Bikes, Bananas, and Baptism!!

Monday, October 14, 2024; Floresta Ward, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil:

This week has been pretty good! It went by fast too! 

It was my companion's, Elder Santos' last full week here in the mission. In a few days he will go to Manaus to meet with the Mission President, go to the Temple in Manaus, and take a brief self-reliance course. Then he's going back to his home in Curitiba, Brazil. 

This week it was either pouring rain and cold, or sunny and burning hot. I miss the NC fall! . It also got a little windy one of the days and I thought it would knock a few trees over.

I don't know which is cooler (or more dangerous):

   -18-year-olds on motorcycles doing wheelies super-fast over speedbumps, 

           OR

   -10-year-olds on bikes doing wheelies down a big hill.

I saw both of these various times this week. 

There are some bananas that are sweeter than others. Some are better to deep fry. Banana with Farinha is also decently popular.

On Sunday, after church ended, my companion was talking to one of the members and made a comment about the guy's tie. I guess the tie had been choking him for a while, because he practically ripped it off and gave it to my companion. A going home present, I guess. 

On Sunday we had a baptism! We did it together with a family in the ward that was baptizing their daughter! 

One thing I love about Geovanna, the young woman who got baptized, was her struggle and success in learning to feel the Spirit. Each of us feels the Spirit in a different way. Sometimes it can take years, or even a lifetime to start feeling and understanding the prompting of the Spirit. One thing I forget sometimes is that many people don't know how to feel the Spirit. In the scriptures there is a principle that says that anything good comes from God. So, we know that true good feelings, like Joy, Peace, and Happiness come from God. When we do things that bring us closer to God, we often feel these things. The Spirit will help us know what we are doing is right. 

One of my favorite things about being a missionary is seeing the potential in other people. Seeing people through God's eyes. Being able to see the choices that are in the future and hoping so dearly that the person will make the right choices. The choices that will help them grow, but also become so much more than they already are. 

Why does that have to only be a missionary thing? Can we all do that in our lives? Of course we must use wisdom. But wouldn't the world be such a better place if we looked for the good in people? The potential, and not just their faults? 

So, my invitation for each of you is just that. Look for the good in people, look for their potential. If you each do that, the world will be at least a little better!

Love y'all! Have an awesome week!

Elder David Olson

Missão Brasil Manaus Sul

Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil

Pics-

-The Church building 

-A member gave me a shirt and my comp two glasses. He really likes the soccer team and wants us to represent it. 

-Elder Santos and I

-Rain! Yes!