I got the package with everything in it! Thank you! I completely forgot that Easter was coming up so quickly until I received the package haha! You would think that I would at least remember Easter, being that it´s pretty much the most important date in the history of the world!  We keep very busy!  I´ve already shared a few things from the package and I still plan on sharing the Peeps! They are so creative; I like them!

On Easter Sunday we baptized 4 people…Yasmin, Emerson and Joyce. Three are siblings and the other is a 9 year-old girl who was waiting for her brother to get off his mission to baptize her. The other set of missionaries baptized 6 people, so it made for a sweet picture!:D  We are also teaching Lairce’s sister-in-law who has a baptism date set for this Sunday.

My new companion is Elder A. Oliviera.  He is from the interior of São Paulo, close by.

Love,

Elder Olsen

Yesterday, we baptized 3 people that went with us to Stake Conference last week! Lairce and her son Gabriel, and Aline, the cousin of Felícia (who was baptized last week). This past Sunday we had 14 investigators at church!

I will be staying here for the next transfer! My new companion will be Elder Oliveira, a Brazilian. I´m glad I´ll be staying here; this ward is really good and there are plenty of people who need to be baptized!

We made the cookies that you sent me with Felícia and Aline! There wasn´t enough room on the baking sheet, so they all mushed together and we had to cut them in squares, haha!  But they were still delicious! 🙂

Thanks for the package! I´ll be able to pick it up tomorrow. I´ll let you know if everything is in it.

Love,

Elder Olsen

Made cookies with Felícia and Aline

This week in São Paulo there was really bad flooding. In the area where we live, we weren´t really affected at all, just a few little leaks in our roof, haha! But the city where the church is was flooded really bad. The church wasn´t affected by the flood, though, because it is higher up on a hill. The canal that runs throughout the city caved in and destroyed the road. They said that water was up to the knees or even up to the chest in some parts. One of the grocery stores that is next to the canal was completely flooded and lost all of it´s food stock that is kept in the lower level. When we got to the city, the water had already gone down, but there was thick mud everywhere! It was a crazy sight. Attached are some pictures.

This week we baptized Felícia! She is the daughter of the step dad of Karen that we baptized last week. Felícia’s mom was previously married to Karen´s step dad, but then separated. Felícia said that she always wanted to go back to the Mormon church! (Her mom told us that Felícia would always ask when they were going to return… and then we showed up!) Felícia´s mom was also inactive in the church, but we brought her back!  She said the missionaries hadn´t gone to their house for 10 years. Felícia would go to church as a little kid, but before she was 8 years old, so she never got baptized. It was definitely the Lord that led us there! We baptized her after stake conference.

Conference was in a different city, so the church rented a big bus. Even still, we managed to bring 12 investigators with us! President and Sister Farnes were at the conference and gave wonderful talks as always.

Tenha uma boa semana!

Elder Olsen

No more road!

This week we baptized Dayanne on Saturday and Karen on Sunday. Dayanne had a difficult time; she was very scared of getting baptized and then sinning after. We went to her house before the baptism to help her relax and take away her anxiety. I taught the family how to play spoons (best card game ever) so she could relax until we left for the Baptism. She was even very sick with a cold and fever but she stayed strong; Satan sure didn´t want her to be baptized! After the baptism she said she felt a million times better and thanked us.

Karen´s story is miraculous. During the week, we were looking for less active members. We found a family in which the Dad was a member but the wife and kids weren´t. We invited him to return to activity in the church and he accepted! He said it was about time that he returned to church. The ward members said that they have been trying forever to get that family to church and we did it in one week! haha.  Karen, the daughter in the family, was very excited to be baptized.

This morning for P-day we woke us super early and climbed up a mountain called “Monte de Saboó”. It was a way prettier view than we expected at the top, due to the clouds that were covering the low-land. Apparently, it´s a super sacred area for all the Evangelic people. They go there to pray. We found a church group at the top and a few people were doing some hardcore praying.

Again, as always, thanks for everything!

-Elder Olsen

Sacred Book on Sacred Mountain