Time Flies When the Work is Fun

Dearest Family,

 

How is everyone doing?? How was your guys’ week? I hope everyone is doing well, adapting to the new schools and what not. I hope you love it!

 

Things are going great here! It has been such a quick week! It is frightening how fast time is going by! We are already half way through the Transfer! Yesterday, in our Sacrament meeting I had a really spiritual experience. We had the Stake Presidency of our new Stake, Santos (not new for me hahah), and also Elder Carbone from the Area Seventy with us in Areia Branca. The talks were fantastic! As I sat and reflected on the Savior and His Atoning Sacrifice during the Sacrament, I was filled with a feeling of love so powerful. Sunday mornings are always rough emotionally, with our investigators and all, and when I took the Sacrament yesterday I was just overcome. Then throughout the meeting we were fed spiritually by our Priesthood leaders. Elder Carbone said something that especially caught my attention and I have been thinking about it. He asked the question “how can we become a god if we are not willing to pay the price to become one?” We are promised ALL that the Father has! We will become kings and queens, gods and goddesses if we prove ourselves faithful and SHOW our Heavenly Father that we are willing to pay the price to receive His promised blessings. It is a price that we must pay daily, for it is a daily battle. We sang I’ll go where you want me to go and the Spirit was so strong. I got really emotional as I looked around and saw these people sing. I reflected a little and realized how much I love these people. Their faith and love for the Savior is admirable. I love Brazil with all my heart.

 

Anyways, so yesterday was great! We did some divisions this week, we did some surprise visits at some of the houses, and we worked hard in our area. We found a super great family on Saturday evening and we were totally pumped! It was fantastic! We are striving to work hard every single day and make the most of the time we have. This week we will start the zone conferences and we still have to finish preparing our training tonight. Like Grammie and Grandpa said in their email, there is still a lot of work to do here before my time is done! I am tired, but I feel the enabling power of the Atonement. I understand a little bit better what it means to endure to the end with faithfulness ;) 

 

All is well and I hope you all have a wonderful week. I miss you and I love you. I will see you here soon enough ;) I got my last haircut today hahah so that means it’s official.

 

Love ya guys. Be safe.

-- 

Love,

Elder Sharp

Sorry for Yesterday

Okay! So once again I apologize to everyone for not emailing yesterday. Elder Cerqueira and I were in a meeting with President literally all day long. 

This was a great week, we saw a lot of success in our investigators and we found a lot of new people. The problem was that not many of them came to church this Sunday, so we will focus on that this week and put all our forces into getting them to church. Things will start to get pretty busy agian, I am getting stressed. I feel the emotions of wanting to do more than I physically can and I am having a hard time with that. I think sometimes I am a little too hard on myself but at the same time I feel like I have more to give and I'm not giving my all to the Lord. It's frustrating really. 

Zone conferences will start next week and we will be preparing our training. The biggest stress is the fact that these missionaries... idk what is happening but a lot of them are struggling. We need to be better models in our own area and we need to do more. I love the mission so much. I LOVE studying the Gospel and without it, life would be impossible. Literally the key to a happy and successful life is a solid Gospel study DAILY. It is our daily bread and I literally and physically feel that. 

Something that I was studying this week is in 3 Nephi when Christ teaches the people. He tells them to go home and ponder and reflect on the things that were said and to prepare themselves to come back tomorrow. Then Christ looks out at the people and they all just have tears in their eyes because they want Him to stay a little longer. They dont want to leave him even for a day. I found that so emotional and for some reason it has been on my mind non stop this week. I dream of that sweet moment and imagine how they must have felt. It's like General Conference except better!

It seems to have been quite the week for all of you! College started and you all survived through the first week. The little boys switched schools... sniff.. and left my old shool house.. ;) Hope you got that quote. 

We had a really funny experience where we chased after by a dog. I felt like I was in the Sandlot, it was JUST like a movie. Sooo funnyyyy!! 

I love this with all my heart. I love Him with all my heart. 

Have a wonderful week and know that I miss you :)

-- 

Love,

Elder Sharpn

Here Comes August

Well Ladies and Gentleman the time has come; it's pday again. The weeks come and go and sometimes I look back and ask myself how on earth has another week already gone by?? Well, one more bird is flying south for the winter- Bryson comes home this week. Good luck to ya ;)

So, I am a man now. Full on, full grown, man. I woke up Saturday morning and looked in the mirror and just was shocked. I am so much older and wiser. I am 20. I have been alive for two full decades, that's what I'm talking about! Hahaha no but really nothing has changed. This week was pretty crazy! 

Highs and lows this week, that is for sure! Our investigars N and J C are doing really well! N especially! The will probably be baptized on the 13th. We have this family that is like so golden- V! and her two daughters. Their problem is the husband. Long story short we visited them on Friday and she just cried and cried because she cannot let us come back. My heart was torn to pieces because she is sooo good and she talked about how grateful she is for us coming into her life and the feelings she felt. Her 13 duaghter just cried as well and I was heartbroken! I just want to help this family but the husband is destroying it and the only reason they are still together is because of her daughters. Man it is SO sad! I just... uhhh! They came to church on sunday because she promised she would but we cannot go back to teach them. It was seriously heartwrenching! That was my friday night. 

Oh, also an update, we have been without electricity since THURSDAY!! So we have been doing everything by candle light because my flashlight is broken. Let me just say it is much harder than it sounds! The showers are like showering in snow, they are so cold. We have to do a special dance to warm our bodies up before we have the courage to take a shower. It is loads of fun! Hopefully we have electricity by the end of this week! 

My birthday was absolutely fantastic! It really was! I was SOOO happy! So happy! I will explain everything in the recording but the sisters made me cake and like a small party thing. And then out of no where my long lost brother calls me and tells me that his uncle needs a blessing and lives in our area. So we went there and it was a surprise!! ELDER HERNANDES!!!!!! was sitting there in the kitchen! I flipped. I was sooooo happy and it was the coolest surprise in the world! He returned home 6 months ago and came to visit me for my bday! Love that child with all my heart!!!!!!! So yeah, it was awesome! 

Spiritual experiences this week... hmm well there were multiple! It is the small and simple things that really matter and I was able to see so many tender mercies this week. Heavenly Father is so kind and loving to me! I think I am the most blessed person on the planet! Nothing brings more joy than testifying of our Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. I LOVE our area so much and the ward here is fantastic! I am just so blessed! 

Love you all, have a wonderful week! Thank you for everything!

-- 

Love,

Elder Sharp

The Caragua Shakes

Dear family, 

 

What a week. I think I say that phrase on a weekly basis, but wow. It feels like eternity since I skyped you guys, but at the same time this week has absolutely flown by. So Monday morning President called and wanted us to go to Registro with him to the Zone Conf over there. So until about 4ish we were with him. Tuesday we had two zone conferences and those took up our entire day, we were with President and Sister Cabral once again (of which you all know how much I love). That night we finished packing up all of our stuff for the week. Wednesday we had the zone conf of Santos and Guarujá. Afterwards President told us he was planning on going straight up to Caraguatatuba (this probably doesn’t make any sense because you don’t understand the geography of our mission but Caragua is where we planned to spend the end of the week and it is like 4-5 hours away from Santos). So Elder Cerqueira and I freaked out because we left our bags in Santos thinking we would come home that night and then head up to Caragua early Thursday morning. Long story short, President took us back to Santos to get our bags and we went up with him and Sister Cabral to Caragua. We were with them in the car practically the entire day! It was SOOOO AWESOME!!! It is insane how much I love those two people. Thursday we got up and went to Caragua´s Zone Conf. and then I went to Travessão to do divisions. I stayed there with them and with the Elders from Porto Novo for Thursday, Friday, and Sat. Then Saturday night I went back to Caragua where I met up with Elder Cerqueira. We slept there that night and then Sunday after church we got the bus back to Santos. Whew! Yeah. Pretty nuts.

 

While I was in these areas we worked super hard with the Elders. It was a really good experience. I pulled one of the Elders aside and he just let loose and told me all of the disobedience that was going on. That night I had a conversation with each of the Elders and we talked about everything that has been going on and our purpose here on our missions and all that jazz. I HATE when we have to deal with that stuff. It breaks my heart when we find missionaries who are throwing away the life changing opportunity of a mission. However, it is mind boggling and so very humbling to feel the strength that Heavenly Father gives me while we do divisions. I am humbled each time. It is such an honor to worthily represent our sweet Savior Jesus Christ. 

 

I talked more about all of those “fun” experiences in my recordings. Then on Saturday night Elder Cerqueira and I found this family that already had a Book of Mormon!! Coolest experience ever! They had never spoken to missionaries but somehow they already had a Book of Mormon. If those Elders don’t baptize that family there is a serious problem. Then that night we walked for eternity and got the famous Caragua shakes! Wooo Wooo!! The drive yesterday was very long and I could not sleep for the life of me- it was like a 5 hour trip. But, we got back safely.

 

The craziness starts again tonight. We leave tonight and will be traveling until next Sunday. I LOVE THE GOSPEL!!!

 

Have a great week guys! Be safe! I miss you and love you with all my heart!

 

Elder Sharp

April 25

Hello my wondeful Family!!!

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESTON!!! That geezer turned 22 last week! Oh my word that is old! Atta kid Preston! 

CONGRATULATIONS to Lincoln, Clayton and the gang who made it into the Les Mis play! You guys are my heroes and I wish SOOOO badly I could be there to support you and watch the musical, but unfortunately I will just have to watch the video when I get home.

What a week. This week has felt like eternity and a half, but thats okay! I am so unbelievably pumped for Mother's Day that is in a whopping 2 weeks! Wooo Wooo! Here comes the quick recap of the week:

Monday we gave the training to the "Stripling Warriors" which went really well! I am super excited about that group. Then we did the email thing and that was not too much fun at all. Sigh. Then that night we had a planning meeting with the other Assistants and the Sister Training Leaders about what our training would be for the new trainers the following day (tuesday). So then on Tuesday we had the arrival of the new missionaries which is always such a fun time! I LOVE it! We gave out training to the Trainers and that went really really well! Elder Arvidson and I talked about what it means to be a leader and what real leadership is based on a talk given by Elder Bednar. Then we waited for President to call and we went over to his house to do the Slide Show and all that other jazz. So that all happened and then when everyone left we had our meeting with President which was SPECTACULAR! Oh how I love that man. We had the best time there and then they brought out food and tons of desserts to try (President is like a professional cook) and we just sat at the table laughing and having such a wonderful time! I love that group! I love President and Sister Cabral! I truly feel like they are my parents here on the mission! I am so blessed. That night was just one for the books, let me tell ya! 

On Wednesday it was a normal day in the field but that morning some guys from São Paulo came and talked to us about the security system of the office and a bunch of other stuff. I also had surgery on my foot (finally) which was flat out excruciating pain! Thursday was weekly planning and Friday we went to the office and made invitations to our ward activity for the 7th of May which will be super fun. Friday I went back the foot doc and I had the most amazing experience of my life there! oh my word! I walked out of there with two new feet and I walked out yelling "say 8, say 8, say 8!" (I hope you got that joke ;) oh it was glorious though! Totally cured. Then it was a normal missionary day as well. Sat we pretty much did the same thing until that night when we spent like 2-3 hours doing contacts and handing out our invitations to the ward activity to everyone in the street. Life here with Elder Veneziano is THE BEST! He is like my best friend ever, I freakin love the kid!

Sunday morning I was asked to speak in Sacrament like 10 minutes before it started (love that) so I spoke on the need of receiving personal revelation on a daily basis and how casual reading of the scriptures and casual prayer just isnt enough. Sunday was good as well. 

IT HAS BEEN SOOOO SOOO SOOOOOOOO FREAKING HOT these past weeks and like unbearably hot! haha, what a blessing right? and it is supposed to be winter- HA!

Anyways, one last experience to share- I think it was Saturday...? But we were in a lesson and I was sharing the First Vision (amazing lesson by the way) and all of the sudden i was COMPLETELY overcome by the Spirit. I have never ever in my entire life felt like that. I felt like i was floating and glowing at the same time. I felt like light was just bursting from my head and my fingertips to the point that it hurt! it was NUTS! I was so emotional and i just felt the Spirit so strongly in such a special way. I walked out of the lesson dumbfounded because of what had happened. I have been reciting that scripture for a year and a half but in that moment I felt something so unique and so incredible. THE CHURCH IS TRUE my friends. And I love the Gospel with all my heart.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! oh also one more update- I will be traveling for the next 5 weeks for the majority of the time. President want me to get to all the zones so I can know them better to present to President Obata when he gets here. So this week we are going to CARAGUATATUBA!!!!!! Hayyyooohhhh!! So pumped. 

I love you! be Safe! Have the time of your lives in Europe for the second tme without me. This email is way too long. 

Elder Sharp

May 2

HEY GUYS!!!

I have like absolutely no time today because we had a leadership council meeting that lasted an eternity today! It started at 9 and went until like 3:30 ish! So I will go through a veeeryyy simple recap of the week.

Monday we had SUSHI DAYYYYY!!!! We have been saving up lunch money for  weeks to do that and man was it a good time. Totally worth it.

Tuesday and Wednesday I was in Caraguatatuba doing divisions with missionaries over there and that was a really good time. It was a 5 hour bus ride there and back. We gave a training at the zone meeting and then did one more division up there and early thursday morning came back to Santos.

Thursday Friday and Sat we spent working here in our area and Saturday was SUCH A GOOD DAY!!! We found like 3 new families who were sooooo gooooood!! oh it was all so amazing! There were a few funny experiences but I dont really have time to tell all of them! 

One note is that the weather this week has been HEAVEN SENT!!! oh my word it has been celestial! Monday was like a thousand degrees but from tuesday on it was cloudy and cold and rainy!! AND I GOT TO USE A SWEATER!!!! AHHHHH!!! yeah it has been like a year since ive been able to do that! Made me sooo excited to come home to the wonderful and glorious utah fall weather. mhmm! 

Anyways, I am so excited for our ward activity that is coming up here this next Saturday! I am PUMPED! And i think we will have tons of people there, we have been working hard so that it works out well. It will be a great week and I will be traveling the whole time! anyways, i love you all! Family, please return home safely! I WILL SEE YOU ALL ON SUNDAYYYY!!! I am so excited! Love you all, be safe!

Elder Sharp

Mothers Day

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

 

Well to start off my letter today, I will say once again that I have like no time at all. This morning President called us and asked us to meet him at the gas station in 20 mins, so we RUSHED and got there and we went with him and Sister Cabral to a zone conference in Registro (like 3 hours away by car). So that has been my entire pday ha- count your blessings. 

 

Mother’s day was amazing and being able to skype the most amazing family in the entire world was THE BEST! I loved every second of it! Now it is time to work hard and endure to the end! So now that we will be traveling the whole week, I prepared my bags last night. I didn’t realize I had so much junk! Quick week recap:

 

Monday was the leadership meeting and we gave a quick training on being a leader. We had burgers for lunch, made by President’s daughters. Tuesday through Friday I don’t remember off the top of my head what happened. We worked in our area and it went really well. WE have been having so much success in Embaré lately and it was getting really exciting. On sat we had our “ward activity” that was a huge let-down. We worked so hard for it but it didn’t turn out how we were expecting in any way. Then on Friday we got the emergency transfer and now my comps are Elder Veneziano and Elder Cerqueira and we are traveling Assistants. I am not sure how long that will stay, but I hope not too long. We shall see how it goes. 

 

It was a great week with a ton of wonderful experiences but those are in the recordings!

 

I love you all so much!!! Have a wonderful week and be so safe!!

 

Love Elder Sharp