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

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.