Friends and Family,
Another good week done! This week we had the opportunity to do service for two sisters in the branch here. On Thursday we started off the month with the #lighttheworld day of service. We spent hours scraping paint and sanding the doors and window frames of an hermana, and we'll be finishing the job this week. We also spent a morning sorting a bin full of garbage and firewood. I saw more spiders doing that service than ever before in my life, and they were seriously all the size of a Quarter or larger, but I really enjoy the change of pace that comes with service projects like that.
This week I passed my 100th day in themission. It's crazy how fast the time's been going. A few of my inbestigators have told me that I look like I've lost weight, and I've lost about seven pounds. I guess I'd rather get skinny than fat, so that's pretty cool.
The spanish has been coming along really well. The Brazilians in our house have apparently heard me sleep talking about the mission in perfect Spanish. So far I've had to take their word for it, but they say it happens all the time and Elder Melo has started sleeping with his camera to record me.
Also, I bought myself an early Christmas present. I'll have to try to send a picture. Let's just say we play a lot of soccer here.
This week I was reading in Alma 31 where he's praying for the apostate Zoramites. He talks about how his heart is sorrowful, and asks for comfort. He then asks not to have his afflictions taken away, but for strength to suffer. He follows that request by turning outward and thinking of his fellow missionaries, praying for their comfort and success.
Even powerful Book of Mormon prophets faced apostasy and rejection; but we all have a purpose in God's plan, and we can never know what the long term effects of our actions will be.
I hope you can all have Christ in the center of your homes this Christmas season.
Amor,
Elder O
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| Elder Olson opened his first Christmas package we sent in his suitcases with him. I marked it "OPEN DECEMBER 1st". He said to me... "the tree and stockings are hanging in our house now. It's awesome to have a bit more Christmas spirit in the house. " I sent some other things for him to open on Christmas day and he's been super good about not opening them early. Fortunately, his Aunt (my sister-in-law) will be going down to a city in his area to visit her parents who live there in January and has offered to bring some other things down and drop them off at the mission home for him. I am very grateful for her willingness to do that. |
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| he found a "hover board" to play on |
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| He's enjoying the beauty of the country |
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| Elder Olson's Christmas present to himself. Soccer Cleats. (he never thought he'd be owning a pair for himself before the mission.) |
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