Final Email

Today we´re going to be visiting our old areas. Man, it's strange being on my last week already and the opposition seems to be harder and harder for me to keep working hard... but then I think of my mission and I think of how disappointing it would be to relax now with just 3 and a half days left to actually work! AGH! Me and my Companion are making goals, and we´re going to make our area explode so that I don´t leave a dead area for my Comp and his new trainer.  We have high goals, but they´re attainable!

Well this week we were fighting a lot to find people to be able to baptize before I go home, but none of them were home... but we were teaching one lady who was progressing really slowly, but she was progressing (She talks A LOT)  We talked to her and told her we wanted to help her get baptized this week, and she just started to cry! I shouldn´t be excited about this, but they were good tears.  She´ll be my last baptism as a missionary.  We also taught a South African this week.  He's cool.  He doesn't speak much Portuguese and so I try and teach in English, but haha it's almost instinct now to teach in Portuguese - but it's working out!  He´s marked for the 25 of Oct.  That's about it this week.  I did a few divisions with Elder Richins this week, too.  He seems to be improving a lot everyday.  It's really great to see that, too! 

Well, since this is the last time I'll probably be able to write you.... I know that this church is the true church here on earth.  Heavenly Father is our loving Father and He loves us so much that He has given us His son as a sacrifice so that we could be in his presence again.  There is nothing that I can possibly do to repay for that wonderful sacrifice.  I am a changed man because of my Savior, and I know that there´s no way I can go back.  Joseph Smith restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness through modern-day revelation!  We have a living Prophet today who holds and exercises all the keys of the priesthood! The Book of Mormon, along with the Bible, is the word of God! 

That's about it - I love y'all! 

Elder Sharp

Finishing strong!

 I'm really glad I'm here.  I'm right next to the Elder that really helped change me, my Mission, and my life! I would have to say the person that helped change my life would be Elder Richins.  He help me see what person I could be with the Lord's help.  He also has given me strength, seeing him fight as he kept on working, even though he was feeling so bad!  I also saw that the Father know us and He loves us so much and lets us go through the difficulties that we go through because we can make it through and become a better and stronger person through these trials! 

I'm trying to remember the talk that touched me the most, but sadly I'm not able to remember anymore the one that I think touched was also from Elder Hales.  He helped answer a lot of the questions I had for Heavenly Father. I forgot to bring my notebook to write notes for both Sat. and Sun. so I'm not able to remember.  Well, I'm going to have to study it better after at home! 

Presidente really is inspired to know where I needed to be.  There are 2 missionaries here that I needed them and they needed me, and we´re ending our mission together! It's been great!  When we had 2 yrs on the mission, we ate 3 pizzas! haha I love my new area and, again, my new son (missionary that I'm training) is pre-trained haha! But it's OK because I'm able to focus on helping my zone and Elders Richins and Ward finish their mission strong! 

We baptized this week, but I forgot my camera! agh sorry but the man we baptized had depression (again haha), and he was so happy after his Baptism he was a different person.  He has a lot of need the Church will help him.  Then when he's self-sufficient, he'll be a strong holder of the priesthood! It also looks like we'll have another baptism this week!

I love you all so much.  I can´t wait to see y'all, but I'm also pushing through till the end.  I have 2 weeks to be a representative of Christ, and I can't waist the Lord's time!

Elder Sharp

Final countdown!

Agh! I already have my topic for Sacrament Meeting!?! Ai ai this mission is too fast! 

I love Sis. Dalton.  She is like my "vicarious" mom. haha She really is loving to us - her and Pres. Dalton.(that doesn´t mean I don´t consider you a good mom - it's just how I think of her.) 

So this week we were working really hard to help Weber and his family be baptized! They're progressing great and will be baptized next week. Sadly, though, I was transferred.  President called me on Saturday and said,  "Well... you're going to be a bit busy for your last few days......"  Arrrgh haha...  So with 3 weeks left on my mission I will be a Zone Leader and a trainer in a new area.  I entered into a bit of a panic the first minute, and I almost cried because of the baptism this week, but I had told President that of course I would accept that the Lord has given me an assignment, and I cannot deny Him."  And luckily I had told president about my baptism and he said I can go back! I am really hoping to go back to Embu Guaçu! It's very possible that it will happen!! But I don´t know yet, we´ll have to see. :)  

Anyway, that is about all that was exciting for me that happened!  Oh, we´re teaching a man called Francisco that has a really bad drinking problem that we are helping.  He´s doing well.  Sadly his family (Brother and Sisters) don't really support him, so we're working hard to help him, too.  

The last family we´re helping is a young couple called Taina and Paulo.  They really want to learn, but sadly her husband works then goes straight to college so we couldn´t talk to them until Friday, but when we taught them they were really curious and wanted to hear more about what the church thought of gay marriage and, well, marriage in general.  It was a really spiritual lesson!

There's more people, but these are the ones who are progressing most! 

I love Y'all!

Só Famílias Eternas!

Elder Sharp

September 21, 2015

This week we found several families, and two of them were married!  One actually was already praying with his family everyday BEFORE we found them! We are also helping another family who wants to be baptized the first Sunday of next month .... We actually don´t know if we'll be able to because it will be conference, but we will talk to the bishop and see if he´ll let us ... agh forgot about the conference.  Oh well, everything will be OK.  This family is very good!  Saturday we had a lesson with them to fully understand our purpose, because we wanted so much to see that they are in the church.  He understood that it was because we want to help him be an eternal family!  And they were much more firm and went to church at last!

I'm using the time I have left to get references from people and help people get baptized.  It's really funny, but really cool because it is working.  This week was a really challenging week.  I have to work to relax and not stress myself out because of everything that's happening with my mission ending.  I hate when things end-_- Oh well - it'll all be great! I talked to my Father in Heaven, and He's helping me out.  I know it'll all be okay!

Só Famílias Eternas!

Elder Sharp

Baptismo!

Something I've learned about prayer is we need to tell the Lord why we want a specific blessing and what we'll do to receive it and also what we'll do when we have it.  Not that God doesn't know, but it helps to realize that our desire is just! And we realize that we have more faith to receive the help from God. I´ve seen this helps me a lot.

It surprisingly cool down a lot here!!!  It's weird because it's suppose to be getting warmer here, haha, but it's the coldest it's been all year! It should warm up this week with lots of Sun!!!! Yesssss! haha! I gotta as much heat as possible... there's not gonna be a summer this year for me!

So Anderson was baptized, but we found out this week that he does not live in our area, but in the area of ​​other the elders.  It was a challenge not being able to count it as our baptism, but I prayed a lot and calmed down enough to remember that he was baptized!  It's a child of God who entered into His herd.  I realized that I was focused more on the numbers than these souls behind the numbers.  Elder Rose was not helping much, throwing in my face, but it's alright.  It was still an amazing baptism. Anderson told me when we were changing our clothes, "The next one [baptism] will be in the temple right?"  It was exciting to hear that he had this vision, and I knew that no matter where that number was, a soul was saved!  He is already well integrated with the members.  He also had a lot of opposition, but we had warned him that the week before baptism would be a test... And man did he have opposition!  But he won!  He will get the priesthood next week!

That's about it as far as huge things.  We're having trouble following up with people we find, but we're now knocking on doors again! It's funny, because I started my mission knocking doors then I got here and learned that it doesn´t work here... but now we're doing it again!!

That's about it!  I love y'all. Trust me - I'm fighting strong until the last minute!

Só Famílias Eternas!

Elder Sharp

Baptismo!! 

Some one knocked over the hive and gave us some of the honeycomb!

PIZZA!

My comp had a little speaker and it exploded! 

The other elders got a mask haha we had some fun

It rained A LOT

Salgadinhos!

September already!

So this week we did some of the best work we could´ve we really tried really hard to do everything we could to help this family (Weber's family) go to church but they didn´t go -_- I got super stressed because this Sunday was the last Sunday so now my last transfer has started 0.o agh!!!  I'm really wanting to help as many people as possible before I go.  I know that I am, but I still wanna do more, but then another Elder in our house, Elder Rosa, (he'll be writing you today - He's got one less transfer than me) helped me remember that this is the Lord´s work and that as I try hard, I will be blessed and everything thing will be according to the Lord's word.  So I'm going to keep going and learning - and I know that it'll all be ok! :)

Anyway, the miracle of the week! This week was a miracle! We taught this guy in church and then found him there on Saturday, but it was locked.  So me and Elder Maciel ran to pick up the key to the church of the other elders and came back, but then the door was locked and we didn´t have a key. We were leaving and just marcing for another day, but I decided before he left to ask if he had any doubts, and he said,  "Yes!"  It surprised me because he usually doesn´t have questions, but then the question was "How long will it take to be baptized after I decide to be baptized?" WOOO What a miracle! I've tried to mark him before, but he never accepted!! Now he was marking himself!  He's already gone to church for four Sundays now and will be baptized on Saturday!

I love this work!

Só Famílias Eternas!

Elder Sharp

Multizone conference!

Frustrations and Joy

I heard Bruno is home the young men brought him the sacrament Sunday.  I want to visit him. I don´t have much time during the day, but I'll go there for sure. 

So this week was really frustrating we had worked really hard and did our best to help these families Sadly, however, the opposition was better this time so they didn't go to church, but its not over yet! We're having a lot of help from the Lord and we have a possibility of teaching 4 new families along with the other 2 families! I'm super excited about this!!  We're really gettin' a lot of help from the Lord. 

This week I had many experiences with the Atonement! I love testifying of the power of the Atonement! We´ve been using Alma 7:11-13 a lot and every time we testify of the power it has to change our life and make us have peace, the people change almost completely! 

This week we talked to Vanessa and she started crying (I hate seeing women cry [edit: Get used to it son - Dad]) because of her situation she has a husband that sometime doesn´t even come home from work but goes straight to the bar and drinks and never leaves for, like, 3 days. And she works all day everyday except for Sunday and has no time to rest but as we told of the suffering of Christ she seemed to feel better and it helped her alot! She'll be at church next week for sure!

My comp is doing great he's really learning a lot! He's really shy but is starting to open up more! We're great friends! I want to write more but the computer is being dumb this area is really bad about that remember?

That´s about it! Sorry its short but this key board is terrible!

Só Famílias Eternas!

Elder Sharp

Great Week!

Man, Dustin is a "natural missionary!!" If he keeps up this courage, he will go far in the mission and the church, too! 

We´re doing great in our area! We are seeing many miracles ! This week we met two families! A young couple who have two young children and another family that the man said he would leave his work if he had to travel far from them, so he definitely wants an Eternal Family! They both are golden! This week we had to work from 9:30 am til 19:00 hrs because the police did something dumb, and we had be home earlier (don't worry I'm not in danger :) everyone knows the missionaries and respects us) but we are super excited to be able to work in the afternoon because these families can only be taught TOGETHER at night.  We forced ourselves not to get discouraged and just keep working hard and not lose faith that obedience will bring blessings from the Lord!  And man, has He blessed us with a lot of strength and energy!  One thing that we started praying for is to have a greater force than our opposition, and He blessed us with this strength for sure! 

This week we also saw an Apostle!! Yup Elder Anderson visited us! I have gotten to see him personally twice now on my mission! It was really great! He gave an apostolic blessing! He explained about the Atonement of Christ and how little we are able to do, but that doesn't mean we are helpless because His sacrifice helps us to be better instruments in His hands! As always, with something as powerful as this, we have more opposition, so we´re already feeling more opposition today - but we cannot and will not let it drag us down!

I love y'all!

Só Famílias Eternas!

Elder Sharp

My Last Area

I`m back in Riviera!!! Wooo! And even crazier, my new companion has 3 weeks now on the mission!! It's so great to be back here! Sadly, it's not Embu Guacu, but I still am super excited.  This area is so great, and the ward is awesome, too! My companion is really cool! He is the only member in his familia (that's active) and he really is learning well!  He has a desire to talk to those around him and preach this gospel, but he's a bit shy. So I get to be an instrument in helping him be less shy! :D

Well, I got here and this area didn't have anything!  No one was marked for baptism and no families to teach yet.  So we went crazy looking for new people to teach and, well, we're finding FAMILIES!! What we´ve started doing is ask for references LIKE CRAZY!! And Heavenly Father is helping!  Until now I've only been finding families and not just individuals! It's so great.

We sadly got so wrapped up in finding people to teach that we hadn´t really focused on getting people to church! URG!  Really dumb mistake... but it's ok.  We're gonna get better this week.

It's really crazy that basically I finish his training, then I'm home! But really I don't feel any trunkiness.  I think that's why I was given someone to train, so that I don´t get trunky. Haha I don't know, but I'm super excited for the future!  I made a plan with Hheavenly Father, and I know that as I do my part, He will do His.  I will find and baptize these families!!

I love y'all! Keep up the great missionary work!

Elder Sharp

Ps. There's a great book I was given permission to read called "The Power of a Member Missionary" that's really good and would be excellent help!

Work is Great!

The work is going great here! This week we had a great miracle!  We had someone to baptize, but she had not gone to church last week.  We ran after her, but unfortunately we could not talk to her Wednesday through Saturday night. Certainly much we tried really hard to find her at home, call her, or anything, but nothing. We thought "Okay, it's only opposition.  We will keep praying and trying to find her." Then, Saturday we did a division for me to interview an investigator of the Zone Leaders, and Elder Córdova and Elder Escajeda stayed in the area.  They tried to go to many people's houses, but simply did not have anyone at home. So they went to Rose (the lady that was to be baptized) and miraculously was home!! She passed the interview, and she was baptized!  Now her son wants to baptized next week !! What a blessing! Unfortunately, I am being transferred and will not see their baptism, but I know I'm being transferred to help other families.  Surely this means that my new area has these three families who I have to find and save!! 

I'm working pretty hard and pushing myself to not let the thought of going home mess me up.  It's really hard because no one lets you forget it... but I'm getting a lot of help from the Lord and learning, too! I'm really learning a lot with my weaknesses, and that I won't get better right away, but only as I keep working diligently.  It's hard to remember when you feel like there's no time left. 

Thanks!

Elder Sharp 

This Week

So, I got a trunky phone call.....they want know which Airport I'm coming home in.....It's the Nashville International, right?  

This week was pretty cool.  I had set some really high goals for myself to do before I get home, and, well, they were kinda unrealistic, so I was stressing myself out because of this.  I was getting reminded how much time is left. (The members are great with that haha), but other than that, we had a great week! 

Elder Córdova is my companion now! He's been helping me calm down and remember that having fun is important in the work! He's going home in December, so we're both really dedicated at finishing with a bang! 

This week we went to Sylvana´s house and helped her through the hard times.  She's such a fighter with her husband in the situation he is. Her life is hard, but she's fighting.  She really wants to find peace, and she knows we can bring it. We are trying to help her 13-yr-old son, Miguel, but he's kinda rebellious, so he said he wasn't going to go to church and that he'd go ride his bike with his friend. -_- So Elder Córdova cursed his bike!  He said, "If you ride and you don´t go to church, your wheel will break."  haha It was funny because he and his friend got really worried and said, "Alright!  We'll go!  Just take off the curse!" ... but they didn't go, so we'll see about that bike.

We also were SUPER close to baptizing this week, but sadly our investigator slept with her "member" boyfriend. So she was suppose be separated dele buuut she decided that they should get married. So at least she wasn't baptized, and then went back to him.  That would've been really bad... but still it was really sad because she REALLY wants to be baptized, but can't because she has to divorce from her EX to be able to marry her boyfriend. 

That's about it for now! 

Love y'all!

Elder Sharp

Lots of pictures!

Thanks for the all the emails! And cool beans.  Help with missionary work is really good for feeling the spirit.  You get to feel the same spirit i feel here...or at least for a moment but it's really good "spirit food!" 

This week was really stressful and hard, but we fought hard and I survived the week!! hahaha My Companion was transferred and President said I'll love my new comp so I'm pretty excited! We tried really hard to help a lady get baptized this week (She would've been a miracle!) but she disappeared Saturday and we couldn´t get hold of her-_- but we have people who are getting ready this week.  One is Rose.  She's super golden sadly her daughter was ran over by a car and she was sad/mad at Heavenly Father and she says that everyday we come by she feel like she's getting better and feeling more and that she's going to work hard at talking with heavenly father better. But sadly she didn´t go Sunday - Arrg. It's all gonna work out in the end, though!

We´re also teaching a family that is really wanting to learn but is having a lot of difficulty fighting off opposition but this week We'll be able to be closer to them to help them be baptized sadly the husband is having a difficulty with Alcohol and when he drinks he get a little mad (he doesn't hit or anything just threatens) and so we're getting him to stop.  He drank about 3 out of 7 days last week so that's an improvement, but he's not willing to do what we ask him to to help stop, so it's hard but other then that the rest of the family is really interested in our lessons! There's a kid there that's 13 yrs old and he is really interested. Which surprises his mom a lot. So that means the spirit is helping him a lot!

Well that's about it this week I love you guys!

Elder Sharp

One of the photos is of our bishop and his family and the other is the family I was talking about.

My view from my apartment

We put something in our hair. I dont know what it is in English, but it did some cool stuff with our hair.

Some cool things I saw

Pastel with icecream and chocolate!!

I bought A&W cream soda and bought a frozen pizza for lunch - I was in heaven!

My comp ate food from his culture, too. Cuscus with feijoada! It's really good, too.

New Area

Sounds like fun!! Glad to hear it was all fun for ya'll at Chattanooga its a cool thing to travel for July 4th! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM, by the way (I hadn't forgotten).  Sounds like it'll be fun!

My week went great! It was for sure a challenge. And I know why I was called to help this Elder and sadly lost a little focus this week. ARGG but we asked our bishop where he thinks we should work where there are families for us to baptize, and oh ya my comp suddenly remembers that we needed to be working in a different part that bishop had already indicated-_- but it's ok.  We're going to be doing great this week! We don't have anyone to teach yet, but on Thursday I had to go to a meeting for District Leaders argh again haha, and so I went with the other District Leader from my zone and on the way back a member called Elder McLaren (other District Leader) and said that we had to come to a Syrian friend of her´s house....So we ran there and we taught them in English....It was actually really good.  There was a spirit there that was so strong that they could feel it. They are Orthodox Christians, and they loved the idea of one true church, and since they grew up near Rome and Jerusalem they knew a lot about Christ and His life.  They walked where He walked and that seemed to help them have a lot of faith,  It was really cool to see!

I love y'all

Elder Sharp

Baptism and New Area!

YUP Guilherme called me and read it (his mission call) to me!!! It was really cool! I felt like I was helping a little brother or something, and he's finally going on a mission! 

And weeeeelllllll I'm not really suppose to know yet but I guess president trusts me because he's already told me about where I'm going (Campo de Fora) and also that I'm going to be helping a missionary that has a reputation in the mission for being difficult to be around. So I'm off to have another great challenge AND find the rest of those families I asked for. I'm pretty excited!! It's really gonna be good to have something to occupy my mind so that I can avoid getting trunky and help a missionary!

This past week we had 2 people baptized! Laudinei and Tiele! They were so excited for their baptism. Laudinei had chosen me to baptize her! After she came out of the water she just covered her face and cried from the happiness she felt for finally being able to follow our Savior better than she was before! The rest of the family should be baptized next week! It was so cool - the older son of Laudinei (Ederson) came up to be and gave me a hand shake and said "Thanks!" He needs to be married, but he's ready for baptism.  He doesn't work on Sundays!!!!! 

I really cant think of much else.  Yesterday Ana Julha asked me to be the one to baptize her, but I'm leaving tomorrow and we are no longer allowed to come back to our old areas to see baptisms.....which is really sad because she really doesn't a great life but is wanting to change!! But rule are made, and I gotta keep them to get the blessings of God!

I LOVE Y'ALL even more than before since I only have one hour and a half to think about you a week! 

Thanks for the support!

Elder Sharp

Baptism for Laudinei and Tiele.   

PIZZA de Bacon!!

Elder Bitnoff from Rio de Janeiro mission

Ana Julha 

King Kong!  Ya... it's P-Day!

Families and Miracles!

I love that song (AMAZING GRACE), too! My mission in Washington used to sing that all the time! It really helped me a lot because Satan tried and is trying to convince that I couldn't possibly be worthy of Christ's love and grace, but then I'd hear that song and peace always came.  I know it's true - "my chains are gone, I've been set free, my Lord and Savior has rescued me! And like a flood His mercy rains, unending love - amazing grace" Those words have help a lot during my mission and still do!!

This week we have had many, many miracles!! We are currently teaching 6 FAMILIES !! Wow! God is good!!  Really- He is fulfilling his part. I do not know if you remember, but had made a goal with Heavenly Father that I wanted to baptize/complete families. And it's really happening!!

I will only talk about one of them, the family Laudinei (she has 10 children under age has nine years!) is scheduled for 28/06 days.  They are really making great progress!  They accept everything we teach to them and are asking all day is going to have tomorrow. haha! They loved the church. Actually teaching groups is very good too! Unfortunately, we are facing a difficulty with soft people always going to be taught and are very noisy..... we do not know exactly what to do with this because the Spirit could be much stronger for those who are really willing to learn. But in the end, it is very good to teach these people!

I love this work!!

Love you ALL

Elder Sharp

Ya pizza again!  The new secretaries arrived. The one in blue is going to take my place!

The Miracles Have Begun!

So, since I have made this promise with Heavenly Father we have had a miracle happen!

I'm able to focus much better during lessons now, and God is blessing us too! Elder Hendrickson and I are finding many people to teach! For example we went to a house and the woman said that Jesus commanded us to help her to "preach the word!"  She was recently feeling that she needs be devoted more to God! AND SHE SAID THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT CHURCH TO GO TO, TO HELP HER !! Felizmentena (fortunately) the church is focusing much missionary work! And it is also inviting people to hear our message yesterday in ensinos (teaching) a group of 10 PEOPLE!!! WOO God is so good !!

Oh, and also I'm being taken out of the office, too. So I gonna be teaching Elder Hendrickson how to do my job then on the 30th I'm out!! OH YA!! Pres. said he has been feeling very strongly that God has miracles and experiences for me to end my mission and that the Lord wants to me to have outside of the office. So it was fun here, but I'm ready to be out.  I've learned a lot, but the biggest thing I've learned is that I don't do office jobs haha! 

That's about it Love you!!

Elder Sharp

Ps I'll send pics!

Elder Ferreira cut my hair!

Trash earlier from us cleaning our house!!! It was over 5 of those huge black bags

There are monkeys here instead of squirrels