Last email from the MTC!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT EITHER!!  I can't wait to be in Nihon (: It’s going to be amazing.  After all the Nihonjin I've met, I just know I'll love it (:  Not nervous at all, though I know I'm prolly gonna be super annoyed when I can't speak any Japanese and that's the only language around me.  But honestly... I'm really excited for that frustration.... (;

YES.  I was running around looking for Sam during hosting because I knew he was coming in with his family.  One of the older assistants helping out was like, "Elder, go over there!" and then I was like, "My friend is supposed to be here right now..." and then this lady (probably the man's wife,) was like, "It’s his friend!" And just before I got in trouble, I heard someone yell, "Elder Stout!" And there was Elder Liechty!!  It was such a relief to see my brother again.  (Don't worry, he gave me the hug from you, Mama ;) I helped him to his room and class, prolly taking a little more time than was needed... (; But it was so fun.  We also ran into Jacob, and the bros were united!!  So, I'll send that pic! (:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!  BRIAN!!  EMAIL ME NOW.  Seeing his picture was so weird... I haven't seen a new picture of Brian in two years!!  Can you believe its been that long since we sat outside my car and talked until 3 AM??

The MTC. I will miss the devotionals, the teachers, and my district the most.  It’s been truly an amazing experience and I love it so much more than I ever expected I would (: There are so many great people in this world and I'm so lucky that I've begun to meet more of them!!  My district is already feeling like family, so you need to meet all of them soon!!

So, guess who I got to teach yesterday? (Amongst my 3 lessons ALL in Japanese?) JUNICHI OJISAN!! (Uncle, not grandpa.) He's so awesome.  I can't believe I didn't make time to teach him sooner.  He's one of the wisest men I've ever met.  It’s funny though, when we try to teach him, it really turns into him teaching us.  As we go, he asks so many questions, and occasionally stops the lesson and says things that never crossed our minds.  My favorite analogy he made was while we talked about spirits, he said, (in an AWESOME Japanese accent,) "Ah.  Muzukashi concept, ne?  Sei wa muzukashi." and then proceeded to rip up a peace of paper into many smaller pieces.  "The Church, is like a puzzle.  And right now, you are throwing individual pieces at me." He picked up one piece and eyed it, continuing, "I have no idea what I'm looking at!  But, if you show me whole picture, then you can zoom in on individual puzzle piece so that I understand."

Its CRAZY!  I leave on Monday!!  We spent all day today packing, so we're running a bit low on time, but... man.  I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am.  I've been waiting my whole life for this.  And its finally here.

Please pray for me.

So!  Fun advancement: on Sunday I got released as the Zone Leader and two of our Kohai (the younger missionaries, one of which was a student body officer at AF!) were chosen to take our places.  Being their zone leader was an amazing experience.  I learned so much and heard so many life-changed and life-changing stories.  Some Elders here have insane pasts.  Their families had all but given up on them, and somehow, through, in his words, "what only could have been the grace of God, which I didn't deserve, I realized the truth.  That's why I'm out here.  To show people that they are never lost."

It’s powerful.  I love these people.

So, another Faith promoting experience!  On Sunday, we had a speaker come in who said, "Everyone, I come here without 'purse or script.' I'm going to try my best to follow the spirit, so if there is a question you have that needs answering, ask God if he'll answer it through me and then listen."  So, I've heard that before, but I've never really tried it.  The idea that part of a talk would be turned to me in particular just seemed ridiculously unlikely.  But I said a prayer, because there had been a lot on my mind that day.  And the entire talk was for me.

Not just one phrase, or thought, or even paragraph.  The entire 45-minute talk was just for me.  He eluded to scriptures I'd read in the last 24 hours, he talked about topics that seemed to have no correlation at all unless you've had several specific experiences I have over the past few weeks, he even shared some stories after saying, "Normally I wouldn't... I mean, I don't think I should share this, but..."

It was for me.  Sometimes God gives us the most blunt tender mercies as a reminder.

So, I promise to write you all when I'm in Japan!!  There's a ton more to say, but I want to answer some emails, so this is where I'll close.  Aishiteimasu minnasan!!  I love you all so much!!

Read The Book of Mormon more than you're reading it right now.  Just find time in some random space of 5 free minutes you have.  That's my commitment to you.  Then see if Heavenly Father doesn't bless you.

-Elder Stout

Here is a fun video from Elder Stout:

https://youtu.be/9uN7cCW6U7w

Letters from Elder Clark and Junichi Maeda

Dear Shauna Stout,

I hope you and your family are doing well. I have truly loved serving with your son. He has been a wonderful companion and I couldn't have had a better one. He is so kind and sensitive to those around him. He has a love for Japan and he is always willing to work hard. Everyday and he does. He has really been working out hard. Every day he works out hard and eats really healthy. It is so fun to see him having a desire to improve every aspect of his life. He has a wonderful sense of humor and makes me laugh. Which I am grateful for. Thanks for raising a wonderful son. I am grateful for the time we have had and the little time left we have together!

Thanks,

Elder Clark

Aloha Shauna and Rick,

This is your uncle Junichi.  I was so blessed to run into Elder Stout last week Wednesday at the MTC.

I hoped to run into him yesterday but no luck…

Hope you are doing well!! and look forward to seeing you again soon!!

Have a wonderful day!

Junichi and Debbie

Life in the MTC is great!

Life in the MTC is great! (: We got to help out with orientating some new missionaries headed for Italy because they don't have a zone yet, and that was awesome.  Getting to know new people and serve them, I just love it (: Plus, they were from such interesting and different backgrounds!!  This place is amazing for that.  We meet so many unique people its crazy, and I'm living in a small bubble. 

OK.  I'M SUPER UPSET ABOUT THAT.  Junichi Maeda is the coolest, he always says hi to us in the halls (did you get the pictures I sent of him my second week?) and we have long conversations and I've promised to teach him a million times.  

Elder Clark and I had gone to study and totally forgot that we were teaching him.  I looked in my planner (where I SWEAR I wrote down that we had an appointment,) and there was nothing.  I was like, on the verge of tears during dinner when every single person in our district came up to me about 2 minutes apart each and asked, "Hey, some gold tag said you were supposed to teach him a lesson." It happened all night.  I'm super bummed about it.  But I'm finding him this next Wednesday and I'm gonna give him the best lesson ever!!

AWWWWWWW!!!  Those girls are the cutest thing that ever happened.  Also, so is Hudson (that bow tie is sure to make all of the Shimai in my district squeal.  They do that every time I show them pictures of the grils.)  

Tell Lucy and Lylah that they are gonna be the cutest girls at school, but to be nice to all the other girls, because if you're not nice, you aren't cute anymore.  

But seriously, looking at them in their penguin and panda make-up makes me miss them so much!! 

Let's go to the Zoo in a while.  Are you making a list of things to do when I get back?  Because it’s my job to focus on serving The Lord, and everyone back home's job to remember the fun stuff we do when I'm home from work. (;

So, a while ago you asked me about Called to Serve being sung at devotionals: one of the biggest disappointments of my life was coming to the MTC and not hearing that song sung in the big devotional room for 2 weeks.  But then we did sing it! (: And it made me think of you and all of the times you've said, "My favorite thing about the MTC was standing and singing Called to Serve with all the missionaries." It’s magical.  We've done it a few times since, so that's good news!  But I just love all the singing we do here.  I need music in my life.  I'm missing my trombone so bad.  Also, I'm learning guitar when I get home. Speaking of music, two more things!

1) Every devotional we sing a children's song or two, and we sang Tell me the Stories of Jesus.  You used to sing that song to me every single time I asked you to sing a hymn before I went to bed. (I only ever thought to ask because you always did it for Megan, but I liked it when you did.)  Anyway, that song makes me feel like a kid more than anything else.  And it makes me miss you more than most things.  "Even when [I'm] 80, [I'll] always be [your] baby."

2) We had the Nashville Tribute Band come do a devotional.  First band devotional EVER at the MTC, and it was by far one of the most spiritual experiences we've ever had.  They've dedicated their lives to missionary work through music, so that's what they did for us and . . . wow.  We got to sing two songs with them: go listen to "I was Called" and "John's Song" and imagine 1,100 missionaries backing the band.  Yeah.  It was awesome.  Also, I'm pretty sure that was the first time an MTC president has ever allowed gospel music to be sung here (;

So, I really miss my cat.  A lot.  Pretty much, I considered only talking about my cat throughout this entire email... and then decided not to.  But how is she?  Yukiko?  Are you taking good care of her?  Are you cuddling with her even when she gets annoyed and maybe hisses a little bit?  Is Babu Hudzy tormenting her yet? (That's a right of passage in our home it seems.)  Is she still super fuzzy?  Or is she bald?  I just want to hold her.  Also, my district makes fun of me when I say I miss my cat so much.  But on the topic, I think animals are very important to living a proper life.  All of my kids are gonna get to pick out their own animal of their choice at age like, 7 or 8.  But they'll have to take good care of them so my house doesn't smell bad or have fur all over it.  Trust me, its gonna happen.  (Don't judge, Chels, it’s gonna be awesome.)

So, mission humor is wierd... We don't get exposed to any comedy, so pretty much everything is funny these days.  Like, our teacher rolled up the long and short end of his tie separately and said, "which one do you think will win??" and then let them go and said, "its... a TIE!"  Ha!  Classic.

But actually, Clark Chourou's humor, while scarce, is pretty historical (I meant hysterical, but... that too, spellcheck.) 

Sister Riggs and Sister Chinain were walking back from a devotional and saw an Elder and a Sister who had known each other a lil' too well before the mission sitting next to each other and LITERALLY touching legs and arms.  (All you high-schoolers back home are laughing, but this is like... grade 9 offence for two missionaries.) Sister Riggs was watching it while she walked with her mouth gaping not sure what to do when... WAM she ran into a pole!  And then Chinain, just as awestruck by the situation, did the same thing!  That was really funny.  However, afterwards, when they were explaining it to us with a mix of disgust and laughter (at how they'd ran into the pole over something which would have been nothing back home,) Elder Clark said, "You didn't call a code blue?" Chinain asked, "Code blue?" and he said, "Yeah.  If you see stuff like that, or Elders and Sisters passing notes, you scream, 'CODE BLUE!' as loud as you can, and security guards will come take care of them!"

Needless to say, every teacher has told her that code blues are standard MTC protocol, and all of us call them whenever a Shimai gets too close to one of us. XD It makes me laugh.

I've had a few spare moments to draw some pictures here!  Not many.  But I wanna send em to you to see what you think!  Seriously, maybe had an hour to 1-1/2 hours in the last month and a half to draw.

MAMA.  Remember when you wrote me a letter two days ago and mentioned, "Where Can I Turn for Peace"? Well I opened that letter at choir while we sang the very song.  I think that counts as a tender mercy... I dunno, stuff like that happens all the time here.  Little "coincidences" in MASS abundance.  I think Heavenly Father just wants to make our lives more interesting more than anything else.

So, spiritual thought: Our choir director always gives us really powerful lessons in between numbers.  The best one he's ever given us has got to be the message, "If you are trying your best, Heavenly Father will NEVER be disappointed in you." Imagine that.  All of the times you're frustrated in yourself, all the times you're angry for the mistakes you've made, all the times that other people judge you, GOD DOESN'T.  If you're trying your best, Heavenly Father will never be disappointed in you.  Another spiritual truth is this: that the only being in existence who can vanquish you is yourself.  I mean, other than Heavenly Father, but he's made covenants that he will live by.  But Satan cannot destroy your soul by himself.  No matter how many times he knocks you down, if you stand up, Heavenly Father will never be disappointed in you.  He promises to forget our sins as we repent under proper authority.  Perhaps, when overcoming trials, the hardest part isn't what God thinks but what people around you think.  To that, I'd respond with Christ's words when he says, "Fear not man . . .  For I have overcome the world." Art thou greater than he?  You are commanded not to fear.  Even Christ, while in the flesh said, "I judge no man." If you are trying your best, you've repented, and you know that God is not disappointing in you, who cares who is?  The sin is no longer with you, but with them.  If you are trying your best, Heavenly Father will never be disappointed in you.

Ai shite imasu everyone!!!  I love you all so much!  Especially you mom and dad!! (:

-Elder Stout

I CAN'T WAIT to get to Japan!

I have like, not any time at all (9 minutes).  I'm sorry ): I'll try to write a ton by implementing my super speedy typing powers and I'll let you do all the correction if my OCD doesn't kick in!!

I'm doing really well! (:  To be honest, my first week here was super hard because I felt really under prepared and like I hadn't done any of what I should've before coming here.  I wasted so much time when I could've been doing much more productive things. 

I interview people with Elder Clark!  OH!  And we just orientated the new missionaries (: We have 35!  It was SO fun to meet em all yesterday!  AND I MET ELDER WILDE! (Elder Wilde is John's mom's cousin Diane's son, who entered the MTC yesterday on his way to John's mission).  I'll befriend him! He recognized me, and I, quite honestly, forgot that I was supposed to be finding him.

Yes, my new sensei's name is Sanderson Kyoudai and he's super different, but really awesome.  I'll tell you more about him next week (: Information for when I leave to Japan comes next Friday!!  I can't wait for the plane ride.  I'm obsessed with planes and clouds, so I'm gonna have a ball all 12 hours if I get to sit by the window (:

We had a super good talk the other day, but I forgot the name of the speaker.

AH!  I'm so jealous I didn't get to go down and see Grandma Shaffer on her birthday ): That made me so sad.  (John's great grandma turned 99 this month!) The pictures are so sweet though.  I love her so much.  I hope she's doing well!

HUDSON IS SO CUTE.  I can't wait to see that little man when I get back!!

My Japanese is coming along really well!  I don't think I'm really gonna have it til I get out to Nihon.  I was thinking about it, and seriously, seeing all of the candies that characterize my childhood (when the Stout's would bring them home for me) on one store shelf is gonna blow me away.  The natsukashi feeling of a place I've never been is gonna make me love Nihon even more than I already do, I'm sure (: I can't wait to serve people.  Seriously, here at the MTC we grow a lot spiritually and in the language, but honestly, its all focused inward.  And that's not where conversion nor true happiness are born.  Thus, I CAN'T WAIT to get out and talk to and help real people!  Even just assisting new missionaries in the MTC and comforting them about the experience makes me feel the spirit so much (:

So, about all of the emoticons I use in my emails... The other day, Elder Clark was like, "You use smiley faces...? Don't only... women do that?"

Haha, I apologize to anyone who finds it wierd.  I think smiley faces are very manly and make emails less emotionless.  You can feel more of what I'm trying to say.  So... no, Elder Clark.  Men use them too (;

Speaking of my companion, we found these things called Big Boppers in the vending machines.  They're two cookies smashing a massive glob of ice cream.  He had em with his dad when he was young so he loves em.  Every Saturday he says, "WHAT TIME IS IT?" and I say, "BIG BOPPA TIME!"  As we spend more time together, I've really come to love and connect with my companion.  The closest part of our relationship has come just barely, yet that's right after when a normal transfer is.  The lesson to be learned: treat your companion like your best friend from the start, because time WILL be too short by the end.

Out of time!!  AISHTEIMASU!!

-Elder Stout

Less than One Month till I'm in Nihon!

I realized that I've learned SO much more than I thought I had.  So, it’s coming along well (: I have an insane amount left to learn, but don't worry, I'll be fluent eventually!  I've got the spirit on my side.

Clark Chourou and I decided we wanted to try speaking Nihongo Dake (only Japanese,) as much as possible, and as soon as that decision was made, we saw four Nihonjin sisters talking to a Nihonjin teacher.  They wanted to take pictures, so I offered to take them for them, and it was the best thing ever.  They were the most gracious, genuinely sweet and modest bunch I've ever talked to.  Only one of them spoke English (their missions are in Japan, they're just coming to this MTC for 2 weeks.) Clark Chourou and I talked to ‘em for nearly a half hour (which probably wasn't beneficial for them, but helped our Nihongo/excitement IMMENSELY!)  Aw man.  AW MAN.  I came out of that just so ecstatic.  I want to talk to more of those people, I already love them so much!  Now, whenever I see those sisters, they're all super nice and try to say the few English words they know to greet us.

So, Chinain funny of the week. (I feel like that's been a theme and will prolly continue to be,) Someone called someone else a "dweeb." So, Riggs Shimai and the rest of us all tried to explain what that meant in response to her puzzled face.  A few hours later I pushed my glasses up in a funny way and she said, "Stout Chourou, you're a Dwib!" Everyone started laughing super hard and asked what she had just said, to which she replied, "I said dwib!  Is that how you call it?"  Needless to say, sometimes we refer to one another as Dwibs.

LESS THAN ONE MONTH TILL I'M IN NIHON.

Swenson Shimai is GONE ): I'm seriously so sad about it.  Our last lesson with her was so powerful.  We bore our testimonies and I almost cried, and the spirit was so thick, and it was amazing.  She gave us her email though, so we're definitely emailing her!  We've joked about her sending us packages of donuts and Jello and earplugs now that she doesn't work here anymore!  Well, ok, only I've joked about this... on one else likes Jello and earplugs.

Mama!  I saw Sheri Dew this week!!  I thought of you.  Me and Clark Chourou flipped out because both of our mommies were fans of hers.  I shook her hand and told her that, to which she winked and said, "Eh. Tell your mom to shoot higher, she can do better than me." Her talk was on engaging in a spiritual wrestle.  In all things we do, we're going to have to wrestle for truth.  Are you willing to do that, or will you settle for nothing less than God serving answers to you on a silver plate?  If you're not willing to put in the work, you aren't ready to receive the answers.  But ALL revelation is difficult.  Have faith.  Ask for help.  Every one of us is entitled to ask for the help of angels, and Heavenly Father will pick the best ones to help us.

I also heard from Elder Nelson O.o So cool.  It was super formal and we got to sing "Be Still my Soul," for him.  It was so powerful.  Partially because that's my favorite song... He's been having a hard time recently, being so suddenly called to lead the quorum of the 12!  But he only mentioned that for nearly half a sentence in saying, "Isn't it comforting to know that The Lord's church is so organized that he already has the next leaders picked out?  Well... unless you're next in line."  We all laughed.

For everyone reading, I'm really sorry I haven't written you from last week.  I'm a lot slower at typing than I thought I was... Please be patient with me (:\ I'm going to finish this letter up with a quote from The Lord of the Rings, which I really relate to right now in the MTC.  However, in order not to defile it, I'll just ask that your imagination rather than my keyboarding replace the word "Mordor" with "Japan."

" 'Does . . . Mordor . . . actually exist, Mr. Frodo?  I feel . . . like . . . we have been . . . here for [farming ever].' . . . Sam declared.

 'My dear Sam," . . .  Frodo smiled . . . 'would you . . . [freaking chill] for . . . like . . . five {seconds}? . . . Mordor is . . . [like] right there!'

 'It doesn't feel that way,' Sam sighed. . . 'No, it doesn't,' Frodo gasped. . . 'I don't recall the taste of [ramen noodles] or the smell [of warm miso soup with seaweed and tofu] . . . even a [little bit.]'

 '[Yeah, this] food [is decent,] . . . but I miss [mom's] . . .  cooking.' Sam clenched his stomach.

 . . . '...[Dang] same.' Frodo said.

'Ai, ai!' Legolas exclaimed. "

Love you more than life itself! (: AISHTTEIMASU!

-Elder Stout