Alegria da Verdade

25 August 2014

So. Wow. This week was so happy. I felt so much true joy!^We didn't have a baptism, we didnt teach a bajillion lessons, I cant even name one big, awesome thing. I am just filled with happiness and grattitude:) Last week for one of our weekly goals we made a goal to stay positive, to stay happy and excited about our responsibilities as representatives of Jesus Christ. I made personal goals to laugh every day, and to just let things that were hard or discouraing roll of and away. I'll tell you what. I was filled with the grace of Christ. Grace,( the def in the B.D is great) Is the capacity to help others, beyond what we could do alone. This capacity comes only through the Atonement of Christ and is dependant on worthiness and effort and brings true joy! I feel like I could just close my letter there, haha:)

Some great people:

-The pic of the jovens da Igreja that I sent:) at us ( they were huge!)

-Tereza- we were knocking doors when a Senhora answered. After about 2 minutes she started crying telling us that jus that morning she had been praying for Heavenly Father to send her someone one, some sign that she wasn't forgotten. She said she knew right then, more than ever, that Heavenly Father lives and loves her. There is nothing better to hear than that. That Heavenly Father used you to be an answer to someone's prayers! She has really  bad legs and was said that she couldn't let us in because her dogs bite and there was no one there to put them away. We were about to leave with her crying but I felt like we should just enter anway and have faith that the dogs would'nt attack us. Sister Cox was wary because she's already been bitten by a dog here, buuut. It was fine! We just calmly walked past as the dogs growledat us ( they were huge!) and preteneded that we didn't want to run screaming into the house. Hahha. Tereza is a Testimony of Jehovah and isn't going to change anytime soon, but we were there right when she needed it and it was an experience that strengthened my faith. 

-Sueli- is a recent convert and we are working with her to prepare to enter the Temple to be baptized for her dad and sister!

-We have two baptisms marked for this Sunday with Jonice and Vitoria ( her 8 year old daughter)! Her 16 yr old son has been baptized for at least  monthis- ish and is so firm in the church and  it will be so great to have the whole family baptized!

- Coisas Culturais (dad this list will rock your world)

-the frogs here, they look the same but make the weirdest noises. They noise is a mix between a cat, a crying baby and a mourning spirit forever lost. It is so creepy! I took a video so you can hear one day:)

-lots of people use toilets that aren't being used to plant flowers and then stick them in their front yards. The other day we were contacting a guy but it wasn't really going anywhere so I decided to ask him how many toilets he had. He didn' t know, i counted 18 though. . .. record status.

-We were talkling to a member about her less active sister and her non-member husband. Turns out he's not interested int he church because we believe in the second coming. Why is this a problem? Because he works at a cemetary. OK, makes a little bit more sense right? Wait for it: Here they don't bury dead people. They have sepulcures (?) above the ground like in Europe... . . But they bodies only stay in these nice litttle houses for about 5 years after which point they are mostly discomposed. This is where our friend enters in. It's his job to move they old dead people to make room for the new dead people. He puts them in big sacks at the bottom of the sepulcure. So. He's scared that if it's really true that we will all be resurrected at the 2nd coming that if he accidently misplaces an arm or something now that the owners of those arms won't be too happy and will come to have a chat with him. I'm mean seriously, it's a legit fear, I would probabely think that same thing if that was my job! I was just soooo grateful that i could understand all of that in Portuguese, something I will never forget! hahahah

- Ok, more to come at a later date.

Mom, your questions:

- Something we can do as the school year is starting? Read the Book of Mormon every, single day! Awww, boring answer huh?! But really. And my challenge is to not read it five mintues right before you sleep. Yes that's better than nothing, but ( I know, I did this all through High School!) you really don't learn  a ton or find  answers. Presidnet Benson has a quote that says that the"Book of Mormon answers the questions of the soul." This is oh so true! I promise you guys that if you will read the Book of Mormon with questions and a desire to recieve answers and then act on those answers, the answers will come! Always! Answers about anything! Not just about what is the purpose of life ( although it has those answers too:) I started reading the Book of Mormon in Portuguese for Personal Study a couple of days ago, it is soooo cool! I love the Book of Mormon with all of my soul! 

- They other one about how we can have missionary experiences in Utah. .. this is definitley a hard one, but not impossilbe! The first thing I thought of, was, stand up for the things you believe in! Be bold! It doesn't matter if it'swth your friends from church, seminary ( hahhah because it probably will be;) just be an example indepent of what others do and it will be such a good reminder to themThe.other thing: look for "the one." There is always that one person in anysituation that is lonely and feels out of place. Lots of times we are that "one." Just talk to them and get to know them and all of a sudden both of  you will be happier:) Also, Family, i know it will be hard but I thought that it would be awesome if you guys could contact the missionaries ( I don't know, in our stake??) That have west mountian in theirarea and have them for dinner! Invite them to invite an investigator if possible and have the missionaries in our home! We have almoço every day with a family in the church and it's always so special! For us and for the family! Let me know about he progreess on that one!

Well, the time has come my people! I love you guys! I'm so thankful for you!

Boa semana!

With muchly ,much love,

Sister Ventura:)