General Conference

I remembered just the other day that we have Mother's Day coming up pretty soon here and we'll be able to Skype again!! :)

Today Elder Li said, "Wait, hold up!  Is it the 11th?" "Um... yeah, it is!" "That means I've been a missionary for 5 months!!  WOW." I can't believe how fast my mission is whisking by.  When I counted on my hands for like 3 minutes (it's been a while since I was in a math class,) I realized, "It's been 9 months and 11 days since I've been a missionary!" Pretty soon it will have been a full year since I left, but I honestly, no joke, still feel like I just barely got into the field.

So, things continue to go pretty well!  This week was fairly rough in one way: we've had to drop almost half of our investigators because they just don't answer phone calls.   But I know that we found them for a reason.  I'm confident that one day in the future, various missionaries will call each and every one of their phone numbers and they will all have been ready to accept the invitation, which Jesus Christ extends to all people to learn of Him and become truly happy.  It was an honor being lead to them and to try to strengthen them to the best of our abilities!

OH!  Just a random little thing: I like natto now!  (The nasty looking slimy fermented beans in a little Styrofoam cup with mustard!) I've started eating it almost every day.  It's super healthy and tastes really good once you get over the initial sliminess. Although, something I like a liiiiiiittle more than natto is the MARSHMALLOW MATEY'S A MEMBER GAVE US FROM THE US MILITARY BASE AROUND HERE!  I've eaten way too many of those in way to short a period of time, but sweet goodness American Cereal might be my favorite kind of food.  Also, it reminded me of how when us kids would go shopping with you we wouldn't get anything, but when we went with Dad, he'd always break down and buy us tons of cereal ;)

Cherry burger.  It tasted like America!

This lady knew Tim & LaNae!!  We met her at the temple on splits (this is me and district leader, Elder Morris.  Stout family, you may recognize him as the Elder Morris who went through the temple for the first time the same time as Todd did :D )

Sekuba is a young adult in our ward, he's awesome XD

The highlight of this week was definitely conference!  Tsukagoshi San was able to make it to two sessions and a pasta dinner after one of them! :D Despite General Conference being a little difficult for him to understand, he really liked it.  The Lord's blessing him as he does his best!!  We've pushed his baptismal date back a little bit so that he can internalize all the lessons and so that we can teach everything, but his desire is still strong.

The highlights of conference for me.... wow, I don't even know.  #1 highlight was just the way I felt throughout the whole thing.  General

Conference helps me to feel the spirit more than almost anything else, and I've truly come to love the words of our inspired prophets.  But, if I had to make a top 4 favorite moments and thoughts list....

1. Elder Holland's talked, particularly the idea that we get credit for trying.  I needed this talk as I'm sure so many others did.  I've felt so inadequate lately, but I know that it's in The Lord's plan that we're imperfect, and he doesn't expect us to get everything right the first time.  That was Satan's plan, one where we had no agency or happiness.  We need to mess up to learn how to be happy!

2. The miracles we heard about and the reality of the Priesthood which was attested to.  President Neilson's talk especially was so powerful for me.  Sometimes we forget of the reality of the power within this church.  We are so protected and have the ability to do everything The Lord requires at our hand IF we do our best to keep his commandments and don't get lazy.

3. President Uchtdorf tearing up immediately following the talk about service to those truly in need, our immigrant brethren and sisters. The talk made me think deeply, "Well, I don't know if I know any immigrants..." and then I saw the look on President Uchtdorf's face and I couldn't hold back tears myself.  We all know someone who began at the lowest point a person can be in this world and who is now a devoted servant of our Heavenly Father serving hundreds of thousands of His children.  I want to help them in every way that I can and I hope you do too!

4. President Monson's talk.  It sounded almost identical to a talk he's given before and it made me think really deeply why that was the message The Lord asked him to deliver.  It occurred to me that The Lord teaches line upon line and precept upon precept, and if we were ready for the next line, President Monson would have delivered it.  I wrote down the question in my notebook last week, "What lack I yet?" and one part of my answer was that I need to heed the words of our living prophet and take his simple powerful messages much more seriously.

All right, that's my time for today.  I love you so much and pray for you every day!  I hope everyone is well back home. :) Take care of each other!!

Love you so much!!

スタウト長老! ^o^

Elder Stout! :D