The batismos of Danivaldo and Leonardo! 

The Temple with Joanice and Vitoria!! Happiness:)

egg rolls!!! the first chinese food i´ve had in my whole mission! and they were so stinking good, gosh i miss soy sauce!!

Yes, you are looking at two pig heads. Yes, you can buy that in the store. Yes, that man is buying one like its the most normal thing in the world. No, I won´t be buying one, thank you very much.

Missionary Christmas!

September 24, 2014

Yes, Christmas in September!! Becauuuuse, we got to go the the Temple!!!! Usually we can't go, but President Montierro gave us four sisters special permission:) It was absolutely just so peaceful and beautiful. I felt like a Princess who got to enter a Castle. And actually that's just was it is:)  We all got a dressed up and shnazzy and took the onibus for 2 hours to get there ( peace out hair. .. ) and then when we go there there was hardly anyone there and all of the workers were sooo sweet and funny! After I gave my recomend and was ascending the stairs, I felt it again I am a daughter of God, whos knows my true identity. I have the responsibility of helping all of His other children know their true identity too! All of us who know, need to helpe the others remember, (the number of us really is so small). All of us who have current Temple recomends are so very blessed and should take advantage of it! Make time to go the the Temple THIS week, and take advantage of the power available there,and the opportunity to escape the noise and business of the world.

Thank you so much for the fun package Heather! I can't wait to see your new house!

So, I'm just going to write about last week until Segunda like normal.And, I don't have a whole lot this time.

One night we were knocking doors and came upon this Atheist and. .. . he wants to be baptized! Naw, just kidding. In Brazil is suuuuper rare to come across someone who doesn't have some religion/some type of belief in God. He was very firm in his unbelief of God however. It was so very strange and sad. Everything we said he just argued and wanted logical proof of our testimonies! I told him that life the way he was living it seemd without hope and not very happy, and sister Cox, said, " Why not just believe in case He does exist, you know for that time when you get to the other side to talk to him?" And he said" Well if He really does exist I guess I'll go to Hell." I don't know what happened in his life but I knew I needed to be a bold witness to him that he was wrong. I just told him i KNEW that God lives and loves him. And then we left, it was sad, very.

The two solid investigators we had last week? We marked interviews with out LD and everything and BOTH of them  were avoiding us and were never in their houses, so that was stinky sauce. Then we met this guy in the road on Friday who had been to church before and wanted to be baptized, perfect, we set up an interview (which actually happend) and they Sunday we went to his house with members and everything to get him and his son (Danivaldo and Leonardo) And he wasn't in his house!!! Gah! 3 failed baptisms! It was a litte rough esepcially because Leonardo (9 years old and soooo stinkin' cute) really wants to be baptized but can't    be without a parent. .. . :/ We were able to do good with staying positive though and just keep going and being grateful for all the other good things ( ie Valdir, our R.C got the Priesthood and is preparing to bless the sac this week!!) AND we found this family, A FAMILY. A Mom and 5 kids, that are sooo very sweet. So, poor and humble and giving, it's amazing. They second lesson we had with them she was making this huge chocolate cake when we got there, we realized afterwards it was probably just for us. Those kids don't get chocolate cake very often, but they all waited while we got our pieces first, they are they sweetest family. The plan is for them to go to church with us this week, they're excited:)

My miracle of the week: It seems little but actually, that's what makes it so big! Let me explain: Friday morning we were rushing to leave the house on time when all of a sudden I couldn't find my nametag. Anywhere. I left the house super ticked because i had never ordered another one and they take like 2 months to get here and I'm such an idiot, what kind of missionary etc. etc. So It wasn't the best start to a day. I said a little prayer in my heart that somehow I could find it. Later that day we were on the same road as our last compromisso the night before. I had a thought to just look up and down the road as we walked, because well, I couldn't hurt right? We passed the house that we were at last and. .. . . . lo and behold. My nametage, just sitting there, perfectly unharmed, right on the side of the road. Yeah, that's it. But I really can't describe how happy I was. And how much I realized that Heavenly Father CARES about us. Our little frustrations, mistakes. I should've ordered a nametag when I lost the last one, we're always supposed to have at least 2. But I didn't because I was lazy.  I was so upset that morning feeling like I couldn't be a good missionary w/o a nametag. Of course that isn't true, but that's how I felt and Heavenly Fathe knew it and CARED. He knew that I should have ordered a new one a looong time ago but I didn't. He cared enough about these little details and I found my nametag! Mathey 10:29-30 talks about this. Heavenly Father notes every little sparrow that falls, He is aware and involved in everything! Especially when we exercise our faith and ask him to help us! I need to try to remember this more often:)

I love you family, sooo much! Talk to you again soon!!

Love,

Sister Ventura

(Excerpts from 29 September 2014)

Friday morning first thing we got a phone call. I don't know how, but I knew what it was going to be the minute Sister Cos said, " Oi, Elder?) Yup. Our Z.Ls wanted us to go and get danivaldo and leonardo that very second and just take the onibus with them and have a baptisamal serive. Gah. There were so many factors that appeared impossible, no members, so cake, no musical #', no nothing. But our leaders our called for a reason to guide us and our areas. They said that obviously Satan was working so hard to prevent this baptism and that we had to work harder. Alright, I learned that we really cannot rest until we see them leave the water. And really not even then. But we spent the day running around ( literally running from one end of Piraquara to the other, ok not really Piraquara is super huge, but literally running) like chickens with their heads cut off. Serioulsy. We had to find car rides, someone to make a cake and then someone else to cook it because the other members's gas ran out. . .. . in between running back and forth to danivaldo's work to check up with him. Seriously, just try and imagine: 2 sister missionaries literally running with a cake pan full of batter being approached by this completely drugged dude who wanted to eat our bread. He wasn't in a state of mind to see that it was cake and that it wasn't even cooked yet.. . . hahah. Oh boy. But. We finally got to their house that night, everyone was actually THERE, and all spiffed up, ready to go. We crammed 7 people into one tiny car (the one member who was STILL  willin to hlep us- we love you Vitor!!) and drove 40 minutes to the church. When we got there there were only Elders But they had organized things nicely and it was a super calm, nice baptism. There were only about 10 of us but it was very nice:) And now Danivaldo and Leonardo ( He is the cutes little boy on the planet, I loove him!) are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints!

Man, I have NEVER been so phsically and emotionall andl spiritually tired. The next morning (Sat) I felt like I had never slept and for the first half of the day I literally could have slept on the side of the road at any given moment. It was a battle.

Buuut, here I am alive and well and of course it was all worth it. It just means tha the next time I can say thay, " I have never been so exhausted in my life!" It will be even worse.... haha

Sunday we got to church and realized that Valdir wasn't there and he was supposed to bless the sacrament for the first time, our ward missions leader even gave him a white shirt and time and everything! So. We found a willing member and piled in to the car to find him and missed half of church driving there and back. But! He did it! I seriously felt like a proud mom! ( I think, I don't really know what that feels like. .. .) Happy moments:)

Well I love you people! I am so very excited for General Conference this weekend. I hope that every one of you will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity we have to hear from the Prophet and apostles of the Lord this weekend! I'll definitely be missing cinnamon rolls and pajamoas with you cool kats!

Love you bunches!!

loves,

Sister Ventura

P.S Oh yeah, mom, the "sad" pic with sister cox and the microwave is because we got home saturday night and didn't have any power. ... . and we still don't and we don't know why! Evreyone else has it, we flipped the breaker like 20 billion times. . . . It's making for some good times. we have 2 outlets in the hallway that we use- hence the carrying our microwave out there to use it:) I heated up a pot of water last night to shower yuuus #missoinarymoments:)

Almoco and Super P-day

One of the members in Brazil posted these picture of Adrienne.  So we got to see a little snippet of her during the week in Brazil.  Dan made sure she knows that these kind of lunches and being treated so well by the members is not necessarily how all missionaries are treated.  (Maybe in Sendai, Japan it only happened once every few months or so?)

An Arm and a Leg

15 September 2014

Ok. Talk about being crippled (missionary style) Last week I gave the spiritual thought for our baptism right? Right, cool, parabens etc etc. I used my Bible and afterward left it there in the church, our church building is suuuper far away so I couldn't go and get it. But no problem we just called the Elder who serve in that area and asked them to bring it to our zone mtg on Tuesday. No big deal, just a p-day without a bible! Ok, so when I got to the mtg I asked the elders and yeah, they had been to the churhc and got my bible and MOVED IT to a different room. . . . ok. I went a whole week without a Bible and was just reunited with it last night. It was a happy reunion. That was the leg. The arm: Because it was the end of transfers we all needed new planners, but our zone leaders forgot last week so I went a week without a planner too. . . .all of you missionaries know that this the worst thing ever! Our ZL's said they would bring them tomorrow I sure hope so, or there's going to be a war in camp! Just kidding. . . . .And just to let you know how cool I am and how much I needed p-day: Friday I left the house without the above mentioned items, plus I forgot to grab my writing utensils and a new Book of Mormon! Yes, my aging is becoming more apparent, (dad) after the 20th I hear everything just deterioates faster and faster.

Ok, so this week was a little rough but really good too of course. I found this quote in PMG that's by a recent convert talking about the transition of being a member of the church but it really applies to how I feel being a missionary. " This past year (8 months) has been the hardest year that I have ever lived in my life. It has also been the most rewarding. As a [missionary], I continue to be challenged every day." PMG pg 20. It's oh so true. Going a long with this I wanted to include a little ditty from my journal that I wrote last p-day after reading your letter Tayler:)

*Tayler wrote a fabulous e-mail today! She's doing so great and it made me think of her deciding to serve a missiona and what I might tell her: Sometimes you  WILL feel like you're a complete joke, you will feel useless, you will want to just go home, you will feel like you physically cannot take another step, you will feel emotionally like you just can't take it anymore. But. Through all of this you have to just KEEP GOING. Pray. Read the Book of Mormon with the intention of finding peace. KEEP GOING. Because there will also be those moments, days, weeks, where you are full to bursting with the love of Christ;charity. That's what I would tell her!*  And really anyone who is deciding to serve, who is serving, who isn't serving, myself!

Mom, I think that kind of answers your question too about the kind and amount of joy I have here in the mission. Yes, It's different but it's purere than any joy I've felt before ( well it's the same type I felt going through the Temple:) and it's more common than in my life before.:)

Random side note: Last Sunday Setember 7th was the Independence day of Brazil! We sund the anthem during Sac. Mtg it's groovy sauce! Look it up fam and listen to it! Also look up a little of the history of Brazil, it's cool, I had never heard any of it before also I don't have time right now to write it:)

Remember the huge lesson I learned about my timing verus Heavenly Father's timing with the whole going on a mission business? I sure do. It's interesting how we sometimes have to be reminded of lessons we already learned with little mini lessons, even if the Lesson was huge! For example: I learned so well ( i thought!) How it felt when I wasn't following the Lord's course for me and just battling to continue on my course with my timing. And then how it felt so completley different to be doing the Lord's timing ( when I waited a semester before leaving) Sister  Cox and  relearned this lessons this week:) We had this great righteous plan to take Joanice and Vitoria to the Temple and have a lesson there to prepare them to enter etc. It just wasn't working out with anyone, no could help us etc. We ended up wasting a lot of time going to talk to members etc because we wanted to do it a certain day. AFTER we wanted all the time we both prayed and admitted to one antoher that we had both had the thought many times that this wasn't the Lord's timing. " But this is something good so why shouldn't it be tomorrow (for example) ?" We don't know why many, many times, but this is something I DO KNOW: When wer are following the Lord's course, it will not feel really confusing and appear impossilbe. This doesn't mean it won't be hard, but it WILL be clear. D&C talks about this really well. We will have that stupor of thought! Turns out Jo couldn't last mintue anyways becaus she got sick. . . . .Heavenly Father knows people! This was SUCH a good reminder to me and I hope that I can do better at following the Lord's course for me. It ALWAYS is the happiest way, always!

I love my Heavenly Father, and I KNOW, I simply know that He loves me so much. So, so much. But the thing is, He loves every single one of His children with this same love.:) I hope you all can feel it.

Family: How is the missionary challange coming?? CALL THE MISSIONARIES!

Ardenezio WAS happy! Hahah he almost always looks like that. . . . ;)

Yesterady was so great, we had 2 solid investigators, (Ailton and Tiago) at church that have great potential to be baptized this next week. I know they have great potential because they were both excited and got all spiffed up and showed up at the bus stop ALONE without us having to get them, this is huge! And Tiago, this 18 yr old kid who loves soccer asked us if he could invite a friend and then he did!!  Ailton can't read really well at all but read 5 PAGES of the Book of Mormon after our first visit! YES! 

I love you people and I love these people:) I hop you all have a blessed week

Love,

Sister Ventura:)          

Yus. Ok, we all know how rare it is for me to cook right? Ok, well How about cooking in Portuguese?? Yeah that's right! We arrived for almoço, she was way behind, I asked if there was something i could do to help and before i knew it. .. . ! Dad, can you see why I think that I've grown??

Krey Man, we met this sweet dude during our adventure into Curitiba last P-day. Yes Krey, I told him about you and asked if I could take a picture with him just for you:) His name is Ras Black and he likes to be friends with people from different countries so if you're interested. . . . haha except he only understands Portuguese, so things are getting a little complicated huh? Imagine how long it took him to grow those bad boys. .. . I sincerely hope that your's never get that long Krey man! I love you!

Meet Arnedezio. He's a Recent Convert enjoying an American Pancake! Last p-day we had a FHE and Sis. Cox and I made them for a bunch of people! They were a smashing succes! Thanks for the recipe mom:)

Mom, here's a picture in response to all your questions about Spring here. I hadn't really been paying attention until you asked but then I started realizing that the flowers here are going nuts! There are so many different kinds, all exotic and bright and lovely. Here's Sis Cox reveling in some of them:)

Ficei

September 8, 2014

Yes, indeed my dear family, I am staying here in Piraquara, WITH Sister Cox. Not super exciting but nice. I love it here and I love Sister Cox! We are lucky ducklings indeed. The only problem that I can forsee with this situation is that we are so comfortable together and here that it will be easy to just stay comfortable and not grow. Change always always you to grow, a LOT sometimes. So right now that's my thing, I'm trying to figure out how Heavenly Father wants me to grow here because right now it's not too aparent. Getting too comfortalbe is never goodm that's something I've learned!

Thanks so much for all the Birthday wishes thus far. I'm excited to open my package and we're going to buy a piza and we'll see what else the day holds:) Mom I really liked your idea about having a Hobbit Birthday:) I decided that yes, this will be a birthday different than any I've ever had, but I think it will be happier because it will be the first when I'm not thinking about myself and what I will get etc. ( Will try not to so hard!) I'm going to do 20 acts of service and really try to help people:)

Speaking of the package. . . . craziness! Yes, we went to Curitiba to get it, 1 1/2 bus ride both ways, We got to the post office and had to wait like 25 minutes, ok normal, we got to the counter and I asked here why this had happend and how it could be avoided in the future. She said it couldn't and that you had to put it was a gift, I told her you did that blah blah blah. She said there's no way of knowing. ( Talking to some other missionaries it sounds like putting a lower value because if it's high they get taxed or something, this happens with brazillians too, but it's not  too comon. Finally I got ready to pay the big bucks and she decided to let me know that you can only pay in cash. . . . .freak out, luckily there was an ATM. Than I almost lost a really important document and every single Brazillian man there was trying his best to help me and speak their broken English and figure out the situation all at the same time and EVERYONE there was watching and sister cox was just sitting there laughing her head off. . . . hahah good times my friends, good times:) No but really it was an adventure and really fun to go into the City, and I'm so grateful that it got here, before my birthday too!

Remeber how it was raining crazy, crazy  last Sunday? It happend on Tuesday too. We were teaching the first lesson when all of a sudden it got suuper windy and dark and the lady's  power was going in and out. Finally it just stayed out and I was talking and so just kept teaching. . . hahah it was strange to be teaching to the pitch dark for a while. After we left it was raining so crazy hard and we were completely unprepared because that morning it was sunny and warm! In about 3 minutes we were SOAKING wet and laughing and running for cover. We hid out in a garage thing and this nice man and his family were there too and gave us a ride home ( Brazillians are really so nice:) So we went home, changed our clothes and then went out for the rest of the night, apparently this is normal as it's getting to be Spring, yay!

Our ward mission leader is an English Professor and asked if we could come and help him with one of his classes on Wednesday. First of all, it was so strange to be on the other end of someone learning a language and really understanding the thought process that were happening etc. Second, it was so cool to realize that i can talk in 2 LANGUAGES!! Cool , cool, I love speaking another langauge:) Third of all, it was ridiculously hard to speak simply in English, I kept saying things grammatically incorrect or saying words in Portuguese, I almost had as hard of a time speaking in English as they had! So weird!

Food, I think I'm making progress. The other day I had fried pig skins. Really wasn't that good, It just tasted like fried, reeeaaaly oily fat, so. . . .

Friday we had  "Super P-day." ( We don't have p-day today, just e-mail time:)  Our mission passed our goal for baptisms this month so we were able to a super p-day! It was all of the missionaries together playing volleyball, ping-pong, football, eating food, jumping on a gian tramp and watching Frozen! All of which are prohibited in our mission ( except the eating part, whew!) It was a lot of fun and really relaxing which was the point:)

Saturday Sister Cox and I laughed so much, and it was lovely, i wish i had time to relate some of our riculous experiences, man, being a missionary can be so entertaingin! But, later, later:)

Yesterday Joanice and Vitoria recieved the Holy Ghost and Valdir was baptized. All three experiences were so special and so beautiful! They were all so excited and are doing so well thus far! Just fitting right in, and loving things! It is such a privilege to be working with the Lord in his vineyard so intimately, I love being a missionary with all of my heart:)

One last experience. Yesterday Joao, ( 15 yr old member and my Brazillina Brotha:) bore his  testimony about a time while ago that he and his family went out to visit antoher family with us. We had taught the First lesson and the Spirit was definitely there but the family never showed up to church or showed any interest in progressing. So I had thought that it was a bummer that the memeber family came with us because nothing happened. Joao bore his testimony about that lesson that was like a month ago, that his testimony of the restoration was strenthened a lot and that he had felt the spirit so strongly. Wow!  That was such a lesson to me that we NEVER know how the Lord is using us to help others! If just keep doing what we are supposed to be doing even when it looks like it's not doing anygood, it always is. I have a growing testimony that Heavenly Father will use us when that is our desire. I loved that because that is why I came on a mission in the first place! 

Heavenly Father is so very good. I love you all so much. I hope that you are all reading the Book of Mormon every day.if not, start today!

I love you guys!

Love,

(You're almost suuuper ancient)