Reunited after weeks! Oh, but the reunion was a happy one! :)

Kelim and Vitor!! This was one of the coolest stories ever that I will tell next week :) 

Promises fulfilled

March 16, 2015

 This week was also really great! Really happy, and hard and tiring, lots of laughing and praying and yeah.:) But I realized that this week I saw promises that have been made to me specifically, as a missionary and as a missionary in this mission, it's been pretty cool! 

I'll tell about that in just a minute though.

We had a conferencia da missão na quinta-feira and it was soooo great! We all laughed so much and learned so much, new scriptures, and ways to do contacting, etc. We all had lunch together that Sister M. made for the whole missao because of a goal we reached, mmm it ws sooo yummy! pao de queixo and yummy noodles and sauce , look it up :) 

Kelim went to church for the first time last Sunday because we promised her that if she went looking for an answer from Heavenly Father ( she was wondering about a specific step to take, or not. . ) she would find it. She took our words to heart and received an answer so powerfully that she said she always wants to go to church and even wondered how she could be baptized in the church but didn't want to ask! It was such a cool experience to see the promises we made be fulfilled. We have promises as missionaries that the promises that we make will be fulfilled! It strengthened my testimony so much!

Also, this is random, but the promise that was made to me in my blessing from President Ballard that I would feel like I have lived here my whole life and that I would master the language? I am seeing those promises being fulfilled more and more every day! IT is SOO cool!

One time when we went to teach Kelim she has just gotten back from work and had a crying baby and a plugged toilted and dirty dishes, we asked when we could do to help but she said nothing. . . I decided it was a lot better to help her out first in order to have the spirit there and really have a good lesson, so I started doin the dishes with Vitor and Sister P while Kelim fed they baby and worked on the Toilet. Wow, funnily, enough, it was one of the happiest moments in my life! I was there with people I loved washing dishes in a country that I love and I just KNEW in those few moments that at least then I was doing exactly what Heavenly Father wanted be to be doing, that I shouldn't be doing anything differently, it was really great because for me having that absolute  certainty (I forgot how to spell that. . .:()only come to me a few other times in my life. Mom then I was thinking about what a stinker I always was when i got asked to do the dishes on Sundays after you had made a great dinner for us. .. I remember I was legitimetely so bugged! What a joke right?! So I told everyone that story haha. But that's at least one thing that the mission does for you, makes you willing to help your Mom more, and not complain! Can you imagine mom? It will be so weird. . . ;) In that moment I saw the promise in my call letter about experiencing more happiness than I ever have, being fulfilled, again! 

Here's a beautiful promises that applies to all of us that Sister M. shared with us! D&C 93:1-read it!

I know that My Redeemer lives, I am so grateful for His patience and love for me.

I love you guys!

Love,

Sister Ventura:)




This was at the end of last transfer when i left Piraquara, I loooved living with these girls! And I looved Sister Dias as a comp, she's such a character :) Bons tempos :)

Another rainy day in my lovely Brasil :) It rained alll day and I didn't have an umbrella or a jacket, yaay, ( someone let my borrow this one ) Curitiba is like that, You literally NEVER now what is going to happen with the weather during the day. Never!

Yesterday we took a shorcut and found this absolutely swwet brazillina cemetary, I LOVE cemetaries and the last time I was in one was in the 'Cuse so I was just basically freaking out with happiness. ... you all know how it is haha. .. 

 Santos' batismo ontem!! I think he was one of the very most prepared people that I have taught and baptized in all of my mission, he understands so well the step he took and was so excited and just so happy! 

The battle rages on (But it's a happy battle!)

March 9, 2015

Well hello my hear people:) This week was so intenes, we worked so hard but it also was  (actually not also but because of!) soo great! Let me tell you why: 

The other day I was thinking about the day, what we had done and I don't even remember why but I was just thinking how absolutely amazing it is what Heavenly Father has done with me during my mission. He has changed me and molded me so much! I'm seeing myself doing things that I never thought I would be able to, it's so beautiful. But I know it's only because I am trying every day to really give myself over to Him, because He can do with us things so much greater than we could do alone, and in a much faster time period too! 

Ok, let me just tell about one day and show why being a missionary is great, there are so many perks! Ok, so there was this family who didn't have any interest in our message but were infatuated with the fact that we are 2 americans that live here and walk around all day. So they basically forced us to enter and eat a lanche na tarde with them and the lady had just made homemade bread so told us to eat it and then when we left ( "you're going so soon: Stay and chat!") she gave us a whole loaf that she has just taken out of the oven to eat at night. . . hahah that night we called to order a pizza and when the pizza guy found ou that we were sisters he told us that he's a member and that we can always call and get a discount, a free drink and free delivery. .. YUS. Oh and, Santos! He visited the church with us for the first time last Sunday and we were preparing him to get baptized this week. I have literally never taught someone so READY. Every night he read the chapter in the BOM that we left and then again the next morning before we got there and had questions. When we got there yesterday he had a white shirt and tie because he had noticed that that's how all of the men in the church dressed. The water for his baptismo yesterday was freezing cold and it shocked him when he entered but after the baptism the Bishop was telling him congrats and he just looked up at the Bishop freezing cold but with the biggest , most beautiful smile ever! Just that smile made alll of the work and the stress with it! 

The baptism yesterday was nuts! Santos' daughter, her husband and their 3 kids (4,2 and 7 months! Yikes, it was a circus!) visited the church with us yesterday and staye for the baptism so that was awesome but really stressful too. . . I didn't see this but Sis. P said that at one point the little 2 year old boy was pulling her hair so hard that she almost cried! After Santos had changed closed clothes and everyone was sitting down ready to start the Bishop went to open the door to the pia batismal and it was unlocked but wouldn't open. It was the most bizarre thing. There were 4 grown men pulling as hard as they could, our ward mission leader even got inside, on  the other side and was pushing as hard as he could, it was so weird, one of those moments, i  just sat there and finally leaned over to Santos and said. .. "yeah this usually doesn't happen.. . .. " He was so great, so happy and  just smiled and said, it was fine, and calmly sat there. . .. And then the irmao that was giving the spiritual thought, talked forever and I'm sure it was really great except that his wife REALLY wanted to get a hole of him and she literally called 6 times in a row during the message. . .. But Santos didn't even care, he was just so happy! And that made me happy, becaues that's what's really important :) I'm so excited to see his progress! I am so grateful that Heavenly Father lets us teach and meet these people! 

*Random note* So I've talked about pesquisadores in my sleep, dreamed in Portuguese, dreamed about lessons for the next day, dreamed about going home and freaking out, everything I thought. But the other night I reached a new level, I was Batending portas (knocking, but really clapping doors) in my dream and woke up because of a sound. .. I was propped up on my elbos LITERALLY knocking doors in my sleep. ... yikes! What will happen next! 

Ok, one more thought for ya'll. This week, I think it was Friday, I was a bit desanimated so physically and emotionally tired,  actually in every sense possible, and really just didn't have any more energy to keeping going the next day, i wasn't excited to get up an work again! So I prayed an prayed and prayed to have energy and be excited abou the work. The next day we had almoço with an Irma that served a mission and she told us stories that whole time and showed us pictures and scrapbooks and it just reminded me of the big picture and got me so excited again. And this just reinforced my testimony that Heavenly Father really does answer our prayers and when it's good for us, quickly! I have also gained a testimonoy of asking for things specifcally, The more specifically that we askt he more specifically he will answer us! I know this to be true! And it works for little things, details as well as big things! Try it out! Again!

I love you gusy so much! I hope that you are remembering to read the BOM every single day and praying to Heavenly Father and telling Him EVERYTHING. He wants to hear from us! HE loves us! 

I love you!

loooves,

Sister Ventura :)




Peace out girl scout!

February 23, 2015

            

Yup, you guessed it, I am being transferred tomorrow! Wow, I don't know where I'll go yet, or who will be my comp but hey. ... 9 months later and I am out of here! But really, I am devastated to leave, seriously. I have grown sooo much with these people, and seen them grow so much, they are my family here! They have helped me when I didn't have anyone else. I love these people with all of my heart:)

Oh, Gordon and Bailey, thank you so much for the letters! I loved getting them, you guys are the bee's knees!

Something specific to pray for? I feel like there is a family that I need to find and teach and help, I would love that more than anything. If you guys could pray for that, that we can find Families to help so that they can one day be sealed for time and all eternity, that would be splendid:)

This week especially, but really all through out my mission, I have been learning about opposistion and it's necessity. Like it says in 2 Nephi 2: 11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.Without the bad we cannot apprciate and love and embrace the good! It just is not possible! I was thinking about that this week. I have been SOOO happy and greatful and full of joy this week  but I realized that it's because of all of the things I have had to learn and do and pass through during my mission. Seriously. My mission has been the hardest thing i have ever done, but, and because of that, it has also been the best and most rewarding. I am so grateful for my trials! They have helped me appreciate the state I am in today! Being happy and grateful is one thing, but there is a whole different level of gratefulness when you can compare with despair and unhappiness. 

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

I love that the purpose of this life is that we can be happy. If we aren't happy we aren't fulfilling our purpose here, we have to return to the path and keep trying. Yes, we will always have those time of darkness but , the dawn will always come. Always:)

We saw a LOT of opposition this week from Satan becaue of the dedication of our new chapel. A lot. It was so intense But in the end Saturday night when the chapel was dedicated and yesterday when we had our first meetings the pure joy that I felt was greater than any tribulation that happened during the week. I was able to go to the Temple on Saturday again with Sisters Cox and Dias with the mom of the young man that went through a couple of weeks ago. Wow, I am so blessed! It was nice. Something I learned/was remembered of  while I was there was that the Good, or the power of Heavenly Father, is, always was, and always will be so much greater than the power of the inimigo. He will always win, and if we are doing our part we will always be protected and always have our prayers answered, ALWAYS. It's incredible and so comforting.

During the week we gave tours and fliers out, it was so fun to work with the ward doing this! Everyone was so excited and yesterday there were so many people visiting for the first time and people that were returning after lots of time inactive. There was such a wonderful spirit there yesterday, really, it was the best last sunday ever :) 

 10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

I love being a missionary, I am experiencing more joy than I have ever felt before in my life. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father, i know that they live and answer our prayers. I love you guys! Thanks for all of prayers and support!

loooove,

Sister Ventura :)

Churrascoooo! Yay! I love this pic of Sister Dias. . . she would kill me if she knew that I sent it. . . i also looove this family so much! This irmão is what you call Gauche, someone who is from Rio grande do Sol, and they are characters, dad you would love him:)

Ok, Dad, I wasn't actually trying to kiss this one, just reprimanding him because he was being sassy. But how cool right? You know you're a missionary when: you enter a stranger's house and ask to hold their pet turtle and take a picture with it and they let you and love you and want you to stay forever. . . hahahah

Yay! This basically mean, "saving lives" :)

Happy Carnival!

February 16, 2015

Well, I won't be able to say everything I wanted to this week because I spent a lot of time doing BYU stuff. . . bleh!

But, here we go.

-We went to a different doctor for Sister Dias this past week and he said that she could return to walking completely normal! Wow! Just like that! So on Thursday we returned to working completely normal, which hasn't happened since I've been with her. Wow, it feel so good to just work sooo hard!

-Saturday and Sunday it reained non-stop. And we just walked and walked and knocked doors non-stop, and taught no one! Yesterday we left the house at 7:30 in the morning and just did the same thing until lunch and afterward until church! I'm not complaining really! it was great to just be doing our best and workig and working. :) 

-Something that I'm pretty sure you guys should know about, last night we got home and all of a sudden Sis. oswald started screaming and then we all started screaming aaannd, we had maggots, yes, maggots all over our kitchen floor. . . . and don't think that we are sick and don't clean our apartment. . . we really do! There are just so many bugs here!

-This coming Sunday is (prrobably my last Sunday here and will be the first Sunday for our ward in our new chapel in Piraquara! yay! I'm so grateful that I will get to be here for that! The Dedication will be this Saturday! This whole week we will be working like crazy inviting everyone and their dog to come and visit during the week! And we get give tours and everything! Whooo!

Ok,I don't have time to share the spiritual part of my letter. .. .but ummmm study Galatians 5;22, Moroni 7:15-16 and then Alma 5:40! I am learning so much about how simply it is to discern when things are good or bad, it is so simple and Heavenly Father gives us all of the tools!

I love you family! I will do better at writing next week!

Loooove,

sister Ventura :)