My prayers are with you!

Monday, October 4, 2010
Dear Family,
I am so thankful for the blessings of the gospel! As I scanned over your e-mails today as I was preparing them to print I read the news about David Dockendorf. My heart goes out to each one of you, especially Brandt and Kelly and the whole Dockendorf family. I can’t imagine the many things that you have all felt this week as you have gone through this experience but I can imagine that it has been difficult and trying. It is hard to hear such news and to be able to deal with the difficult emotions that it brings, but harder to know that I am not with you to comfort and help in any way I could during this difficult time, although there is not much that I could do to help. However, I have faith in times like these that this is where I am supposed to be and that I couldn't be doing anything better there than I am doing here. I am so thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope that it brings, especially when something like this occurs in our lives. I am so thankful for the Savior and that He atoned for our sins, felt every pain that we feel, knows how to succor us, and overcame death so that we may have the hope of living again. I love Him so much and am so thankful that His gospel has been restored to the earth and that I am blessed to be a member of His church. I am thankful to be one of His missionaries at this time, to share His love and teachings with others and invite them to partake of the joy and peace that He offers. I am so thankful for all of my many blessings and especially for prayer, that I can communicate personally with my Heavenly Father. I will be praying for each of you as you continue in faith and hope, relying on the Atonement of the Savior and the wonderful Plan of Salvation that our Father in Heaven prepared for us. I know that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always waiting with open arms to hear from us and to welcome us when we need peace and comfort. They love us so much and they will help us overcome every difficult thing in our lives. Although they are not here with us, we each have the gift of the Holy Ghost to comfort us and help us. We also have the blessings of the Priesthood which brings incredible power and strength as we cope with difficult trials and experiences.
We have been extremely blessed here in Den Haag! We had our first appointment with Roland and it went so well! We invited him to be baptized on November 6th and he accepted!!! We also had an appointment with him on Friday and we will be having another one today. It should be exciting since he is so enthusiastic about the Restored Gospel and since he is keeping every commitment that we extend to him. He is a little difficult to keep on track during our lesson because he jumps from eternal families to tithing to the premortal life and he has a lot of questions but it is great that he is hungering for truth. Thanks for your prayers in his behalf!
Our other investigators aren't making too much progress. Vitalis has just about fallen off of the face ot the earth this week...sadly enough he didn't show up to conference! But Esra came to conference with one of her little friends and loved it! I am just floored that two little girls, ages 6 and 8, who aren't members of the church and have never attended a church in their whole lives up until now, think that it is so great to come and listen to General Conference! It is awesome! They must have felt the Spirit and they are just hungering for more!
Conference was wonderful! I loved all of the messages and wished it could have lasted just a little bit longer but I am so thankful for the words of the apostles and prophet. The Spirit was so strong during the whole thing and I feel lifted up and energized, re-committed to live the gospel even better. It was great!
This week will be very eventful! On Tuesday night Zuster Brubaker will be coming to work with us here in Den Haag. Wednesday morning we will have interviews in Leiden. Thursday we will be going to the temple with Sue Haina! I am so excited to be able to go to the temple again, especially for this special occasion. It will be AWESOME! And then we will be working like crazy all of the time in-between! I am looking forward to all of it!
I hope that you had a wonderful conference weekend and that you will have a great week! I am praying for you and I know that the Lord is watching over all of us! I love you so much! FAMILIES ARE FOREVER!
Love, Zuster Sharp