I love Tsukagoshi San!!!

This has been my biggest lesson this transfer I think: Love is the key to missionary work.  It is the key to friendships.  It's the key to everything.  If anything is dull, boring, feels wrong, or the spirit can't be felt, apply Christ-like love and it'll come to life like instant ramen.  (Bad analogy, but you get the idea.)

NO WAY NO WAY!!!!! CARSON IS STILL A KID!!!!!  (John's cousin, Carson Beus just got engaged!)  I'm so excited for him! :D He's still one of my heroes.  He should email me advice if he ever has time ;)  Tell him congratulations for me!!

So, it's been quite a week.

Tsukagoshi San's baptism actually wasn't this last Sunday.  He's tackling a particularly difficult personal challenge and his baptism has been pushed back.  We hope and pray that he will be able to be baptized next week, (he's hoping just as much,) but we're not sure as of yet.  I will let you know what happens!  He's so excited for baptism though.  When we talk about that day he gets a big smile on his face.  I love Tsukagoshi San so much, he's been such an amazing friend to make and I love meeting with him so frequently.  Please pray for him and for his family who are in dire need of prayers.  They are such sweet people.  I've met his mother a few times, a sweet obaachan who is always so kind and bows a hundred times (and when I shook her hand once she laughed really hard saying, "Oh!  That was quite American.  I was shocked!")

I LOVE TSUKAGOSHI SAN!!!!

Daichi San has been really busy and pretty overtaken with studying another religion.  His situation is quite unique and extremely understandable, but he's kind of teetering back and forth on the fence of having a super strong testimony/wanting to be baptized, and letting go of Christ's teachings.  The best we can do is tell him that God wants to answer his prayers.  We bore powerful testimony that if he will consistently keeping God's simple commandments to daily pray, read, and consistently come to church, that God will speak to him.  We will respect his choices; I just want Daichi to be the happiest he can be.  I love that man.

Shouji helped us fix the windows at the Elder’s apartment because apparently we look “bimbo” (like poor people) from far away.  He was right.  The old windows had huge tears in the fabric from somebody or something (probably strong wind, not a monster or nothin’).  ;)

Shouji is the funniest man of my life.  He was helping out because he knows nobody knows how to fix these kinds of windows anymore.  They are called “shouji” (the activity of fixing them is a shouji hari) and nobody has these kinds of windows anymore cuz they’re so old.  He used to fix them for an allowance as a 10-year-old thought, so he was happy to help!  What a man.  He’s the best!!

At the eki (train station) there’s a bookcase, so we slipped a Book of Mormon on it for somebody waiting to read.  I expect a miracle to unfold, but I probably won’t hear about it until the next life.  ;)

Speaking of being bimbo, I am.  But I wanna buy one of these hats!  They remind me of Dad and Grandpa, and this $1 used store sells them!!!!

We ate at Tokyo University because the cafeteria is open to the public.  That’s like eating at the Harvard Cafeteria.  It’s a pretty prestigious school.  Japanese lunch rooms are SO weird though!!

This week I've realized that as I love where I am and don't dwell on thoughts of where I want to be, will be, or could be, I'm so happy. LIVE IN THE PRESENT!! THAT'S AN ORDER!  (To everyone except you, Mama,

I can't give you orders. ;) Or Grandma or Dad or.... ok, that one's mostly just for my friends reading this :D

Talk to you soon!!

LOVE YOU! :D

スタウト長老! ^o^

Elder Stout! :D