the Lord lives and that He's on our side. One of the sisters said something interesting the other day, she was like stressed out and annoyed with something but then she said "you know what I realized? Satan wants us to be miserable like him, so when we let ourselves get down we are letting him win. And there's no need for that!" or something like that. But its true! So just be happy!

Thank you so much for your prayers and your testimonies, they really help me. I love you guys so much! Também estou animado pra falar com vocês no Natal :)

Com Amor,

Elder Nicholas Olsen