We have 9 companionships in our zone, which is 18 missionaries. Our zone has the most missionaries in the mission. We definitely have more responsibility as zone leaders. We have to be the example for the rest of the zone and mission. There are so many people here ready to receive the gospel. This month we broke the mission record with 309 baptisms.

Today we have a zone activity at the stake center, a GIANT church building. It´s 6 stories high including an indoor basketball/volleyball/soccer court (Not very common in brazil; usually have outdoor courts). We played volleyball and the Sister missionaries made us lunch:)

This week something really cool happened. We were looking for less active members because sometimes they have people in the family who haven’t been baptized. We knocked on a door and met a family. They had a 19 year old girl there who is deaf and can´t talk. Suddenly, my companion started using sign language to communicate to her. I had no idea that he knew sign language! It turns out that she´s been wanting to go to church for a while and wants to be baptized! Elder Marcos teaches her in sign language and I sit there and smile haha. She has a baptism date set for this next Sunday.

I can´t believe tomorrow is already December! I set up a mini Christmas tree in our house and put a few presents under it. I´m definitely missing the snow here. Send some snow my way!!

Thanks for all the love and support!

Elder Olsen

Stake Center–6 Stories tall

We opened the area here, so it was rough this past week. We looked for people ready to to be baptized all week, but everything fell through. Then, at church, we found out that a girl who has be going to church for 3 months now was not baptized.  After lunch, we went to her house to talk to her parents. She was able to get baptized! Um milagre!

On a side note, we received a sign for baptizing every week of last transfer!  Pequenas vitorias a cada dia!

Love,

Elder Olsen

I will be transferred again tomorrow! I will be a Zone Leader with Elder Marcos. It caught me by surprise! Usually missionaries serve as District Leader for a while before becoming Zone leader. I skipped District Leader haha!  To get to the transfer meeting, we take the train, the subway, and then the bus. It takes about 2 hours to get there.

Saturday we baptized Vitória, Sunday Mario, and today we will baptize Raquel and Rosani. (6th consecutive week of baptisms!) The retention here is pretty good; it´s not perfect and it´s never going to be. You have to baptize lots to have a good number who stay active. We always see at least a bunch of our recent converts at church!

Thanks for everything!

Love,

Elder Olsen

Current District

We hike up and down hills all day long!

Little victories every day. 6th week of baptisms!

This past week was good! We baptized again and have 3 planned for this next weekend! We have about 10 progressing investigators that we are teaching. We are going to the temple again this week!

Transfers are next Wednesday, the 17th. I´ll probably stay here and receive a new companion.  Thanks for everything!

Love,

Elder Olsen

We forgot our umbrellas and got soaked!

Subway!!!!

We had two more baptisms this week!! Pedro and Emerson. The baptism was very special because they both had all of their family there. Pedro´s two sisters have baptism dates marked for next Sunday. Our zone broke the record for baptisms last month, 35. This is the third consecutive month that the zone broke the record. Elder Benites and I are now baptizing 4 weeks consecutive and will keep the streak going!

Elder Benites received a giant heavy package full of food from his mom. We had to carry it up a huge hill and over 2 miles to the house from the train. One of the members had a mini Halloween party for us and made all the food with a Halloween theme. Also, we are teaching a few kids that made a ping pong table in the front of their house. It takes up the whole yard. It´s always fun when we go to visit them!

Lots of miracles are happening everyday. It´s very easy to see the Lord’s hand in your day, you just have to look! Thanks for everything!

Love,

Elder Olsen