This week has been fantastic!

We are doing GREAT!  This week has been fantastic, and I am more confident than ever before that we're going to be a part of a something great this transfer (and hopefully the next few transfers.) Man, this is the closest companionship I've ever had, and it's week 2! :D

So, our first adventures were this week were trying to get a bike.  We walked for 2 hours to get to the bike shop in the rain only to find...... it was closed.  So, that was the worst.  But we got these huuuuuge beef bowls for dinner!  So it was still worth it ;)

The next day we dendoed lots and it was awesome!!  Elder Stout was fantastic at talking to people and we've delveoped a good way of stopping them, him introducing us to them, me learning more about them, him sharing a spiritual thought, and then an invitation!  We're becoming a killer team!!  We found a new investigator in our first hour AND gave him a Book of Mormon!

We finally got our bikes and our first trip was to brother Tosaka's house, a less active member.  We helped him with his rice company and packaging and shared a spiritual thought Elder Stout had prepared, and it was awesome!!! :D He came to church yesterday and is doing great!!

Toshiki kun is doing great!  This week he's started to progress a lot.  Due to some personal matters, his family is in a lot of stress right now, and he's been humbled.  It's brought him closer to God and he's determined on his own and then informed us that he wants to be baptized on Christmas Day.  There's also a really good chance that his girlfriend has the same desire, so please pray for them.  We love the Okuzawas!

AND AND AND!!  We have a new investigator named Asako Chan!  She's around her 30's and has been studying with the sisters for some years, but in the last year hasn't done much because the sisters were removed from Sanjo last year.  However, she came to church in Saitama while visiting a friend and I met her there!  She knew elder Frazier and one of the Urawa sisters.  Well, when I came to Sanjo, we met and she's decided to take lessons again!  We always need a male ward member there so there's a lot of coordination that goes in, but she is so prepared.

Also we met a new man at the train station named Hasebe who were meeting on Wednesday who is also investigating now!  The Lord is blessing us with so many friends to talk with.

Today we hiked Mount Yahiko and it was the most gorgeous fun P-Day I think I've ever had.  Brother Sturges (the one American in our ward) helped us get there by driving us to the mountain, and his wife made us onigiri!

One more big development.  We've been doing practice lessons with part member families to get to help them. :) Our branch president Nakagawa Kaichou (Kaichou is president in Japanese) told us yesterday that he can tell we're determined to work hard and he feels like he can trust us and that we're good missionaries.  Hearing a bishop say that made me feel SO good :) We're determined to do our absolute best!!  We have the trust of the ward and that means we can do anything!

I love you so much mama!! :) I'll write more next week!!  I love you too Dada! :D I appreciated your letter but I'm sorry I didn't send you an email, I will next week!  Climbing Yahiko took longer than we thought... 

Anyway, love you tons! :)

    Elder Stout :D

          🇺🇸  •  🇯🇵

スタウト長老 ^o^