Chicken, fruit, açaí and please read my invitation at the end Por Favor🙏

 Monday, September 25, 2023; Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil:

We had a few internet problems but anyways... 

This week was decently normal. Elder Cruz and I had a ton of lessons that went well. 

We also had several really good discussions with local leaders about one of our wards/congregations here. The ward is super big and has a ton of members including many who are inactive. Some just aren't interested. But others live too far to walk and only come, say, one week a month because they don't have transportation or money for it. 

Also with our missionary work, it's a lot harder to ask someone to visit our church, since our chapels are for bigger areas. That's versus many other churches here in Brazil that have a church building every couple of streets and are more accessible. Also, for people who don't yet know the difference between many churches, they will always pick a church 2 minutes away, versus one that's 20+ minutes away. 

My current companion Elder Cruz loves to eat chicken at night as a late dinner. I decided to buy some chicken too and make some, diversify my diet. I also bought a spicy catchup and used that to make some super good chicken meals. I bought some fruit to eat for breakfast which is good. Apples, mangos, bananas, etc. 

One day we were walking in an area far from the chapel (40-minute walk) and stopped next to a house to look at Google maps. We didn't know anyone nearby and decided to make some contacts. Nearby was a guy riding his bike, and he came up and started talking to us. He said he was an inactive member and thought we might be looking for his house because missionaries used to visit him and his family often around 4 years ago. We hadn't been looking specifically for him but had ended up stopping outside his house. We started talking to him and later went back to talk with his family too, starting to help them with a few concerns and problems they had, including hopefully help them get married legally. 

Marriages. This week and recently we have met a few families who are part member families or who are interested in the church that need to get married. We will try to help them any way we can. Some of them are from other countries surrounding this edge of Brazil and have to get their documents translated into Portuguese. But marriage and families are super important, so any sacrifice is worth it!

This week one or two days were cloudy and rainy, but the rest it was *sunny* and *hot* (or should I say HOT!*). 

We had a ward activity as well as two ward family home evenings.

My Portuguese is ever better and ever terrible. Honestly, it's pretty decent now, but I need to slow down some and think a little more before I speak. And there's always someone who won't understand. But at the same time, I know a ton, understand basically everything. I feel like when I have confidence someone doesn't understand me, but also, I'm honesty doing pretty good.

My companion and I went to look at and take some pictures for one of our mission secretaries of a house near our current one that is bigger. In the near future the mission wants to split our area (which covers two wards) such that each ward has a dupla of missionaries. But our current house is tiny, barely big enough for two missionaries. Definitely no room for 4. 

My companion and I got açai one day this week, and mine was mixed with ice cream the flavor of maracujá, a fruit here. It was super good.

This coming weekend is General Conference, which some of you know about and others don't. God is merciful, so he has given us prophets to lead and guide us. They have power from God to lead his work here on the earth. Today we have a prophet, Russell M. Nelson. We also have 12 apostles just like we did when Christ established his church on the earth. And twice a year we get to hear from them. They bring messages of hope, peace, help, and advice. This conference has multiple sessions broadcast in a ton of languages worldwide! And what you put in is what you get out. The focus and attention you give to their words is how you let it affect you. What you change in your life to let God prevail will always help you. So here are three questions for anyone reading this.

------>What changes do YOU want and need in your life?

------>How important is it to YOU that God calls people to be his mouth and speak for him here on the earth? 

------>How will YOU let God Prevail in your life?

*I invite y'all to think about these three questions as you watch conference this coming weekend!*

****If any of y'all have questions about this General Conference or what it is or how to access let me know and I can help y'all out!****

Elder Olson

Fé + Obras = Poder

Faith + Works = Power

Brazil Manaus

Photos

-My new suit. [Elder Olson was told he didn't need one before his mission. His new Mission President wants ALL missionaries to wear one as examples to others on how to dress as servants of the Lord. So, he went and bought one this week!]

-Açaí

-Elder Cruz and I, right before descending a steep muddy hill

-Ward Family Night

-Ward family night