This week we baptized the brother and sister of Matheus, Augusto and Vitória. We sent Matheus and Augusto to the stake dance on Saturday and they loved it!

We also baptized a 9 year old boy named Kaike. We have been teaching his family which consists of him, his smaller brother, and mom. Kaike is super intelligent about the gospel; he wanted really badly to be baptized. We even found him one day reading the Book of Mormon in the street and teaching a friend! (see attached picture) He loves to read the Book of Mormon. He is also trying to help his mom to prepare to be baptized. She still has lots of problems with smoking and drinking that we are helping her with. Kaike says that he doesn´t like that his mom smokes and drinks. He takes away her cigarettes so she can´t smoke, haha.

It´s starting to get a little more chilly here in Brasil as winter is approaching, but not the winter WE think of (without snow). Thanks for all the prayers!

Love,

Elder Olsen

This week we had a bunch of baptisms planned, but then suddenly everything fell through. I feel like it was a big test of my faith. I knew I was going to have a baptism, I just didn´t know who. Then, we met a young man named Matheus that had been getting to know the church. After church, he decided to be baptized. He said he wanted a change in his life. We set the baptism for that night. Later, we went to bring him to church and it started pouring rain when we got off the bus. We arrived at the church soaked. It looked like he had already been baptized in the rain, we joked! It was a very special baptism with lots of members who supported him.

My new apartment is actually a small house. It´s a little bit older, but not scary haha. It has hardwood floors and a cellar underneath full of spiders and cockroaches it seems like. This is definitely the house with the most cockroaches so far, haha!

My shoes are worn out, but I´m on the search for new ones today. If I don´t find anything good here in the next few weeks I´ll let you know, but I´m sure I´ll find something good. There are a million shoe stores here!

Thanks for all the love and support you give me!

Love,

Elder Olsen

My new area is in the interior again. I got a little worried when I was sent to the interior again because generally it can be a little tougher to baptize. But when I arrived here I got pretty excited! The ward is big and has tons of really helpful members. We have the best ward mission leader that I have ever had!  He returned from his mission like 8 months ago and is our age. He always is super helpful and teaches with us.

Elder Jones and I opened the area which means we arrived here at the same time without knowing anything! But even still, we were blessed this past week and baptized a girl named Larissa, who is a member´s niece, and also brought 5 people to church!

Our church building is in a nicer town that’s a little touristy.  It’s only 3 weeks old!  (It just got done being remodeled). There is also a ski resort in the town!! Do you believe that?? Apparently they make fake snow and throw it on the little slope. I´ll have to check it out:) We work in a city that´s like 15 minutes from the church.  We have to take the bus to get to the church.

We brought a single mother with two little girls to church. She loved it and said she wants to come back every week! We´ll baptize her this weekend. We also brought her two friends.

My new companion, Elder Jones, is from San Diego, California. He is great! He is my first American companion since my trainer.  We are serving as Zone Leaders.

Thanks for all the love and support!!

Love,

Elder Olsen

The fluffiest dog I’ve ever laid hands on!

Last P-day we went to P.F. Chang’s!:D

Our street flooded and turned into a river!!

Yesterday we had the baptisms of Raissa, Daene, Wesley, Estefani, and Jennifer.   Me and Elder Medina ended 27 baptisms in the transfer, a new mission record!!

I’m sending more  pictures today and put some captions with every photo! I will check for the packages tomorrow! I will be transferred  with Elder Jones. Thanks for everything!

Love,

Elder Olsen

Baptisms for 20 consecutive weeks!!

Our zone broke the mission record for baptisms in the month!

When we broke the mission record for baptisms in the month, President invited us over to his house to eat Dominos Pizza and play ping pong! It was a great time. Here is a picture of me playing against him (He destroyed me)

Zone signing sashes at President’s

Me and Elder Medina ended 27 baptisms in the transfer, a new mission record!!

Crashing with the bird after baptizing 27 in one transfer!