Elder Olson's Church Mission 2019-2021: week 18: Eating all the animal parts

Week 18, 6th week of 2nd transfer

December 9, 2019

This week started out with interviews with the President so we had to go to city nearby, so we had to ride the bus again...so that's great. But it wasn't super far on the bus but we did have to walk like an hour after we got off the bus to make it to the chapel where the interviews were. That was only one morning so that was pretty fast.

This week we had some really cool experiences. We taught a guy (I think I talked about him last week, his name is Val and his family. I found him with Elder Burt on our splits). We had a really good lesson with them. We read the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi Chapter 11 and it was really cool because the kids were really engaged in reading and stuff and they were really interested in the Book of Mormon. But sadly they didn't come to church this week because they had some problems with other family stuff.

Then another friend we have that was a reference from a member named Cassia. We still haven't been able to actually teach her. We've only talked to her 2 times in the door because she doesn't live with any male adults so we can't enter their house to teach a lesson (a rule that exists for the safety of the women and for the reputations of the elders) but we talked about the Book of Mormon at the door. She read and prayed about it and told us that she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, that God showed her that it's true. So that was kind of a surprise because we haven't even been able to teach her. But it just shows that people who actually go and pray can receive answers.

Another cool experience with the Book of Mormon we had was with an investigator/friend named Veronica. We haven't been able to teach her either because their are no male adults in her home. She has a kid but she lives with her mom. But she has been reading the Book of Mormon and we just have been following up over the phone and stuff. We talked to her the other day and asked her how her Book of Mormon experience was. And she said she was half way through the book! And that she is feeling like God has showed that it's true also! So that's two people who've received answers about the Book of Mormon, which is awesome because we haven't been having any luck with getting people to pray about the Book of Mormon and actually read. And so we are pretty excited about that. But we are going to need to figure out how we can teach them, because we can't go into their house.

The hard thing is nobody comes to church. Those two didn't come to church also. So we've been having difficulty with that. Church is at 9 in the morning here and that's hard for people here. Everybody likes to sleep in or has work or things like that, so it's been hard to get people to go to church.

Today is the start of my 3rd transfer. I don't know right now where I'm going but I think I'm going to stay in Hidrolandia. I'll probably know and type it in another email. Elder Rodriguez has been transferred to the Goiania North Zone. He's the new Zone Leader there. So I will have a new companion, I know that.

Some things that I hate: The BUS...still. And also we have this funeral home next to our house that always plays announcements for funerals and it is really annoying. They are really loud and it's always during our study time.

Things that I like: This week I tried some interesting foods. I tried this soup called Mocotó. It's basically cow foot soup. And this other one I don't remember the name of but it's cow stomach soup (maybe Dobradinha). And I actually liked them both. They kind of taste the same. It's actually pretty good surprisingly. The other thing I tried is cuscuz, which is basically cornbread but kind of more in a more mushy form, not really a bread form. Kind of like mushed up cornbread basically. That was good too with, cebada, which is this barley drink that's like a substitute coffee basically. But it's not coffee. It doesn't have caffeine or anything. But that was pretty good surprisingly, the cow foot and cow stomach soup. Kind of an interesting experience. Also I had feijoada yesterday which is black beans with a bunch of meat thrown in it and I was eating this one thing and they were like, "Oh do you like that part?" And I was like, "yeah." And they said, "That's pig ears." So apparently I've eaten pig ears also. Haha. So I'm just eating all sorts of animal parts that I've never thought I'd eat.

But yeah, it was a good week. This week will be interesting with transfers seeing who my new companion is.

Spiritual thought:
Mosiah 13: 28 And moreover, I say unto you, that ^asalvation doth not come by the ^blaw alone; and were it not for the ^catonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.

Remember the importance of Christ this Christmas season. Make him your focus. Without Christ we could not be saved. Try to follow his example better this christmas and #lighttheworld! Love you all and have a great week!

Elder Olson

UPDATE: I received more information about the transfer. I will be training a new missionary, Elder Bezerra, here in Hidrolandia. I'm pretty nervous because I am just leaving my own training now and I'm not completely fluent, but I trust the mission president and the revelation he receives.