rainy season

Dear family,
So it flooded yesterday. Most of the streets were clear, but one street was completely underwater - the street that the Church is on!

We got really wet!

Of course! It wouldn't have been too big of a problem, but there was a baptism to be held during the storm. I thought we should have just baptized Igor in the flood water, but apparently it is pretty dirty! Elder Mason and I went out in the flood to get him to the chapel. It was quite an adventure! AND Igor, Elder Mason's recent convert, has some cute little kids - this picture is for you, mom!

I had an amazing experience with Gleice this week. We had a family home evening with her family and the family of a Seventy that lives in our ward - cool, huh? - and the subject was the Book of Mormon. The next day, we asked her if she had read anything from the scriptures after the noite familiar. This is where it gets good!:

She said that she prayed, and asked God for guidance in her life to know what she should do. When she opened the Book, she turned to 4 Nephi 1:1, which reads:

And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away,and also the thirty and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins,were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost.

She recognized it as a response, and wants to follow it! Her only problem is that she has to talk to her parents, so pray for her to have courage.

We have 2 firm baptismal dates this week too, so pray for them! Gerlane and Suzana. I will send pictures next week! 

As I have tried to give up my desires and focus on those around me, I have found myself becoming happier and happier - more involved in the lives of these people. Now I know why the Savior tells us to serve. He wants us to be happy! (this is what I always tell me investigators - He wants us to be happy!) And He knows what will make us happy! That's why He tells us to serve - because it is good for our mind, body, and soul.

I love being able to share my gospel knowledge and testimony with people. And now I have a question: In what ways have you been blessed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Actually answer! I want to hear about it. Maybe your answer will be told to someone who is needing strength all the way in Brazil :)

Keep the faith! Much love,

Elder Eric Olsen

Hello my friends! (what every Brazilian on the street knows in English haha)

Well mom, sounds like you are really getting into your calling! I remember you told me that when you had a lot of lil kids you like got into the language and the way of interacting, maybe you are finding your way there again. It's hard to talk to kids in Portuguese sometimes, once I was trying to talk to this really cute lil kid named Neto and he was saying something about what sounded like "eeh-kay-shah" and then I realized he was saying "eeh-gray-jah" (Igreja). Haha so that was pretty difficult!  And yes it is raining these days. I think that the rainy season is getting here.

And yes, my duties as DL are going well.

WOOOOOOOOOOOHH BATISMO!!! And by that I mean THIS week in the front. Our investigator Alcyr is going to be baptised on the 1st of November! He really was prepared by God, we met him knocking doors but he was ready to hear our message and read and prayed and went to church, I am just really happy that we had the opportunity to be part of his life and his story! AND also yesterday we brought a family to church! A mom, Adrielle, and 4 kids from 2 to 10 years old. 

BUT ANYWAY, that is pretty much the best and most exciting news of this week haha. The rest is just shenanigans (spelling?). Yesterday we were knocking doors and a guy came out, just a normal looking guy. And so my comp said we were missionaries and such, could we share a message with him. And he was like "Estou meio enrolado aqui agora, vocês podem voltar amanhã mais ou menos 3 horas? E nós podemos falar tranquilo. Eu vou assar um frango pra vocês." Hahahahaha like out of nowhere he was just like oh yeah and lets have chicken? It was funny as heck. Also you know how in the US everyone is like "ohhh coffee brazilian roast wow chique!" But here I was talking to this lady that lived there a few years and she was like "wow the coffee in the US is like the best in the world." So I was just like "..........?" haha I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. 

Also a Portuguese problem: we were talking with some members that are young men. And they were talking to Elder Arana about like where is Ecuador and stuff, and he was like "yeah you would have to cross through Peru to get to Brasil from there" and the guy said "pois é mas alfândega não deixa, né?" Alfândega means customs, but almôndega means meatball... So that was pretty funny haha I imagined like a meatball stopping a car full of illegal immigrants! 

Also I saw a vid from a missionary in Japan who was speaking Japanese to his family, so I made a vid also speaking portuguese but the internet here wont let me send it. I forgot that in Japan they probably have 27G by now!

I'm sorry that I didn't have any spiritual mind blowing experiences this week, but I will search the Lord more this week. But despite that, I know that Jesus Christ lives and He loves us, He knows us and He watches over us. And I love you guys and thank you for all your prayers and support!

Love,

Elder Nicholas Olsen

the cheese car was passing in the street (blaring "é QUEIJO, É QUEIJO, É QUEIJO!!!") so we bought queijo branco with rapadura and when you eat it together mmmmmmm uma delícia