Hey Everyone,
Things are going pretty good. We have 2 baptisms this weekend. Pretty
cool! Hopefully they go through. If they do then I will only be... 9
baptisms behind... Lol! Jennifer is getting baptized, along with
Salaha. They are both pretty awesome. Guess what though. We have
baptisms scheduled for next weekend! Yeah! I am going to send my SD
Card back pretty soon, so you will get to see Stacy (10 year old girl
we baptized) along with the next 2 baptisms that are coming up. I will
take pictures of all of them. Maybe Nat & Joe will put them on the
blog. What was the blog URL again? Things are much easier than the
first transfer. My new companion is much more relaxed. With my last
companion, we would get in random arguments sometimes. We were talking
about cars. I mentioned the term "timing belt". He said "Do you mean
timing chain?" I said " No timing belt, you know, the belt that runs
from the engine shaft to the camshaft". He told me that there were
only chains and that "any engineer who used a belt would be a total
idiot because it would slip and destroy the engine". So we asked
someone else and they were like "Most cars use timing belts". There
was another day when we were copying something. It copied wrong. I
changed a setting to fix it and was ready to hit copy. He said "no,
let me look through the settings first." I said I already  fixed it. I
went to copy it and he stopped me. We argued heavily for about 30
seconds and finally I just hit copy in the middle of his sentence. It
came out perfect. Then I arrogantly threw it in his face (which was
wrong). Nothing like that has happened in this transfer with my new
companion. Before, it was constant (well every other day or so.) I
also became really upset when he told me to stop playing "The Spirit
of God" on the piano. Apparently the mission presidents wife said that
we cant play the second song in the hymnbook because it is too sacred.
I told him that that rule was not, in any way, Gods will, but that it
was entirely her opinion. He said "Are you going to pick and choose
which commandments you obey?" And he used the word "obedience" about
30 times in the conversation. And then he used the scripture talking
about the 2000 stripling warriors, and how they obeyed "with
exactness". I told him that God could care less if I played that song,
and that if he did, I would be willing to confess my mistake to him,
repent, and then pay the horrible price of playing the second song in
the hymnbook. I basically told him that he was full of garbage and
that the prophets and apostles instituted the hymnbook for the
members, not the other way around. I also said that the mission
presidents wife was "overriding" the entire church by telling us we
could not play it, and then elaborated heavily on that point. In the
scriptural sense, he was "straining at gnats and swallowing camels."
And then I brought up multiple events that proved my point directly
(which he could not deny). After I destroyed his argument, he fell
back on the word "obedience", and kept repeating "are you going to
choose which commandments you obey?" Then I brought up a long list of
commandments he did not obey, along with almost every missionary out
here. That made him angry. It got to the point where we were yelling,
mainly because A. He didn't win the argument and B. I was tired of
taking whatever he decided to throw on me. Before that point I had
been submitting to what he told me to do. Pretty funny now, but
frustrating at the time. That happened a lot. I have a lot of work to
do when it comes to becoming more humble. I really am not humble.
Especially when things like that would happen. I have a lot of things
I need to work on. I am just extremely happy now that I am out of that
situation, and that we are having success. I attribute it only to God.
I have not found any of the people who are getting baptized. They all
came to us. God has blessed us. Thanks for your letters and e-mails.
Thanks for your prayers. It all really, really helps and I appreciate
it a lot. Have a great week everyone.
Love Sterling

Hey Family and Friends,
How are things going? Its great to hear from everyone. I have a new
companion now, but I'm staying in the same area. We cover the Granite
Park and Winder West Stake's. Our physical address (not mailing
address) is:
3470 South 335 East
Salt Lake City UT
84115

(Note: This is where we live. We are not allowed to see family or
friends... unless we just happen to run into them. Unless we just
accidentally, somehow, in some amazing and unlikely coincidence are in
the same place at the same time. So don't get any ideas.)

Our mailing address is :
Elder Sterling Ron Sharp
Utah Salt Lake City Mission
3487 South 1300 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Our phone number is: 801-608-9165

Anyways, Chelsie, Salaha and Jennifer are all still good to go. They
are solid and on date to be baptized. We had 1 baptism last transfer
(which was also my first transfer.) Since we are staying in the same
area, I am working with many of the same people. However, there is now
a family of 6 who want to be baptized. They are the Parra Family. And
there is another Islamic woman who wants to be baptized. Her Name is
Faten. She is solid also. And I forgot to mention that we are teaching
Jennifer's Husband now. Heavenly Father has really blessed us. All of
these people contacted us, so even though I'm excited about baptizing
6 - 10 people this transfer, its always important to remember who it
is that is blessing them and us with this success. Heavenly Father,
Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. The people who will be baptized this
transfer (unless an asteroid comes out of the sky and wipes out Salt
Lake) are : Jennifer, Salaha, Chelsie, Faten, Para (mother, son). So,
if we don't add anyone else for baptism, we will get 6. The father of
the Para family will get baptized, but he has to overcome his
addiction to smoking, and I've found out quickly that nicotine is more
addictive than many illegal drugs. Interestingly enough, people who
have been addicted to illegal drugs and smoking said that the illegal
drugs were fairly easy to quit; and that smoking was very difficult to
quit. At least that's what we have been told by a handful of people
who did both. We have a program designed to help people stop. Also,
the other son in the Para family may get baptized. The two daughters
could, but they are shaky. Jeniffer's husband will get baptized, but
it may not be within this transfer. The Ilunga Family (from the Congo)
may get baptized, but they are shaky also. There are also many other
Investigators I have not mentioned. Solid baptisms: 6. Potential: 10 -
14. Goal: 10. The goal is 1 baptism per week. I also included the MTC
weeks (3) and I tack on every week that we do not get a baptism. So
right now, we have 1 baptism. It is week 10 (3 weeks MTC, 6 Weeks last
transfer, and the 6 total days at the beginning and end of year that
are separate.) 104 Weeks 6 days = 105 Baptisms. So I am 9 Baptisms
behind. So if I reach the goal of 10, I will be 5 behind next
transfer. It will work out the way God wants it to. If he wants me to
hit my goals, I will. Anyways, I love all of you. Thanks so much for
the awesome birthday! I hope you are all doing well. Write me whenever
you get time. Its always great to hear from you.
Love Sterling