I'm either super lucky, or super blessed, or (probably) BOTH!

Narita is SOOO good!  Things are cooling down and it really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.  You'll be happy to know that I had my third shoukuji (member dinner,) with Sister Sugimoto, your companion. (: And guess what?  SHE MADE US THANKSGIVING DINNER!!!  I didn't think I would get one, but she bought an entire Turkey and everything!!  It was so awesome.  Anyway, so Thanksgiving has already happened for me.  Therefore, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (;

Our awesome district and the Sugimotos!!! The sister at the bottom left is Sister Chandler: she's been here my whole time in Narita and is returning home this week.  It's so sad; she's an awesome missionary!  The missionary behind her is Elder Kuroiwa: he's also leaving and has had an awesome imapact on me!  He reminds me of my Liechty brothers.  I love him so much.

Well, here's the story of the week!

Today was transfer calls where we find out if we're switching areas/companions!  We got the phone call and guess what?!  Elder Hibino is getting transferred to a nearby area called Togane (so I'll still be able to see him at Zone Conference.) But get this: HE'S BECOMING A ZONE LEADER!!!  HA!  That's my companion!  He's been so awesome and I've learned so much from him.  I'm so lucky to have had a Japanese trainer, he was exactly who I prayed for.  This next transfer I was afraid of what kind of follow-up trainer I'd get.  To be honest, I've been praying to have my zone leader maybe get demoted and be my companion because he is such an amazing missionary and I could learn so much from him... So after President Nagano tells my companion his big news and we all freak out, he turns his attention to me: "Elder Stout, you will be staying in Narita.  Your new companion is... Elder Kitagaki!" I've never met him, but everyone else got so excited for me.  All I know is:

1) He's on his last transfer and has already served in Narita where he found or taught tons of our recent converts and investigators.

2) He's just coming out of being a zone leader of several transfers

3) He's a nihonjin who is completely fluent in English.

I'm either super lucky, or super blessed, or (probably) BOTH!  I'm so stoked to have another native companion, especially since I can communicate with him without any trouble (though I'm gonna do my best to speak only Japanese.) So, that was the miracle of today (:  WA!!  I'm so excited for this next transfer!  And so excited for my companion who gets to go and be a zone leader!  He's ecstatic, he's wanted to go to Togane for so long.  He loves this area (Chiba Area.)

So, a more spiritual thought (; I adopted your Ponderize Scripture 2 Nephi 31:20 and what hit me the most while I was reading was the way it says, "You must have a perfect BRIGHTNESS of hope." The definition of brightness is producing OR reflecting a lot of light.  There are lot of ways you can take this analogy, but one is in the fact that we sometimes feel like we aren't very hopeful at all.  However, when you feel hopeless, know that to have a brightness of hope, you may just need to do your best to reflect the hope of others, or to trust in the things you know despite the things you don't.

This church is true.  I know it is because I have experimented on the word and I know that the seed is good! (:

Sorry, I'm out of time and can't send a second email, but I'll try to write a lot more next week!!  (I'll have lots to say about my new companion and my adventures :D ) OH!  One more thing: Last week, immediately after we were dropped by that investigator and I finished emailing you, I saw one of the best miracles of my mission so far!  I want to tell you all about it but I don't have time, so please remind me!

-スタウト長老

Elder Stout

Ps, Tell the Newells thank you so much for the letter :D And everyone else, thanks so much for adding to it!!  The Christmas tree is in my study room.

Have you ever had shabu shabu?  They give you raw meat and you boil it yourself in this big bowl on the table. SO GOOD!!  Without telling me, my companion ordered 100 slices of bacon which we may or may not have slain. Don’t worry, I ate lots of salad too.  And also feel super sick.  It was awesome.  ;)

Exact words Yuki (my cat) said when I left for the MTC.  I hope she's okay!