week 3: The temple and Elder Bednar

Campinas Brazil Temple (8/21/19)

Elder Olson and his companion Elder Neely

Elder Olson's district...almost all will be going to Goiania

Hi Everybody,

 I can´t believe its already my third week, Halfway through the mtc. This week we got to go to the Campinas temple again, but this time for an endowment session. It was nice to have a break from the stress of the MTC. We had our first TRC (in all portuguese) this week. It went ok, luckily my comp is really good at the language. 

On sunday we got to watch a video devotional by Elder Bednar. He talked about how the spirit wont always tell you exactly what to do, you just have to trust in the lord, go, and be good. (reference Nephi's experiences going to get the plates)

Elder Olson
--
NOTES FROM PHONE CALL WITH FAMILY: Spencer is currently sick with a cold and a fever. He said something has been going around but he is on antibiotics and is hoping to get better soon. He's been pretty much in bed the past couple of days trying to sleep but mostly staring at the walls. He's trying to save the limited cold medications we sent with him to use when he's out in the field. I am really sad I didn't send him with more dayquil & nyquil capsules, or tylenol PM, etc.

He is a little bummed that they cancelled their sunday "safety zone" video watching time as groups. They can only watch with their companion now. Not near as entertaining. But Elder Olson IS looking forward to this coming Sunday when President Russell M. Nelson is supposed to visit the Sao Paulo MTC.

This week some missionaries from the Provo MTC got their visas and were sent down to join the others at the Brazil MTC. Elder Olson said those missionaries have been spoiled up in Utah and are having a hard time adjusting to the MTC in the REAL WORLD...different food (mostly beans and rice and all of it really really salty this week), and different pday privileges (in Provo they could be on their phones all day talking to family etc. and read emails all week long. In Brazil they get 50 minutes total one day a week to try to read, write, and talk using old computers and old equipment and no video chat). Elder Olson feels like he, himself, is handling the REAL WORLD MTC pretty well but also does wish and hope for less salty food this coming week.

Elder Olson is also getting some Brazilian culture training even though he's not totally immersed with the locals yet. A lot of local Brazilians work and help at the MTC and he said trying to get anything repaired, ordered, or essentially done in a timely manner just doesn't happen. His roommate has had a broken bed for 2 weeks and has resorted to sleeping on his mattress on the floor. And Elder Olson lost his pocket name tag and has tried to order a new one but isn't sure if the paperwork he handed in actually got submitted or not. He said he will just wait and see. He's definitely learning patience.

Apparently, in the MTC, the missionaries are divided into Branches for Sunday meetings. They meet in three different gathering rooms at the MTC at different times. The one Elder Olson meets in is quite warm all the time but he enjoys one of the members of their Branch Presidency's sense of humor and the way he talks. The guy learned english from watching movies and playing video games so the American Missionaries all had a good laugh when he used the word "Noob" to describe a misbehaving scriptural character (I don't recall which one).

I also sent Elder Olson a package of cookies via a local delivery shop (Mr. Cheney's Cookies - ordered online thru MissionTies.com) and he was excited to have a yummy treat.

Elder Olson with his note from home that came with his cookies

Elder Olson's short but sweet note back to us says, "Thanks for the cookies and message! I'll definitely enjoy them!"

week 2: Getting in the Groove of things

Ola,

this week went by a lot faster than the first. On P-day, we got to go to the campinas temple and do baptisms which was nice. I told a temple worker Im going to Goiania and he said, "Oh! you will have nice butt form all the walking." After we got back to the Ctm, we got to go out into the city. I had to buy a box for my bar of soap and it took like 15 minutes to explain what i needed to the lady at the pharmacy. My portuguese is improving, but its still not very good. Gross food of the week: jello that looks and tastes like pepto bismol. Best food: pastels. Anyways, I don't have much time so thats it for today!

Tchau,

-- 

Elder Olson

NOTES FROM PHONE CALL WITH FAMILY: Spencer seems to be doing well. No pics again but he said maybe tomorrow when they go to the temple he can use the church wifi to send some from his camera. We got to talk to him for a little bit and he said they are no longer allowed to use English at all in the classes so that’s been a bit of a challenge. He said he can get the gist of what the teachers are saying in Portuguese now because they talk slow enough for the missionaries, but native speakers he has no idea. This week the food had a few yummy additions, Feijoada (black beans, rice and sausage), and a chocolate cake thing, and a cinnamon rice pudding. Unfortunately, he had a bad cold last week but was able to combat it with vitamins, ibuprofen and airborne. A lot of the missionaries there have been sick with colds and stomach issues (getting used to all the beans). Fortunately, Spencer likes beans, and ate them frequently at home, so he hasn’t had problems in that area. 

But a couple things he needs are EMAILS and PRAYERS (for him to be able to memorize the vocabulary words). They are supposed to memorize about 90 Portuguese words a day. He said he hasn’t been getting even close to that. 

Week 1: First week in Sao Paulo at the CTM

The photo taken at the CTM of their arriving group of missionaries

Elder Olson’s letter is short and sweet this week and I attached it below. He said to let you all know he only has 50 minutes to email and call on Tuesday evenings and today he had some technical difficulties and had to switch rooms and computers so he got even less. We were able to voice chat with him via google hangouts for a little bit. (He could see us on video but we couldn’t see him) They aren’t allowed to plug in any devices (no webcam) or upload any pictures while at the Brazilian CTM so there was no video calling and he couldn’t send any pictures.

But Here are a few things he told us but didn’t have time to write about…

- His P-Days are actually on Wednesday and all 400 missionaries at the training center have the same P-Day because every week they go to the temple. For the next couple of weeks they have to drive 1.5 hours to the Campinas Brazil Temple because the Sao Paulo one is closed for cleaning. But he said he also is supposed to get to go to the distribution center there (he’s looking forward to getting a scripture case for his Portuguese scriptures) and the general store (which is good because he forgot index cards for studying and forgot shampoo and soap). 

- He’s lost 3 lbs already (the kid doesn’t have much to lose so I told him to eat more) and he said he eats and the food is good but not anything where he wants more than he already eats. It’s probably the stress of things too along with just sitting in class all day. I’m sure once he gets out into the field and is walking everywhere, he’ll work up more of an appetite. 

- Every other day except Sunday and P-day goes about like this…

• 6:30 wake up
• Breakfast - he’s been having ham and cheese paninis for breakfast a lot along with a “oatmeal soup” (runny runny oatmeal in a mostly milk mixture of sorts) which he said is actually pretty good. One day they actually had regular “cold cereal” as an option but the milk was warm so it was more like “warm cereal” and not very appetizing that way
• Classes - He said they do language classes ALLLL morning long, with a teacher who won’t speak English to them so they are all very very confused and getting a little frustrated
• Lunch- Consists of mostly rice and beans and various kinds of meat, which he likes. This is usually the bigger meal of the day.
• Classes - Language classes ALLLLL afternoon, but this teacher is better and more helpful and funny and interesting
• Exercise - They have to run 5 laps around a little indoor track before they are allowed to do anything else. Mostly they play basketball, which is not really his thing but his companion loves it. So he and some others just play “speed” bball at the other end of the gym to pass the time.
• Dinner - about the same as lunch 
• After dinner - he didn’t say what they do. He did say they have an hour for personal study time at some point during the day but it’s hard to keep at it when his brain is so tired from being in classes all day.

Thankfully, since he can't upload pictures right now, we were able to find a couple of pictures of Elder Olson on the CTM facebook page and downloaded them. 

- Sundays are his favorite day because the Sunday school lessons are really great. They don’t do any “Preach my gospel” classes during the week yet so he’s really feeling a little spiritually hungry by the time Sunday rolls around. The CTM president does devotionals twice a week on Sunday and on  Wednesday and apparently is a talker, often going on for 1.5 hours. Spencer says he knows very well the importance of exact obedience and what the rules of the CTM are because that is usually the focus of the devotionals thus far. Haha. We told him the Lord is teaching him patience and long suffering already…prepping him for the future.

- He is on the 6th floor of his “dorm” building which is actually the 7th floor because they start numbering their floors at 0 and then 1, 2, 3, and so on. His companion likes to run up the steps every time they go up so Spencer is developing his aerobic capacity. His companion is a soccer and basketball player. There are 6 missionaries in his room and he said were all on the flight from the US with him to Brazil. He said he likes them all but it IS a little squishy with 6 of them in there.

- He said one night a week is “movie night” and they watch “safety zone” videos and they get a kick out of those. There are vending machines in the CTM and each missionary gets 7.50 Reais, Brazilian money, (that equals $1.85 US Dollars) on their card each day that doesn’t carry over to the next day. So they each by something every day and try to save up their candy for “movie night.” He’s also had way too much Guarana already and he loves the stuff but heard it’s famous for causing kidney stones. I told him, for now, just drink up those calories. 

-He seems to be enjoying the other missionaries he’s met and I’m sure he’ll have some good friends for life from this bunch of Elders and Sisters. 

Here’s the letter he sent...

Hey everyone,

It's only been a week since I left, but it feels like much longer. I have learned so much about the language. My companion is Elder Neeley. We flew in together from salt lake. He's pretty cool. We both like the same music so that's neat. We get along well. The food is interesting, but good. For some reason they think tuna and corn are acceptable pizza toppings, and panini sandwiches are a breakfast food. I have made lots of new friends, and have strengthened my testimony. I'm so excited to go out in the field and share. The church is true and the book is blue!

Tchau,

-- 

Elder Olson

Leaving to serve the Lord

Elder Olson was set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on August 5, 2019 and left the next day for the Missionary Training Center in Sao Paulo Brazil.

We have a new missionary in the family

packing up

farewell big buddy

there he goes

First Time Through the Temple and Farewell Brunch

Spencer went through the temple for the first time to receive his personal endowments on July 19th, 2019. He chose to attend the Mount Timpanogos temple in American Fork and was blessed to have many family members attend. Nothing is more important than the support and strength of family.

the Hansen side of the family

the Olson side of the family

Then on July 21st, Spencer spoke at church services in Sacrament meeting in the Canyon Ridge Ward and we followed the services with a brunch in our good friend's backyard. Their son spoke that same day and left for his mission to Peru 1 week prior to Spencer. It was kind of them to offer to join together and host the brunch since we had just moved 35 minutes north and were in no state or position to host anything. The Wills family holds a special place in our heart for their generosity. (but we didn't even take any pictures together...shoot!)