Opa, Obrigada Tira dente!

27 April 2015

So this last Tuesday was a holiday where everything was closed and it's the day of Tira Dente (which means to take out teeth!) This dude was from Minas Gerias and was a dentist (hence the nick name) who was also a guy that worked for the Brazilain army but he started helping the state Minas Gerais gain it's independence and so was killed for being a traitor to the goverment but now he has his own day! Or something like that. . .. sister Dias, I need a refresher! 

I'm loving being a "mom" I think in just a small way it's good prep for being a real mom one day, you have to sacrifice your time and things you would like to do to help someone who is new at everything. And actually you don't have to sacrifice but you choose to because you love your daughter! She's doing really great, she's a really hard worker, I really admire that, I know that I wasn't this motivated/willing to work this hard when I started my mission, but like they say, the kids have to be even better than their parents! ( I don't know who says that but,I know I've heard it before. .. )

Well, there's this family (like a mom and dad and daughter family!!) That we found about a week and a half ago that are from Forteleza and are sooo cool and are really loving the church, the weren't going to any church when we found them but were feeling a desire to start going to  a church together, Vitoria, the daughter, is 11 and LOVES the church and the primary and already wants to be baptized! Awesome right? Except that they aren't married legally, just in the Catholic church but not in the cartorio (I don't know what that would be. . . ) and here to be baptized you have to be married in the cartorio. . . but they really want to get married and have already started the process! It takes a little while, like a month but there's still time before I leave and that is our goal! PLEASE pray for this beautiful little family! My companion and I can just imagine this family getting baptized and in one year entering the Temple to be sealed for time and eternity! Wahooooo

Ummm the 2 baianos aren't married legally and aren't really progressing so that's a bummer. . ..but they're still a hoot.

On Friday we had a mission conference that was really good, but weird now that so many people keep leaving!

Oh, a great adventure we had this week: The Elders had baptismos in our area and so asked us to fill up the baptism font for them. Alright, n o problem! So we got there, successfully unlocked the portão but the success stopped after that. ... let me just tell you that my difficulty with keys and the complexity of the church doors made for quite a good 1/2 hour struggling and struggling! We finally got in then remember we had to disarm the alarm before it went off and everyone knew there were missionaries breaking into the church. In a moment of panic I could not remember where the little code box was and was freaking out. But we got that figured out too. Then we went to fill the font up and the water from the last baptism had never drained all of the way and it was dirty and cold so we had to use buckets to take the water out and then cleaned the font because I think it's been quite a while. . . and the water heater is broken so the water is pretty cold. . . our feet just about died but it helped us have empathy for the people who get baptized! Hahah all in everything turned out great but it was such a funny little story because you would never guess that something as simple as fillng up the baptismal font would be so complicated!  Haha

Yesterday was our Stake Conference and it was sooo good! A member of the 70 spoke named John Grau he said some really great things,

-negativity NEVER helps a situation!

-Come what may,eu adoro meu Pai Celestial, He knows what He is doing, I will continue to endure to the end, hope and have patience!

-The Gospel is like a giant umbrella, whatever truth that doesn't fit under this "umbrella," or that contradicts a gospel truth is a great lie.

Some little nuggets that are out of context but still are really great:) I too am trying to devleop more patience and trust in my Savior and Heavenly Father and know that I just have to look at all of the experiences that I've already had to rely on the fact hat he is always there for me and always has my best interest in mind:) I am so grateful for the chance to be a missionary, so very, very grateful:) I love This perfect church and my Savior and the Book of Mormon. 

I love you guys!

Loove

Sister Ventura :)