Wednesday, December 18, 2013

HELLo Dear Family!!
This week has been hard too:) But SOOO good. It started off with zone conference. Great experience. We talked about the work, how we need more baptisms, how to get more baptisms, and the pleasure of being able to represent Christ this season. Really good stuff. I learned a lot and it was a joy being able to see all of my MTC friends, Sis Johnson, and Eld. Cummings. Love them! (we took pictures of our zones and Sister Hall put them on.... this. www.kenanddi.blogspot.com also, you should have gotten a picture from sister Johnson of her and I.) Ya, that was really good.
I got tons of fantastic letters this week! Thank you to everyone who sent them. Especially Gail! She sent me the greatest two letters! Letters are the GREATEST!! Im sorry I havent been sending any. I've realized that Im really not supposed to be writing any other day than Pday. If Im going to record any of this it needs to be in a journal. The time at night is set apart specifically for doing that. So even though I really do love writing letters, I need to be spending that time studying the material. PMG and the BoM. Greatest things on earth! But yes, letters are the greatest!
We spent a lot of time this week driving Elders around to fix bikes. Elder Bertoch's bike got stripped, so we went back and forth to the bike shop like three different times. Im kind of sick of that place. We also went around giving blessings to the sisters. I think I gave... four this week. Im not sure if I like doing it. I love the experience of completely relying on the spirit, but every time I do it I get super dizzy from closing my eyes and trying to focus too hard. Its funny. The rest of the week was spent finding. FINDING FINDING FINDING!!!! I feel like thats all we do. BUT thats what it takes. So we will do it. We talk to people all day. Knock doors, walk streets, stop people while going 20mph on a bike to tell them about the church. Its fun. And really, really hard. 
Its been quite hard. The last week and a half we had all three of the solid investigators drop us. In some way. We had to give J to Van Nuys, the Cs are breaking up (that is really hard and I wanted to cry for them when I heard), and O told us that she would be a bad Mormon, so we probably should come over anymore (for her that means that she really doesnt want this.) Also, (this makes me happy and sad at the same time.) we spend all day.....Wednesday?? ya. finding the most SOLID referrals. We talked to like four different people that were SUPER interested, but they all lived in different areas. Except for the spanish couple that we met. They live in Tarzana, but they speak spanish. So ya... It made me really happy to have people accept our message and actually be interested in what we had to say, but ticked because none of them live here. Whatevs!:)
I did an exchange with Elder Chandler on Friday and Saturday. SOOO GOOOD!!! He is probably my favorite missionary in the mission! (Obviously my all time favorite missionary is in Spain) He was SO good! I learned a TON! He taught me all kinds of stuff about studying, finding, teaching, getting into a door and changing the approach to every individual by CAREFULLY listening to the spirit! I hope SOOO much that I get to be his companion some day! He is a fantastic Zone leader, too! Really good at teaching. He challenged me to do a bunch of stuff and I've changed a lot already. Super cool stuff! #loveElderChandler
We ate dinner last night with the Cs again. They are the greatest family EVER!  We had REALLY fantastic steak. so good. I just love being around them. They're all super funny and enjoyable. Great members of the Chuch, too. They pretty much run the ward. Great stuff.
I LOVED the emails that I got from the family. Dad's-great! Brigs-awesome! Preston's-I was trying not to cry! Actually I was trying not to cry with all of them! They made me SOOO happy!  I LOVED Brig's letter. It was soo funny! and touching! I miss him SOOO much! HA!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! A W! PRIME!! That makes me SOOO happy! Talk about best in-laws EVER!!! They are such an amazing family!!! I LOVE E. But Preston was right. Be careful with this girl. Treat her right. DO NOT screw this up.  SOO nice!!! I hope this dinner goes well!! Earn a ton of money!! AND THE PLAY!! How sweet!!! I knew it would happen sooner or later! It makes me soo happy! and SOOOOO proud! I would absolutely LOVE to see him perform! Do you have a hard part?? High notes?? Who is your....partner?? The opposite role?? Is it A? Have you actually hung out with the twins yet? Walker or Wimmer? They are really good friends. Great examples. Im So happy that you've finally found real friends! Other than your brothers, Who are the only friends, really.
  ........What else. I dont really remember. I have no time. We didnt get here until 2:00, So I've only had a little time on here. OH!! I've been singing all over the place. Im singing twice this week and Im singing in church next week. Great stuff. Im actually really excited for it.
anyway. BYE! LOVe you!! I miss YOU!! ONly 9 days!!!!!!!! YEAHUHHHH!!!!!

Spencer and Trina Johnson.  They were good friends at Northstar.  She just arrived in the mission.  

Monday, December 9, 2013

Do I Share?

Eyow yady.
So I sent you a very long letter today. Really long. It explains everything for the past little while. Hmmmmm.. I'm doing very well. This week was hard, but good. Had a lot going on. It was transfer week. LOVED it! Our new district is super cool. The old one was good, but I think this one will be better. I really don't want to waste time retelling you all of this stuff. I like the sisters. They are really cool.  This is going to be a very short email.
What else.... Ok. I'll talk about J. SO after I went through the temple and decided to be better, we had a District meeting. In it they talked about setting goals of the amount of people that you talk to every day. Hansen and I decided to do that. We talked to like at least 50 every day. NO one said yes, and we didn't really see immediate blessing as far as new people, but they did come. I found out that blessings come in the strangest ways. We have been teaching this less active member for a while. Sister N. She is like 65 and lives with her 93 year old mother. Her mother is really hard to take care of, so they hire a caretaker. Her name is J. J is about 30, she's got three kids. A few days after we started making those goals, we went to a lesson with sis N. and J was there. We weren't expecting it. So we taught her the lesson and set another one. We all felt the spirit in the first one, but couldn't tell if she did. The second lesson was amazing. We taught the atonement. She was crying the whole time. It was really good. I was crying too. The spirit was super strong. We knew she was going through a bunch of stuff , and at the end of the lesson I had a feeling that she needed a blessing. I kind of shrugged it off. I did, but didn't. I think I felt nervous about it. So I looked at Hansen and he raised his eyebrows..."Priesthood Blessing...?" he mouthed. I was like......WHHAAAAAAAAATTTT?!??!?!? NO WAY!!!!!!!!! (in my head of course). So I asked her. She said yes. I gave it. It felt SO great. We left and had a great day. The next time we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It went really well. We talked about the spirit, describing it to her and asked her if she had ever felt something like that. She said that she had. Right then and there, Hansen asks her to be baptized. Again I was like.....WWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!???!!!!!??? She said YES!!! BAPTISM!!!!!!! WOOOT WOOT!!! (norwegian cheer!) (however on earth you spell that). But ya. We found out that she lives in Van Nuys. So in the same lesson we invited her to church over there and handed her over to the Van Nuys elders. We were SOOOO sad. But we're over it. She is still coming to Christ. It doesn't matter where. AND!!!! I'm still going to have a baptism here! We just need to find another person to baptize. Whatevs.
Ya, I don't really know what else to talk about. Ok. Last night we all went to the Christmas devotional at the Stake Center. I really liked it. Elder Nielson's talk was $$!!  Ya, before that we had an hour long musical program by the youth from the stake. It was hilarious. They sounded....wonderful. some of the funniest songs I've ever heard with a bunch of awkward tone-deaf youth performing it. SOOO funny. We showed up for that right on time, but it was completely full. We had to set up chairs for the first 10 mins. We were crammed in the very back against the big portable wall/divider thing, sitting in the founding chairs. (our ward would fill their stake center three times. Crazy small.) All of the missionaries sat in the very back. This family sat right in front us. This little girl sat in front of me. About 10. Bigger. Anyway. Halfway through the program she leans forward and rips hard core! She sits up and EVERYONE looks at her. I was leaning forward with my face about a foot from her rear. She farts, I jerk back and smack my head against the hollow wall which makes this HUGE sound which stops the choir (only for about a second) and all the other heads who weren't already looking turned. Well, all of the missionaries are giving it everything they have not to bust out laughing and I'm pretty sure Hansen wet himself. I was trying SOOO hard not to laugh. This struggle for composure lasted about 5 minutes, until the little girl herself couldn't hold it any more and started laughing out loud.  Her parents started laughing and we all just broke down. It was ROUGH. But probably the funniest thing I have ever experienced in my entire life. LOVED IT.
Ok. I'm going to go. Love YOU!! I miss you!
Elder Sharp #2




Does this mean what I think it means?  

Monday, December 2, 2013

Can't Get Rid of the Box?

Okay. HI!
 
So to start off, I need to clear some things up.
 
I am NOT struggling NEARLY as bad as everyone seems to think. I have gotten emails and letters from everyone I know telling me that its okay and trying to comfort me.
I appreciate that and its super nice of everyone, but I think I'm sending you the wrong message. I do miss home. A lot. But its not as bad as I've made it sound.  I've missed home, but it's okay. Every missionary goes through it at different times in their mission, right?
 
Alright. So! This week was the worst week we've had so far as far as numbers go. We found very few potentials. We've been trying to set a goal every day of talking to 50 people and we hit it every day this week. We've been working our tails off and there has been very little reward.  

We did find a new investigator the first day we started that goal, but we're not sure how promising she is. Im hoping and praying that she'll get baptized, but its not completely up to my faith. Whatevs. We've been working really hard, so someone will come soon enough. Maybe the blessing is from the new sisters. Im SOOO excited for that! They're going to be so good!!
We have done SOO much for them! We went and moved them in, we redid the ENTIRE area book for them and the ward list, we have been finding meals for them, tracting only in there area so that they'll have people to teach. A lot. So we're excited for them to actually get here. The ward can't wait. The bishop about died when he found out they were coming. He's happy. Sisters always bring success and a ward with both is even better. Im happy about it. AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We get to keep the car!!  Great huh? They found one for the sisters. HOOORAHHH!!
 
Thanksgiving was good. Not even close to a sharp thanksgiving, but still good. We ate at the c's. They totally remind me of my family.  I love them. They're great! I like each one of the brothers. One is the most pretty boy man I have ever seen. That means something for me to say that. (being a pretty boy myself.)
 
We moved like three different people this week. It was a bust. We had to move a freaking PIANO up three flights of stairs. I hurt my back and hansen got stabbed by the railing. I was SOO mad. Who brings a piano from new york to put in a third story apartment?! Seriously?  Thats. all.
 
Other than that its been a good week. Hard. and really unsuccessful, but really good. We're REALLY excited about this next transfer. Its going to be SOO good!
 
OH YA! THE TEMPLE!!!!!! I wrote Lauri about it but I guess I should write about it. It was the largest and most beautiful temple I've ever been through. There were like.... five different rooms!! So cool! I loved it! We took a few pictures out front.   I loved it. It changed the whole experience for me to be in a different temple. Ya. I learned a lot. Especially being there with elder Hansen.  He answered a lot of questions that I had. He also showed me the scriptures I can look at to learn anything I want to about it. I LOVE my companion. I honestly think Father found the one person who could help fill the gap from my lack of brothers. Its nice. I am going to hate my life after this transfer is over.  
 
Okay. I have to go. I love you! I miss you and pray for you ALL the time.

Elder Sharp 2

Thanksgiving week- last week's email

Hi!! This week has been a little crazy, so I havent been writing many letters to anyone.

Ok, this week was super hard. We've been walking around, talking to everyone, knocking on doors, doing everything we possibly can to try and find people and nobody is interested. In my patriarchal blessing it tells me that I will be praying and searching for people to teach, because we cant find anyone. I will be wondering where these people that the Lord had prepared are. Inspired. Its totally true. NOBODY wants to talk about religion here. Noone cares. We've been working hard and doing all we can but no baptisms. We'll find them, though. They are out there, we just need to look in the right places. Pray for us to find people, will you?

So they are splitting the area. Fun. Its super complicated right now. They are still working on the line for the new sisters and trying to figure out the cars. We have a car right now, but we are the only elders in the district with one. We have to drive everyone else around give people rides. They are probably going to have to move us to bike though, so that the sisters dont have to. But if we go to bike we wont be able to give anyone else a ride. We wont to zone activities and it will complicate things a ton. But we will deal with whatever happens. I like bike.

Mom! I dont know what to write!
I love Hansen. He's the best! He is a great example to me and he is a very good missionary. Transfers are this next week and I think we're both staying. They usually keep trainer and greenie together until you're done training. But Im sure he's going to be made Zone leader or AP pretty soon. He is one of the most loved and popular missionaries in the mission and Pres loves him. Not that its all based on that. Its a calling, but if it wasnt...

Alright. So I told you that I didnt sing much. That is true, but I meant that I dont really perform at all. We sing in the car and a tiny bit at home, but not much else. And I have no problem singing with Hansen. He sings with me most of the time. Or sings by himself. He's actually really good. We just have very different styles of music. He likes folk and stuff and I like classical. He used to sing and play in coffee shopps back at home. Anyway. When we spoke at church he started off his talk by telling the whole ward that I love to sing and inviting them to force me to sing for them any time and place. "He loves it and would be happy to do it for you any time you'd like!:D" I thought I was going to kill him and wet myself for laughing so hard. It was just so unexpected. That was last week. two weeks ago. I dont really remember. But this sunday I got asked to sing at two different ward parties. One for this old group and another one other one. I dont remember. I have to talk to that woman again. It wasnt set in stone. But ya. I will be singing quite often for the holidays. I also was asked to go with the elders quorum to go caroling. Hansen will get to play all he wants. Im actually kind of happy. Ill have an excuse to practice at home. Cool. It will be cool. Ill tell you about that.

Ya, not much else going on. We had almost every dinner forget about us this week. Some just brought us pizza and some just gave us money to go buy food. Thats how its going to happen tonight. Which isnt really that bad, because we then get to choose anything we want. Which is usually pizza anyway. Whatevs.

Megan brower had her primary class write me a bunch of letters. That was cool. It was last week, but I wrote them all back this week. It was kind of cool to have all of these little kids write me. Apparently all of the girls thought I was really cute and asked megan for a bunch of pictures. I would be really excited about that if they werent nine. You know.

So I wrote about it to preston a little bit. There is a family in our ward named the c's. There are five boys. They grew up here. They all went to school other places, but moved back to be in their ward. Its the coolest! Its like the Sharp boys grew up and were all in RC2. Crazy! They all have high callings. Bishopric, HIgh councel, Elders quorum pres, stuff like that. Their family like....holds the ward together. They make it up. Anyway, being around them makes me have so much love for my brothers. I am SOOO excited for when we all have our own families and start doing our own thing!! Its going to be the best!! Im so stoked for that!!

OK! Got to go. Love you!!!! I miss you!!
Elder Sharp

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Letters

So, on Monday Spencer and I emailed back and forth for quite awhile.  We were mostly just doing question and answer like last time.  No information that I could really put on the blog- mostly just short exchanges of I miss yous and can you get me this info and stuff like that.  BUT we have gotten some really fantastic letters.  I just haven't gotten around to typing them out and putting them on here.  Believe it or not, this was all from one letter he wrote to Brigham that we got this week.  I edited a lot of it out, and it's still this long.  So here goes...

This is going to be a lot of random thoughts.  There are a flipping ton of rich people here.  Tarzana is like the entire mission in a few square miles.  Super rich areas closer to the hill and super poor areas closer down in the valley.  It's the best.  Great area to start in.  Anyway, the other day we were contacting inactive members.  We found this guy named D. J.  (abbreviated.)  We drove around until we found his house.  It was up on a hill, so it was nice, but not the nicest by any means.  We pull up and take a peak at his cars.  Holy.  Momma.  Lotus and Aston Martin and Mercedes Benz, although everyone has those here.  I have never seen so many nice cars.  Here in LA, people spend so much less money on their homes.  They buy crappy houses, but it's all about your car.  Everyone either has a Benz, BMW or Prius.  Inside joke that I'll tell you about later with the Prius.  Anyway, I love it.  One of my many tender mercies from Father.  (Spencer has always had a serious love of nice cars.)  I was like, "Holy crap Elder did you see that, it was amazing.  Oh my gosh I think I just pooped myself."  And then Elder H said something to the same effect.  Then we got out and started taking pictures of the cars.  Like idiots, I'm sure.  So we go up to the door totally nervous about this man who is clearly very loaded.  This beautiful girl opens the door.  "Hi, does Brother J live here?  He's a member of our church."  "Well, D.J. does live here but I doubt he's a Mormon."  So she goes in and we wait, a little nervous.  She comes back and says "yeah, he says to come in."  We walk in and both start drooling.  Beautiful. Home.  Had two grand pianos.  Beautiful kitchen.  She leads us into this room.  Most ridiculously awesome pad ever!!  Had a beautiful little stage on the left.  Tons of instruments that were very nice, and on the right.... softest couches ever; workout equipment, more stuff that looked expensive that I didn't even know the purpose of.  (found out that it was all stuff for playing video games.)  And the nicest TV I have ever seen in my life.  35-40 year old guy just sitting there, playing video games.  He's all, "Hey guys!  What's up?"  What's up???  You're the richest man I've ever seen, that is what's up!  Basically the guy makes the Call of Duty games.  Made Halo, Modern Warfare.  That's what he does.  Sits there and plays video games, drinks the most expensive alcohol, and makes millions of dollars while his games are sold.  Best. Life. Ever.  Except for the alcohol and lack of Gospel, of course.  He grew up in the church and had left it long time ago.  His daughter was the girl who answered the door.  20 years old.  Not at all interested in Christ's message.  He was the most chill guy ever.  Very good looking and stylish and everything.  Sweet guy.  That was an interesting experience.

So tonight we had dinner with this family.  We drove up to their house, it was completely gated off.  Huge, beautiful home.  I looked at Elder H and said, "I really want to be rich."  He came out to meet us.  Super cool guy.  Classy!  But fun and chill.  He walks up their super long brick driveway with us following him.  Just plain class all over.  Trees and statues and... prime!  We go into their house.  SUPER nice!!  His wife- beautiful.  Maybe 40.  He's about the same age.  She is one of the heads of Nordstroms.  He lives in Vegas most of the week and works with the Osmonds for some show they do there.  Kids really into music and all the stuff I did in high school.  Fantastic family.  Easily the most enjoyable people I've eaten with since leaving home.  Anyway, they're vegan, but they do it the right way.  The father isn't, but he eats well.  She fed us this pasta dish with spaghetti squash instead of noodles.  Great stuff.  Also this breaded chicken.  They ate vegan chicken.  Don't ask, I don't know.  It  looked like real chicken to me.  They made us this dish with nuts and pumpkin and squash.  So good!!

(Advice to Brig)
I can't wait for you to go out and get your call.  So excited for you.  You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, though.  I can't begin to tell you the things I would have done if I could go back to your position.  Read like crazy!!  Preach My Gospel.  Not just the scriptures.  Study everything you can, but especially the things in PMG.  They are the most important things to be studying.  They'll be your main point of study for two years.  So start now.  Please.  There are things that Preston didn't tell me that I wish I had known and done.  Learn to cook!  Easy and cheap meals.  Go shopping with mom whenever you can.  You should try what I'm doing.  Have mom give you 150 dollars for the month and spend it on your food (no dinners) and laundry, haircuts, anything else you need.  It will be fun.  Interesting to see how you deal with it.  Try and use what they taught you in financial lit. class about using a budget.  That will help you a lot.  And use a planner.  That is such a good habit to have.  Not just for the mission, but for everything in life.  I was promised by my branch Pres. in the MTC that if I would learn to master the chapter in Preach My Gospel on planning, I would be successful in my life.  There's more to it.  Making goals and actually making them happen, planning everything in a schedule and always keeping commitments.  Lots of stuff.  Use it!!  It's completely inspired, obviously.  But you will really learn to appreciate it out here in the mission and the rest of your life.

Go out with the missionaries and actually teach lessons!  I would go out with them and hang out.  I learned a lot and it was a great thing for me, but it could have been better.  Ask the missionaries to treat you as a brand new missionary.  That will teach you more quickly than anything else.  Hopefully they'll force you to speak and to bare testimony and stuff.  You're going to be such a good missionary!!  I really am so excited for you.  So flipping amazing!  But it's all what you make of it.  The term/title "RM" means almost nothing to me anymore.  There are missionaries that are terrible.  It's all about how you served or what kind of missionary you were.  And you can tell with people.  Roger was a legend here.  Amazing missionary.  Everyone knew it.  But people can change out here if they really want to.  It's all up to you.

Okay, member missionary work.  It is so important!!!!  You have no idea.  Members never really do.  Apostles have been talking about that a ton over the past year.  The Lord is hastening the work, not by lowering the age, obviously that's a part of it, but by using the members.  When they say, "Every member a missionary" they're NOT KIDDING!  Missionary work can hardly happen without the members.  My job is full time, but when you're baptized you're hired by the Lord to teach.  I just heard a quote, actually Elder H said it the other night at dinner.  It's "Always bare testimony, and sometimes speak."  I don't know who said it, but I really liked it.

I'm excited to see the person I'm going to become after my time here is up.  that's actually a question we're supposed to ask ourselves.  "Who do you want to be at the end of your two year mission?"  I have had a hard time answering it.  But when I try it totally helps me get closer to that point.  Maybe you should ask yourself that question Brig.  Write it down somewhere and answer it.  Then go through every night and ask yourself if what you did that day helped you become more or less like that person.  I'm glad I was able to email you a little bit.  You made me laugh.  I wish I had more of that here.  I miss you and our family more than I care to even think about.  And I love you more than I ever have before.  That tends to happen when you're feeling the spirit a lot of the time.  You love everyone a little more and your family a ton more.  I pray for you.  Our family, yes, but you specifically.  Just know that God is hearing about you.  He better be hearing from you, and He is thinking of you.  He loves you more than anyone ever will.  It's important that we try to please Him as much as possible.  We will never be able to understand His love and the things He's done for us.  That's why we need to obey Him.

Love, Elder Sharp #2

(He wrote about 5 pages, seriously, about the most sweet and tender stuff that I didn't feel like I should put on the blog.  It was all about his struggle with coming to terms with why he was called there, instead of to one of the great places like Brazil and everywhere all of his friends were going.  He apparently was struggling pretty badly with feeling like maybe he was 'expendable' and stuff.  But he goes on to tell that he has already realized that he's exactly where he needs to be for very specific reasons for his own life and his own experiences.  That being there is going to provide him with the growth that he specifically needed.  It was extremely touching to read his thoughts and to see that he is able to see this so early in his journey there.)

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Photos

He did send an SD card home this week as well.  :)  In his letters he has said he's feeling a tad homesick.  (Understatement.)  But he's doing his best to carry on.  He says his companion is helping a ton in that area.  He is funny and his letters definitely make us laugh.  I love that he's being real and telling us what he really thinks of everything.  :)  I think he'll get past this and he'll learn to love it there.  We miss him sooooo much!!!

                                                                 MTC LIVING!!

Yay Kelly!


These made me laugh.  So Spencer.  






His district- I'm assuming?  

At the Airport.

On to Reality!!  Nice.  

He is the bed on the right.

He was horrified when he saw the apartment.  I don't think it's that bad.  


Elder Hansen

A Little Trunky

Spencer didn't send an actual email this last Monday- we just emailed back and forth for a short amount of time.  He has sent home several letters already telling me how much he prefers to write his letters instead of using email.  Only Spence.  Here is a sample of what we talked about on Monday through the emails.

My questions:

1- did you get my letter?  The one with the typed letter I sent Preston and his reply?  If so, when did you get it?  

2- what is the name of your ward?  (the one you're serving in)  If I send a package with dad or someone from the ward here, we need to know what ward to get a hold of to leave it with someone there.  (for you)  

3- how much did you pay for your bike?  Are you using your JCU debit card or are  you using the card they gave you in the MTC?  (I wasn't sure how that one worked.)  And do you ever drive or just your comp?  

4- What are your rules about music you can listen to?  Would you like me to send you anything from the 'approved' list?  I'd be happy to track music down for you and send it.  

5- Did you ever send off those thank-you cards?  

6- When you say food is so much more expensive there, do you think maybe you just didn't realize how expensive it is here?  :)  I didn't notice it was that much more when we were in Oceanside.  Maybe a little.  

7- What have you been eating?  Do you have to feed yourselves often, or mostly just lunch time and stuff?  

8- What is your ward like?  How many missionaries are serving in the ward you're in?  Do you have four missionaries living in your apartment or two?  

9- Do you get your mail everyday?  (like, from the mailbox at the apartment?)


His responses:

1. Yes, I got it Saturday. I think.
2. It's the Tarzana Ward.
3. I payed $450. Helmet and lights included. No, Im using the debit card they gave me when I got to the Valley. I bought the bike with my Jordan card. And no, Hansen drives. I drove once, but only because he let me.
4. Its up to Hansen and I. Anything that we feel fits the missionary handbook. Pres is all about personal accountability. Hansen listens to "the lower lights" and I really like them. I want the soundtrack to sons of provo. cleveland has that. and I really like motab.
5. Im almost done with those......sorry:)
6. It is more, but I am a little shocked about how expensive food is. 
7. We get fed by members every night. I love that. But I make breakfast the same way I did at home. I eat a lot of sandwiches...(spelling?) Pretty much whatever I want. We buy pizza a lot. Thats hansens favorite food. 
8. The ward is great. Super small. Well actually, there are 650 members but only 120 come. They couldnt begin to compare with RC2. Its the best. EVER. Only Hansen and I are here. We like that. But I do wish there was another companionship in our appartment. That would be cool. 
9. Yes, we try and check our mail every day. As much as we can. I usually get the mail two days after you send it. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

He's a Fireball

(I waited all day to get an email from Spencer.  Finally I got one that said, "I like pickles."  Will got one that said "meow".  That was it- that was all they said.  We were like????  Apparently that is what missionaries do when one of them walk away from their computers and leave their email open.  Fun.  :)  So he's in Reseda.  Like... Karate Kid.  Made me laugh.)  

I am so sorry. I opened my email and went to the bathroom with hansen. The other missionaries are super mature. stupid kids.
HI!!:D Holy Cow! this week has been crazy! We are both new to the area, so we know absolutely no one. We had no lessons, no contacts or referals. We've basically just been finding this entire time. Nuts. Ya, I got here, met the Pres. and sister Hall, they took us to a stake center to eat and to figure everything out. We went to a hotel and stayed the night. When we got up the next morning they took us the same building where we had transfer meeting (I saw elder Thornley, Cummings, and Chandler!!)(palakiko). That was really cool. I was assigned to Elder Spencer Hansen. To serve in Reseda zone, in the Tarzana area. We took pictures, got in our car and went to our appartment. I cant even explain how disgusting it was. I spent about 6 hours cleaning the place. Horrible.
 Right when we got there we got a call from the ward mission leader. He took us to dinner and talked to us about the ward. He is super in your face, my way or no way, and intense. I dont really like him. Plus,....how do you say it. His eyes go in different directions. With some people its not that bad, but I got a really bad headache from trying to figure out which eye was looking at me. It was bad. Ya, he's a fireball.
But we've been trying to find people the rest of the time. Contacting inactives and getting referals. This place is hot, ugly, Dirty, mean and to be quite honest...I really hate it. Its like throwing a couple trees in down town Pheonix. Everyone hates you, some people try to hit you with their cars. Its mean. I will never live here after my mission. ya.... My compa... He's nuts. I love him to death. I wrote Kenna a letter and said, "He's a perfect mix of Ben, Preston, Curtis, and Mr. Mitchell." thats pretty acurate. He's a hipster. Plays soccer, works out, plays the guitar, He's 5'6. He's from West Jordan and he'll be twenty next month. (That means we get to go to the temple!!) I love him to death. It's totally obvious that President Hall was lead by the spirit when he made that assignment. He likes me to call him top gun and he calls me mamma wolf. (Brigham, Look up that song. Mamma Wolf by Devendra Banhart. I would totally do it, but I kind of cant.) Sooo stupid, but he's hilarious!! I love the guy. The rest of the missionaries are really weird. Like..WEIRD. Almost all of the elders are socially awkward to some extent.
    Anyway. Today is P-day. We went shopping. I flipping hate it. I miss my mothers home cooked meals and free food!! Best! I had to pay a ton of money for food because in California EVERYHTING is expensive!! I hate IT!! We had to wait forever for the sisters to email. They take a long time. So I bought a zoo. Just kidding!! I bought a bike. But I could have bought a zoo with the amount of money I payed for it. Stupid thing. I love it, though. Its a fixie. A phat. CRAP! I forgot to take a picture!! Its a beauty!! It hurts to ride it, though. Hurts so good, you know? We have a car, but its a lot easier to find people while youre around on a bike. So we'll drive somewhere and park, take our bikes and go. I love doing that.
How is Brigham? I hope things have gotten better with him.  I miss him so much. The homesickness is only getting worse. Clayton is going to be the most attractive kid ever! Babe!! I hope he gets them off before I get home. Holy crud. thats such a long time. Anyway, those pictures were great!! I miss the boys like crazy. I get the same physical pain that told you about earlier. Where my stomach hurts way bad any time I think of them. Only its different. I know I'll be able to see them for the rest of my life. But its getting worse as time goes on. Whatever. I can deal with it. 
Im so sorry about Dad's job. I know He'll be fine, but its still hard. Hes such an amazing man. I dont really know whats going on with you, Mother. You should include more of whats going on in your life. Im rather interested in that. 
   The packages werent very helpful in the MTC, but they would be wonderful now. just like the ones from last week. Beautiful. I dont want a blanket!! Its way too hot for that!! Please dont bother! I wish I had more time. I love you so much!! I pray for you all the time!! I hope preston is doing better!! I miss him so much. I miss you all!
Elder Sharp




These are pictures taken at the MTC- I assume.


Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Sunny CA

Spencer called Monday morning from the airport. We were able to talk for almost an hour!! He sounds so incredibly happy and completely excited to get to work. We won't know where he ended up or who he's with until next Monday. Here he is with the group that arrived with him.  You can barely tell it's him- I didn't even recognize him.  He must have cut his hair short.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Week Dos

I'm still getting used to Spencer's letters. :) Let's just say I am super happy I get to talk to him on Monday and can ask him my questions then. Here's what I got:


And now a message from your slightly foreign super hero!

HELLO! Ok, week number two. HOLY CRAP! (mom, I told you one would start like that) This week has been NUTS! I have so much to say with so little time! I have been super busy! I've written you a lot of what Im going to say in this email, but I have to say something. Just read all of the letters whn they get to you before you deliver them to everyone.
So, after I emailed you last week things got hard. Really hard. We started learning the methods and everything that night for teaching. My mind was blown. We started teaching people and making lessons and doing everything. I got called to be the Zone leader (I told you that last time) and the responsibilities arent that big. Its basically just to be perfect so that everyone has an example. No big deal. The hardest part for me is being able to apply the lessons to the investigators and teaching them what they need to hear while trying to slip in all of the doctrine and inviting them to make commitments that they don't want to follow through with. And ya. I'ts ridiculous... It puts a lot of pressure on you to do well even though this is all just training for the field. I guess I've just never really been stressed before. This is such a new thing for me. To get home and be mentally exhausted. Crap!! I'm so sorry!! I dont have any time! I have a bunch of letters that Im going to send that have all of the information you need. Maybe you can just put those on the blog. Im sorry about pictures too. Ill get them soon!!! Sorry:(

Ill be calling from the airport on monday anywhere from 8:00-11:00. BE READY!! Im going to call Brig while hes in school, so maybe let him know. Ill be flying into burbank, (or however you spell it) so I wont see dad at LAx. Sad, right? CRAP! I have no time!! Im sorry!!
I love you so much!! I miss you SO much!!!
Elder Sharp

Friday, October 11, 2013

First Letter Home!!


So we weren't expecting Spence to email home until about Monday or Tuesday.  I was thrilled when I got this today.  I did send him a letter through Dear Elder that he should get today, but it wouldn't have gotten to him until this afternoon, after he sent this.  Bummer!!  If I had known his Pday was today, I would have for sure sent an email as well.

HI!!! Just to let you know. I really dont want to take up time with writing about what I'm learning yet. We got enough of that with Preston. But I'm learning a TON!!!
    Alright, my companion. Let me just say that clayton was SPOT ON!! He is amazing, though! I love him already and I'm really sad that we're not going to be comps when we get to the valley. The other Elders in my District are great too. Elder Martin is a lot like me. We get along really well. I really hope to serve with him someday. The other is Elder Bagley. He's really quiet, keeps to himself a lot. He is a cowboy and the only other Elder from Utah. There is so much I want to say but Elder Loshbaugh is right next to me and I am super slow at this. The food stinks, both when it goes in and much, much worse when it comes out. The teachers are all fantastic. I get along with them really well.  
   We met with President Stice last night. He is one of the scariest men I have EVER met! Super intimidating. For some reason he decided to call Elder Loshbaugh and Myself to be the Zone leaders... ya. I barely know whats going on anyway and now I have to be in charge of thirty people. I'm a little stressed out right now. He talked to us last night for like two hours about being a good missionary. How in his branch he wont let any missionaries be anything but exceptional. He is really intense. 
     Ok, whats the deal? I thought you would have emailed me by know to ask me how it was; just in case my Pday was a thursday. Kenna sent me an email, whats the deal with my family?? I need to know what you want to know. Send me questions like you said you were going to. 
   I should probably tell you that I am happy. I have never smiled so much in my life. I go around talking to everyone I can. I'm nice and obliging and nothing like my usual self. Its like the MTC brings all of your good qualities out and subdues all of your bad ones. I'm cleaner, I compliment people, I am very confident. Maybe its some of the effects of working with the spirit so much. I havent been able to cry or even get depressed about missing home. I don't have time to. They stuff your schedule so full of things that you have no time to think about anything but what they're teaching you an how you feel about it. And to try and figure out what the spirit is telling you to do. But I do miss you a lot. A lot. I just cant stand to think about it, so I dont and when I do it just bothers me so I decide not to. I dont know how to explain it. Im still struggling with articulation. 
    So I'm singing already. Loshbaugh plays the piano quite well and he's is playing for some sister and I who will be singing "Come Thou Fount." I love it, but its not like singing with anyone at home. They have nice voices and sound pretty, but they don't sound like Allie or Brianna. Its hard to settle when you're used to having the best. I miss singing a TON!! I'm seriously struggling with that. I want to bust out in Phantom or Love Never Dies, but I cant because its not in the white bible. Its bugging me. 
   Things I need or forgot: letters(they really are pure gold here), my retainers, a big warm blanket (but only when I get to the Valley), maybe a new watch because this one is staight up crap, .... oh! an address book!! I want to write people but I have no idea where to send letters. I need home addresses and email addresses. theyre super important. Have Brig ask all of my friends for both. Anyone he thinks I'd like to write. This REALLY matters to me!!! 
   Ok, I'm out of time. I miss you all so much! I love you!! GOD LIVES!!! Bye!

PS, Did we trash riverton? How did that go? How is everyone? Tell me everything! Ill get you a ton of pictures next week. Everyone is trying to figure out how to do it on these computers. I'll try and take a lot.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

It's Only Two Years, Right?

Ready for his 10 fun-filled days in the MTC!!

Last minute phone calls with some of the YM in the ward.

                               
He chose Carrabba's to eat his last 'family meal' at.  

                               
Whenever he has a choice, that boy will always go for Italian food.  

Right across the street from the MTC, where you go for your last minutes and goodbyes.



                               







Our family hug.  It's getting smaller and smaller.  



Welcome Elder Sharp!!

Curbside goodbyes.


Sister Tolley, from our ward who leaves for Korea in a few weeks, was there to Host the new Sister missionaries.  What are the odds we'd run into her??  

On his way.

His final glance back.

Although it was a very different experience than leaving an Elder at the airport- we didn't seem to get through it any easier and that drive away was brutal.