"You and Elder Taylor are staying!!!"

So, this morning, just like what happens every 6 weeks, we all got together with the phones lined up and waited.  It's transfer calls.  Let me tell you, the transfer calls at The Flat are huge.  Depending on who leaves and who comes in, the fwank* is dramatically affected.  And the fwank is huge to our success.  Elder Morris, my district leader and one of my best friends (he honestly feels more like a brother to me than almost anyone else I've ever met) yogened (predicted) I would be leaving and Elder Taylor would have a new trainer.  He mentioned it so much that I'd begun to put a lot of thought into it.  To be honest, the prospect of only training him for one transfer made me feel like a failure.  Like God gave me a special chance and I let him down, so he had to opt me out and bring in an emergency repair team.  I KNOW that this line of thinking was not true, but it certainly seemed like a valid fear as every parent (haha, just kiddin', like I know anything about parenting. Trainer ;) probably has the fear they don't do as well as they should at their job.

       *"Fwank" is a funny misconstrued version of the Japanese word "Fu-ni-ki" which means atmosphere or emotional feeling of a situation or location.  The Japanese colloquially pronounce it "Fu-i-n-ki", which when said by an American tends to sound really unflattering.  Say this out loud: "FWANKY!" It's so funny, we just can't help over-dramatize it.

So, the call came, and all of Elder Morris's yogens were coming true: "Elder Frazier, you're leaving the flat and you'll be a zone leader with Elder DiCastri!" "Elder Cho, your new companion is Elder Han!!" "Elder Gonzalez, your new companion is... well, I don't know him... YOU'RE TRAINING!!!!"

Things were getting so exciting, and Elder Morris called every single thing.  At this point, the only question on my mind was: "Ok, where in Japan am I going next?  Send me to Nigata, it's gotta be Nigata..."

And then came the second phone call from our Zone Leaders.  "Elder Stout!  Hey, you and Elder Taylor are staying!"

I was overwhelmed with joy.  MAN!  That was just a massively solid example of how I need to not stress the things that aren't in my control.  That principle has become really dear to me lately: Don't worry so much about the things that you can't control.  I promise it'll make you happier.

Anyway, I did my best last transfer, but I can always do a little better at my best, so I am so grateful for this next chance God is giving me.  And on top of that, I'm stoked to spend another amazing transfer in Shibuya with my AMAZING companion Elder Taylor!!

The best comp in the world making us Yaki soba for dinner!  (Don't worry, I helped a little...)

The other day the Sisters came up to me and Elder Taylor and said, "HEY!  Were you in Hiroo earlier today??" we said, "Yes... how do you know?" and they showed us these pictures!

Dendo in action!!!!  He's such an awesome Elder, he never misses a chance to testify, to help others, or to speak Japanese.  He has big ideas on how to improve things in Japan, and we're trying to accomplish all of them one step at a time!  We love working out here together, I'm so lucky.

You saw that video??  You should share it and ask everyone back home to!  It's cool huh? :D One of the youth in Tokyo 1st ward had the idea.  We do the "Book of DOORmon" activity quite a bit, so he thought it would be a really interesting video to produce.  Hey, when you watch it, you're getting a feel for regular dendo in Shibuya :) I love this area with all my heart, we need to come back together.

Preparing to say the prayer for the video . . . needed to get the camera set up ;P Hey dad!  He just graduated, but before then he spent a great amount of time in the photography section of ASIJ.  Even in the dark room!!

We just barely met with a hilarious member named brother Kadowaki, and we have a dinner appointment lined up with the Miyazaki's (that's right.  Like Haiyo Miyazaki.  Like the guy who directs all the awesomest Ghibli movies.  K, not the same person, but close....) We've been working hard with Ikeda and Koji and Hamada and Chiba kyoudai, the Satous and Hasebe kyoudai... aw man Mama, I'm starting to love the work because we're really getting to know the ward members.  It always seemed so scary to get to know them and ask for help/ways we can serve them in the past, but now it's just the only way I want to do anything.  Future missionaries reading this: GET TO KNOW EVERY MEMBER IN YOUR WARD THE FIRST 2 OR SO WEEKS YOU MOVE IN.  Aw man, I wish I had done better here.  Not only does it make you happier, it just helps The Lord make you effective in actually serving people.  I digress... the work is going well. :)

Elder Taylor and I have consistently been improving!  I can't wait for the adventures that await us!  For now, I think that about wraps things up...

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thanks for all the emails, I cherish each one! :)

スタウト長老! ^o^

Elder Stout! :D

Temple under construction.... can't fool me Japan, I know it's not real!

Me under the biggest gate in Japan!!!  All the Americans got a laugh out of the random Mormon missionaries posing for pictures I think...

Sometimes this happens when you ask your new District Leader Elder Murakami to take a picture of you at Meijijingu....