P-DAY ROCKS!

Ummm yes, thank the heavens for P-day! We weren't sure until last night if we were for sure going to get one. Our teacher said not until next Saturday after we has already been told that we would have one. I about broke down. I didn't realize how much I wanted to write you guys and tell you all the things I've been experiencing in just 3 days! When he said that I almost started crying. My comps took it like champs ( I was wondering what was wrong with them, I wondered out loud about it like every 30 minutes.) Last night after we (uh mostly me) made him go check and told us that we DID have one I almost started crying again!

Emotions run crazy here.  In one day I feel grumpy, not excited to be here, I want to go home, but I also always feel the Spirit, learn a lot, laugh, and want to go to Brazil! Those emotions usually all happen at least 2-3 each day:)

My companions (I'll try to send pics but I don't know if I'll have time to figure out how it works today:) I'm in a trio! Sister Burt (who is also going to Curitiba) and Sister Marzarella (whom I have like a girl crush on because she's so cute! I haven't told her yet and I hope she doesn't look over and see this. . .!) They're both oh so nice, pretty quite, and hard working, I'm pretty lucky.  We all teach each other a lot and all have certain strengths and ideas.  I think I really like being in a trio, there's more to work with! We are our whole district! Kind of weird and a little sad because it's not as easy to make friends. It's also awesome because we get to work more one on one with our teacher and all can stay at the same learning pace.  After meeting with our Branch President on Thursday night I got asked to be the Sister Training Leader. At that point I was feeling pretty overwhelmed and it just really added to my stress. I don't know much about it yet except that since we don't have any guys I also have the responsibilities of the district leader soo. . . that's awesome:) I get to go to more meetings, tell my "district" all the news from the President and help with orientation for new sisters. WHAAA? Umm I just got here! President said that he doesn't usually do this until the 2nd or 3rd week. Oh and most importantly: love and serve my companions even more and get our mail:) Simple as that! One last thing about the companionship ( like I already told you mom), It's a bit frustrating not being able to to what I want when I want! Every little decison suddenly us up for debate and then reform by 2 other people! It's really good for me I know, I need to be aware of others needs and learn to compromise what I want. But since when has that been easy/fun?

Food: THERE'S AS MUCH CHOCOLATE MILK AS I WANT HERE. On the first day I was pumped and had it 3 times! (Yes I realize there was only 2 meals. . .) I quickly realized that this might become a problem so have designated dinner as the chocolate milk meal! Huzzah! The actual food though. . . .Umm there are lots of options and fun meals and lovely people serving it. I've had a stale bread-stick and french bread and some stale noodles, it's cool. I just barely had some enchilada casserole. I kid you not, I sat down and noticed the inch thick pool of grease on top. .. yuum. On my second bite there was this purple, tough mystery meat. .. yuuu. But then I realized that the whole meat thing was probably going to be a daily occurrence on the mish so I better buck up!

The opposite sex tension. .. yikes!: Yeah it's definitely there! Pg 33. That's the page in the missionary handbook that talks about the don'ts. Everyone just flirts with their eyes. .. They've told us not to do that either! Hahha. No high-fiving, no picture taking, no one-on one talking, pretty much no acknowledging??  Yesterday I popped my head into a classroom to see if our books were still there, an elder was in there by himself (umm hello companion?!) And when he saw that even my mead might be in the room alone with him and hurried to run out. This made things more awkward because I was standing in the doorway and he rush out as I was trying to get out and yeah:) But bless him, exact obedience brings miracles! It's actually surprising to see how many people don't follow the rules here. . . .the flirting, staying up late, idk what else but it's kind of disappointing, I'm mean, we're only on our first 6 weeks folks! Plus we're being monitored all the time, in the field it's just on our honor. Hmm.

I saw Andy again on Wednesday night, Joy's roommate on Wednesday night, Karla yesterday, Christian from my ballroom class and another girl I know from school. ALSO. right after I met my teacher he was taking me to the computer lab and who did I see running down the hall towards me?? Emily!! It was the best! Sorry if I was supper glazed over/awkward emily, I was definitely still in shock!

Aaah there's so much I wan to say, I want to tell you guys about everything that's happened every day! Buut there's' just not enough time! There never is!

The days are super long and filled with a lot.  I go through every emotion at least twice a day! In the mornings I usually question my life and just want to go back to bed. But then I am so grateful that I learn and feel the spirit, laugh and work hard every day, it's a lot!

Just quickly, some things that I learned this week: We taught our investigator yesterday?! Umm what? Si, em Portuguese! It was. .. rough, but really cool. We also taught ourselves how to pray yesterday and kept doing it all day! I was saying how atimo (awesome, not sure on the spelling) we were and kept thinking how great it was that I can understand and speak this much in just 2 days! Afterwards one of our teachers was talking to us about that very thing and and said he knows that Heavenly Father is giving us the gift of tongues and that He is allowing us to do this. DUH Adrienne! We pray for the gift of tongues all the time, this isn't me! I'm working WITH the Spirit and will be able to do so much more if I remember that always! Another thing I realized on the first day, well it hasn't really hit me yet. We talked to some real investigators as a group and I realized. These people, as well as the ones I am going to teach are REAL people with REAL problems that are huge and not just some scenario. I am not capable of fixing those things on my own. I'm just some kid, not even a psychologist, but even if i was I wouldn't be capable to heal everything that everyone's gone through. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can and I want to work through them! This is no joking matter, I think we all kind of feel like it's Youth Conference or something, it's not. These are real people's lives! Hope that made sense:) Also. They keep emphasizing that we are representative of Jesus Christ as of when we got set apart! That means that I am to act as I think that Christ would in every single thing I do! That's why people love the missionaries! Cool stuff. Majorly trying to work on that!

D&C 68:3-6. A very comforting scripture. I am all about that! It really helped me the other day when I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. Now I just need to apply faith! Go read it if you so desire! I'm pretty sure I have a lot more to say but I've already written a ton. I love you Dad, Mom, Tayler, Krey, Coltran and Kali!  Pray for me, I could probably use it:) I love you very much!

Love,

Sister Ventura

P.S.  How could I forget! When our zone leaders introduced themselves to us we were all going around saying a couple of things and one of them was something unique about yourself (will I never get away from these awful get to you know you questions?) Our one zone leader gets up: "I'm Elder so and so and a unique fact about me is that I used to model for male physique magazines in my spare time." I would have loved him if he was kidding. He was straight up for reals dead serio.  I died laughing inside. Sister M. burst out laughing an then tried to cover it up. Win. Another sister in our branch said for the longest time they would call him Elder physique, not to his face unfortunately;)