Treinamento Demais!

This week was full of a lot of training! We had the regular meeting on Tuesday with the Zone.  Then the next day we had a training about how to plan.  The next we had a training on being good missionaries or something like that -- I´m translating it haha. It was really great though, because I got learn a lot.  The president of the mission (President Pinho) loves practicing for every principle that is taught so we practiced a lot too. It's really good though, because I get to see how much I improve every time and it's also getting easier to understand everyone! 

This week I read a lot about patience during the my personal study and different attributes of Christ.  I learned that I gotta remember that God has a plan for me and that all things will come in HIS time not mine.  It's a difficult thing to learn, but he´s definitely teaching me to be patient for His time and now I´m not so stressed.   Me and my companion are getting a long way better now that I´ve realized that I gotta be more patient a relax and Just be me! 

This week I taught about the restoration more than usual.  When I talked about Joseph Smith and his experience, I felt the Lord telling me, "Elder Sharp, this actually happened!" and I know that Joseph Smith really did restore the Church of Jesus Christ again here on Earth and that everyone can know through prayer and study with an open heart and a willing mind!

This week will end my 5 month! It's so crazy how fast it's going! I´ll be home way too fast! That's really cool about the Book of Mormon class Wednesday night you are having there.  We had that too in Washington and we would invite everyone to it. It was really good because if we had investigators that didn´t want the lesson but liked the class they´d go to the class.  The teacher of the class let me and Elder Lowe teach the first lesson. A sneaky way of doing it but whatever works to get them to hear it. 

Tomorrow we are going to the temple!  I was wrong  - we actually go every 3 months if we stay in the same zone.  My companion was very lucky and got to go every month for his first 6 or 7 transfers because he´d get emergency transferred.  I´m really excited for tomorrow! 

Today I going on splits with a member! Aagh I don't feel ready and was SUPER stressed yesterday but then I read about the Army of Helaman and that they were willing to go to battle and had no fear or doubt and they had NEVER fought in their lives... and now I feel peace and that Heavenly father will help me understand what the investigators say and help them understand me. It was really good for me! 

That's about if for news....oh we had 150 baptisms this month as a mission! 

Love y´all and I am prayin' for y´all every day

Elder Sharp

P.s Read the Scriptures and pray everyday!

I made a cake in the microwave!

Coco e Cocô

Well this week was pretty crazy! It started out really hot! Then bam rained for 3 or 4 days straight! It's raining today, too! I´m really glad it is because people are in a better mood now that the weather isn't super hot.  On Saturday, we were walking to our last appointment. and when we arrived the mom of the family was really surprised that we came at all and was saying you guys are all wet!  We said, "Ya, it's kinda raining a lot!" haha but She looked at us differently because of it and I think she realized how important they are to us. 

We started teaching this family on Tuesday and every lesson a family member doesn't want to be a part of it, so we´re just down to the son whose name is Douglas.  I think that after his baptism the rest of the family will come around eventually! 

This month and next month our mission is doing familia de Sião (families of Zion) and it's really cool.  Each companionship has a goal of finding 3 families to teach and working with members, part-member families and less-active members to have strong new members.  (We should be doing this already but that's what the focus is haha) We have 1 and a half right now (half is Douglas and his family) 

I get to go to the temple twice in my mission if I´m lucky! haha We are a little further away though so it understandable.  This week was a struggle for me teaching the Plan of salvation. I don't know why but I keep complicating it in my mind and it's not good, but I´m working on it and my comp fills in what I forget.  Mom, your email helped me out, too. This morning during personal study I read Alma 29 and 32 - they´re really good!  I don't know why, but I can speak Portuguese fine with other missionaries and in conversation but not when I´m teaching... just gotta practice more!  

And the title of this email:

Coco is coconut and Cocô is poop... and yes i mixed them up and I´ll let you figure out my embarrassment  :P

Any way... Amo Você! Tém uma bom semana!

Elder Sharp

  "Blessing from God"  (A view from our apartment.  That is our church building.)

My district with a member: 

Transfers!

Well Transfers came, and I´m staying here in Embu Gauçu! What a blessing!  We have 2 families we´re teaching, and my ward has a goal of 50 men with the priesthood so we can split the ward and have a Cipo Stake!  Pretty exciting things are happening. 

We also had another baptism on Saturday. It was really weird because the girl is REALLY shy and didn't want anyone there but her family and the members that had to be there (bishop, Ward mission leader). It was a very small baptism but still just as powerful.  The next day (Sunday) she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost!  Rodrigo (last week's Baptism) received the Priesthood and got to pass the sacrament.  He was so excited and his family finally has a priesthood holder in their house! 

This week was really hard for us because my comp was sick, I had allergies, and it was HOT all week, so our numbers weren't that great, but as we looked at the results of our work, we were really happy with it and know what we have to work on to improve!

Chião!

Elder Sharp

First Coconut Water!   (It wasn't as good as dad described - Ha!  :P)

The pizza is delicious!  It has chocolate in the crust - I love it!

   My district

  

My Zone

Fevereiro Já!?

This week was hot! We walked so much, but it's a great opportunity to ask people for water - (ya we can just ask random people for water) and then after we drink it, we invite them to here a message or visit the church with us next Sunday. It's a really good opportunity. 

This week was good.  We met one lady named Maria that wants to get baptized but has a crazy schedule so it's really hard to get into contact with her in person.  We also had another baptism on Sunday. His name is Rodrigo, and he´s the son of our first baptism in January. After her baptism, he asked "How can I do what you guys are doing?!"  We answered, "Uh, get baptized, quit smoking and drinking, and follow the commandments... then you can start preparing for being a missionary...can you do that?"  He replies "Porque não é facil não?" (translated it is:  Why not it's easy, no?)  Haha, It was really cool!  He´s super pumped to get the priesthood and start preparing to be a missionary! 

We literally have rice and beans everyday but the members get creative with it, and we usually have chicken, too. We have to always eat with our utensils... it's hard to do with a chicken leg!

That's about it as far as exciting things this week. 

Amo Vocês 

Elder Sharp  

Picture from last week when there was a baptism of Solange and her four daughters.  

Rodrigo's Baptism

Family of Five!

This week was crazy.  It rained hard for 3 days which was good because we were super hot. And when I say hard I mean I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me. But it was cool because there was thunder and lighting, and there was a flash behind us (we were talking to someone on their front porch) and then BOOM - it was super loud but really cool. This week we walked a lot! But it's all worth because we baptized a family of 5! It is a mom and 4 daughters. It was so awesome to see the anticipation the day before and just before they got baptized. When we first taught them, the Mom didn't like religion at all but then we taught her about Joseph Smith and the restoration and they were a little more open.  So we taught them some more and they are now super excited members of the church and with great testimony. It's crazy how close me and my comp feel to them after just a couple weeks.  The young daughters are twins (9 yrs-old) and they are super curious and always have a question. The mom smoked and the whole family drank coffee, but quit and are still doing well with that. The oldest (Giovana) is 12 yrs old, and she took a little longer to feel that this church was true, but a couple days before the baptism she asked me if I would baptize her -- Man that was a great day! Then there's Julia (10 yrs-old) and she is a really shy little girl but is definitely a strong young lady who was always listening to us intently. Ah I just love this family!!  I really hope I don't get transferred next transfer! 

Well that's all that really happened this week that was super exciting. I´m having my Companion correct me every time I say a word wrong, and he´s having to correct me less and less everyday.  It's really exciting to see my progress. I hoping for fluency by the end of March!  

Something really cool happened this week I was asked to talk to some people that are learning English in English (a reason for me to be there and teach them) and it was hard haha! It's natural now for me to speak Portuguese!!  I was super excited for this realization! 

Thanks for the prayers and the update I´m so grateful for it!

Amo Vocês!

Elder Sharp

First Baptismo!

This week has been Awesome!  Me and my companion estamos are doing great. We are teaching 2 families right now and baptized a mom of a member Saturday!  It was so amazing and powerful....There's no way to describe the joy that came with teaching her and baptizing her!! She quit smoking and drinking cold turkey and was definitely a golden investigator (I have pics Below).

We have a family baptism next Saturday and they also quit drinking and smoking and are strong too! There's 5 of them - a mom and 4 filhas. It's so cool because when we found them, the mom didn't believe in religion porque muitas churches were corrupt and took advantage of people so she didn't believe in organized religion. Now she's super excited to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and live with her family forever! It's crazy to see the effect the gospel has on people in improving their lives and making them happier. 

I´m doing a lot better with the language. Still gotta get a handle on conjugations and making sentences, but I am improving every day and it's not so strange for me to speak it now.  Exciting stuff seeing when I say the correct words to people and they talk back and I actually understand them...usually haha. 

Well, that´s all for now! Chião! 

Elder Sharp

This Week in Brazil

This week has been awesome. We have a Baptism on the 18th! My first one!!  She is a prime example of someone who wants that change in their life! We also started teaching a family of 5, too, and they´re getting baptized the 24! It's so crazy to see the Gospel work in people's lives - from not knowing anything about the church to wanting to be baptized - it's a huge faith builder for me!

Portuguese isn´t as bad as I thought. I´m improving so much everyday and can actually understand almost anyone (unless they speak really fast) and I can talk to anyone too. I don't always conjugate the words right, but My companion is teaching me and corrects me whenever we talk. We talk a lot cause we walk everywhere. I can see how people go through a lot of shoes on a mission here. I don't mind the walking either.  We get to talk to everyone we pass and when it is cloudy, the weather is really nice here!

I´m slowly getting darker every day too - haha.  My companion is really dark so I look really white next to him. I haven't got burned yet (knock on wood).  I´ve learned why missionaries don't have cars, too. It's because no one believes in using brakes here... and the motorcyclists don't follow the line on the road. They just weave in between cars. The bikes here look nice though; I love lookin at them, even though I can't ride them. 

Well that's all the news I've got from Brasil! It's great here and I´m loving the people. As I learn more of the language, the people seem to change from foreign to normal - it's really interesting.

Amo vocês!

Elder Sharp

Me and my companion:

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My roommates :

The Shower

Before a storm - Belleza!