12 Jan 2010

Family,

hello family. I am really excited. I have never seen so miracles in my entire mission. I am so blessed!!!! This last weekend Liliam was baptized, it was amazing!! She is definitely going to be a firm member of the church. On Sunday President Tanner went to my ward and talked, and Sister Tanner as well. It was a really good sacrament meeting. I talked, then sister, then president, all about missionary work, it was a great sacrament meeting. After i received 3 referrals from members, it was really cool. We are going to have 3 baptisms this week!!!!! I am so happy. Robson is by far the biggest elect i have ever met in my entire mission. He is amazing. I had a life changing day with him on Monday. On Monday we had a family night at the chapel with 4 families. and we left about 930, so i called Robson and told him we wouldn't be able to pass by his house, he was all no no you have to come by i need to talk to you urgently. So we went to his house we got there really late, it was funny, as i was walking, i am just going through my head all the things that i could use scriptures and stuff. I was totally ready to use "my knowledge" to help him be baptized. We got to his house and he said please sit down elders. He sat there quietly, and said, "elder's i have something to tell you, I just want you to know, i know that this is the true church of God, I have received a testimony..." he went on a bore his testimony to us about how he gained his testimony, he is already half way through the bom, he read the entire gospel principles book. he bore his testimony, started crying and said, i can't wait to be baptized on Saturday. It was an extremely special experience for me. I loved it, it showed me that I am nothing, i was getting all ready to show my missionary knowledge, and i realized that this isn't my work, it is the Lord's. he is in charge of this work. He leads and guides it. He prepares the hearts of people to hear the gospel. This week we are going to see a lot of miracles as well. We have 3 great baptisms. Robson, William, and Gisele. I am so happy. I am enjoying working with my new young comp. Elder Durate. Haha, he is really funny. President Tanner calls him the assistant's assistant. He really is excited. He is young and fired up. I am so thankful for all the blessings that I am receiving on the mission. I love the mission, it is going amazing. I need a lot of prayers. We are teaching a man named Aparecido, he has been going to church for 13 years, his wife and children are active members of the church. well he has never wanted to receive the missionaries. well his wife had a dream that i baptized her husband. well i told her, sister, for that to happen he would have to be baptized in the next 2 weeks. She said she really felt that it was a sign from God, well i went to her house and her husband said, you can enter... well we taught a powerful lesson. He accepted to work towards a baptismal date. He is going to need a lot of help.. so please everyone pray for him. I am really nervous... he is already an active member of the church, he just needs to be baptized. I need the Lord help a lot with this man. I love you all.

Hurrah for Israel

Elder Olsen