A week full of miracles

                       

This week was full of miracles. We had a lot of success and took 7 people to church with us, so the ward members were pretty excited about it! The Lord really blessed us.

One of our investigators is Marivan, a lady who reminds me a lot of Grandma Olsen haha! She has been smoking for like 40 years, but we have been trying to help her stop. Last week we had marked for her to stop, but she wasn't able to. But without us even saying anything, she said to us "this Saturday will be the last day I smoke. On Sunday im gonna wake up, go to church, and not smoke another cigarette." And she did! It was really inspiring.

Another awesome thing: I felt like dad! haha for the birthday of the proclamation to the world, we went to the central square with some other missionaries and distributed copies of it to a ton of people. and then at the end one sister wanted to sing families can be together forever, and someone said that I knew how to conduct. Usually I try to get out of stuff like that, but I realized that conducting nobody would be looking at my face bc I would be turned around from the crowd! So I accepted and it went well haha. Only afterwards I remembered that dad had done the same thing during Christmastime in Austria 30 years ago.

It seems like everyone ran into people talking bad about Joseph Smith and the church this week! So i'll just add my testimony to the many others, that Joseph Smith was a prophet. And I know that the Book of Mormon is true, because it was shown me by the Holy Ghost. As an apostle of the Lord said (more or less) "no evil man could write it, and no good man could write it, unless he were commanded of God to do so."

I hope yall have a great week! thanks for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

much love,

Elder Nick Olsen

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EMERGENCY TRANSFER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I was unexpectedly transferred to Nanuque, Minas Gerais this week. Actually, when I got the news, I had to take 4 hours of buses back to my house, pack my bags, and take another 3 hour bus ride to Vitória. From there we took another 12 hours of bus rides to a city in the new zone to do interviews, and from there we went another 3 hours to Nanuque! My new home. Needless to say, I will spend the day sleeping..!

Nanuque is super different than other cities in the mission. The church has been here for forever, and the city is relatively small - so everybody has already spoken with missionaries. There are a ton of incomplete families. I think I will need some advice from Elder Austin, because I have never had to work in a place with so many members! This must be what it is like to  serve in Utah!

So, my week was pretty much just travel. I have been impressed here with the recent converts. There are quite a few youth that have been baptized recently, and they are all excited to teach the gospel to all their friends. They have felt the happiness that comes from the true gospel, and are so excited! One rapaz, Ian, said that he wanted to get the addresses of all his friends today so that we could teach them all tomorrow! I  wish we could all be like him - ready, willing, and excited to share the gospel with out loved ones. He is an example to me.

Elder Eric Olsen