Goats, Fanta, conferences

 Monday, November 18, 2024; Floresta Ward, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil:

Ola gente! Como vocês estão? Na minha semana tivemos Conferencia de Zona e Conferencia da Estaca! Foram boas, aprendi bastante! 

This week started out pretty slow but turned out pretty good with some conferences. 

We had some days filled with miracles, and others filled with rain. 

We returned to a street where I saw a goat in someone's yard [but didn't see it anymore]. Upon asking the owner's son, he replied that they had killed the goat. Rip.

The gas tank from someone on our street started leaking, so they threw it outside and warned everyone to stay away till it was empty. 

A bunch of Brazilians have asked us about our thoughts on USA politics... yeah both I don't know half of anything, and I can't/won't talk politics on the mission.

This past week or two, I tried two Fanta brand sodas, flavored Caju, and Bettlejuice/Mystery flavor. Idk if other parts of Brazil have or will have the Fanta Caju. I just know that It, along with a bunch of other stuff, has a special mark of everything made in the state of the Amazon/Manaus. 

Everyone and their dog saw a video on the internet of a guy calling out 'Elder' to a group of missionaries on the road and they all responded. So now everyone who sees us wants to test out the theory, to know if we actually are all called Elder. We are

Friday, we had zone conference with all the missionaries here in Acre. I learned a lot and will work harder to be better. 

Then Saturday and Sunday we had Stake Conference. My Stake is basically just this city, Rio Branco. So, all the members from the wards came together. We had Elder Eddy from the Brazil Area Presidency presiding. We were asked to go to each of the 3 sessions: (1) leadership, (2) adults, and (3) the general session for everyone. 

I really enjoyed the leadership session, and I wanted to share with y'all a little bit that was talked about there, that touched me. 

So, the leadership of the church are those in each congregation that help, well, lead everyone. They have more responsibility for helping meet the Spiritual and temporal needs of everyone over whom they lead. 

While the session wasn't for us missionaries specifically, I applied it to me and my work. 

What I loved was this: Just like in an airplane, if the oxygen masks come down, they say to put yours on first, then help children or others to put theirs on. 

So, if we want to help the with Temporal, and more specifically Spiritual needs of others, we first must 'feed' [or prepare] ourselves. So, the speakers shared the importance for leadership of the Lord's church, to study the scriptures, pray and do the small things. 

Just like that, how can we help others to learn and have a testimony if we don't have those things? 

For each of you this can apply in a variety of circumstances. But think about it. What things must we do to sustain ourselves, Physically and Spiritually? How can we be prepared and able to help others do the same? 

That's my invitation for each of you!

Love you all!

Eer David Olson

Missão Brasil Manaus Sul

Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil

Pics-

-Me with a big Book of Mormon and with Jesus

-Volleyball

-Random picture of a building

-My zone at Zone Conference