It sounds like Trek was a wonderful experience. I am really glad :) Hearing about all of the fantastic things that happened and the friendships that were made make me really happy. Especially about Spence and Brig. They are truly amazing people. I don´t ever think about it enough, but I have been blessed with some fantastic brothers. Their testimonies are much stronger than mine, and I am grateful for their example. I loved what Dad said about Spencer. He really does know this is true. He will become an incredible missionary very soon after he gets into the field. It doesn´t matter how well you can speak AT ALL. Seriously. We don´t convince people of anything. But what we can do is bear testimony with the Spirit, and as Spencer shares his powerful testimony, his investigators will FEEL it. They will be touched by the Spirit that he brings. The only language that matters is that of the Spirit. I still am not really there yet. I can´t speak very beautifully, especially not in Spanish, and I don´t think I have the conviction that Spencer has. But I am trying to improve. I can´t tell you how beneficial this mission has been for me. And it´s only been a little less than five months. I am SO excited for Spencer!!! And Brigham. I am super proud of them. I wish Clayton could have had that trek experience. But I guess he will when he´s 17. You all give me so much strength. Really I love hearing from you. Missionaries are technically supposed to strengthen their families in their weekly letters, but the opposite occurs for us. I have an incredible family. Seeing your faces and reading about the things you think and feel really help me get more excited to work here in Jerez. So thanks. You mean a lot to me.
Elder Erickson and I had a better week when it comes to numbers. We still didn´t find a whole lot of new investigators. Which is what we need to work on right now. We are going to really change the way we do things this week. You are very right when it comes to the obedience factor Mom. It is a lot more difficult without Pardo. I do some things better, but some things a lot worse. I know we would be blessed with new investigators if we obeyed the schedule better. Exact obedience brings miracles. So this week we are going to obey to the best of our ability. Today we got up RIGHT at 7:30 and did everything we were supposed to do before P-day. Right now I am studying that Christ like attribute. Obedience. It is the first thing that I am trying to develop. We can always obey better, but I really have lots of room for improvement. Everything is based on obedience. If we obeyed exactly, we would be perfect. Which is really impossible. But it´s always an effort. Something we need to always strive to achieve. It´s just in the mission we have so many more rules to follow :) Even the hour Í wake up is a commandment now!! If I sleep in five minutes, then I am not being obedient. It´s interesting. But I know that if I master these things I need to do here in the field, I will have an easier time obeying the other commandments that we have when I go back home. So the elders of jerez are going to be more obedient.
The week went well. Ana and Alonso are going to be baptized. The children of Sonia. But her husband Jose so far doesn´t have a baptismal date. There is only one problem. Otherwise he said he would get baptized on the 31st with his stepkids. He is so awesome. The whole family is amazing. I have never felt so much love for investigators (it also has to do with how I can finally bond with people. I couldn´t before with the langauge barrier.) in my mission. I want them to go to the temple together so badly. Jose doesn´t drink, or smoke, is totally willing to pay tithing and believes all of the doctrine. The only problem is that he carries the altar/idol thing during semana santa. Jose has an interesting story. His dad died when he was young, so he stopped believing in God. But he met Sonia four years ago (while she was an inactive member) and she built his faith. They read the BOM together, Principles of the Gosepl, and he now believes very strongly in Jesus Christ and God. He does not believe in worshipping idols and images and understands that the Catholic church is corrupted, but he feels close to Jesus Christ when he is a pallbearer(??? four men carrying a box looking things with gold and stuff, don´t know the english word for it) and that is something super important to him. But I am not too worried. I am confident that he will realize that these things are more important. He really wants to go to the temple with his family. We are going to go talk to him with the Bishop and I am just praying that the Spirit will touch his heart so that he can be baptized and go to the temple. Jose has a daughter that lives with them normally. Her name is Paula, she´s 18 and she just had a baby girl. I was able to give her a blessing in the hospital the night before she had the baby. It was a really cool experience. Everything went perfectly with the delivery, and Paula will come back home to Jerez on the 15th. Right now she is visiting her mom in a close by city. I really want to teach her. I don´t know how receptive she will be, but I am confident that now is her time. The Spirit will touch her heart if she allows him to. This family is really important to me. I feel such a huge love for them and I truly desire their salvation. I just want Sonia to embrace the gospel again. She knows it´s true. But she doesn´t want to be a single mom in the church again so she is waiting for him.
For the first time in my mission I am starting to truly feel something different. Maybe I am finally switching into the LOVE IT stage. I don´t know. But I think about all the people I have met and the problems that they are having and the people that I been able to help as an instrument in His hands and all of the members and other missionaries I have met....I just feel so happy. I was told that it would be more difficult to say good bye to Spain than it was with my family. But I never believed it. Especially after I got here and didn´t love it. But Spain is seriously growing on me. Fast. I think about leaving Jerez and I just get really sad. I really love this place. And I don´t want to leave. And I know that when the time comes to leave Spain itself, I will be devastated. Excited to see my family, but I am coming to love these people. They mean everything to me. I am glad that I still have 19 months and one week to live here with them. WOW. I can´t believe this is happening but it totally is!! I seriously and truly love this. I love being a missionary and I love these people. I love the growth that is happening and the things I am learning. I love being surrounded by so many amazing examples. President Deere is so amazing mom. He is so Christlike. You can feel the love he has for you after just looking in his eyes. He is so genuine and so good. President Deere has lots of Christ like love. Being with him is the greatest feeling. After talking with him, you just want to go out and work so hard. I absolutely love President Deere. I don´t know anyone like him. Maybe the Adams?? He cares about other people WAY more than himself, and you can tell he dedicates everything to his missionaries and this work. He is super close to the Savior. Book...yes please. Erickson and investigators are getting along well. I know exactly how he feels when he says he doesn´t feel like he can connect with people because of the language barrier. But he is doing really well.
I will pray my heart out for Sarah. That is so sad. But I know that no matter what happens, everything will be ok. The will of God is something we can´t understand. I know that at some point in my life I will have huge trials when it comes to the will of God. Things will happen and I will have to choose whether or not to be bitter and angry or plead for peace and the strength to continue. I am a little scared to think about it. But I know it will happen. We just need to have an eternal perspective. I love you all so much. I am so flipping happy right now. Thanks for your support :)
When it comes to missionary work, I wish I had more time to write something. I am out of time, but I will write a letter if I can. Or write some thoughts and then email them next week. You are having the FHE next week right?? I will try to get it to you before then. Love you all
Elder Sharp
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