Yes we definitely did have to set a timer and put my camera on top of a garbage can but hey! I wanted you guys to see how we bater portas! Everyone has a gate and we have to clap and/or yell their names, it's grrrrreat:)

Sister Barker again! Man, she is just so nice every time I see her. She printed off some funny and motivational missionary things for me and gave me this quote book with inspirational quotes that she had copied! We decided it's so weird that she's going home so soon and that I'll see her and ya'll again on the other side in a year:)

Our most exciting contact for the day. . . 

Maria! Her baptism was a miracle baptism! They all are really:) More about her in my e-mail

[From Jan Barker]

Hi Marcia,
I didn't know if you got one of these pics or not so I'm sending this one. They saw each other at President Monteiro's birthday party and again at mission conference. 

Groovy!

July 21, 2014

I can't think of anything else for a title. . . how sad is that? But really, things are quite groovy here so. . .

I got 4 letters in less than 1 week! Talk about miracles people! Grandma thank you for the wedding announcement! Mark, how cute are you guys?! Sister Chisholm and Y.W, thank you!  Sister Tarwater, thank you for always sending the ward newsletter, i love reading about the other missionaries. I canNOT believe that everyone is coming home! Hunter, hi! Weird moment when I realized that you already are home!

Sounds like the cabin was super fun fam! Gosh!

Ok, here we go.

Segunda: We had the surprise birthday part for Pres. Monteirro, it was awesome. Imagine 150+ missionaries huddled and whispering in a dark chapel blowing up baloons, it was great:) I love going into the city, everytime we go i get so excited! After our time in Europe i fell so comfortable there! Sister Cox did not however, she's from Montanha and lives in the middle of beautiful mountains. .. it was fun to help her and feel super cool because i could cross the road and bargain with a dude for her new bag. Yessss I did, it was epic:)

Terça: This was the day we found Maria, our batismo ontem. Or rather she found us. We were walking down the road miding our own business (shame on us !) When this little lady grabbed Sister Cox's hand and asked if she could walk with us, sure!! I felt prompted to ask if we could visit her and her family right then rather than wait unti another day. Sure! Turns out she had already been to church with her family a bunch and then we found out that they were all members except her! When we got to her house we met Orland her husband. He was baptized 4 years ago and loved the church , served in the Temple, looooves the hymns and then started looking for answers to his questions on the internet. It's not bad to have questions about doctrines etc, it's good! But search the source! Yikes. Anyway, we ended up having a really good lesson with them and I felt the Lord using me to help this man with his questions. Really, I had to be a little bit bold with him but it was what he needed and I could just feel the ideas come into my mind! It was a cool lesson. Maria has always wanted to get baptized but would never stop smoking. As it turns out she ahd quit the day before and was continuing with her goal. . . . Orland had been praying that she could get baptized someday because he wants to get sealed in the Temple! Opa! She is very sweet, very simple minded, she is like a child right now. I think an accident of some sort happened or she has a sickness. Anway, she's very humble, simple and child-like, but we are all commanded to be like this! Before almoço us four sister were all walking together, down the road to the member's house where we had almoco right? 4 Y.W in sunday clothes, laughing, etc. etc. + the fac the Brazillians are just so much more open with their feelings etc and many of the Brazillian men have no shame= many comments, looks, etc etc from men driving by etc. Chato. But never fear. I had a genious idea: We were all walking in a line so it was like a wall of skirt clad locos walking down the street. I told the other sisters to pull a face the next time a guy drove by and made a comment, RIGHT after ( you all know how good I am at this .. .  ) The next guy on a motorcycle was perfect. He put up the visor on his helmet and said, " oh minha nossa! Que bonita!" Craning his neck to keep looking at us. Go! I'm sure the sight was horrendous. We had many good laughs every time. Dad, you always said that no one deserves the faces I can pull. . . . hahah these guys do!

Quinta: We visited 3 women in less than 24 hours that after 5 minutes of letting us in broke down sobbing telling us their different but equally devastating situations/experiences. The last time Sister Cox looked at me and whispered, " I'm only 20 years old! I don't know about this kind of stuff!" It's true, we don't. But we have the Gospel to give to them and this extra missionary spirit to discern how to do it! My favorite experience was Marli.We were walking down the road planning to go knock doors a little further down. I looked down a road and had a distinct impression that we need to go down that road, to the house on the corner. Again, that corner is important. ?? I've never really "felt a house" before and kept walking a couple of steps. But what the heck, I told sister Cox I wanted to knock that road, so we turned around and started knocking, it was like 10:30 in the morning and no one let us in. We talked with one family that said we could come back, I figured that maybe that was why? We got to the end of the road and Sister Cox was turning around right before the house on the corner, I remembered, looked over and there was a lady sitting out on her patio. I told Sister Cox I wanted to knock there. She let us in, right a way and we started talking with her. We were getting to know her a little bit when she started crying telling us about her family. She lives with her 2 20 something kids but they just live there and don't appreciate her and everything she does for them etc. She had divorced her husband about 9 months ago and everyone in the family blames her. She was cryin and crying, telling us that she feels so uselss and feels like she has no one now, she doesn't even have a desire to wake up in the mornings and take a shower. It was heartbreaking, Sister Cox and I were both brought to tears. I went to sit by here and hold her hand because I did'nt know what else to do. She kept crying and telling us how she just wants to know God's plan for her. I all of a sudden felt so happy knowing that we had the knowledge that she has been waiting for! I knew then that we had been instruments in the Lord's hands in every sense of the word! Again, I knew what to say and felt so grateful that I had listened to that little prompting. The thing is, it wasn't very strong, or anything. How scary to think that if I had ignored it she would have stayed there on her porch, alone, in despair, questioning her life. The lesson was great and she loved every bit of the Plan of Salvation. It's a pretty great plan:) Anyway, it was one of the cooelst experiences ever .:) I'm definitely going to do better at beingin tune with the Spirit and following those little fleeting thoughts. I hope you guys will try to do the same! You never ever know how a little thing can really be what someone else needs. And being that instrument, knowing that Heavenly Father used you to help´someone else is the best feeling ever I think:)

Seixta: We had a mission conference with President. I love that man, I know he is called of God! My favorite thing i learned was about the domino effect. He told us that every single little action we do has an effect. Especially now as missionaries, men and women, we cannot ever think that we can just make whatever decision we want and that it will only affect us. Nope. And so, this really goes along with following promptings. Follow those little promptings and you never know how those little things will make a sometimes lasting effect on others!

I love you guys soooo much! I love serving a mission too! I'm trying to improve every day:) I love this Gospel:)

Love,

Adrienne        

Father/Daughter Exchange

July 20, 2014

From: Adrienne Ventura <adrienne.ventura@myldsmail.net>

Subject: Re: Happy July 21st

Date: July 21, 2014 9:21:43 AM MDT

To: Dan Ventura <ventura@cs.byu.edu>

Yay! You finally got my letter ! I actually got your postcard last monday so it was pretty fast, thanks!

The thing you asked about a couple of weeks ago, noticing a certian word/phrase etc. and then noticing that people use it all the time and wondering why they didn't use it a week ago? Hahaha that happens to me all the time! But it's cool because it means that I'm learning more and more. I then experiment with incorporating all the new stuff into my language. . . it's great:)

Also, remeber Branca e Ari? Well, the other day we were at their house and Branco wanted to get a pot down out of the top cupboard. " Ventura, vem ca, voce esta mais alto do que eu, pode pegar para mim?" I looked at Sister Cox and triuphantly said, "this is the first time in my life that this has happened to me!" Really though i think i've grown, I'm serious. I'm taller than sister Cox, and basically everyone here and When Sister Burte saw me for the first time a month or so ago she said i look taller to her! Really,  I know you're laughing right now, but just wait and see! I think I'm not stumpy anymore, kind of sad huh?

I love you Dad! I can't wait to read your letter!

Love,

Adrienne

Dear Sister Mun,

How was your week?  It is always great to see some pictures of you and the people you are doing stuff with, and it's so exciting to hear that you got a new mattress.  Sweet!  As for eating gross food, don't give up.  I'm confident there's something in your future worth mentioning, so keep your chin up!  The only thing people talk to me about any more is, "how is Adrienne doing?"  Everyone is always wanting to know what you are up to, how your language is coming, how you like Brazil, if you are having a good experience, etc.  Since we were in Island Park last fast Sunday, I didn't get to do a report, so people are just desperate.  I'll try to do you justice next time.

Thanks for the birthday card!  It finally got here on, I think, Tuesday, only something like five weeks after you mailed it.  I thought Brazil was a fairly civilized country, but holy cow, that's some pretty slow mail.  And you'd even written "Priority" on the front with a little box around it.  Don't those people read?  I think maybe the problem is that you should have written "Prioridade" instead.  That probably would have shaved off like three weeks.  Anyway, it was a very nice letter, and I loved it.  Thank you, thank you.  You are so right about how lucky we are, and doing what you are doing now is a perfect way to really, really see it, isn't it? And, it doesn't matter if you go to Syracuse or Curitiba, you will still see it.  I also sent you a postcard a few weeks ago (not five though), so maybe you'll get it someday; of course, it has to go through the mission home, so that's probably up to six weeks transit time, so you may have to wait a bit yet.

Today in church we heard from Katy (Devenport) and Hunter, who both just got back from their missions this week.  It was a good meeting, and they both spoke about how the gospel changes people and how they can go from being not happy to being happy.  Kind of interestingly, that's exactly what I spoke about when I had my homecoming.  Actually, it is probably the most common topic for homecomings (or WhatUps?, as I like to call them) ever.  It's really what you go on a mission for, right?  And, one of the people that gets to see how to be happy is you, yourself, the missionary, and for a lot of us, that never know any different, at least some of that comes by seeing what you've never been able to see before---how blessed you are, just like you were saying in my birthday letter.  Anyway, I think they were both really good missionaries, and I wished we'd had more time to hear from them.  Doing two on one day (plus a baby blessing and a choir number) is just too much.  In a couple of weeks, Josh Chhsholme is going to be talking to us (WhatUp?) the same day that Jenica Chhsholme also talks to us (PeaceOut -- she is going to Michigan or something like that).  Crazy.

This week for mutual we had a combined activity for which we hiked up to the grotto in Payson canyon.  Since Marcia had a tennis match that night, I took the Boo Bear and the Doops with me.  No one fell and got maimed, and after I talked the Doops up the first steep part, he was good to go, and we had a fun time hiking around up there on the steep, slippery, dusty slopes.  Then, on Thursday, Marcia had a "visiting teaching" lunch, so she dropped those little folks off at my office for a couple of hours.  We went to lunch at---guess where---Chick-fil-a!  We reminisced about all the good times you had cutting chicken there, enjoyed some tasty sandwiches, and then got icecream and ate it out on the quad to finish things off in style.  It was a fine little lunch date, and they spent the last bit before they got picked back up drawing on my white board while I tried to get some stuff done.  Then on Friday, more tennis lessons, so I got to take them to swimming lessons at the out-of-control house in Elkridge.  I took some work to do while they were having lessons, but I just wound up watching them the whole time instead.  Over all, a good week with the little folks, I have to say.

Speaking of good weeks, I hope you've had a good one (I guess we'll see in a few hours) and that you have another great one this upcoming week.  I'm very proud of you, and I know you are doing good things and becoming an even better person and helping other people become better people as well.  Your companion is lucky to have you, and your investigators are lucky to have you, and the members there are lucky to have you!  And I'm lucky to have you, too.  I love you.

Vai com Deus,

Dad

My Many Pecados

July 7, 2014

EEEeeeentao. First of all, Kali and Coltran, thank you for praying for my bug bites! Turns out that the word for bite is pIcado and the word for sin is pAcado.So. The other night after getting home I was itching like crazy and told Sister Cox that I had received many new pecados during the day. It took like 5 minutes for me to get her to quit laughing. Needless to say, I will always remember the word for bug bite! Man, the mosquitos here are like mosuitos on steriods, they're horrible! Moving on my friends.

Segunda: We had 2 suuper awesome lessons on monday where we could really feel ourselves being instruments in the hand of the Lord, these people are prepared! The first was with Brana and Ari an older couple. For a while Ari wouldn't let us in and was telling us how we were just like every other igreja etc. Usually we would have left but both had a feeling to stay. Eventually he let us is and we shared the first lesson with them. It was incredible! They're practicing catholics but disagree with many things in the catholic church. !!!!!!.  They're really sweet, and loved us almost instantly, I've already adopted them as another set of grandparents:) After the lesson Branca wanted to give us a little treat, ok, bring it on! It was thins rice dessert that smelled like perfume and tasted like it too, and the texture was HORRIBLE! Sister Cox loved hers and ate it really fast and so it looked like i didn't like it. . . . .uuumm. When she noticed this she whispere, "don't you like it? It's so good!" Uhhhh no. I told her she could have some when they were'nt looking. Instead she took my bowl and gave me hers, lightling fast. They still have no idea what happened, it was a classic missonary moment for sure:) The other lesson was with a pastor of another church actually, it was awesome. He's really interested and had lots of questions. The coolest part was that we were there when he needed an answer:)

Terca: We had Zone meeting with the assistants and President had interviews with all of us. It was so great! The assistants shared lots of good stuff with us. Elder Grigg had us all close our eyes while he read our call letter. I don't know why but I've never read it since entering the field. It was SUCH  a good reminder of my purpose here! My interview with Pres. was really good as well. I haven't had the opportunity yet to talk with him one on one. He told me that my language was coming a long really well and that he things that this much be a gift for me. If I really am doing so well it is because it's a gift. i really love learning another language. It's very interesting to compare, language is such a huge factor of the culture! I did have a couple times this week where I was just so excited at how much I could unterstand, it's so stinking exciting!  He also told me that this period here is Curitiba is where I will learn the most and the fastest than any other time in my life. SO. Satan knows this too, so this will not be an easy time. But, keep going and going and going! Never stop! This is part of the Gospel, perserverar people! Also, he told me that he knows that when it's my time to leave I will be devastated. Actually this is my goal. I will keep working towards it! It was really great to have the chance to talk with him:)

Quarta: This was kind of an off-day honestly. But Quinta was much better. I realized AGAIN, that I had a new day, a brand new day! Because of the Atonement! Also, really whenever we are discouraged and focus on our weaknessess in the past ( this prevents us from moving forward) it 's only ourselves, definitely not Christ. When does He ever say, "Hey, you were really stinky yesterday, sooo. .. you have to keep being stinky for a while." Never! This principle is REAALY hard for me to apply to myself, but I will keep working on it and remebering it, please do the same! I had another good reminder this week when I was reading about Nefi in 3 Nefi. He was such an awesome missionary! It definitely wasn't all hunky- dory for him, he went through a lot. But I had the thought, " Look what good company you are in! Take heart and keep going!" I LOVE the Book of Mormon my friends, it is such a beautiful book,and so true!

Seixta: Happy Independence Day! WEEeeeee had a jogue here? And Brazil won so. . . we'll have another tomorrow, man this is crazy! Here they have an Independence day but don't really celebrate it at all, Sister Dias didn't even know when it was! We celerbratead a little by making surprise pancakes for Sister Dias and Palomina, Sister Dias is always asking us why we don't make her pancakes since we're americans. . .  hahah oopps? Anyways, we just eye-balled it and it was a leetle rough to say the least but they didn't know the difference and were very happy:) The result was a mix between a crepe/tortilla/biscuit ( notice how the word pancake isn't in there?!) Mom, could you send me a recipe for future reference?!

Sabado/Domingo: These past 2 days were a little rough, almost none of our investigators showed up and it felt like we were doing a lot of running around with no results. We have an awesome investigator named Jessica, she's 17 and has a really good grasp on the gosple already and why baptism is important. Buuut during her interview with our district Leader on Saturday Satan was hard at work. Out of nowhere her Dad was really opposed and difficult and por en quanto she can't be baptized:( That was pretty discouraging. But!  Eny and Rafael were baptized last Sunday and it was so great! They were so excited and the change in them now is definitely there! I'll hopefully send pictures next week!

Tayler and Krey and really everyone: seeing as it's already July (what is this??) You've most likely seen the youth theme video for 2014. .. . But Friday was the first time I had seen it. Yes, it's pretty cheesy but the message is sooo good! Please go watch it again and then read 3 Nefi 9:13-14. Wow! When I read these verses I realized, this is the message of the Gospel, of The Book of Mormon, of Christ. "Come unto me, repent, please repent, I'm waiting for you, right here, just come unto me."

And that's a wrap my dears:)

I love you guys sooo much! I can't wait to print off your letters and read them a little better:) 

Who can believe that tomorrow my missions is 1/3 of the way done??????!! What the? 

Ok, bye, Iove you all and the Book of Mormon with all of my heart:)

Sister Ventura

Sister Cox and I!! I looove her!:)

The baptisms of Eny and Rafa 2 weeks ago:)

Oh my gooooodness, I cannot believe that my mission is 1/3 of the way over. . . . 6 MONTHS JA.

I Live in Brazil

July 14, 2014

  

It' true my friends. Mom and Dad, I want to thank you guys for all of your great advice last week ( gosh, aren't parents just the best?) that really helped my really and appreciate this fact a little bit more this week. Dad, I remembered every day to just enjoy what I was doing and laugh, with these people and doing something hilarious with Sis. Cox,:)  Mom, you are so wise. I realized that now, more than ever I really have a desire to lose myself in this work and really give my will and my heart and my mind to the Lord. It's hard. I definitely can't do it on my own. It's intersting, I read a talk called The F4th Missionary that talks all about giving our will over to the Lord, how really it's the only thing we have to give him, but the thing is we can't even do this on our own because we're weak and we're human! We need His help to give our will to Him! Anyway, I've been praying for this all week long, that I can really forget everything from before my mission and just be here. Because this is a righteous goal, Heavenly Father is helping me, and I've seen such a difference in my happiness this week:) Granted it's still hard,and Satan knows I have this righteous goal too. . .  it's still easy to get discouraged because we didn't have anyone to baptize and so many of our investigators didn't come to church and so many times my mind isn't focused and completely concentrated on what I'm suppossed to be doing. But! Every day is new and I'm defintitely happier and so grateful for you guys, this Gosple the Atonment and the opportunity I have to be here in Brazil, serving a mission. Still I have moments when I think, "Oh hey Sister Ventura! You're a missionary! You know, one of those people that walks around with a nametag and stuff." And then I think, "Hey, that's pretty cool."

Man, since I wrote all of you guys individual letters I'm hating it in the time department. This time limit thing will continue to get the better of me. .. .

Sister Cox and I got new mattresses this week, what a blessing. Seriously. The mattresses here are foam and ours were sooo thin, I think they were like 35 years old. Maybe not but, anyway, our ward mission leader helped us get them to our house, we strapped them on top of his little teeny car, with 2 bungy cords, it was epic. People, i live in Brazil and we do awesome things that people there would throw a fit about :)

Mom, this week we had lunch in the home of an Irma who has a son serving a misson right now and has sons abou the same ages as Krey and Coltran. She was saying how it was difficult because he doesn't answer questions etc. . . . . yikes! It was weird to be in the home of a missionary and think about you guys, I'm sorry if I don't let you know enough, I probably don't! Ok, I'm making a list right now of cultural things that I want to tell you gusy about so you can know a little bit more about the place that I'm living and serving, as well as answer your questions from you letter this week:) 

Today for p-day all of the missionaries are gathering Curitiba for a surprise for President Monteirro's Birthday. .. I'm guessing with 150+ missionaries gathering together it won't be too much of a surprise but it should be fun, although, goodbye p-day!

Sorry, that this week's was so short and really un-informative:( But this is important. I want you guys to know that I absolutely KNOW that this Gosple is true. All of it! It has all of the answers! This week we watched the Joseph Smith movie for, se la, the 20th time in my mission. But, I had such a burning in my heart and a witness that this Gospel is restored and true and whole! I love it! I love you guys so much!!

Read the Book of Mormon every day!

Love,

Sister Ventura

This is Thayara, she's 10 and loves the church:) When she got baptized I gave her a CTR ring ( thanks mom!) and she shows it to me every time I see her, so cute:)

For all you wardies out there:) It was so good to see Sis Barker, a little piece of home, she's been such a good example for me:)

 For P-day last week a member took us to this beeeautiful spot where we could see the whole world! It was so needed and a great gift from Heavenly Father, the best! Fam, we also went to this resevoir that looked eerily like the cabin. . . .I felt like I was there, not in Brazil!

HAPPY BAPTISM MANDIE!!! :)

Yes! Today is the day!! I am so excited for Mandie, she is such an example and is so ready for this and deserves it:) Wish I could be there with her, but hopefully she'll send some pics:)

I don't really have much to say this week since it was cut short so here we go. Please pray for me that I will hold out until next p-day. . . . nossa, after Sunday I always feel like I'm stretched as thin as I can go, I guess this week I'll just go a leeetle thinner.

Right now my ankles are swollen and look like marshamellows because of misquito bites, cool huh? I don't know, the little buggers get me during the night, although I don't really know how. The bites get really swollen and last for a week or so apparently, everyone assures me it's normal, sweet:)

Here are two miracle stories for ya'll:

Friday night we had 20 minutes left in the day and we're trying to decide who we could visit to best use our time. Sister Cox had a though to visit a family they taught a while ago that was'nt interested etc. ok. . . fine. When we got here the 14 son came out and said the Mom was sick we couldn't come in. Sister Cox sent him to ask his Mom if she wanted a prayer. I was skeptical, let's go etc. She said yes! When we went in she was in bad shape. Not sure exactly what wast happening but some intense pain, she was moaning and writhing and couldn't hold still. We talked a teensy bit and then Sister Cox said, " Do you have faith that Jesus Christ can take this from you?" " Sim, sim sim, tenho bastante" Sis Cox then said a beautiful prayer, according to they will and this woman's faith etc. I wasn't listening that well because I was praying so hard that Heavenly Father would give a miracle to this family. The dad and 14 yr old were there, they could see the power of Heavenly Father! Sis Cox ended the prayer and within about 30 seconds she was calm and talking with us and said that the worst was gone and she felt so much better. It was a huge miracle. No one there could deny it. Through us and because of the faith that was there, Heavenly Father demonstrated His Power for that family. I still can hardly believe it, it was so awesome:)  We told them afterwards that they had seen a miracle and to never forget it, and that it wasn't us! We're going to see them and teach them tomorrow:)  Should be great.

The other miralce story was with Emyr and Rafael, who are getting baptized tomorrow!  We invited them to baptism last night. We knew he would be good to go, but though she would be reluctant. We were right. We had to to the liçao de fe (something we do here to help people resolve their concerns and help them see that they really are prepared, identifying and resolving their issues, concernc etc with scriptures) her, it was like 2 hours long, going over every possible issue and she still said she wanted to wait until some other day. Gah! It was really intense. All of a sudden we noticed that Rafa was crying. .. .after he calmed down a bit and we could understand him he said that he wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized with his mom, he didn't want to miss this opportuntiy. Crazy, he's only 10 years old and reeealy gets it. When Christ says to become like little children? This is what he's talkling about. It's a bit sad, Emyr ( the mom) doesn't really get the things we teach and forgets and always laughs during the lessons etc. Honestly, spiritually her son is more mature than her, he's an example for her. Looooong story short ,they texted us this morning saying that they will be baptized tomorrow, all becaue of the faith of a 10 year old! This is such a miracle because of so many different factors! We can all learn so much from Rafa, I'll keep trying:) Sadly I don't have time to be all fancy and sum those things up, but yeah:)

Basically, faith is power, or, faith accesses the power of heaven. Cultivate your faith always,always, even if right now it' s only the size of a mustard seed. Protect it and treasure it.

I love you guys SO much. Seriously. Sometimes just thinking about you guys helps me get through things and keep going:)

Keep going! I can't wait to hear from you next week (if I'm still alive. . . ) Thank you for you prayers, seriously. Please keep 'em coming.

Love,

Sister Ventura