Ruka and Naoya

The work has been good, but a lil slow this week.  We had MLC and they asked us to do Zone Meeting the same week, so our Dendo time was pretty much cut in half.  We've been talking to people on the streets; no new investigators from there just yet.

Alright, this may be a shorter email, but it's been a special week, so I'll do my best not to miss anything big!

We had MLC, which could very easily be my last one, and I got to see some of my best friends such as Elder Li and Elder Murakami who's now the zone leader of Shibuya!  We learned lots about mission school and how we can help the missionaries among us improve things the most.  One example given was the morning kubarikai (chirashi-hand-out-event..? I don't know if there's a word for it in English... Oh dang it, chirashi isn't even English.  Flyer!  I meant flyer!) It's been wildly successful, and lots of schools and students and parents took chirashi and were very interested!

Later that evening we went with a member to visit a less active member named Brother Fujita. He got a job recently so he usually isn't home when we visit, but when we knocked on his door, he answered!  He was shocked to see us and we had a nice talk.  We mentioned general conference, and he showed us his tablet screen where he'd apparently been watching it!!  He then said he's wanted to read from a paper copy of the Book of Mormon but can't find his.  Well, of course, as missionaries, we had one.  When we put the book into his hands he looked astonished to the point of tears and said, "I was just barely praying.  Really, just barely, so that I could read the Book of Mormon.  This is a miracle."  We hugged and said we'd see him later.

He also called us just the other day and said he wants to take us out to StaminaTaro, my second favorite restaurant! :D

At Eikaiwa we met a boy named Ruka and his friend Naoya.  When we recognized those names Elder Frazier and I were ecstatic: a man in our ward this last Sunday asked us to start meeting with his son, and this was him!  Not only that, but this boy also asked us about God and who he is!  WHAAAAT?!?!  We were so excited.  Despite his father being a member of the church, Ruka was never baptized.  He's in middle school now and has deep interest in theology and English and we're so grateful that we've been blessed to meet him.

So, I took a picture 2 seconds ago.  "Look!" (1 Nephi 11:8, the Spirit)

I know my hair's dreadful, that's not the point.  Look at my glasses!  I finally got them out of my suitcase.  I know, I was just lazy.

Elder Frazier and I are doing good!  He's hit a bit of a rough patch recently, so prayers would be appreciated.  But our relationship and unity have never been better, and we get along really well all the time!

Me with the Kotters, my mission grandparents!  I'll miss them so much, they've done so much for us at the mission home, and were so sad they're going home.  Oh!  Sister Kotter gave me a Japanese rice farmer hat, so... I have one of those now ;)

My first time ever seeing Mount Fuji, and I've lived close to it for a long time.  The humidity makes it invisible, but it's finally becoming fall which is really dry.  That mountain is in Jacob Burnham's mission!  Isn't that cool??

I talked to Ikeda on Skype! :D

Looks like you had a way fun week! :) I haven't been to Lagoon since 9th grade, I'm so jealous!  Haha, Lucy's more daring than I ever was until I was like twice her age!  I particularly loved the pics of Greta's big day.  Seeing grandma and grandpa was nice, I haven't seen many pictures of them, but I've missed them a lot.

I love you.  Thanks for being the best.

Elder Stout :D

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  スタウト長老 ^o^