Opa

20 April 2015

I don't know why I've never written this word ^ as a subject for an e-mail before. .. it's so applicable to basically everything and one of my favorite Portuguese words! People use it for pretty much any situation, it's like when you don't have anything else to say . ... but if you look it up you might find a better explanation haha:)

This week was. ... well just the continued fight, it was a pretty long week, and if I was to describe it (which I will right now. . . ) It was a LOT  of walking, a LOT of knocking doors and a LOT of rejection. That really was our week but that doesn't mean it was bad or that it wasn't interesting or that we didn't learn a LOT!  I just don't really feel like there is a lot more to say when I think about what happened this week.

But hmm. .. It's cool, when I think about this week and how hard it was I'm really grateful for it, (and even more now that it's over haha :) I feel a lot closer to my Savior and my Heavenly Father because of how much we had to search for them. :) I think that there was something said in General Conference about how there is never, NEVER, growth in the confort zone! If we're just humming along minding our business but never pass through difficult times, weeks or months, we don't grow! It's like it says in 2 Nephi 2, there has to be an opposition in ALL things! It's so true, Because of sickness we can appreciate health so much more etc. etc. 

My companion is writing a letter to Pres. Montiero right now and was joking that she was going to tell him all about our week, it was like this: I was seriously just about run over, but miraculously just had a few bruises- it was definitely a miracle! The same day our baptism fell through, he all of a sudden didn't want anything to do with us or the church and said some sad things :( Lot's of drunk men contacted us in the road, and every time we got excited that it was someone that wanted to go to church or something,hahah but one tried to kiss me, one wanted to hug us and one wanted to tell us why he would never go to our church and that he doesn't need it and didn't like me because I'm American. . .. ^_^ Whoo! It was quite the adventure! Through all of these experience and some others I've had in the mish I know that there are spirits on both sides that are actually very involved in this work. It makes me realize how much I need to be constantly fortifying my testimony and pesquisadores but also makes me excited to do some family history work when I get home and find out who they are :)

Yesterday my comp and I and our ward missions leader were asked to give talks on the "obra missionaria" Which you would think would be easy for a missionary right? I didn't really know what route I was going to take until I got up there and started talking, but it was fun, I actually like giving talks-especially in portuguese! I learned a lot and it was sooo cool to see how many members offered to help us after church! Walking to almoço we found one of our Recen-conversos (Kelvyn)  that hadn't gone to church in the morning and we felt that we should go with him to the other ward in the afternoon. When we got there there were 2 men visiting and I sat by them and started getting to know them, turns out they live in our area and it was their first time and they really liked the church! It was such a blessing! We had worked all week really hard inviting people to church and no one ended up going! But becuase we followed a very subtle prompting we went to the other ward and met these 2 guys! They're from the Bahia and are cousins and work in a bakery. .. .we definitely hoping to score some free bread or something ;) We'll see how it goes with them tomorrow :)

Welp, I studied a lot about the Holy Ghost this week and I'm really trying to improve my ability to recognize the prompintgs of the Spirit in everything I do. It's such a wonderful gift we recieve as members of the church! 

I love you fam bam and friends:) Thank you all for the letters of support and love:)

Loooove,

Sister Ventura :)