Zone conference, wacky weather, Trials
Monday, September 30, 2024; Floresta Ward, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil:
Olá a todos! Tudo bem? Minha semana foi boa! Como foi sua? Então tivemos Conferencia de zona, intrevistas com Presidente Taylor, pday de distrito, e mais! Bora lá!
Hey guys, how are you all doing?
This week was another fast one but had a few big things going on.
We had zone conference! It was awesome to receive some guidance and help for our work here.
Then we had interviews with President Taylor! My interview was pretty short, but still awesome. Sounds like my mission will soon receive several more missionaries from Africa (French speakers), as well as one from Japan. While that isn't too big of a deal for most missions--there are missions and missionaries serving from and to each part of the world--my mission is typically made up of 1-Americans (USA), 2-Brazilians, and 3-Missionaries from other countries in Latin and South America. I personally know a few Brazilians who are serving in Japan. But I don't think I have heard of any Japanese serving here in Brazil. So maybe this is not the first time, but it is pretty rare. And the Africans, we do have 1 or 2 but it's a little rare.
What I thought interesting is how my mission President explained that he's not sure the why of this. And he as he talked about it with me, I thought about some of the things I don't know the why behind, but how I just need to keep going and prepare for the future.
This week, the sky held rain [clouds] above my head, taunting me. But very little actually fell over me. Maybe next week.
What's funny about that is that my city and others in my mission are in a drought, with little rain. On the other hand, one of the cities further out from us received a ton of rain... the city started to flood. Even the missionaries' house in that city got filled with water. 
I guess maybe some in the Southeast USA can relate. 
I guess maybe some in the Southeast USA can relate. Brazilian political campaigns are in full swing. Voting will be next Sunday. For me, I know next to nothing about politics and the candidates. All I know is that everyone and their dog has a poster with their preferred candidate's number on it. And every once in a while, a big street will either close or be hard to pass through because a ton of people are waving flags for their candidate.
This coming weekend will be General Conference! That means we get to hear awesome uplifting messages from the Prophet Russel M. Nelson, his two Counselors, the 12 Apostles and other church leaders. Highly recommend tuning in for at least a little bit! I promise it will help each of you in your lives! There is always at least one talk that hits you and helps you with a problem or difficulty you have.
If you want to know more, you can access this link or send me a message! OCTOBER 5-6!
But this week I wanted to talk a bit about an experience I had. I won't give all the details. But this week, at the start of the week, everything was going decently well. Then one day something happened that led to several problems with some of the members here. It wasn't anything that directly involved me, but I still wanted to do all I could to help. I really wanted to help resolve the problems. I got super-stressed about what more I could do to help. I knew that most of what could be done wasn't in my control. But I didn't want to not do something when I could help. It put me in a little bit of a dark mood. That impacted some of the other lessons and things that I had, and actually made me super tired.
Several days after the problems 'happened' or 'started,' I found out a little bit more and was able to find peace. The problems weren't resolved, and some of them will not have quick fixes or easy ways out. But I learned a few lessons. I was able to feel peace, knowing that everything would be OK. That there was little I could do, and that was OK. There were some decisions that some people made that weren't the best. But I to my mind came the example that I also use to teach about God's Plan and a part of the purpose of life.
The example is this: often times parents want to protect their children. But they realize that sometimes that child must fall, so that they can learn to pick themselves back up. Sometimes it isn't for the parents to resolve all the problems but let their child figure it out. Just like sometimes we ask God why life is so hard. Why do we struggle. What more must we give or do. And we think He abandoned us. But actually, he knows what's best for us. Those challenges are shaping us.
I saw that too. That while I wanted to help and make everyone happy, there was little I could do, and those people needed to face those things, so they could continue to learn and grow.
How many times do we look back, and realize that those trials and challenges were critical in our lives? That without them our lives would be completely different, often for the worse.
My invitation to each of you this week (besides watching some of General Conference
) is to look at the course of your life, and the role that your challenges and difficulties have had in shaping you, making you better. How are you better for the battles you have fought? For the trials and tribulations?
) is to look at the course of your life, and the role that your challenges and difficulties have had in shaping you, making you better. How are you better for the battles you have fought? For the trials and tribulations?That's it for this week, love all of you! Have an awesome week!
Elder David Olson
Missão Brasil Manaus Sul
Rio Branco, Acre, BrasilPics-
-Barbecue at a zone pday
-My current district at zone conference
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