Sorry- this week has been BUSY. We were able to email back and forth with Preston as a family on Monday for a few mins. since we were traveling home from Oregon when he emailed. That doesn't happen very often. It was fun to joke back and forth. He is in very good spirits. :)
Well things are going...
I like San Fernando. I have been fed every single day. It´s way different than Jerez. It isn´t good for me when it comes to the diet and all, but at least I don´t have to spend money on food. I´m in good old Jerez right now actually with Chavez and Erickson. Only for today and tomorrow. My companion is in Malaga in a mission council for all of the Zone Leaders. He is super awesome. I really love Elder Lish. He is a lot like Ben and we get along super well. I will be sad to leave him. I will find out where my next area is on Friday. I am really excited. I don´t really know what to say about San Fernando. The members are great and really strong. But the work is a little harder. It´s just different. It is easier to get lessons in San Fernando, but harder to find baptisms. I was super spoiled in Jerez. I am Jerezano at heart. It was really awesome on Sunday to see all of the members from Jerez. V was almost in tears when he saw me :) I love that guy. The members of Jerez love me so much. And I lov them even more. P was there too. Stud. He is so awesome. I just love them so much. I will always have a special place in my heart for Jerez. Also- I really want you to come pick me up. But you have to learn some spanish first :) K?? I want you to be able to talk to these people!! And I know that you guys are hardly ever busy and just have oodles of time on your hands to learn new languages and stuff like that, but some basic conservational skills would be really cool :) Whatever you can do!!
I feel like I don´t belong anywhere right now. It´s weird. I feel like I am on a really long split or something. I am like a half companion. Just filling a spot until the real ZL gets here. That´s ok though :) I am still working as hard as I can in San Fern. Excited for Spencer to get here ;) There is hardly any work in San Fern. But we are finding some news right now.
So I don´t have much to say right now. So I will tell you about conference.
I loved it SOOO much. I honestly felt like I was on fire the whole time. As the new young women´s president oscarson spoke, I just teared up. I don´t even know why. I just love being a member of the church. I think to myself about how I want to live the gospel perfectly for the rest of my life. I just get excited about all of the callings I will receive and how amazing I want to do at my callings. I will be the best primary teacher/young mens advisor/home teaching coordinator ever. I couldn´t care less when it comes to the actual calling. I just want the chance to serve my Heavenly Father and my fellow brothers and sisters. I am going to have 100 percent home teaching every single month. Wow. I am just so excited. I know that it will all be a trillion times more difficult when life is back to normal again. With family and school and work. But I still have so many desires to serve Him. I just love being mormon. I looked around at the other missionaries sitting next to me, all taking notes and watching intently as we listen to spiritual, scriptural sermons. We truly are a peculiar people. Not many young adults would choose to do what we do. I love it. I want everyone in the world to experience the edifying and uplifiting joy that I feel as I hear the voices of our inspired leaders. It´s like a waterfall of revelation. They are telling us exactly what God wants us to hear.
As I heard the voice of our Prophet, I felt so much peace. It was like I was back home in Utah again. Like I was sitting on the couch next to Spencer watching conference in our pajamas. The spirit that I felt as he spoke was so comforting. I felt reenergized and ready to go out and face the world. Towards the last two or three years before I left on my mission, I really started to enjoy conference. But this was so much better. Difficult to explain. I hope you all absolutely loved it. Those of you that stayed awake the whole time ;) Just kidding. I can´t judge. I have fallen asleep before as well, unfortunately. Never again though.
Things have been going really well for me. I have really improved my personal study. I feel edified every morning and I am making the most of my time. We have started to read the BoM as a mission as well, and that is really wonderful. We started today and will finish by the 31st of December. I am also focusing a lot on the Spirit. I am drastically improving the quality of my prayers and trying to focus on the Spirit in every aspect of this work. Basically I am doing really well. Although I don´t feel tied down to an area or anything and that is a little hard, I still am loving being a missionary. Guess what!!!!!! I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDPA!!! Erickson is going to train!! I am super excited. I have been talking him up to President for about six weeks so it´s about time!! Really though, he is fantastic. He has learned so quickly and he really is ready to train. After this transfer he and Elder Chavez will split up and he will train and Chavez will get a new companion and go to the other part of Jerez that will open up this transfer. There will be seven missionaries here!! Super cool.
Package has arrived. I haven´t got it yet, but we will pick it up tomorrow :) And I got Grandpa´s letter as well :) Thank you so much. I wouldn´t send anything for a while though. Until I am all situated in my new area. Wherever that is. Tell you in a week. Let´s just say Elder Lish is great. He is wonderful and I am gonna miss him a lot. He is a good Zone Leader. San Fernando is great. Super ugly. But I like it a lot. The members are nice. I haven´t said goodbye to everyone yet, but I am coming back on Thursday to do that.
Not much else to say. I want you to know Spencer that this work has already changed my life forever. I have never done anything so worthwhile in my entire life. This is the greatest work you could ever be a part of. It will be hard. You will be thrown into a life so different than what you knew before. But just be quick to observe, and adapt to it. Learn fast. And think of all of the missionaries that have gone before you when you are feeling down. In the beginning of the church they left their starving wives and children to go and preach the restored gospel. They left hungry and tired with absolutely nothing but one book of mormon and the clothes on their back. It was rough back then. But they did it. And God strengthened them to bear their burdens and have success. And he will do the same to you. Your burdens will be different than theirs- not easier, but different. Pray for the strength to endure whatever is thrown in your way, and don´t waste time. Sometimes this flat out sucks. But it is worth every single second. So think of them who went before you. Have faith :) You are about to embark on the coolest adventure of your life. Don´t be afraid. Please don´t be afraid. It´s ok to cry and it´s ok to miss home. A lot. But remember who this is for. Remember the reason for all of this. All of the heartache and the tears and the exhaustion and the emotional pain that you might feel. It´s a small small piece of what He went through as He atoned. I once heard that the mission is blood and tears because the atonement was blood and tears. I have actually lost blood on the mission. Not a lot. But still. Tears...a lot. I just think that we learn so much about His love for us and for our brothers and sisters here on earth. We learn a little bit about the motivating factor that enabled Jesus to accomplish what he did. Pure, celestial, and godly love. He obeyed the will of the Father in every way, and He did what no one else could have done. Because of love. Pray to be given some of that love. I promise that He will give it to you. More than anything I could tell you, I would tell you to plead and ask Heavenly Father with all of your heart to give you that same motivation. You need to be motivated on your mission. Not by positions or numbers, but by a love for your Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. That is the only thing that will make your mission truly life changing. Pray for that motivating love. And think of that everytime you get discouraged. This isn´t about us. It´s about Him. It´s His work. In His footsteps we walk. I love Him. I love Him more and more every day.
I am so excited for you Spencer. This will be the greatest two years for your life. I promise. I love you. I love all of you and I pray for you every day. Thank you for your support
Elder Sharp
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