Birthday and Thanksgiving

 Monday, November 27, 2023; Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil:

This week was busy and that was good.

We had a bunch of lessons that went well. We shared a lot of scriptures with people too, gotta start basic.

I had my birthday; I honestly didn't do too much unusual. I was going to make a cake mix, but somehow bought all the ingredients except the mix itself. But one of the other Elders bought me a little cake. Thanks to all of you who sent me a message, sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to all of you yet.

It rained several days this week. Rain is great for making the climate cool, but it's hard to talk to people. And you get soaking wet a lot :)

One of the nights our house again flooded a little bit. While the water wasn't actually very deep, it covered most of our house. It happened super-fast, and the rain hadn't stopped. So, we talked with some of the Mission Leadership and ended up driving halfway across Manaus to stay in a missionary house near the Mission Office. That was fun but we got to sleep super late.

This week I had some really awesome companionship study with my companion Elder Schmidt. Had to wake him up a few days. Also had some awesome personal study. I started rereading the Book of Mormon. I am studying the same chapter in English and then read it immediately in Portuguese. It's so cool to me how-as I read in one language-I focus on some things, and in the other language I understand other things.

My language skills are pretty good, I feel. I have few problems, though I need to keep expanding my vocabulary. Most of my problems come from when I speak too fast, and the words jumble together. 

More things-

•Thanksgiving feast was simply bread and soda, though the bakery gave us super nice goblets for our cheap soda. Foi Topp

•Last week I hit a 200-day streak on Duolingo (app)

As aforementioned this week I am studying in the Book of Mormon. It starts with a man, Lehi, who has four sons. The father decides some things, including to leave their home for the desert. Along the way these four sons are faces with trials. The two oldest are often disobedient and always complaining. That just adds to their problems. Meanwhile, their younger two brothers confide in their dad. They are obedient. And they are blessed and happy.

From this week's scriptural passage, we can learn that when we are obedient to God, we are blessed and happy. But really all of what happens is related to faith. Faith leads to obedience, which leads to good spirits and gratitude.

I feel my understanding of faith keeps expanding. Faith in God, in His son Jesus Christ. A ton of spiritual blessings promised are promised when we act in faith. But I think how faith actually makes physical things happen. This week I decided my companion and I weren't doing very good with regular study. Sometimes my companion would sleep in, or one of us would procrastinate our personal study, or we had other events happen. Even though I made sure to wake up at 6:30, some days I still pushed off starting my study till later.  But I decided that needed to change. I decided the goal (and rule) was study everyday alone and together. I knew that some of our work hadn't been as good because we had missed some study and planning in the mornings. So, I made some personal goals and as companions we made some goals. I knew I needed the faith to believe my study and planning would help my work. 

So, every day we had study. Some days I had to wake my companion up, some days I had to force myself to get ready and do personal study faster, but I did. It also helped my relationship with my companion. 

Sometimes the smalls things -scriptures, prayer- alone and as families is difficult. But that is what strengthens us spiritually. 

I invite each one of you to work on your faith. Let it change you. Grow it to its potential.

Love all of you,

Elder David Olson

MANAUS

PHOTOS-

-A sign of the church (as seen on each chapel) that the missionary house we visited, randomly has on a wall

-Birthday cake and present 

-Thanksgiving bread and soda

-Youth Family Home Evening