So this week was really really awesome. Sounds like it was a fun one for you guys as well. All yesterday I was thinking about how Spencer was giving his farewell, and then how everyone was at our house eating wonderful food. Good times. Sad that I missed it. But it´s a good thing that I did. Love the photo of Spencer´s picture holding my picture. That was a super cool idea. Not too long before I will see a picture of a picture of Brigham holding both of ours :) And I am so jealous of the snow you guys have. Although it has been raining here the last few days. Which was heavenly for me. And the picture at Gardner Village is awesome as well. Clayton is dressing really well. Finally following in the footsteps of his older brothers ;) I really love our family.
My week was amazing like I said. I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity we had to baptize J and A on Friday. It was absolutely wonderful. An gave a talk in the baptism, and she did so well. She has such a strong testimony and I am just so proud of her. She is only 13 but she is so special. It´s amazing to me. She is doing this because she truly believes in it. She goes to seminary and reads and makes her family hold FHE and everything. Such a champ. And she talked about how we have changed her life. It makes me feel so good. And also S bore her testimony in the baptism, and she didn´t tear up until she started talking about her elders :) She said she considers us her sons, and J said the same thing in his testimony. They love us so much, and we love them so much. A bore a powerful testimony as well, and he is only nine. It was just fantastic. But the best part was P. P is a wonderful girl. She listens to us teach when she can, but she is often feeding the baby in a different room when we teach, so she isn´t always listening. But she has desires to learn. She is just more worldly than the rest of them. We are pretty good friends with her though. But spiritually I am not quite sure where she was at. She never wanted to pray in front of us, but they said that she read the BOM and participated in FHE. So when we planned J and A´s baptism, I begged her to say the closing prayer. She FINALLY agreed to do it, and I was super stoked about it. So after the baptism and the musical number (performed by the six missionaries in Jerez ;), and after the testimonies and final hymn, she got up there and started to pray. First time I ever heard her pray. And she just started sobbing during her prayer. She said one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard. She was literally talking to Heavenly Father. You could feel it. And she said so many incredible things. She talked about how grateful she is for the opportunity to live together as eternal families, and she prayed for Heavenly Father to help her family make it to the temple, and she talked about the scriptures and the blessing they are in our lives, to help us progress and become like Jesus Christ, and she thanked Heavenly Father for the spirit that we had all felt that night. And she was just sobbing the whole time she prayed. I was about to faint. I was SOO surprised. She could not stop crying after her prayer. I just looked across the aisle at her as she sat down and she looked back at me and just smiled, kind of embarrassed. I was dumbfounded. And really touched. There is so much more to people than we ever realize. We all need to try to see other people as Christ does. But wow. After the baptism I went up and just looked at her and she was like like ¨don´t give me that look¨. I think she was really embarrassed, but she shocked everyone. Such a miracle.
Yesterday Chavez confirmed J, Erickson confirmed A, I gave J the priesthood, and then I later confirmed W, M´s son who was baptized by A:) Pardo and I baptized M, and then the Hermanas came and taught A her husband, and I baptized him the same day as An got baptized, and then yesterday A baptized W, their son. That baptism happend last night. Such a sweet experience for me. We all used the priesthood a lot yesterday.
On Friday night, after the baptism, everyone was just hanging around at the church building and everything and all of my converts and favorite members were there. And it was raining pretty hard outside and I just realized how much I love Jerez. How much I care about all of these people. I could literally live here. I would never want to because of my family and my country, but I could be happy here. The people are wonderful. It means so much to me. I was standing in front of the building walking around in the rain just thinking about how we´re going to baptize P soon and about V and J
and S and Fam and M and A and fam and P (who was there as well) and then tons of members started to invite us over during the next few weeks because they all know I leave soon, and it was a really happy time. I truly love this place. And more than that, the people. We are splitting the area right now and everything and I thought to myself, ¨wow- I really don´t want to leave. I would love to stay here another six weeks. I am going to ask President to consider that.¨ I just want to leave my beloved Jerez in good hands. I want to make sure it gets split alright and I just want to be here. I love it so much.
BUT....
I got a phone call from President this morning, and he told me that I am being emergency transferred to San Fernando, TOMORROW. Talk about a dagger to the heart!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously!!!
There was a situation with our zone leaders, and one of them had to be transferred. So I will take his place until the end of this transfer. Seriously, I am heartbroken. There will be lots of people that I won´t get to say goodbye too. And don´t worry about the package. I will see Erickson in about ten days at Zone conference, so he will give it to me then. But I am so sad. I had so many appts to say good bye to people, and I was going to bear my testimony in church the last sunday and everything. But I am being ripped off like a bandaid. It hurts. But I know that this is what president needs me to do. And I will obviously do whatever he asks. I do not ever want to be a burden to him, and if I can help him in any way I will. Even if it kind of stinks. So yeah. Tomorrow is my last day in Jerez. I am going to see the most important people today and tomorrow, and then it´s all in the hands of Erickson and Chavez. I will miss them a lot as well, especially Erickson. But this is the Lord´s will, so I will do it.
I am really enjoying my mission. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with how much I need to improve, but I know it all happens little by little. I have learned so much in Jerez. It will always be my Spanish home. I don´t know how good of a missionary I am. I don´t know if I am a good teacher. It´s hard to tell in Spanish. When it comes to teaching all of us progress much slower than people who don´t have to learn a language. But it´s coming along. I am fluent now. I have been for a while, but it just kind of dawned on me the other day. Super cool to speak another language. Heavenly Father has really blessed me with the gift of tongues. My testimony has grown so much as well. I have come to love my Savior in so many ways. I would write more, but I can´t. No time. I love you all so much :)
Have fun in Oregon. Enjoy your last week together as a family. I will write you next week. The last time before you have TWO missionaries out. Wow.
Don´t waste a second Spencer. Not one second.
Elder Sharp
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