Elder Olsen 24 June 2009

Hello , it sounds like everyone is doing really great on the vacation. I wish I could say that I am jealous... but I am having the time of my life here in Anhanguera! My area is really great! This week we had something really sad happen. Sema, Sergio, Nicolle, and Kaikee will not be baptized this week. The day of their interview, we found out that they were not really married. They have a marriage contract, but it is not valid our President said, so we are not going to baptize them for awhile. The hardest part about it, is that they probably will never be baptized.. I have a lot of faith, but the problem is that Sema, she receives a pension for the death of her husband, if she gets married again, she won´t be able to receive it anymore. So, today we are going to talk to her about marriage.. so everyone please pray for her. They live off this pension, it is the only money that they receive, so it will be really tough, but I know the Lord will provide a way. Well, this is week 6 of the transfer, I am really nervous, I wanna stay here so bad, but I am not sure what will happen. This week we have 5 baptisms, So to end our transfer together will be really good, but at the same time, I am really sad, we had such potential to baptize the whole area, but I learned a lot this transfer with Elder Garcia. Elder Garcia is still sick... It is frustrating at times, but I am not mad at him, because he can´t help it.. but he is really sick, it is a huge testimony to me, he is still working hard and hard.. But something is wrong with his health, everyone continue to pray for him! Andreia, Mateus, Cristiane, Adrianna, and Maria are going to be baptized on Saturday, and we are really excited. Andreia and Mateus were really tough at the beginning, but now they are great. I love the opportunity to get to know all these wonderful people. I love it! Well yesterday I was in division with my Zone Leader. It was a blast! ha, I really had alot of fun. It was awesome, we tried alot of different ideas to meet people. During the spilts with him, I think that he was thinking that since | was a new missionary I wouldn't talk with many people, so I wanted to prove myself, ha. So we were on a Bus, and it was way way crowed. there was about 50 or 60 people on the Bus. Well, I decided to use my best gift I have, my loud voice and talk with everyone! So, I started talking really loud. "Good evening everyone, my name is Elder Olsen, I am a missionary for the chruch of Jesus Christ! We have a message that is changing the lives of millions of people around the world! We are here to move your lives too! We will be walking around, if you can have your address ready, we will share a message that will change your life." haha, it was way funny. We got about 20 addresses, and everyone loved it. So after that we started just talking with everyone we saw. I got about 50 addresses yesterday, so it was an awesome day. It was a good reminder for me that missionary work is fun, we were laughing all night about it. Well, I love the work here, I am praying that I will stay here one more transfer, but I am not sure, I really really wanna stay here, but I will let you know next week what happens. I love this gospel. I love it so much! I am on a spiritual high every single day! One thing that I have been studying a lot is about the book of life in the scriptures. EVERYONE, write in your journals everyday! It is sacred. It is a commandment, one thing that I have learned here is this. Also, it is important because it is scripture, we need to seek Sacred Spiritual Experiences every single day. Have you ever thought where we would be if Joseph Smith didn't keep a journal? or Nephi? Moroni? We need to seek for scared spiritual experiences everyday, that we can fill our journals with scripture. I love you all. I love this gospel. I feel I learn a million new things everyday. Pray for me, I love you all. Remember Luke 18:27-30
Love you all!
Elder Olsen #3

Elder Olsen 17 June 2009

Hello Family!!
Wow this week was amazing!I really had a amazing week, the Lord is really working here in my area, we have the spirit with us at all times right now, I am probably on the most spiritual high I have ever been on in my life!! Sema, Sergio, Nicolle, and kaike are set to be baptized the 28th! And we are so excited, they went to church on Sunday, and LOVED it! Yesterday Sergio said that he is already missing it, and can´t wait till next Sunday, they are golden! We had an extremely spiritual lesson on Friday night, everyone was crying it was amazing! The Lord is really working miracles here in our area, Friday night, it was way late, and we had an appointment on a street in the ghetto I had never heard of, so I asked this lady if she knew where it was, and after talking for a little I asked if we could teach her a lesson on Saturday at 130... the only problem is that our English class starts at 2... so Saturday we were running to her house, and it was 135... I was not sure if it was possible to teach, and still go to the chapel... but time with the Lord is amazing... we taught the first lesson, marked her baptism for the 27th and made it in time to teach our english class! The Lord is amazing. He is preparing many many people to be baptized here on the 27th and 28th.. We had 7 marked baptisms for the 27th 4 for the 28th... we are really really trying to work hard to make sure all stay firm! It is a huge responsbility, we have to visit every single one every day, but, with the Lord everything is going great. Cristiane, Plautilditis, Andreia, Mateus, José, Sharlene are set to be baptized on the 27th. And Sema, Sergio, Nicolle, and Kaike are going to be baptized on the 28th. And we have about 4 other really really people that are really possible, so everyone please pray for us, our bodies are weak, my companion is going to a specialist today for his stomach, he has lost about 19 pounds in two weeks, and isnt eating very much.. things are really poor with his health, but yet we have never been more happy. God is preparing miracles for us here in our area! I am not sure how we will be able to do all that we need to do over the next 2 weeks, but I know that with the help of the Lord we will be able to baptize alot of people here! I love this work, I have a blast every single day, It is so much fun! I am loving my area, my companion, and the people that are serving me. Every day the Lord prepares hundreds of miracles for us here in our area, I know that without him we would be doing nothing here in our area. Transfers are in 12 days, and I really want to stay here with Elder Garcia, but we will see what happens! Wow, I hope everything back home is well, I love this work so much! I am having the time of my life! Thank for all for the prayers, they are WORKING! God is preparing people here to recieve the gospel! I am loving every minute of my time here! I just pray that my companion´s health is ok, everyone pray for Elder Garcia! I love you all, thank you for the love and support, Remember we are all enlisted in this battle against SATAN, everyone must prepare! 3 Nephi 6:20!!! I love you all!
Um Abraço!
Elder Olsen #3

Elder Olsen 12 June 2009

Wow, missionary work is amazing! I am having the time of my life here in Brasil! I literally love Brasil, It is an amazing place. I love the people here so much, they are so much different than the people in the United States of America. But a good different, everyone is nice everyone is willing to talk to us, and everyone is willing to listen to our message! This past week has had it´s troubles... We have alot of people that love our message, and love us the missionaries, but do not want to act on the feelings that they feel. They are not willing to go to church or set a baptism date, it is really frustrating. When someone has a testimony, and you know they know the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith saw God and Christ, It is frustrating when we pass by their house on Sunday morning and they are not willing to go to church, It is really difficult. We are teaching a new family that is really amazing! Sergio, Sema, Nicole, and Calique! They are really good family that is already married! The only problem is that Sema had a husband for 13 years... and 2 years ago he passed away in a car accident.. we thought that the plan of salavation would be perfect for them, and it was.. for Sema, but the problem is now she is talking alot about her husband who passed away... and giving little time to her current husband here Sergio, so Sergio is struggling now, because he thinks that she talks to much about her old husband, and yeah, it is troublism in the house. But, even with all this problems I know the gospel will bless their lives, I am about 98 percent sure they will be baptized 27th! Steve, or anyone, what can we do with this situation? The kids are really depressed I think. Nicole, she is 13 years old, she barely barely talks, Calique, he loved our first message, but after the 2nd lesson he really isnt interested anymore. Yesterday we had a family night with them, and I prepared some food and we had fanta, and all sorts of good things, but still the kids were liked depressed. During the lessons I really try to involve Nicole, he answer for everything is "Tudo Não é?" That is all.. so what can I do, obviously it is hard, their dad passed away, and there Mom is struggling, the New dad is awesome! But i think they are scared because he was hit by a car 7 months ago, and nearly died, so I mean, this family has bad luck with cars, so he can´t work, or leave the house, or anything, Sema, she has a disability with her feet, so she can´t walk either, but this family is amazing, they are so ELECT! I just need a little help, anyone have ideas? Other than that we have some other investagators that are doing really well too! Andreia and Mateus will be baptized the 27th, and have about 3 or 4 others we are trying to mark for that day too! We are trying to really baptize as many people as we can together, because we are almost certain I will be transfered from what President said too us... so we are trying to work hard together becasuse we work really really well together! I love Elder Garcia, he is so amazing! Well sounds like everyone is doing well, I love the fact that you are on a two month vacation, such an Olsen thing too do! Nobody takes a two month vacation! NOBODY! but I love it, When I tell people about my family and the things we have done they think we are crazy, in the good way, but crazy! I hope Justin is good, I can´t believe he is a MARINE! that is nuts! I hope you have a great time family! Thanks for all the letters, love and support, I really love the fact that I have a family that loves and supports me so well! I love you all, I love our Savior Jesus Christ! I am so glad to know the fact that the truth is with us! That we know where the true church of God is on this EARTH! I love you all, keep praying for me, I pray for you all, Remember the sacredness and holiness of our calling of members of the church in these LAST DAYS! Remember, the Savior is coming, we must do all we can to prepare us, and everyone around us! Thanks for all the Love, Eu enviou um grande abraço de Brasil. Eu amo vocês muito! Eu sei que esta Igreja de Cristo, com um Profeta, Doze Apostoles, e Autoridade de Deus...que Bênção! Remember Matthew 25:40! Search for opprtunites to serve others around us!
Love Elder Olsen #3

Elder Olsen letter 3 June 2009

this week was really awesome! We are way excited about this transfer! Elder Garcia and I are going to work really hard to really push ourselves this transfer...try and baptize a lot of people. We have been praying ALOT for Heavenly Father to place families in our paths.. We are teaching a lot of people that are solos, you aren´t married, so this week we really prayed hard and fasted alot to ask for families already married, and ready to accept the gospel. The crazy thing about prayers... It really works. I can´t believe how much Heavenly Father blesses us when we ask for help. Friday night we were had an appointment in CDHU(basically the projects of Brasil, it is like the government housing here in Brasil.) And everything here is like way hard to get in and get out, you have to have a key and people here do not like missionaries, So we were teaching a lady named Antonia, she is probably 76 years old, but elect people do not have an age limit, she is great! She is preparing for baptism the 20th! So we were teaching her, and we needed to exit the compound, so I knocked on some bottom floor doors asking for a key, and of course Heavenly Father prepared one lady named Sema, normally we don´t try and make contacts with people that give us keys, just because we´ve already done that alot, and they usually don´t like it, and say that we can´t come back. But, I had to talk to her, so I did, and she loved our message! We came back the next day, and she has a husband and a 16 and 14 year old kids. They all accepted baptism and are doing great! Sema has a problem with walking, (I am not sure the name of it in English) but she can´t walk very far, and so it is going to be hard to get her to church. Not very many member in the ward have cars, and so we are going to have to work really closely with the ward to help this family. The father Sergio, during the first lesson stayed in the kitchen, but after the first vision, and committing them to baptism he came out, and he was really happy, he was sitting in there the whole time listening to the whole thing! So, they all accepted baptism, are we are working on a date right now, probably the 20th too! We have a lot of awesome investigators right now, that we are really excited about. We are literally trying to talk to everyone we see on the street. That is one thing that Steve taught me really well, that we need to talk to everyone on the street, and it is really working, we have about 120 addresses right now, so we are booked full!! It is crazy, we are literally trying to talk to anyone we see, and get there address. We are really excited about this transfer, we only have 4 weeks left, so we are trying really hard to work together hard. Well I have exciting news, starting this Saturday I won´t just be Elder Olsen, I will also be Professor Elder Olsen too! This Saturday we are starting our English Course in the Chapel. I am going to teach English for 2 hours every Saturday for free, we are thinking that it is a great way to meet people, and get people in the chapel on Saturday, and then talk about how we have our meetings the next day and they can return. We are way excited. I am really nervous, not really sure what I am going to teach, but I am going to have a lot of fun. Well I am really enjoying my mission, every single day is a new adventure, the best part is you never know what is going to happen.. anything can happen. I really am loving Elder Garcia, he is a great missionary! I really enjoy being his companion, he is the kind of missionary I wanna stay with, but we are basically positive I will be transferred, so we are trying to work how together. I cannot believe that Justin is a Marine, that is CRAZY! I cannot imagine what he is going through.. probably really hard stuff. But it will make a mission really easy for him. Mom, make sure to send him my emails, in a letter or something.. Janessa, I cannot believe that you are 16 awesome! Did you get my birthday letter yet? I hope all is well, I hope everyone is preparing for summer there, I never thought I would say this, but yesterday I was WAY cold here! It is really cold here, my comp is from the North, he literally almost died, it was really funny. Me or him didnt bring anything for the cold, literally I brought nothing, I have one long sleeve white shirt, and that is it. He has about 5 but only that, no sweater´s or anything. So he is really dying, I think that my body is way used to the hot, so the first sign of cold my body freaked out. Well I love you all, I miss you all! I hope all is well! Keep me in your prayers, but better yet keep the elect people waiting for me in your prayers, prays that I can find them and teach them with power and authority! Keep the missionaries in your prayers, but make sure too, as Elder Bednar said, pray for missionary opportunities yourself´s! Read Alma 13:24-30!! I love you ALL!!
Elder Olsen #3!!
Jesus Cristo é Nosso Mestre! Eu Amo Vocês!