Christmas and Time!

I loved being able to talk with you guys, too! I really didn´t have much else to say, but I didn´t want to get off haha! I miss just sitting with the family talking to everyone.  It was really cool because the family whose house we were using was playing monopoly! I was like "ha yaaa great memories!" They actually stopped in the middle of it because it was takin' so long! haha I was like "What!? How can you do that?!" You guys had grilled cheese sandwiches on Christmas?  Man, I miss those!!  :)

But ya, this week was really not that great as far as our work goes..... I´ll admit I´m glad that Christmas has ended. It's great every other time of my life, but for a missionary it seems like the month is filled with meetings and trainings and parties that it makes hard to focus, but it's also real fun... just not when you see the numbers for the week! Haha.

Something really awesome finally happened! I finally got to baptize!!! Man did I miss that joy I felt yesterday, and now that I´ve figured out what I need to do, I´ve got 9 months to make up the the lost 7 I had this last year!

Man I can´t believe how fast time is goin' now! Transfers are already here again next week! And also this week will mark a year in Brazil!? What the!? haha it's went by waaay too fast! But it's good I´m seeing it because now I know how precious time is and I just got to get my head down and work like crazy for this last bit!!

I love y'all!!!
Elder Sharp

Semana Antes de Natal (Week before Christmas)

This week was great! I loved it so much!  We had worked real hard this week for our investigators! We also had a Christmas "get together," and it was great!  I was part of the program, too! I sang in a group that my zone made and also the Mission Choir! Man, I didn´t realize how much I missed singing with people that can actually sing! We sang "A Tiny Child Will Come" and "Joy to the World" (em português)  We also had brownies for dessert! (That´s a rarity in Brazil! They usually just make chocolate cake and call it brownie) It was great to see a lot of old friends, and sadly it was the last time I´ll get to see a few other friends - one that had really changed my mission, Elder Alonzo, and also another that is actually waiting to serve in Mesa, Arizona Elder Parrella. It was also weird because they did the last testimony of a lot of real good friends of mine! Man, I feel so old on the mission... all my friends are going home! haha 

But this week I had a really cool experience! I went on splits with the other elders in my district and served with Elder Jesus again (from Embu!).  It was really cool to see how much I've learned since serving with him! Usually he was the one always leading the conversations and  the lesson, but this time it was more even - if anything I was leading more and also saw that there were things that he had also gotten better at.  I pointed them out to him and he didn´t seem to have noticed that he had changed.  It made me realize that we are really changing more then we think we are! And that thanks to This Gift that God has given us, His Son, We´re able to change this way with the new year coming up.  I've been thinking of a few Goals I want to make with God for Him to help help His children! Man, I´m really excited for 2015 - It's gonna be great! 

I love Y'all!

Elder Sharp

P.s. I´ll be calling on the 24 with all the details of what's going to happen on Christmas!

Recent family who was baptized

14 Months!

Beautiful Sunrise over Autodromo

Elder Parrella

Elder Alonzo

A law in Brazil:

"Before you get on the elevator, make sure it's on the correct floor" 

haha

Awesome Conference!!!

 Man, Kody is really starting to look more confident and like an athlete - it's really cool to see! Glad to here all is well! Speaking of Christmas, I have no idea when I´ll call you, but I´ll get to call on Christmas Eve with more details...

This week was pretty great! We got to have a conference with Pres. Costa! Man was it cool!!  He said that when General Authorities shake hands, they are having a mini-interview with us! I was like what!? He said that he didn't have a talk written or a training planned- that he would go off the Spirit and what he studied with a questionnaire that we did about our work.  He actually, while teaching us, answered all of our questions! Without asking! He also told Presidente Dalton that our mission was so spiritual, that he felt that he should tell us things he wouldn´t have told other missions! (He goes to missions and talks to them once a week!) It was a conference really inspiring for my life and mission! The part that was really important was when he said he KNOWS that Joseph Smith saw a pilçar of light and that he KNOWS that light.  The power of his testimony was so strong! I loved it! 

Also, this week we taught a lady that's been learning about the church for I think 4 or 5 months..... And she's now going to be baptized on the 27th of Dec.! She´s just gotta stop smoking, and we´re gonna teach her about temples and the work that goes on there (she´s lost her mom and her daughter) When we taught her about the plan of Happiness, she lit up -- it was so cool! She wants to be with her mom and sister forever, and now she knows that there's a way to get there!!

I love being a missionary!

And I love y'all!

Elder Sharp

Interlagos!

I´ve moved 3 time this year (which for a missionary is very little hehehe I love it!) So ya I´m loving it here in Interlagos! This place is really awesome!  We´re teaching a lot here and findin a lot of people to teach.  Sadly this week we had no one in church agh! It's really annoying because we fought hard for them this week! ...and still the enemy one....just for this week! For sure we´re gonna fight real hard for the one that we´re already teaching and really teach them about opposition (a new lesson that Pres. Dalton made) and we´ll be able to have baptisms for sure in these coming weeks!

Recently I´ve been learning a lot about faith and I´ve changed the way I invite people. I´ve learned that faith literally is an action.  I`m literally acting as if the people I already talk to already said yes, and it changes the way they react.  They almost can´t say no!  I´ve learned about applying things that I´ve learned, too.  Me and elder decided we´re going to apply everything new that president taught us and miracles are happening!  We had a lady that's been in investigating the church for almost a year and she told she want to be baptized.  She´s been trying to stop smoking for awhile alone and almost did it, but now with us there she´ll be stopping soon and already be baptized! It looks it's gonna be a white Christmas for us!

I love you all! thanks for your support!

Elder Sharp

Thanksgiving Lunch

Autódromo!

 

Sunrise!

My name!

Really old style of pia batismal! 

Someone broke into the church!

Elder Richins and I 

 Ya missions destroy insole but the shoes will be good for another 4 months! 

Then I´ll have my other pair to finish the mission!

Quick Hello

Hey mom sorry today is going to be a little short, but I want you to know I love my new area! I´m with Elder Richins! I was his district leader in the MTC and now we´re together in a great place called Interlagos.  Have dad look up Autodromo de São Paulo and you´ll see my apt from there! 

If I have time after I´ll write more.  

I love you!
Elder Sharp