Don't Let Your Companion Go to Hell.

Yeah, I mean, I think that pretty much says it all.  I went to a leadership training this week and honestly that's what stuck with me the most. I think we can all apply it, ready go!

Ok, so I feel like my last letter was a little scatter brained and stressful, like I don't even know what I said! This week I'll be a bit more organized! How I'm feeling right now: I am just so happy and grateful! I KNOW that this is where i'm supposed to be and I'm really trying to enjoy every single moment and learn as much as I possibly can. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I mean, how often did I/will I have time to read the Book of Mormon for at least 30 minutes a day, learn a new language and just completely focus on the present and becoming completely familiar with my Savior and helping others do the same?! NEVER EVER. So, I am just so happy to be right here:)

Ok, I'll start with last Saturday after I wrote: we got to go to the Temple!! It was so busy and took like 4 hours!  As we were sitting in the chapel waiting I was looking at the Picture of Christ with His arms outstretched and just kept thinking " Come Follow me." and realized that that's what I should be doing and striving for always.  All of the things that I was supposed to be doing that were stressing me out are designed to help me follow Christ. That's what I really need to focus on and everything else will fall into place.  It was really, really lovely to be able to go. We get to go again in a little bit!! I love the Temple! Also: everyone we saw was wanting to talk to us etc. ( it was weird to be in the outside world as a missionary!) and while in the Temple I realized that people don't really love us. They don't even know us. But they love who we represent and what we are doing, it brings us all together!

Sunday: Meetings all day=garros.  But then we got to go to Music and the Spoken Word before R.S. It was soo nice to be able to be calm and listen to beautiful music and feel the Spirit. I'm really grateful for the little times I'm able to sit in silence and feel peace and just think. Like in the shower, oh yes, i still take my 30 minute showers, I need them now more than ever!! The Elder were joking about taking a chair in there and just sleeping. . . one of them really did it. . hahha. Anyway.  One of the songs played was one of my favorites called Homeward Bound. It made me think you fam, here are some lyrics.  "No matter where we travel our hearts can always be homeward bound." I love how that applies to you guys and to my heavenly home.  Also," Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to thee somehow." No words necessary, beautiful.  Sunday night I went to my first devotional! It was great except that there were these elders behind me who were in like 3rd grade, They would not shut up and stole my name tag. When they wouldn't event stop talking during the prayer I was so mad, that is not ok. I put an end to that, they apologized and then we became bffs.

The stupid computer just logged me out so now I have like no time, I had  so much to say!!!

Tuesday: For the devotional Elder Bednar came!! It was amazing! He said fantastic things so I'll try to include a few : fear is the absence of action, faith is pressing forward in faith.  why do bad  things happen to good  people? We are His disciples, why should we expect it to be easy for us when it never was for Him? Also, He trusts us to learn what we can/are supposed to from our experiences.  Don't press the Lord; if we wait upon the Lord we will be blessed to see the miracles all around us that happen every single day. I know that is true! And that was an apostolic blessing he left with us!

I have so much more that I want to say but am running out of time!! :(  Dad he also talked about the importance of turning outward  like Christ instead of inward like the natural man:) Mom, know that I am learning SO much and experiencing so much and overall very happy:)

Oh, we got to host on Wednesday because some sister didn't have one! It was funny because we barely know what we're doing! Now I see her all around and say hi to her, it's awesome:) and it was trippy to see all the newbies, what? that was just me!!!! We officially got asked to host this Wednesday, so we'll all do our own person, I'm so excited!:)

Tell Gary that actually the percentage of sisters here is only in the upper 30's, I was surprised!

Language update: Of course it's hard and really difficult/frustrating but we stopped to remind ourselves that: Last week we taught ourselves to pray and bear our testimonies and memorized our purpose and this week we memorized the first vision and we are learning so much every day!! I keep asking my teacher to tell me the why and how of this and that.  One day he was like," sister, this is only your second week! You didn't know any Portuguese 10 days ago!!" True, true:) Also, it's so similar to spanish, so my little bit of spanish experience is really helping, and there's a ton of cognates:)

Lines of the week ( besides the one already mentioned): Sister Burt when talking to an elder in the zone about her BOM knowledge in addition to his Bible knowledge," I'll be the BOM to your Bible ELder!" Silence. #accidentalmissionaryflirting

Sister M when talking about how difficult it is to get our investigator to talk to us: It's like finding a needle in haystack. . . . what?? If you could just ask the needle where it was, it would be so much easier!! Hahah yup, why has no one though of that??

Like I said, we only have us three sister in our district so our zone is like our district really. We have  SO much fun at meals etc and laugh so much, it's the best. There's really so much to laugh at, I love it!

Umm Well, I know there's so much more to to say but, I love you all! Thank you for the letters everyone! And thank you so much for the package Mom!! I'll hopefully write more next week!!

Press forward with faith,

Sister Ventura