Sister Dias and I waiting for the onibus:) in Curitiba.

Opening the 12 days of Chrismas package of all joy and happiness! 

 Sister Fabian and I waiting for the onibus in Piraquara! Sister Fabian got here on Wednesday morning after an emergency transfer, she switched places with the other sister that was here who was from Chile and only stayed one week, the fourth sister that was here was Sister Alasia from Argentina and went home to do this crazy surgery on her legs but she should be able to return at the beginning of january. So for right now, there are only 3 sisters here in Piraquara! 

It came without tinsel. . . .

 15 December 2014

Wow, my Brazillian Christmas has been the best so far!! I can't even say how grateful I am to be spending it here in Piraquara with all of these people that I know and love so well, I am so blessed!

I thought it would be weird to be having Christmas in the hot weather with palm trees etc etc. but there's just this lovely Christmas spirit everywhere! Everyone decorates so well and all of the stores and restuarantes have decorations and my little Piraquara has decorated the main street so cute! I still need to take pictures:) And the Christmas hymns in sacrament meeting are the same hymns and bring that Christmas spirit just the same:) Last Friday we had the ward Christmas Party and it was sooooooo great! They had everything decorted so cute and I was frantically taking videos of everyting! Up until then I had been worrying about if I would be able to feel the Christmas Spirit/ *magic* etc. But let me just tell you, my heart was full to bursting with the true Christmas spirit and gratitude. Yes Dad, "It came without tinsel, it came without trappings. . . . " ( I can't remember the rest. .. !) We can feel the true happiness and love of the Christmas season no matter if we're in warm Brazil or warm Utah ;) I hope you 're all able to feel that true joy of Christmas that comes because of the birth and life of our Savior. http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529

I was studying in PMG this week about the importance of bearing testimony and read this really great quote by President Monson that I wanted to share with you guys. " Regarding one's testimony, remember, that which willingingly shares he keeps, while that which he selfishly keeps he loses. . . " PMG pg 198 Pres. Thomas S. Monson.

This is so true! Every time we share our testimony it is strengthened but at the same time we are helping to strenghten someone elses testimony! Many times ( I know, I promise!) We think were were an example, tried to bear our testimony etc and it was in vain, it didn't helpe anyone. Well. The same day I was reading in the Book of Mormom abou the story of Abinadi. GREAT MISSIONARY. He bore his testimony until it got him into enough trouble that he was sentenced to death. During all of that it appeared like his testimony wasn't affecting anyone because they were all so wicked that they weren't truly listening. But did he desist? No! And theeen. Mosiah 17:2. It talks about ONE, just one person who was prepared by thd Lord, was WAS listening all of that time. We all know what Alma went on  to do later.  . . just re-organize the true church and stuff. . . .sooo. Wow. What  lesson for all of us! If we will be like Abinadi and bear our testimony of what we KNOW  to be true, no matter the circumstances, I have a testimony that Heavenly Father will not let our testimonies and our examples be in vain! There WILL  be an Alma waiting somewhere down the line, we never know all of the things that Heavenly Father has planned, but we have to do our part! So, here comes the best part- I challenge you guys to look for an opportunity(ies) to bear your testimony to someone before Christmas. However briefly, or simply, to whomever about whatever part of the Gospel you KNOW to be true. I know that Heavenly Father will provide the opportunites and the Spirit to help us recognize the opportunites:) Christmas is the deadline because we always need deadlines and this way you'll all be able to tell me about an experience! Waahoo! I have a really classic story to tell you guys too that I was going to write but I'm out of time and it will be way better to TELL it, you know what I'm saying?

Whoo.

Well, that's it for this week folks, I hope that you guys are able to enjoy the Christmas cheer and like you said Mom, seeing a Christmas miracle every day!

Talk to you all at Christmas!

Looooove,

Sister Ventura :) 

Eleven Lovin'

8 December 2014

Well First of all, SOOORRRY! Mom, I'm alive and well! We went to Curitiba today so that was cool but we got back suuper late and so now I literally have 10 minutes to write you guys which is a big bummer because I had lots of good stuff to say! :(

But yes, today is my 11 month mark my dear people! I canNOT believe it! After the 9 month mark, it's so true, the time passes so very quickly. To celebrate we will be eating pizza, yes that's right, brazillian pizza, there's not really a better way to celebrate. I've been thinking all week how I only have 7 months left until I will leave Brasil ( a.k.a Piraquara;) and it's is something that makes my heart hurt. I've just been realizing how much i love the fact that I speak with these people in this beautiful country in a beautiful language ever minute of every day. And not only that but I talk to them about the Gospel of happiness! What could be better I ask you? Nothing. 

My companion? Another Sister Dias! She's from  mina gerais and was already companions with Sister Cox! She is absolutely one of the most sweet, positive people I've ever met in my life! I'm also excited that my portuguese is going to get a lot better??! Unfortunately she has a boot on her foot because she broke her foot a month ago. . . .So we're still not able to work completely normally which is really frustrating but it's ok, we're using every minute that we can to talk to everyone. Seriously, I've never actually known what that phrase meant before, EVERYONE. Just imagine. It's actually so fun. It's cool because I remember in New York that that was the hardest thing for me, talking to strangers, annnnnnd now things have changed so much! 

This leads to my invite for the week for you guys. President showed up this week unannounced at our Zone meeting and talked a lot to us about constantly correcting. Constantly. Every day we have to correct ourselved to live the Gospel a little more the way we know we should, and we have a responsibility to help those around us as well. He told us that this is the way that we avoid straying from the path, every time we stray a little, we're already working on returning. A life-long persuit. Afterwards I read a verse in the BOM that I had never noticed before but now I love! Mosiah 7:33 ( i think, it's the last verse) It talks about how if we RETURN to the Lord with all of our heart and mind and with all dilligence that we will be blessed and achieve Eternal Life. But no matter who we are, what stage in life etc. we are being called to RETURN to Him. Please read that verse and decide personally just one thing that you will work on correcting, or one way that you will RETURN to Him starting today:) I'm doing the same every day too! 

I love you so very much my dear family! Next week i promise to send pics of my and my comp and Christmas here in Piraquara ta bom? Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite! ( We had bed bugs in our apt this last week, THE WORST). Hahah just kidding, but it wouldn't be surprising would it? At the rate I'm going??

Looove,

Sister Ventura :) 

Reunited with my dearest Sister Cox! Oh the joy! This was at the Christmas Conference that we had with the whole missions this last Tuesday, it was fantastic! So much fun! A little weird to be celebrating Christmas already but hey! My camera died after this so I don't have any more pics. . . .but I promise that it was really cool! ( cue Sister Cox! ;)

So crazy that she leaves tomorrow! It really made me think about how fast the time passes. Before I know it this will be me. . . yikes, still so much to do. Every missionary thinks that this day will never come and so sometimes we waste time thinking about it when in reality we just need to work sooo hard and appreciate every precious minute!

6 for the MINIMUM.

1 December 2014

So. This past Tuesday we had the Christmas Conference that I mentioned, it was splendid, so fun to be with billions of missionaries and Christmas joy and music and looooooooots of food. But anyway, President was talking a little bit at the beginning and  saying how he gets lots of complaints from missionaries that have been in an area for 3 or 4 months and how it actually says in some missionary manuel that when it's possible, missionaries should stay in areas for 6 months at the minimun. .. . I was so sure until that point that I would be leaving Piraquara finally! And honestly I was feeling pretty tired and wanting a change. When he said that I started to doubt a little bit. . . .Well my dear family. Yes. Yes, I will be staying here in my dear Piraquara another Transfer. Honestly, when i first found out yesterday I was just bummed. REALLY??? WHY? 7 1/2 months in the same area, my FIRST area too! More than 1/2 of my time in Brazil here in Piraquara! Haha but then we went to church and I was there with all of the people I love so very dearly and people were already talking about how they were happy that I WOULD be able to be here for Christmas and I just realized how truly devastated I will be when I do leave this little place in Brazil. I know I will leave a piece of my heart here and it will not be easy.

But, for now, I will appreciate that I know this place and this ward like the back of my hand and work soooo hard! It's really a blessing to have a ward that you know really ( reaaaaaaaaly ;) well that is a good hard-working ward:)

This week: Well, unfortunately, it was kind of a bummer week. I had the worst ear infection known to man ( well at least to me) for a week and a half and it was so bad that I wasn't able to work normally. Wow. I cannot express how much I prayed. Every hour of every day. Not being physically able to do almost anything, especially when you know that you only have 7 MONTHS  left to be a missionary and you have to spend a week of that time in your house/going to the doctor. . . it was one of the hardest times of my life honestly. Now, talking about it I can't really express what it was like but. . . .I don't know, i watched this Mormon mes.(http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3897359657001) that my dear Sister C (<3) sent today and she said something that sums up what I learned. She talked about Newton's Law-when there is a reaction, there is always an EQUAL and OPPOSITE reaction. She said, "The greater our sorrow is, the great our capacity is to feel joy." That's exactly right. I suffered a lot this last week, but I learned even more about my Savior and His Atonement. That He never did leave me and that He loves me. I don't  know yet exactly what I was supoosed to learn or why it happened to me but I am SO extremely grateful for health, for happiness and to be a  missionary-and my desire to work, work,work and just do all of those missionary things is so much stronger! Something else I learned about the Atonement of Christ at about the end of the week that brought a lot of peace to my questions filled mind and soul, is scripture found in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. It says:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. ( Thank you Sister C, do you see how much you're still helping me?? :)

Beautiful right?

I love you family, I hope that you had lovely Thanksgiving, we did. . . .nothing here haha, that's ok, I never liked Turkey anyways and basically eat a Thanksgiving Dinner every stinkin' day for alomço sooo. .. . 

Looooooooooove,

Sister V