This week we found a few families, very elect. Unfortunately, all had problems of some sort; either not married, or couldn't go to church, things like that. But Elder Bennion and I decided to fast for this one couple who didn't have any problems, for them to go to church. Despite fasting quite a few times, I had never had a really great experience with the fast, but we decided to test it out.
Then, Saturday night, we went to their house to confirm their visit, and out of the blue she said "we really don't need another church... we're happy in our own." After having heard a few discussions, progressed, and then didn't want any more. "I can't believe this," I said to my comp. "Fasting doesn't help, it actually leaves the people worse off!" Apostasy I know, haha, but I was pretty upset. I didn't know what else to do.
On Sunday we got up, dressed, went by the other people we had confirmed, and everyone fell through, either sleeping or with some other excuse. And we said to ourselves "it's okay, we really did everything possible. I can be at church with a clean conscience knowing that there was nothing more to do." So we went up, sat in sacrament meeting, and then Elder Bennion looked back and saw some visitors. It was one of the other families! They had said that they wouldn't go, but we ended up with 4 people at church that want to go next week.
Is that a miracle? A miracle to me is something super improbable that happens anyway. Nobody has EVER gone to church, in 1 year and 4 months of my mission, without giving absolute certainty that they would. Nobody has EVER said "yeah, we'll see if it works out" and gone. That is, 99.9% of the time, an excuse.
Miracle!
Love,
Elder Nick Olsen
No, this week wasn't SO COOL!, I just think you all are so cool! Thanks for the support and prayers!
We spent all of yesterday with the Burkinshaw couple, the mission's new senior couple! We needed to help them get legally registered, and get a cell phone plan, etc. It took surprisingly long. But, we left the federal police unscathed and totally legal! So that was a victory for me.
My companion reminds me of Nephi. He's not very large in stature, but he is VERY young! haha and he helps me compare the scriptures to every day life, which makes it much more interesting to think about and discuss. This week he studied about Zacchaeus, and in companion study we talked about it in a Brazilian setting. Zacchaeus was a corrupt city representative, and everybody was mad at him, but he tried to repent and gave back all the money he stole! (words of my companion, not mine!) But it is a way to really apply the scriptures, and you can see how they apply to our day.
We have an Elder here that seems to have had a pretty difficult life; he is from an island city, and his family is not from the Church, and his mom lives in Portugal! Anyway, he has a pretty noticeable/sketchy tattoo on his hand, and President asked him to go through tattoo removal - a really expensive and painful process. Without complaint or doubt, he said that he would do it. We all need to have the faith that leads to obedience like this! Even with things that seem small, we are blessed when we keeps the Lord's laws.
Hope you all have a great week! Pray for me to find the elect, we are really needing it.
Elder Eric Olsen
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