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