🇪🇨 VISA!! 🇪🇨 08/20/18

Hey y'all!

Guess who got his visa... me, it's me!

 

I'm leaving for Ecuador next Monday! I'm so excited, but I'm sad I'm leaving because I've come to love the members here. We had planned to have two baptisms this Saturday so I could see them get confirmed, but they "paused" us (or just stopped taking lessons) and didn't tell us why. This week had a lot of disappointments, but we finally got two people to church!! That was fun, they seemed to really like it.

When I was at the temple last week, I was pondering a few things,  and I opened the nearby scriptures to a random page. The scripture that I read was in the Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 2:2: "thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." I felt I should share that with you, because it has helped me in my time here. There is a reason for everything, and I am trying to learn everything I can from California.

I can affirm that reading aloud from El Libro De Mormón truly helps with Spanish. I can understand so well now, and I can have an almost full conversation!

I've ridden so many miles this week. I'm gonna miss biking in Ecuador. Nothing else really big happened this week. I'm striving to be obedient in all things, and I can see the results of putting my trust in God.

¡Nos Vemos!
- Elder Sharp
Hurrah for Israel! ✊
🤙

Week 9

Here's some the pictures I've taken. That pine cone was in Idylwild! They were all super big there!

Not much else happened differently. I'm doing a lot of praying and reading. The kids are starting school here now. It feels weird, summer really went by quickly.

I've been writing poems, or trying to, when I have time. Here's what I've got so far on my monthly poem (one stanza a month):

"Hurrah for Israel! My work has begun!

I'm ready for trials, bring on the fun!

I give these next two years top my Lord! 

I wield the Holy Armour, shield, and sword!

Hurrah for Israel! What more can I say?

May the Refiner's light my way!

Awake my soul! Rejoice my heart!

My Lord, please make me as thou art!

Hurrah for Israel! The field is white!

The world is dark, but our light is bright!

Temptations run rampant, the natural man is strong.

But my God is with me, Her leads me along!"

And I've written a verse for "O My Father":

"O My mother, thou that lovest

Me when I, need out the most.

With thy teaching and example

I have every cause to boast.

In our humble, loving family

Thou hast shown me grace and truth.

Though We've suffered much afflictions

I'm so thankful for my youth."

I'm working on three other verses right now, but that's what I have finished so far. 

Love you guys!

Week 8 - Heat, fires, more service and temple

Hey All!

This is delayed a few days because we went to the temple today! The Redlands temple, and it was nice. It may be the last time I get to go for the next 22 months,  so it was nice. 

I hit two months last Monday! I honestly can't tell if time is going fast or slow. It's weird. That heat is personally the worst thing here. It was another super hot week, which was annoying...

We did MORE service this past week and a half. I got to go up to Idylwild and see the major damage of that first big fire. There have been a total of five fires since I came to Hemet! One was close enough that we could see our from our apartment (I couldn't get a good picture because it was night time, so you'll have to trust me ;p).

We have five people on date for baptism right now. The hardest thing it seems is getting them to church. But I've been praying a lot and I know that exact obedience brings blessings (some of the other elders and sisters here don't seem to understand that...).

I've surprised people at how much I can eat.  It is really funny because I'm like a foot and a half taller than my companion, too. 

Being here has shown me myself, haha. I've noticed my dreams lately have been all about choices and knowing what's good and bad. I feel I'm being shown the person I must be if want to be a servant of the Lord. I'm grateful for the trials I've been through that have made me so I am.

That's all I've got for today. Next p-day is Monday!

¡Nos Vemos!
- Elder Sharp
Hurrah for Israel! 
🤙