Refiners Fire

 Sorry everyone that this email will be not a lot of words, without bulk, or simply put... short. I am currently eating a small snack as i type this email. it is what one would call bolachas also known as poor person food. 

Im sitting here on one of those spinny chairs... you know that spin around. My computer looks like one of those flat screen TVs the size of... well its big. but not like moms apple TV. It's quite hot and humid outside, that is due to the sun activity and vapor in the air. but here in the office it is quite like Antarctica. I would not be surprised if 3 penguins walked in to the room, and that is do to he very rare Air Conditioning. It is a small machine put at the top of the wall to blow out cold air when the human body is feeling overly heated or hot. It is dark in the room of which my body is currently placed because someone decided it would be more fun to have a pday in a room without a source of light, aka darkness. My hands are starting to type a lost slower due to the frost that is starting to appear on the phalanges or fingers. oh gosh man...im really starting to run out of nonsense to talk about... okay i guess i will go back to the norm and talk about my week.

Monday i went to the federal police which is a weekly occurrence. I completed all my responsibilities this week which was wonderful! i felt really good about the work i did in the office this week. i have learned a TON about paper... which took my thoughts back to my grandpa. apparently humidity and amount of time the paper is left out of the package really determines how your paper will go through the printer. i have had it with the two printers we have. they have caused me some serious stress this week bec i have been preparing the new folders for the new group of missionaries that will be coming in next week. This week i will work on the folders of those who will be leaving the mission this transfer. fun stuff. 

We found an ELECT this week! super super sweet. she had been praying for the lord to send his angels and then that same day... WE CAME KNOCKING!!! fill up the font! fill up the font! fill up the font! her name is N and she is someone that really needs help right now. she is so nice and she is awesome. she has been in some serious depression lately and im pumped to start working with her. the joy and power of the gospel and the atonement will completely change her life and cure her. 

Im so sorry guys but that is all i have time for. I LOVE the gospel and the lord and my mission! it sure is a refiners fire! but oh how i love it! you guys are the best! i want INFO on claytons.... friend. LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!!!!

Love Brigham

The Lord Protects His Missionaries

alright folks... so it sounds like you guys are waiting for some grand old news. well the news is... im pregnant! i honestly have no idea why i said that just now but it is kinda the first thing that came to my mind when i was typing that phrase... so yeah. i thought it was funny at least. so anyways.. im not really pregnant. dont worry.

so the office... well... it reminds me a heck of a lot like highschool... in a way. lets just say i might kill myself. on an honest note. like not a suicide type deal but like im killing myself slowly but surely. im making up a new phrase alright... for anyone who gets called to work in the mission office... it'll take a solid 5 years off of your life span. no joke. we stayed up until 2 IN THE MORNING two days this week. i almost starved to death, and people think im a sister bec my hair is so long. what is time?? ask yourself that question.. what is time. because here in the mission offfice it doesnt exist. you dont have time for anything!! literally! so to say the least... ITS FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!

Okay so i will start by saying the real stuff okay. enough kiddin around. so yeah umm im terrified to be on my own doing this stuff this week. one week is not enough time to learn all of my responsibilities. buuuuut that is when the grace of christ comes in to help me. i have learned A TON!!!! A TON! already. seriously so much. i have a daily contact with president cabral which is awesome. i havent seen him very much at all this week but i will the next couple weeks. so that is exciting. im scared to try and fill the shoes of elder maughan... who is an incredible missionary and the best executive sec this mission has seen. elder lindsey had one transfer as the sec which is suuuuuper rare. super rare. hmm looks like that is a sharp thing huh mom?? He sure looks out for us. but elder lindsey is an aweeesome missionary as well. i was with him my first 2 weeks in the mission field with elder veneziano as well. but yeah so i havent really had my new comp yet- who is elder hernandes. he is the material secretary which is the same as bryson walker. so that will be my new comp starting monday. but this week ive been with elder lindsey bec he is training me as the sec. so yeah. but yeah it has been insanity. i had to call amber weaver this week two times.. i called freakin UTAH!!! Im not gunna lie i was a lil trunky when i did that hahah. it is a small temptation to get on and check your email bec i live on the computer but honestly not too much. obedience is a commandment so.. eh. but yeah so elder hernandes is soooo freaking sick!! he was on my list of dream comps. so that is sick. he is an AMAZING missonary!! he is a pro rugby player, freakin ripped out his mind and a diabetic. so to preston ya lard... i will not get fat bec i am his comp and i will force myself to work out a lot bec im in the office. i will try my best to not get fat, truly. we stayed up til 2 two days this week getting all the study books and things ready for the new group coming in of 19 missionaries on Tuesday. and i will make the powerpoint tomorrow- im soooo scared for that. president said they have to be fun and super creative each time and i have no idea what i will do to make it fun and creative but we will see. i have made about a thousand doctor appointments this week fo rall the missionaries who need some. it is an entirely new vocabulary of Portuguese so i am trying to learn quickly. its fun.. hard and UNBELIEVABLY stressful but its good. time will fly by for the next six months, that is for sure. 

i really apologize that i will not really be able to send a lot of recordings for the next while bec i will be so swamped with things to do, but i will send at least one or two a week okay? promise. but yeah please keeep sending them to me. we have to have the same numbers as the rest of the mission and baptize every week. but the lord blesses us LIKE CRAZY in that manner. we have a baptism next week and three other people with a SOLID baptismal date. its been awesome to be with stokes again who goes home next week... sniff.. my trainer. love that guy. im excited to see who the new assistants will be! but yeah i am so exhausted.. still having ot wake up at 6:30even when we get home at 2:30 but that is just part of the fun. people really depend on you and president is the law. what he says you stop what youre doing and do- which is pretty cool. i am learning to plan my guts out and to prioritize my days. i have to work effectively and quickly in everything that i do. so that is cool. im on the phone a TON. i literally havent even thought about cubatao or home bec i havent had time to even think. its go go go go go and you cannot waste a single second. so its fun! it really is. its a whole different side of the mission. you see a ton of the things behind the door ya know? with the numbers and tons of other things. which is awesome. so yeah...

also.. so bec everyone already flippin knows, due to my dearest very intelligent and trustworthy older brother of whom i will never again confide in, the beans have been spilt. for those of you who dont know.. last week when i was at the waterfall... i didnt fall into the water. i lied. we were robbed. but really really really badly. they took everything i had. they took the ring abbs gave me before the mish, my camera with all the pictures, my watch, they took everything from everybody. some of the missionaries from our district got out with their cameras but they lucked out and were stupid. i literally looked death in the face an lived. it was a cool experience looking back, but not really. i have never felt a fear so... describable in my life. it was so strong and so... powerful. i took a blow to the stomach and one of them put their gun straight at my forehead and told everyone they were going kill us. no i did not crap my pants, i was too scared to do that. it was a character building experience and never again will i go to a waterfall here. literally never. and after that experience i wanted to go home... really badly. but later that day i was back to normal. it sucked though hahah and especially bec i got all my stuff taken. but i literally thought i was going to die. now... with that- THE LORD PROTECTS HIS MISSIONARIES!! heavenly father totally and completely watched out for us and everything is totally fine now. wrote all about it in my journal so dont even worry folks. but yeah.. nobody freak out and im safely in the office now. 

... yes i guess you could same i am somewhat of a hero. go ahead. ;) hahaha just kidding.

congrats everyone on tbc.

anyway so that is my life. and its a good one! hope all of you have a great week! i love you all SOOOO SO SO SO much!! preston... you freaking BABY!!! dude are you gunna cry?? like for reals! MAN UP!! take it like man you pansie!! good grief! i will send you a box of tissues if you want but this is pathetic!! ;) love ya dude! dont write too many letters... pffff. pffffff hahahahaha i love you preston and im just teasing!

LOVE YOU GUYS! ESPECIALLY YOU MOM!! thanks dad for keepin strong with my secret! *cough* preston *cough* ;D

and abbs... can we go to the chapel.. cause i wanna get married... 

THE Elder Sharp

Sorry- it's been forever.

I'm officially the worst missionary mom ever!!  Here is Brig's latest letter, from yesterday:

Well everyone... umm because of some events that took place today, i will do one hour right now of email and another tomorrow. so yeah... i apologize. 

Umm... first of all... i just want each and every one of you to know how much i love and adore you... even though the video was... yeah. i tried thinking of a clever word but i dont have much time. umm... you guys are hilarious but not really! it was a good try! solid effort but uhhh... eesh... i expected better. i admit,i am a very difficult person to immitate so i will give you guys some mercy. but really... solid effort guys!! BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!!! the heck is wrong with you guys!?!? i was all pumped and ready to cry getting a video from home and then it turns out to be a mockery of things i DIDNT do!! hahahah no really you guys are awesome!! love you all

So this week was super great! my birthday was spent at evelynys house who took suuuuch good care of me. abbys package came on weds and evelyny went ot santos to pick it up for me. then on thursday my package from mom came but the post office kept it bec they are stupid andi had to go to the post office on friday and pay 115 reais to pick it! also ridiculous. buuut evelyny took us down to the post office in santos as well even on her daughters bday. yeah she is the best. so yeah my birthday was awesome and i got both packages... THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH!!! MOM you are seriously absolutely PERFECT!!! i love love love you!!! and abbs... you are seriously the most amazing person alive, thank you SOOOOOO much for the perfect perfect package from the PERFECT PERFECT girl!!

good news is we have a baptism this week!! liliani, the wife of luciano is going to be baptized this weekend!! wooooo!! im super pumped that finally even though the work is bone dry right now, we will have a baptism!! umm... also... we went ot the waterfall... it was SOOOO freaking sweet! seriously the best but as we were leaving, i slipped and fell into the water and lost my camera at the bottom of the lake... i almost cried... 9 months of my mission... gone. every photo taken since i have left home... gone. just like that. and also... the ring abby gave me for my birthday last year. i havent gone a day on my mission without that lucky charm and now its at the bottom of a lake. i have NO IDEA how it happened but yeah.. so you can mark today as like the worst day of my life. now i need to buy a new camera and everything... ive been heartbroken all day. just beating myself up. but it was super fun none the less. we had our whole district, tiago, rodolfo, evelyny, and her kids. so there were 8 missionaries in all, including me. so it was a blast. but i had an experience this week that i just want to tell each and every one of you how much i love you. i love you so much. and life is a short thing. you never know when your moment to pass on is.. and you would never want to leave this world fighting or arguing with one of your family members. you dont want that to be the last thing you remember. so i want you guys to know how much i love you. i am SO  grateful for the protection heavenly father gives us. i am SO grateful for the family that he gave me. and i love you guys more than life itself. literally. and  i love the gospel. talk about life changing experiences... this is the real deal guys. i love my life and i am so grateful for it. 

talk to you all tomorrow... until then.... all my love

Brigs

Walking Mosquito Bite

well i would just like to start of my week of fun by saying holy freak i love my family. seriously i would absolutely LOVE to know what i did to deserve the family i have in the pre mortal life. because that is beyond mystery to me! seriously though. every member of my family is perfect. just flat out perfect! seriously! oh i am just so lucky! so stinkin lucky. first things first.... i am quite prejudice about who my brothers marry. so before you ask whoever you are going to ask... pass it by me okay. and spencer as well. i have yet to meet a girl that is worthy of spencer... hahahahah except for one... sister byrne. pursue spence. when you get home... pursue. but if not her then you as well will have to pass the lucky girl by me. ill be the judge. and my test is very hard to pass. just saying. hahhaah with love.

well my week sure was something. ive been feeling reeeeally crappy these last 2 or 3 days and i have about a gazillion mosquito bites on my legs. man they are just ruthless to me. its like im a big target board. its not fair. clayton for your sake my friend i hope you do not get called to brazil bec you would be a walking mosquito bite. they like white people. no offense. 

so i itch them until they bleed and then i keep itching... so i have like scars on my legs from the dang things. hmmmm oh the sisters had a baptism on sat and i baptized the old lady. OH MY HECK SHE WAS SO FREAKING CUTE!!! seriously she was darling! and.... she hugged me. i didnt hug back... well i guess i kinda did but she was old and crying and she was so sweet and she just threw her arms around me and i just wanted to take this old lady home! i dont know what it is with me and old people  (ladies especially) but man they are just so awesome!! like i siad abbs... old folks home every sat when i get home!

hmmm what else what else.... well we are moving houses. our house is too crowded and frankly it is crappy to try and wash clothes with 9 other missionaries, so elder chase and i are moving on wednesday to the ponta da pria house. that is the house i started in a few months ago. i have mixed feelings about it but im excited. plus our house in INFESTED WITH ANTS. like beyond your comprehension. oh man...if you guys only knew. so we are moving on weds and yeah... we only have 3 more weeks in the transfer so im a little confused but whatevs. that is just part of the mission, constantly moving!

so i had a difficult week guys... this is just hard and sometimes it is very discouraging. we had a baptsim set up for this sat but he didnt come to church. he is a 40 year old surfer who looks like the rich mean guy off of oceans 11 but he is awesome. his name is fabio and he was super pumped but something happened and he didnt go to church. he was doing so good but then satan got to him. its just so discouraging when you try EVERYTHING in  you power to work hard and yet we still dont have investigators at church. its just so freakin hard! anyways i am soo excited for conf this weekend. i love you all and i hope you all had a wonderful week, it sure sounds like you did.

Brig thinks this is Mr Fredrickson from the movie UP!  

Lloyd Christmas Strikes Again

Weeeellllll alrighty. its about that time! so this week... hahah oh man. highs and lows, ill tell ya! first of all.. i am DEAD tired right now. elder maughan and i (yup mom its just like max and jake.. i had a huge crush on them and now they are my best friends) woke up at 5 freakin 30 and ran up a mountain to watch the sunrise. so im just flat out exhausted! it was SOOO worth it though! my heck this place is the most beautiful place on earth... from far away hahah. so we ran like 50 minutes to the mountain and then ran the stairs from hell to the top of the mountain (like at least 500 stairs) and yeah. then we sat there and talked and stuff. it was wonderful. but while i was up there looking over everything and the ocean and ohhh man! so great. i just thought wow... wow.. this is it. i am here. these are the memories. and i thought of how incredibly blessed we are to have a beautiful earth given by our loving heavenly father FOR US!!! then we ran home.

 

... Just a side note.. for those of you who are curious, i looked behind me for a sec and this guy is literally looking at straight up porn. i turned right around and almost busted out laughing. im trying ot think of a clever way to leave the law of chastity pamphelet on his desk without him seeing. teehee what a joke.

 

so anyway something kinda cool that i found out this week, so every painting of the twelve apostles with christ... they all have a beard. every painting. and the bible videos too. except for one person. now the one person is john the beloved. two reasons. one he was the youngest, we know that (freakin boss). and two... in that time period, jews identified themselves being married by having a beard, right? (thank you fiddler on the roof). so he was the only one who wasnt married... but that is also proof that christ was married. now that is obviously not doctrine but i think its quite ironic.

CLAYTON FREAKIN MATTHEW!!!!!!! WILLY WONKA NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!!!! my heck you little freaking boss you! are you serious?? what the crap??? i about peed when i read that last week!!!! that is so FREAKING sweet!! clayton you are such a stud my man! such a stud! herriman high better look out! clayton sharp is on his way! sophomore oreintation!?? what are you doing?? you are not that old yet pal! ohhh my gosh. clay key to highschool.. love seminary and do choir. literally that is the best advice i can give. but you dont need it... youre clayton sharp. you got this in the bag my friend. just be you clayton. be outgoing and be you. and follow your heart... its never let me astray. maybe you can use my heart for a little while... just ask abby for it.  hahahaha just kidding.... okay that was super lame im sorry.

 

ATTENTION: i have officially made a list of qualities and things that my wife WILL have. and i will continue to add to it for the next 20 months. but the most important one... just be like my mother hahaha. just have her teach you everything and youll be good to go! love ya mom. love ya lots.

 

yeah so i sang in church yesterday... it went. haha no it was good i just cant tell you how much i hate singing in portuguese. 

 

so there is this kid named venisius. HE IS MY FREAKING HERO!!!!  he is probably around 9 or 10. he reminds me of quincey soooo much and i just stare at him all sacrament and cry a little bit as i think of my champ of a brother quincey. this kid has a light about him that i have never ever seen. only quincey has it too. its like you can literally see the christlike love and christ through them. oh quince.. i miss you pal. and he has a killer smile too! just like you.

 

hahaha okay so i will send you like three pictures... but one of them cracks me up.

 

LINCOLNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY MY BUDDY!!!!!! are you seriously 9 years old on sunday?!?!? how on earth is that possible??? oh man you are something else kid! i love you to the moon and back! and you best be ready for all the adventures we will go on when i get home!!! mark my words! so happy birthday buddy... i love you.

 

annnnnd now it is inapropriate time. yes i apologize for my spelling. and for this message but... its just me. and yes it is bathroom experience again too. so we ate lunch at that ladies house who fed me the moldy food that one time right mom. the food was GREAT this time and i loved it... but it went straight through me. i literally didnt leave there house before i was dropping it off. i went upstairs and... used the bathroom. but i was making some noises that i didnt know was humanly possible and i was terrified that they could hear them downstairs. the sisters kept calling me and i just couldnt stop. hey elder sharp you done? (obviously not ya moron! is what i wanted to say) but yes it was very humiliating. Lloyd Christmas strikes again.

 

now about the missionary work.. it was a great week. me and elder chase had two blow up days. it was soooo hard. but then we had a heart to heart that night and it has been great ever since. i know he is going through a tough time right now and i need to be more compassionate and humble. and i have learned that you HAVE to talk about your problems. a relationship will never work unless you talk about your problems. it is key. christlike, calmly, collectively, cool, and like elder clark. i am learning so much here. things about life and maturing more than i would like to. but this is how it is supposed to be. without difficulty and without challenges life would be easy. we are here to grow and progress and the only way to do that is to learn how to make the best of everything you have. i know i am supposed to learn a lot from elder chase and i am trying to. what a privilege to learn how to be more like christ.

 

the work is good. i think we will have 4 baptisms it all goes well for the 21st! which is a miracle!! we had an amazing lesson last night and with a member... how it all played out was absolutely send from god. the timing of the events last night could not have been more perfect. but yeah. we taught this lady named carol with this old lady member who ive never met. she was hysterical. member crack me up. she tossed in the book of mormon, tithing, sacrament, all of it on the first lesson. and man.... somehow it worked out perfectly!!! so miracles happen people!! i love His work.

 

anyway that is all i have time for. i love you all so incredibly much! be safe. preston... hey... finish strong my friend. fight the last 4 weeks like you have never fought before. you are the best missionary ive ever met.. tied with spence. spence... just keep it up my friend.

 

i lied one more thing. for those of you who didnt believe i could get more massive (dont worry i was with ya) it happened. these workouts are making me huge. my pectorals are like watermelon and it freaks me out. id tell you all about em but this email doesnt have enough ROOM!! OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  im done now. sorry mom.

 

all my love,

 

Elder Sharp

What Fire?!?

well i have about no time due to the fire that happened... so i apologize!!! i do!

the mission conference was truly incredible this week! and guess what?? we watched meet the mormons!!! because its COMING TO BRASIL!!!!! KAFKLAJSDFKH!!! freaking yeah!!! that will be such a huge tool! such an amazing missionary tool!! oh i am so pumped!!

we had mission choir today. it is so intense and our music if FREAKING hard!!! hahah sis cabral literally has try outs. oh how i love sister and pres cabral! 

the work has been abnormally slow this week because we have been so busy with other stuff and have had barely any time to work in our area! but i have had to lead out sooooo much! so much! i think ill be training next transfer bec of it. i think ill train a brazilian so he can help me with my port but yeah. my port is doing so well. i can understand and talk back just fine. but yeah...it has been a very stressful week. anyways thank you for all the love and prayers! i love you all! have a wonderful week!

Elder sharp