Hey everyone!  This week was full of activities. We started off the week by going to the Campinas Temple! It´s been 5 months since I´ve gone to the temple so it was a real treat. President’s son was there who just returned from his mission in South Africa. That must have been weird for him…. completing his mission just to return to another mission.. haha.

A lot happened on Saturday.  After lunch we were walking on the street and noticed a dog walking toward us with a very bloody paw. A lady who was there said that the dog got into a fight and the other dog bit his leg. I secured the dog so he wouldn´t run away helpless. We happened to be right next to a scouting post for the Scouts of Brazil. They brought out a hose to wash off the leg and we bandaged him up. When we finished there was a huge pool of blood and bloody paw prints everywhere, it was sad. It was a bad wound. I let him go and he ran off. Then we started talking with the Scout Master who helped us. We told him we were both scouts from other parts of the world. (Elder F. is a scout back in Chili). The Scout Master invited us in the gate to meet the scouts there. It´s crazy how similar everything was to the Boy Scouts of America. It´s because Baden Powell started scouting and everyone just copied what he did. They even have the same Scout Oath that we repeat in BSA (translated into Portuguese of course). We bought a neckerchief and slide that they use in their troop.

Saturday night the branch had their annual Festa Julina. Everything was farm themed and they had lots of food and games for the kids. Everyone (besides us) participated in a traditional dance they do here in Brazil. The whole party could be compared to a country fest in the U.S., same idea.

Sunday we had a baptism!!! His name is Douglas. We found him two weeks ago knocking doors. He was super nice and accepting ever since we first met him. He received an answer that the Book of Mormon was true the very night we left him the book. He accepted a baptism date our first visit and was excited to be baptized. The baptism was amazing. The entire room was filled with members to support him. After church we ate lunch at the mission leaders house. They made esfias (dough with a pocket inside filled with meat) for us and I made chocolate chip cookies for them! On Sunday there was an old missionary who visited the branch. He served in this area 8 years ago. We had a family night at the family´s house who he baptized when he was here.

Transfers are tomorrow so we will be traveling to São Paulo for transfer meeting and to receive our new companions. I will stay in the same town and will get another companion from Chili.

Thank you everyone for your love and prayers!  A obra do Senhor não para!

Love,

Elder Olsen