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

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