January 26, 2015
Hello meu povo! Wow, it's incredible, I knew this whole week that
you guys were on a cruise bumming around, doing who knows what (apparently
being bit by jelly fish, sweeet!) But still, I didn't have any desire to be on
a cruise instead of right here in Piraquara doing exactly what I'm
doing:)
There's a part of our call letter that says that doing this work
will bring the greatest happiness that I have ever known, as I strive to work
with all of my heart, might, mind and strength serving the Lord and bringing
His children unto Him.
Let me tell you all about the greatest part of my week and how I
really saw this part of my letter being fulfilled. So I think it was Tuesday
night that Sis. Dias and I were planning for our day on Wednesday. We were
talking about which Recent Convert we thougth we should visit in the morning
and I said Celso. A little bit earlier we had talked about who we had as a
possibility to be baptized this week because we hadn't had any investigators at
chuch last week. When we were talking about Celso I rememberd his nephew that
lives with him that we had already taken to church and taught and even invited
to be baptized. It turns out that he passed the interview but ran away the
morning of the baptism not feeling worthy etc. A little bit later he was taught
by some others sisters and he did the exact same thing. When I thought of him I
thought, " yeah, but I don't really think he has any chance, he'll just do
the same thing again." We planned to visit him if he was there but I
honestly didn't have very much hope-like any actually. The next mornig our DL
called saying that the night before he had thought of a young man that he had
interviewed but was never baptized. Wow! Sis Dias told him that I had
thought about him the night before too. . . . When we got there the next day he
was there but didn't even want to talk to us and just stayed in his room. We
taught the lesson to Celso but were teaching Luiz (his name) at the same
time,knowing that he was listening. We finished and left, I was thinking,
" I knew nothing was going to come of that." After about 5 min. of
walking someone said something behind us, he was following us! We ended up kind
of giving him a lesson while walking and told him that Heavenly Father was
giving him LOTS of chances in not very much time and that we were here again to
help him be baptized if he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. He said
he wanted to prepare. Wahoo!! I was still really skeptical because I knew what
had happened the last couple of times and that he had lots of difficulties,
with addictions, bad friends etc. and didn't know if he was lying to us about
his situation now etc. Anway, everyone was all excited and I was just having a
hard time and was pretty doubtful. The next morning for personal study I was
studying for scriptures that we could share with him and I read in Mosiah
26. And because thou hast inquired of me concerning thetransgressor, thou art blessed.
20 Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalthave eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in myname, and shalt gather together my sheep.
21 And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and himshall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive.
22 For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall bebaptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shallbelieve in my name; and him will I freely forgive.
23 For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is Ithat hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him thatbelieveth unto the end a place at my right hand.
24 For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.
And
then:
30 Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.
WOw.
When I read this I knew that it was for me! I felt the Spirit confirm to my
soul that this young man had truly been prepared this time, that he was ready
and we were there to help him progress!
I cannot
describe how cool it has been to see him change over these last couple of days.
Even before he was baptized he was changing, a little bit better every single
day. He told us the reason he wants to be baptized is because he wants more
peace in his life, he wants to change and improve is life. Perfect. That is the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. Peace. Hope. Change. He knows so little doctrinely
speaking but he knows what he has he feels, and that is what matters.
When he
was baptized yesterday he left the water looking kind of shocked and out of it,
(I personaly thought he got water up his nose and was thinking what a bummer
that was) But he told us that he felt that there was a heaviness that had left
his chest, that he felt, light and happy. Yaaaay!
I love being
a missionary. With all of my heart. Sometimes when I read my call letter about
having more happiness than I have ever experienced and I'm sick or sad or
discouraged I wonder what the letter is talking about. . . but then I have
experiences like this (and many times they are much smaller, just little,
lovely moments:) and the happiness makes up for whatever pain or sadness I
experienced.
This
truly is the Lord's work. He wants us to change, it is so possible! He's there
just waiting, waiting! And sometimes he puts 3 sets of missionaries in
our paths to show us!
I love
you all, I hope that you are making it a priority to read the Book of Mormon
every single day so that Heavenly Father can communicate with you like He wants
to:)
Loooove,
Sister
Ventura
p.s-last
Sunday Irma Teca asked me, "Sister, sister, do you really almost have 9
months here?" Yup:) "Hmmm, do you think that your President forgot
about you here??!" hahha and every Sunday about 4 members ask me if I
think that President will let me finish my mission here. . . . Prooobably not,
but hey! Who knows!
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