Getting an email from every member of your family is definitely enough to make you miss home. So I am a little homesick, but today is P day, so I think that is okay!
So this area is full of hills. We have mapped out our area well enough that we can usually avoid them, but once in a while we have to struggle and sweat and se esforçar to reach the top of a morro! And once we get to the top, what happens? ...The appointment always falls through!
We had a few lessons that were really spiritual this week. One guy was particularly elect - Marcos. We shared the message of the Restoration with him, and everything went perfectly. He really seemed to understand. Then we went back, and he told us that the first night we had taught him he had slept through the night for the first time in years - becasue of the peace we left in his house. Beleza! But then we went back a third time, and he basically told us that he wasnt ready to make a change in his life so great. He really understood the committment of being baptized, and so he didnt want to change. That happened with 2 people this week, actually. The people that understand our message dont want it, and the people that dont understand dont see the importance. At least, that is how it seems.
After a long week, we had more or less 15 people that had said they would visit the church with us! Come sunday morning, there were 3. And they only stayed there an hour. So you could say it has been a pretty rough area.
Oh! We had a meeting with our Branch President, and he asked that we work doing contacts in the Praça, which is the most frequented place in the city. Downtown. So we started working there, but after about 10 minutes we realized why nobody had worked there before - NOBODY WANTS TO TALK TO YOU! IF you guys see missionaries in the street, just talk to them for a few minutes. Por favorzinho.
There is one good thing that happened this week, actually! Wow, that sounds so pessimistic... ONE thing. But Saturday morning we arranged to go teach english at an english school. Actually, we just presented ourselves and tlaked about what we do. It was a conversational class, for the advanced students. BUT somebody asked about the Mormon Bible, so we got to give a lesson about the Book of Mormon! And a policeman that was in the class invited us to go to jiu-jitsu with him! we didnt go, but at least we got an invite!
I hope you all are praying every day, and listening during your prayers. Prayer is conversation, not just an order form. I was having a really rough day this week, and I just started to pray. As I let myself sink into the prayer and just listen, I had this weird feeling/voice in my head? I cant even describe it. But I knew that God knew what I was feeling, that it was for my benefit , and that I am His son. I know that God answers prayers.
I love you alll. I want to see everyone at christmas, so Make plans to be at the Olsen homestead! Boa semana, e obrigado pelas orações de vocês.
Elder E Olsen
Wow realmente hearing from you all is pretty... idk homesick! haha. But no it's super good to hear from you all. Reading all the emails from you reminds me, for some reason, of how smart you all are! I will be happy to be able to just talk at Christmas like Elder--I mean Eric!--said, or better yet when we can all just sit and talk without limits!
Emily that's crazy you met Mario Batali!! Did you like get all fan girl or just acted cool like you didnt even know? I remember one time Kingsley Clawson said he was working in Miami and helped Flo Rida pick out a watch! But congrats on the new job and even if its not like paying 1000000 in cash every week, at least it is something chique!
Phil it's good to hear from your "promissory estoppel" self. (did THAT make sense gramatically? haha (ps just so you all know I rememeber the rules of punctuation and everything I just dont have the time or desire to put in the effort and write everything correctly! (parentheses inside parentheses))) Sounds like a bit of a rip off with Law School so far. So do you think you will actually end up being like Jack McCoy? I get to thinking sometimes about if I want to live in a city or in the more suburbs or country... But I do think it would be cool to live in a city like ATL or NYC. Do you live in the actual city part?
Mom I think you have gotten even prettier in this pic!! And Dad!... not so much HAHA kidding dad you are pretty too. But I got your package this week that you sent IN MAY!!! delayed just a little bit, huh? And also a package with pants (cool as heck) and a tie(thank you)! So thank you, its always like a little mini christmas when I get stuff from you. Good luck in Utah mom, I wonder if youll see Bryan there, haha. But if you wanted to get some little coisinha de BYU you could, brazilian missionaries usually want to trade something for stuff from there.s week we worked real hard the whole week but unfortunately, none of our investigators went to church. It was actually funny, Sunday morning I called this dad whose family we have been teaching and said "hey good morning, everything set to go to church today?" And he was like "Look Im not gonna promise anything, but well try to go." Haha I was like DUDE ITS S.U.N.D.A.Y. M.O.R.N.I.N.G. either youre going or not!? Haha but its okay. I started reading this talk by a 70 about having faith to work miracles, so we will be working a lot more! One thing Ive noticed is the attitude and disposition we have in the service of the Lord.
For example: remember the story in the Book of Mormon that has the guy who goes back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates? He follows the counsel of his father? whats his name... Im thinking of Laman!! He also did all the things that were asked, but he didnt have faith and he wasnt willing. And so even if we do everything asked of us, if its for the wrong reasons, it isnt enough. And sometimes its hard to change our own will and desires, but for that we have to ask God to help us.
Gente, sinto muito falta de vocês. Vocês são os caras! kkkk brincadeira mas vocês são realmente anjos, amo vocês com todo meu coração. Obrigado por tudo vocês fazem por mim e o amor que têm por mim também.
Love,
Elder Nicholas Olsen
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