20 Oct 2010

Family,

this week was increible! It was defintely one of the best weeks in my mission. It was just great. Last wenesday we had a special visit from Elder Soares, the area president, and also a member of the first quorom of the seventy. He came here in the office and visited with us, it was really awesome! He asked alot of questions about our mission culture (the type of work we do) and also about our mission design, or how we work. I learned alot with him, he knows alot about missionary work. He served a mission and was a mission president in Portugal. so he knows alot about the work. On thursday we had a zone conference with him with half of the zone on the mission. It was fantastic. He really motivated the elders and sisters to work. He is a powerful man. We also had another zone conference yesterday with him and his wife with the other half of the mission. They are incredible people and really love the missionaries. I learned alot with him about missionary work and how to lead. We had special leadership meetings and he really did teach us alot.
Also this week we had the amazing blessing of Luis and Aline's wedding and baptism!!!! It was the best i have ever had on the mission. It really was just great. They are so happy and they so happy to have the gospel in their lives. Their wedding unfontunetly we didnt get to watch. we had a meeting with Elder Soares, but we sent the secertareis who took alot of pics for us. On saturday, we went to the temple with them during the afternoon! It was really special, we had their baptismal interviews at the temple, and we talked about sealing and eternal families, they loved it alot, and are really excited to enter into the temple here in one year. Later that day on saturday was their baptism. It was awesome. they were really happy and aline's mom and sister watched too!! I am certain that here in a little they will be baptized too! On sunday when they were confirmed Aline cried alot, they are just so special.
This week we are really blessed to have 2 baptism again! Henrique who we have been teaching for a while is really ready for his baptism. and we also had a huge miracle. A young woman called me on friday. I answered my phone and didnt know who she was. She said hello my name is Rieza, i was being taught by the missionaries, and now i want to be baptized! haha. It was increbile! She is a member's girlfriend (the member lives in another city) and she has been going to church for a year with him, but never wanted to be baptized. Now she wants to. We didnt even really need to teach for anything, she had already been taught by the missionaries for 8 months, and has been going to church every sunday for a year, and all of the institue classes too. So she is super ready for her baptism. It is what we like to call a miracle!! I love being a missionary, the blessings are so amazing. I have never seen so many day-to-day miracles in my entire life. It seems like everyday something just happens, that i never thought could happen before. Somehow some way the Lord just blesses us with miracles. I love this job!! haha.
Thanks for all the prayers and support that everyone gives me. It makes the difference. Everyone please pray for Henrique and Rieza. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!!
HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!
ELDER OLSEN