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

Loving Elche

Dearest loved ones, 

How are you? You must be super tired because I haven´t gotten an update on your lives :) Just a picture of the car you are looking at. Super cool, by the way. Definitely an upgrade from the Focus. Haha. (btw, if you don´t want the focus, I know a guy who could use a car in 12 months...just so you know).

I am doing well. I really really love my new companions. It´s the greatest trio I have ever been in. Elder Love is a stud. He is such a cool kid. He reminds me a ton of Kyle. In fact, he even graduated from Perry High School in 2013. He was in Logan´s graduating class. He knows Kyle and Logan, and his family friends with Kyle´s girlfriend Riley. Is she still waiting for him? I hope so.  Elder Love is just a really awesome guy. 

Elder Tudela is a mix between Nico and Nathan Eads. More like Nico than Nathan Eads. He speaks english perfectly. I like him a lot. I might be with him for three entire transfers though. Which is a long time. We get along well. He only has four months left on his mission, so I try to cut him some slack. But I really like him as a person. Tudelas is a really awesome guy. He is from Chile but lives in Sweden. 

Elche is great. There is a lot of work here. The last guy that was here kind of destroyed the area a bit. He just died here and left things pretty bad. But there is work. And that´s the important thing. Our zone is a little small. We´re the second smallest zone in the mission. And almost everyone in the zone is super young. Guess what! Elder Chapple is in my zone now!! I got to see him on Friday. So that was fun. The Hermanas in Elche are baptizing a ton right now. They just had two last night, two last week, and will have two more on the 8th of March. Two sets of Hermanas. They´re working really hard and seeing a ton of miracles. We have two fechas right now as well for the 22 of March. M and M.  M is his mother, and she is getting baptized for sure. We got here and they didn´t even have a fecha, but she is golden!! So we set a fecha with her in our first lesson here. And with her son too. He is not going to be as easy. But she is totally prepared. We have a lot of other investigators that should have fechas this week as well. There is this one member that lives in a pueblo outside of Elche called Elda. The goal is to make a branch there because lots of members live out there. That´s what President wants us to do. So we might be moving over to Elda next transfer to start working only over there. But anyway, this member is a columbian lady named I, and she is AWESOME. Probably about 30, and just the coolest lady ever. She feeds us a lot and gives us tons of references. She was called as a ward missionary yesterday. We are working with her friend right now named D.  I don´t know her yet, but apparently she is ready for the gospel. This I lady is basically a gold mine. So I am super glad to be here. The members are great. Well, some of them. 

I am really really really really missing Almería, when it comes to the ward. The work here is way faster than it was in Almería. But I grew so close to that ward, and they worked so well with the missionaries. This new ward just doesn´t really care a whole lot about the missionaries. Some of the members do, and I already love lots of them, but the leadership in this ward just has other priorities. Which boils my blood because the work of salvation is the Lord´s number one priority right now. But I am trying to be calm and loving instead of complaining. The bishop is nice. But he kind of just blows us off like we don´t matter a whole lot. He is a good man though and wants to work. He just doesn´t think we are super useful to him. He works with technology and the youth. Those are his passions. It´s weird because all my last bishop cared about was Family History and Missionary work. The two most important things. And our ward mission leader here is totally wipped by the bishopric and the other leaders of the organization. Which is totally different than Julio. Julio fought during ward council for more missionary activities and he helped everyone remember the purpose and goals that we have as a ward. He literally teared up and almost cried one time as he was fighting the young men´s president about having a missionary/young men activity every month instead of every three months. He was such a champ. He was the FIRST member that I couldn´t say goodbye to without crying a little. It was sad to say goodbye to him. Here...I don´t think my WML likes me or Tudela. We come here and we start trying to fix the problems that are here, and it´s making the leaders a little uncomfortable. It´s not like we´re doing anything crazy. Just asking for keys to the chapel, a ward directory, ward missionaries, and when ward council is so that we can attend. Fetch, in some wards the ZLs even go to the priesthood leadership meetings. I like the bishop better than the WML. Which is sad. The other two WMLs that I have had have been my best friends. Literally. This guy is nice, but just...I dunno. He´s willing to help us and is super nice, but I was too spoiled with Julio. Really effective WMLs are SOOO hard to come by. Our correlation meetings with the WML and missionares are utterly pointless, and yet the bishop is emphatic that our only connection to the ward be through the WML. And the ward here is also trying to put a limit on the days we can have baptisms, because they are complaining that we have them too often and waste water. Hahaha. I think it´s a little ridiculous. Obviously baptisms can be done together and we should try to plan them as best we can, but obviously baptizing is more important than water conservation. I do like the ward. It´s not Almería, but I am sure that I will come to love it. I already love most of the members that I have gotten to know. 

So yeah. A few other things that aren´t very pleasant. My entire bottle of tea tree oil fell and broke as I was packing last week. So I am totally out of that. I don´t need it, but in a few months when you send another package, I would love some of that. 

My camera broke. I don´t know how or why. I didn´t drop it or anything. It just won´t turn on or charge. Maybe it´s the battery? Still not sure. 

(he shared a long story about an elder that he cared deeply for who has recently had to go home because of some tragic things that went on.  Preston is extremely heart broken. He loves this elder very much.).    

I have to go. I love all of you. I hope you have a wonderful week. 

Love, Preston

Letter from Jan. 27

Dear loved ones, 

It´s been a crazy week. I always feel like weird stuff happens to me in the misson. For the past 4 days I have been with Bird and Lopez, or the other elders Vosters and Church. Vosters and Church are awesome. I really like them. But I still feel like I don´t belong anywhere. I am like a soccer ball that just gets passed back and forth. It´s actually really frustrating. I just want things to go back to normal. I get my new companion tomorrow. He went home for a month or so because hurt his leg playing soccer (which is why our mission banned soccer a few weeks ago). His name is Elder Cortés. I have met him before. He was a ZL in Malaga when he hurt himself. He only has a transfer and half left. So basically he will come here and then I will leave Almería in three weeks so that he can finish his mission in Almería and teach the area to his last companion. I am excited to work with him. It will be my first time working with someone that can speak spanish since Elder Pardo was my companion. Let´s just say that I am excited ;) This guy is a great missionary. I just hope that being at home for a month hasn´t killed him. I hope that he comes back ready to work his heart out. He is from Chile but lives in Mallorca, Spain. 

So we have been working two areas this week. It was a really sad week in Almería. My comp went home. And then another companionship in our district had a tragedy as well. They had this baptism planned out. This semi active girl´s boyfriend named A. He seemed golden. Cried during tons of lessons, really felt the Spirit, everything. I interviewed him to be baptized, and he understood everything and committed to live it all. I did the interview on Tuesday, and the baptism was supposed to be on Saturday. Saturday morning the elders that are teaching A call me and told me that he isn´t getting baptized. He had broken the law of Chastity the night before. So then I was told about how these elders explained to A that he wouldn´t be able to get baptized, and then he freaked out and collapsed, and wasn´t breathing. So they did CPR and the ambulance came and everything. Next day at church A was there with his girlfriend. Her father is a really strong member and is devastated. They were supposed to meet with the bishop, the father took A into a room and yelled at him during church, and then apparently A begged for forgiveness blah blah blah. After church I didn´t see A or his girlfriend. Then last night the other elders called me and told me that A and his girlfriend left church early and that she moved in with him. Yeah. He is 17 and lives in a pueblo outside of Almería with his mother and brother, and his 15 year old girlfriend now lives with him. Welcome to Spain, people. He is either the biggest liar on earth or just incredibly slow in the brain. I hope it´s the latter. I don´t even know what we are going to do with all of that. A just acts like nothing is wrong. I swear he´s mentally off. But he seemed totally awesome in the interview. I couldn´t have been more specific when I talked about the law of chastity with him. So that was hard for everyone. 

But other than that, there isn´t a whole lot to write!! You´re probably sick of me telling you how fat I am, so I will spare all of you and move on to something else. I really love Elder Bird. He is 6 ft 6, and before him I kind of had a thing against tall people. I guess I just didn´t feel very comfortable around them, being so small myself. But as I was writing Emily, congratualating her on her giant-of-a-fiancé, I realized that tall people have really grown on me (that was sort of punny) over the past little while. So that´s a good thing. 

I am just dying for things to get back to normal. This week has been so crazy. I have just been bouncing back and forth between companionships, and living in two different pisos has caused us to lose time. I haven´t had a solid study session in like five days. I realize that I just don´t feel good when I go a day without really studying. It´s like a spiritual battery charge, and when I don´t get that, I find myself working on basically nothing. Plus I am always exhausted. The members are worried about my health. At church they just kept asking me ¨what´s wrong with you??¨ When I get super tired, these red dots appear right below my eyes.  My eyes always feel awful. It´s the same feeling one gets when he has a headache, and his eyes are really sensitive and it just feels like there is a ton of pressure under my eyes or something. I feel like that all the time, but without the headache part. I think I must need more sleep than most people. I am not sure. 

Really I am a pretty clean person. Sometimes it´s frustrating to have to share cleaning responsibilities with my companions. For example: my companions will sweep the floor and then I will go after them and mop it, and they have no idea what they´re doing. I always have to resweep everything because they missed so much stuff. Quincey can sweep better than most of my companions. I don´t know why I mentioned this, but it just came to mind. 

I learned a ton this week, but it has just been a while since I learned it. So I can´t recall. Oh actually I learned a lot about the Holy Ghost. I am reading the Bible right now as well. I love my studies. 

I think I am really tired right now. 

UM. Yeah sorry. The quality of this email is wretched. I loved reading that Grandpa watched P&P in honor of me :) That made me happy. I also really laughed reading Dad´s email. Hahaha. ¨and Dumb and Dumber blows them both out of the water¨. I don´t know why I thought that was funny. I guess because it´s just so dad. 

THANK YOU clayton for making a list of all those movies. I actually really do trust your opinion in movies, so you be sure and be faithful about writing down all of the movies we´re going to watch together when I return. I miss you so much. 

I miss all of you a ton. But I really really love it here. It´s so hard. And even when I don´t have a companion, and when this entire city should be having much more success than it is, I do love the work. I don´t want to regret anything. The weight of this mantle is sometimes overwhelming for me. But I know that the second it´s removed from me, I will just be crushed. Sometimes I look ahead into the future to the moment in which I am sitting down in front of President Jones and he asks me to take of my chapa, and I just feel scared!! And super super sad. It always brings tears to my eyes. And then I shake it off and work even harder. I will bawl when that moment arrives. I can already tell that, although this mantle is so exhausting, I will not want it to be taken from me. I am running with the baton right now, and in 13 months I will have to pass it off to someone else. I just know that I can´t let myself regret anything. I have to give it my all while I still have time. And I know I could have done better than I have done. But it´s also a learning process, and I keep reminding myself of that. 

We have a fecha for the 16th of February. F. She´s great. Pray for her please!! 

Love you all. 

elder sharp

Letter from Feb. 3

I have had oodles of problems with blogger over the past two weeks.  I haven't been able to log into my own accounts to update.  I finally got my 9 year old to help me today.  Seriously.  But Preston has been doing well.  He expects to be transferred in about a week.  

Dear loved ones, 

Things are going well. It was a difficult week, but I am grateful for it. Elder Cortés is a good guy. He is a very experienced missionary, and is ready to die. But he works hard. He is an amazing teacher and I am learning lots from him. He is from Chile but lives in Mallorca, Spain. My Spanish is improving. I think. I am just at a plateau. I never have time to study the language, but I am totally fluent so there isn´t a huge need. But if I want to speak perfectly by the time I head home, I need to start working harder. F dropped us. I don´t know why. She just says she has some family problem. Which means that I most likely won´t baptize in Almería. Which is hard for me to think about. I don´t know why things were so much easier for me in Jerez. But they were. And I just need to accept reality and make sure it doesn´t happen in my next area. I am for sure leaving in 2 weeks. Kind of sad. I love the ward here. I love the people. But I still don´t like leaving feeling like I have done nothing. I could have worked harder. I learn more, and become more effective, and then look back to the beginning and I just wish I could start my time over here in Almería, knowing what I know now. It would be nice. 

But I can´t. So I am moving on :) I am going to work as hard as I can these last two weeks and make the most of the time I have with Elder Cortés. We have three baptismal dates right now. While I was with Elder B, we found this Bulgarian family whilst knocking doors. And they are actually pretty awesome. They have fechas for this month. We might be able to baptize the teenage son before I leave. We´ll see.

Yes, I wear my retainers almost every night. I have been more diligent in the misson that I ever have before. Probably because I still feel sick about having lost them in the MTC. And paying 200 euros to replace them. No I don´t take vitamins. I will start. I have them still. I usually get 7-8 hours of sleep. I don´t know if my eating schedule is weird or what. I think the summer time will be easier for me when it comes to getting back into shape. It´s easier to work out in the mornings when it´s hot as you wake up. Easier to get out of bed. The problem is that my six months to sexy falls directly in the winter time months. So it´s going to be 12 months to sexy, and I will have to work really hard this summer and then do the best I can this winter to maintain the results I achieved in the summer time. You know?  I don´t drink enough water. That´s for certain. I am predisposed to store fat in my face, aren´t I? Well that´s unlucky. I´ll take it though, if that means I get to be a member of the Will and Debi Sharp family. 

I am glad you had all of those realizations out there. I really understand what you mean. We don´t realize how incredibly blessed we are. I am so thankful for you and for the sacrifices you have made to make our family what it is. I talked to Dad about that, and it was directed towards both of you. I am so thankful for what I have. It´s absolutely perfect for me. God knows what He´s doing. 

I will keep my eyes out for that package. I am sure it will arrive in time. Yeah I have been a district leader for a while off and on. Since my fourth month there in Jerez. I didn´t mention it because I am trying to not care about leadership. 

I have to go. I hope things are going well for all of you :) I love you and miss you dearly. 13 months left tomorrow. Time is going by so quickly. 

love, elder sharp

Well Then... Your Hands are Cold

Dear loved ones, 

My hands are cold. I say that for multiple reasons. 1) I have been thinking a lot about Pride and Prejudice lately. I really love that story. And I can´t wait to see the movie again. 2) My hands are seriously freezing cold right now, and it is causing me to type rather slowly (ha...Darcy writes ¨uncommonly fast¨ and I type ¨rather slowly¨). All of the internet cafes here are tiny little holes in the wall and they become super hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. But I don´t complain about the weather. I am enjoying this while it lasts, because I know exactly what the summer will bring. 

This week has been good. Numbers wise not so much. But I have worked really hard this week, and I feel good about it. I am not a huge fan of taking caña (cane..basically like punishment. It´s a spanglish phrase we use often) from the ZLs every Sunday, but I do the best I can :) This week was just hard for us. We keep having tons of investigators drop us. A the 10 year old Dominican still hasn´t progressed. We have tried everything. He has received multiple answers from God that all of this is true and that he should be baptized, and he loves church and being with the members. He reads the BoM and prays, but he refuses to be baptized. Why? Because he likes coffee and knows that he will like alcohol when he is 18 years old. In 8 years. Yeah. It´s frustrating. So we dropped him. It was hard for me because I am really close to this kid. But he often isn´t home when we have appts and we have spent too much time on someone who refuses to progress. Kind of sad. But that´s life right now. When it comes to progressing investigators, I have zero. One investigator that I think may get baptized within the next month. F. But she still hasn´t come to church because of work. I am praying that she can this week. She is very difficult to meet with, but she really does have a testimony. So we will see. I have been working with her for about three months now. But it´s hard to meet with her. Her work should end this week though. I really hope she comes to church. 

And that´s about it. So many people drop us. We have found some investigators this week, but I don´t know how it will go. Basically all of my money is on F. It´s hard for me because all the ZLs care about are baptisms and high numbers. I know they are important, but I have had lots of personal triumphs this week and the numbers don´t really show that. I have finally begun to stop people in the streets and contact them. It´s such a huge part of missionary work to talk with everyone, and I just have a really hard time with that. But last night we got 10 futures just from knocking doors and stopping people in the streets. So basically that is a success for me. Plus we have had a ton of personal issues in this companionship that we are working through. I am working hard though. Unfortunately we taught only 10 lessons, which is my personal worst. We did lose two entire days in Malaga for that meeting, but the ZLs didn´t really care. I had my hardest day on the mission this week!!! It was just a really discouraging day. And if I am not super pumped and motivated, my companion loses all hope. This has week has been really hard for him. 

In the mission, companions almost always discuss the past mistakes they have made. I don´t know why. But it just happens. And I just ask over and over what my companions think that their parents could have done to help them, to prevent what happened from happening. And from what I have learned, almost all of it is a result of the parents failing to teach their children from the beginning. Obviously agency is a  huge part, but it is surprising to me just how many families do not read together, have FHE, or even pray together. It shocks me to hear my companions tell me that the gospel wasn´t a huge priority in their homes. Like I said, almost all of my companions have said that to me. I just can´t imagine it. The gospel was everything in our lives. I really really took my home for granted. All of those ¨family talks¨ after church and the late night conversations about what really matters in life. It WAS good for something. You were always just...talking to us. I often wonder where a lot of my time went during high school. And I forget just how much time we spent talking as a family about the important things. Time most definitely well spent. I really think all of that saved us. Haha. I remember my mother LITERALLY sobbing after I kissed a girl for the first time. I remember sitting on your bed with you just so frustrated. You wouldn´t even look at me. And Dad was there and I don´t think he really knew what to do. So he sent me out and I was just bothered. I didn´t understand why you cared so much. Kissing isn´t bad. The high standards that you had for us really frustrated me sometimes. But it was so totally worth it. Kissing isn´t a sin, but it definitely creates the opportunity to sin. Elders (sisters have usually already figured out this stuff) get out on their missions and it just hits them like a semi truck: ¨Wow...my parents wereactually right...the prophets actually know what they are talking about...the rules areactually there to help us. I REALLY should have listened to them.¨ My brothers are far from perfect, and I am even further, but we made it RELATIVELY unscathed. Thank the Lord. And my parents. And Herriman, Utah. 

About coming home two weeks early. Yeah I don´t think there is anything I can do about it. I was just reading a Holland talk in which he pleads to all of the missionaries not to serve ANYTHING but a 24 month mission. Not 23 or 19 or anything besides 24. And he of course gives the same counsel to the hermanas about a full 18 month mission. So yeah. There´s that, but God understands. The most important thing is that He accepts my service and my sacrifice. Basically I am just going to stay until Pres. Deere asks me to leave. Which is most likely going to beMarch 4th 2015. Thankfully there is no need to even think about that right now. I´ve still got time :) 

The professor said that she would accept me into her class when I return home, but no she never said where her daughter would be serving. I don´t think she puts her papers in until this summer. But I can´t really remember. 

Yes parenting parenting. I think about that a lot. Not because I am trying to live in the future or anything. But I do enjoy thinking about the kind of parent that I wish to become and I keep a notebook of parenting ideas and guidance that I have received over the past ten months. Really it is all stuff that could be found in the liahonas and conference talks. And the scriptures. It´s so amazing that all we need to do is follow the prophets, old and current, and everything will be just fine. 

My father has changed so very much. Honestly it´s incredible to me. I cannot wait to see him and talk to him. The change is so unbelievably drastic. I don´t know if it was his calling or what, but I am really grateful for the person that he is. Just really...wise and spiritually minded. Not that he wasn´t before, but much much more so now. I have a great deal of respect for him, and that amount of respect increases every week. But I love my Dad for who he is no matter what. I just hope he hasn´t changed too much. I hope he still makes lame jokes and I hope he still thinks that he is ridiculously funny. I hope he still has days where he never says anything serious at all, and where he just messes with you for no apparent reason. Because I miss that so so so so so much. The goofy guy who jokes around all the time, but who also parents like a drill sergeant and maintains order and makes us work and tries to teach us. And I can´t wait to be around him again. 

I laughed when I read that you guys are now wasting time watching Psyche. HAHAha. Seriously that´s hysterical. I like that show, but I know that I can never ever start watching tv series or netflix or anything besides two hour movies, otherwise I will get hooked and then waste tons of time. And yes I don´t think it needs to be mentioned that you are quite pathetic for feeling like those characters are your friends ;) 

Tell Brigham to use his brain. I am super proud of him for making chamber, but he really needs to be careful with this girl. I don´t really know what to say. He´ll understand when he´s older. 

Clayton. ? The things Dad said in his email about your conversation with Clayton about what he really wants in life sounds EXACTLY like a lot of the lessons I am having here. It´s amazing how lost some people are. If I have learned ANYTHING in my mission, it´s this: (well...first that Jesus Christ is my Redeemer but SECOND) WICKEDNESS NEVER WAS HAPPINESS!!!!!!!! Alma was a smart dude. He really gave his sons the right counsel. Fun isn´t happiness. Doing whatever you want is NOT happiness. Keeping the commandments is happiness.  Much better to learn the lesson as a 14 year old kid, instead of figuring it out when the consequences are much much worse. 

I love you so much. I love you so much Dad. And all of my brothers. Spencer I hope your mission is going well. I think about you every day. Take care family

Love elder sharp

New companions and BYU Spanish

Dear Loved Ones, 

We are doing quite well here in Almería. I really like Elder B. He is from a little place I like to call AVONDALE ARIZONA!!! I know that is right where we lived. Right next to Glendale. He lives in Maricopa county. But he was born in South Jordan Utah. Kinda funny. We basically just switched places. He is only 8 days younger than me, but graduated in 2013. He is...different from what I expected. We dropped Chapple off at the train station on Wednesday morning and I spent the whole day with Bird and Lopez until B got there at 6. We go to the station and pick him up and make the long walk back to our piso with all of his luggage. First person I´ve met that has more luggage than I do. Anyway, the whole time he is talking about all of his amazing athletic feats and high school experiences, and I quickly realized he is very different from me. Hahaha. He literally told me on the way home, ¨hey just so you know I am super jack and sometimes I really don´t like getting up out of bed and I have a hard time having desires to work¨ and all of this stuff. He said ¨they told me back in my old area that you were gonna straighten me all out and that I wouldn´t be jack after being with you, but I am just saying it´s hard for me sometimes.¨ I was thinking to myself ¨Oh you have got to be kidding me.¨ Let´s just say I didn´t get the greatest first impression of him. We get back to the piso and he is really not shy at all. Telling me all about his fiancé and how he has kissed 29 girls but his girlfriend thinks that he stopped at #27 which is her, but that he kissed two others before he and his girlfriend TECHNICALLY started dating. I was super confused. I did not know what to think of this kid. And then he started  talking about how gorgeous he thinks his face is and I was really actually amused by all of it. He is...very self confident and kind of arrogant, but he does it in a very funny way. It doesn´t even bother me. He is super loving and has no problems talking to anyone or making friends with anyone. I already know him better than I knew Chap (although I was SERIOUSLY missing Chap that first day or two, I honestly have never missed a companion like I missed elder chapple). But B and I are already really close. He is super nice, super willing to share and although sometimes I have to get on his case for stuff, he is trying really hard to be obedient and when he has the desire to work, he is a machine. He has the potential to be a great missionary. I am super excited to serve with him and help him learn to LOVE the mission!!   

Life is going good here. It´s hard and we are continually finding investigators that drop us soon after, but we are doing our best. I am trying to be as upbeat as possible. 

Really loving being a missionary. I can´t believe Nico is home. Time really does fly by. I am glad that I still have a good amount of time left. I am not even halfway yet. I also don´t think I want to go home early. The transfer falls two weeks before I actually left on my mission. So it would be 23 months and 2 and a half weeks. But still. I would feel a little bad knowing that I didn´t serve for a full two years. I know missionaries go home a little early for school and stuff all the time but...I dunno. I think I would be fine waiting until the next transfer which would be April 15th, but I also want to get home and get a job asap. So I am not sure what I will do. Good thing I still have a few months before I have to make any decisions. :) 

So I found this lady in our ward that I thought was a less active. Turns out she just lives in a different city for six months of the year. Her daughter served a mission and now lives in Utah. She married an american and she is a professor at BYU. She teaches the return missionary spanish class that is always full and is super hard to get into. And I got to talk to her on the phone!!! She told me to sign up for her class when I got back and that she would let me in even if it is full!!! She said that since I am in Almería taking care of her mother she would help me out :) Super cool!! We walked in to this lady´s house and I saw these photos of three kids, a 19 year old girl, 12 year old girl, and 8 year old boy. I saw these pictures and I was like, those are totally active members. You could just see the light in their faces. Plus they looked way different than Spaniards. Happier. And then I saw that those pictures were american school pictures that we have to take every year. And the kids were actually smiling!! But we didn´t think this old lady was active at all. Turns out she is. Her family is super strong in the gospel and they live in Payson Utah!! Her oldest grandaughter goes to BYU and is taking her mom´s RM spanish class, even though she doesn´t leave on her mission until this summer. She just speaks spanish fluently. We actually skyped them for a little bit because the grandma just randomly skyped them while we were sitting in her house. It was kinda cool. I am just glad that I am getting into that class!! 

Hearing about Clayton makes me super happy. I miss him a lot. I miss all of you. Every single one of my companions so far has come from a home where the gospel wasn´t really taught. Except for Lish. They all had good families that went to church, but the gospel just wasn´t a big priority. It is one thing to go to church every week and be a member of the church and all that, but living the gospel is something completely different. Was our family perfect? No definitely not. But I literally am overwhelmed when I think about the home that I was raised in. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO grateful for the assurance and steadfastness of your testimonies. It all depends on the parents. We didn´t pray together as a family EVERY night, or have FHE every single monday, but you helped us to understand just how important this gospel is in our lives. And you did a pretty dang good job with fhe and family prayer. I am so glad that I know my parents are strong faithful members of the church with testimonies that burn. I am so grateful for your testimonies and for the protection that you gave to me growing up. I honestly don´t think I would be here right now had I been raised in Arizona. Thanks for getting me the heck out of that fiery furnace. Herriman is a special place and I will always consider it my home. Really my high school experience was SOOO different than what other people had. I am just so lucky. And I am going to be the best parent I can possibly be. I read about the lives of the prophets and apostles and the things that they did to help their children learn and live the gospel, and I am so so determined to teach them the things that I know. And I am going to start from a very young age. Elder Bednar would get up in the night when his newborn son was crying and hold him over his shoulder and read to him from the Doctrine and Covenants about the oath and covenant of the priesthood!!! He said that surely the newborn baby´s spirit felt the truth of it. And he would be driving with his son in the car and pretend to be an investigator and have his son practice being a missionary. That is the kind of father I am going to be. I want to teach my children to act as learners and learn for themselves at a young age that this is all true. I want them to learn how to live the gospel so that I can avoid all of the problems that come in teenage years. I know it´ll be hard and they will make mistakes and so will I, but I am just so so excited to be a parent. What an amazing responsibility. 

Well I have to go. 

Package, could I please have some sort of small speaker device that works with an mp3 player? Mine broke. And yes I can get cd´s and listen to them or download them onto my mp3. Don´t need gel. I have 2 full bottles. Toothpaste would be good though. Other than that, I don´t know. I love food. You´re the best. 

Thank you so much for everything. I love you

elder sharp