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