ONE YEAR!!

Dear loved ones, 

I am well. Our week was good. Fast. And a little hard. All three of our fechas fell this week. M got a job working as an interna, which is basically a person who lives with an old Spaniard and takes care of them 24/7. There are lots of old Spaniards here. But we can´t even call M anymore because her old lady boss gets ticked if she´s on the phone. It´s not permanent, but we probably won´t see her for a few weeks. She is reading the BoM and she still wants to keep meeting with us. Her son M avoids us now. He´s never home and his mom was definitely the driving force behind all of that. K the 12 year old got really scared about her fecha and decided that she doesn´t want to be baptized right now. So yeah. A little tough. But I still have hope. I have been studying faith all week. And it has helped a lot. I think they will all still get baptized. Just not this month. So that means I have to go report 0 baptisms as a companionship this month during concilio. Oh well. Next month will be better :) 

We never went running. Elder Love has back problems this week. But I exercised every day in the piso!! Interesting that you asked about our trio :) I love both of my companions. A lot. Elder Love and I would get along perfectly. Well actually, we do. We get along perfectly. Tudela and I not so much. In the mission, sometimes it´s americans vs. natives. It shouldn´t be like that. But it is. All three of us are at fault. But Tudela is SUPER defensive about Europe. If we ever say anything that we miss about America or if we complain about Europe at all, he starts making comments and then we end up arguing. We have argued about some really dumb stuff. Yesterday we got into politics and Elder Tudela was seriously ticked. We never fight or anything. But we do get irritated. When Tudela and I are alone, we get along fine. We are kind of similar so we occassionally butt heads, but I love him a ton. Elder Love just kind of ignites sparks sometimes. Elder Tudela has some personality issues that he needs to fix, and so do I. And together we can do it. So that´s why I want to stay with him for another two transfers after this. I really enjoy my companions right now. Yesterday we had a companship inventory and decided to not discuss anything about europe vs. america. I´ve never really had a problem with it before. But I think it´s just the fact that we´re two americans together with a native. Anyway. We all get along really well. I feel like I am serving with my brothers. We argue like brothers. And most of the time we get along really well. I will miss Elder Love when he leaves in two weeks. I love being a trio. It´s harder to focus and get things done, but it´s so much more fun. Although teaching is hard in a trio. It´s like hanging out with friends. I don´t know. There are good things to both trios and normal companionships. 

Your week sounded awesome. Super jealous of you guys. Driving around Cali, eating at nice restaurants, at the beach, amusement parks, with Duane and Misty. Yeah...my week was a tad different ;) I am glad that you guys had fun though. Mom- please understand that I soak up every single detail about your lives. It´s just something I look forward to during the week.  So remember, the longer the better. The more detail the better. I most love hearing about how everyone is doing. I am glad you guys kept the cars. Hopefully they are still up and running in a year!! I will get home and get right to work, so that I can either buy a car or buy one of those cars from you guys. 

Yeah I totally about died when I read that Clayton said no. Tell Dad that if that offer is still up in the air, I would TOTALLY take it. Too bad that I am not allowed to leave mission boundaries. Haha. That would definitely not be a good idea. 

Well this week was a bit uneventful. I don´t know what to say. 

This is my hump week. It has been really hard for me to think that I am halfway. One year ago I was on an airplane. I had to do the hardest thing I´ve ever done!! Say goodbye to my family. I remember all of it so clearly. Exactly. I remember waiting in that line to get through security. Dad was the last person I hugged. And then I passed through with Webb and saw you guys across the security as I was walking away. And then I stopped. And looked at you for a moment. And then walked away!! And it´s been a year now. Wow. A year!! It frightens me a little. I can´t believe that I have less than a year left. In less than a year we will finally be together!! I´ll be honest, it scares the heck out of me. It´s going by so fast. I feel like every week as I walk to the locutorio it hits me like a sack of bricks that I have seven days less to be here. I don´t even think about it much during the week. The weeks fly by. And they say the second year goes by even faster than the first. I don´t want this to go by so fast. I don´t feel like I have done enough yet. I am ready for this next year though. I am going to make it better than the first. I know how to work now. And I am going to give everything this last year. I am going to go home with nothing left! 

Out of time. I love you all. Be safe. Thank you for all of your support

elder sharp

A Great Place to Die!!

Dear FAM,

I am doing well :) I missed you all quite badly yesterday. More than usual. I am not sure why. I was in Gospel Principles class yesterday, a little frustrated because some of our investigators couldn´t make it to church, and your faces came into my mind. And I just thought of you. I am so excited to see you again. I am not excited to finish the mission. But I really cannot wait to be with my family again. I love you so much! And I mean it when I say that. I occasionally would ask myself how one can really know that he feels LOVE for someone else, as you well know mother. But when one feels that for someone, he knows it. It´s as simple as that. I was just sitting there in that classroom feeling overwhelmed by the love I feel for my family. It was a sweet experience. I wouldn´t say I was homesick. Just missing my family. Every single one of you.

I had a meeting with my stake president this week and it was awesome. I felt so motivated to do work here in Elche. I really do love being here. I trust in President Deere´s revelation, but I must say that I hope I am here for a long time. Yes I am feeling better. Thank heavens. I cannot wait to go running tomorrow!! It´s been WAY too long. Yes I am out of LAVENDER just so you know.

Brigham does rely on you quite a bit. I did too though. I think you are forgetting all of the things you do for me :) Even though Brigham asks more from you than I did, you still did WAY too much for me!!

And it´s true. I don´t drive anywhere. ALTHOUGH I did drive in Granada for about five mintues. Bassett let me drive their car when we were on intercambios because I had my license with me. SOOOO great. But there´s always the chance I could go to a car area. I don´t really want to, but it could happen. It would be SICK to die in Fuengirola. The elders there have a car because they work in some super rich tourist towns along the coast. Like Marbella and stuff. It would be a great place to die. But there are lots of downsides to cars as well. So either way, I am fine wherever the Lord sends me. But I don´t have to worry about that for another six months :)

Grammie and Grandpa gave me a red whisper phone that was nicer than the ones I made. It should be in my stuff somewhere. But if you can´t find it, the pvc ones work fine too :)

I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU BOUGHT THAT CAR!!!!!!!  Seriously. I saw the picture and just felt weird. I freaked out actually. That thing does not look natural in our driveway. Like a panther in our humble home of goats. Ha. I felt a little uncomfortable to be honest. The trooper and suburban probably feel like crap now. I would too. I would be paranoid driving that thing. But I am sure I would get over that in about two seconds if I ever find myself behind it´s wheel. It´s super nice. Like, REALLY REALLY nice. I still can´t even believe it. Did you keep the Focus?

I really enjoyed the length of your letter. I love reading about your feelings and thoughts and worries. It makes me feel closer to you. I do like sharing your problems. So don´t feel bad about sharing them with me. I can understand your feelings.  I think that when correction is necessary, we should ALWAYS strive to give it with the Spirit. In a loving way. If the Spirit leaves us and we become angry, then we did something wrong and gave in to the natural man. Which happens to everyone so often. But it´s a work in progress mom. Especially for me. Being like Jesus Christ is definitely an endeavor that requires time. More than a lifetime. There isn´t much I can say, because it´s not something I have ever experienced. I know that I can say anything to you, and you can do the same to me. I hope that we can keep this openness going for the rest of our lives. It´s so important that we as a family can speak to each other. I think perfect families really DO exist. Perfect in the sense that we all love each other immensely and have fun together and take care of all problems that arise quickly and efficiently. I think that´s what all of us are working for. I know that is all that you guys want. It depends so much upon certain things though. Who we marry, of course. And how devoted we are to the gospel. I hope and pray that we can have that kind of family. It is so unbelievably important that we stay strong in the gospel. That we have our foundations firm in Christ. For the rest of our lives. I will never ever stop fighting for my family. There is always more to be done in the work of Salvation. Whether it´s ancestors, spiritual brothers and sisters that don´t have the truth, less actives, it doesn´t matter. And the most important work of all is making sure that my own brothers and parents and wife and children are strong and righteous in the gospel. I am so proud of you mom for all that you do. So grateful. I know that we can do this. God can do anything :) Please just don´t stop fighting. It´s worth every ounce of effort, every tear, everything. I know that you already know all of this. But I just hope you know that I am with you 100 percent on this. 

I love you so much. I am growing a lot. It´s been a hard week for me when it comes to the work. But I feel my relationship with my Father in Heaven growing. And also my relationship with the Savior. I have really tried to learn of Him and come to know Him, and I have prayed for it a lot. And it´s coming. I know He lives. I know that there is purpose to this life and that the plan of salvation is VERY real. It is the only thing that brings meaning and purpose to this life. I am learning a lot. And I love my mission more than anything.

Anyway. I love you :) More than the world. More than anything. My parents are the most incredible people I have ever met, and I miss you both.

love, your son