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:)