First email from Puerto Rico!!

SO it is beautiful here!  Haha I love it.  Last night, we set two people for baptism, and tomorrow we are going to tract into new families that should be getting baptized!

My first area is Caroline in Pontezuela.  My trainer, Elder Vicil, is Puerto Rican and is the Zone Leader here haha!  He speaks such broken Spanish, but I love him to death.  I got the package and the letters, and I will be writting back to the people who wrote me.

I love our new president, he is so alive and animated.  I can't wait to continue to serve here!  Seriously, this island is so beautiful, but so Americanized also.  I can't believe it.  Hahaha um, I am using Spanish the best I can.  Some say I speak well, others say I suck.  I will leave that for my family to decide. :)

P-Days are Wednesdays now, so I will reply on Wednesdays.  I lose about 10 pounds a day from sweating, and gain 6 to 8 back sometimes.  Pretty good ratio in my mind.

Anywho, anyone who has questions, send me a letter.  I will try to send some pictures home on the SD card soon.

God bless all.

Elder Stout

ELDER STOUT IS IN PUERTO RICO!!!

Malcolm, Presidente Alvarado y Hermana Alvarado.  Isn't he just looking so shnazzy?

Last P-Day here in the MTC!

Haha did that time go by fast or what?  So, new things for this week.  First off, congratulations Tyler Heaps, Tyler Ottensen and Mike for your jobs at Subs!  Okay, so we went tracting around the Dominican Republic, and my companion only spoke solid spanish so that was a little difficult, yet I also got to use some Creole!  Haha it's so funny, I would have never thought I would use it yet.  Now I am happy the Haitians taught me so I could get someone interested into the church!  It's so beautiful here, and so poor.  I can't believe they get by like this.  I can not wait to see what Puerto Rico is like and meet my trainer haha.  I hope he only knows Spanish.  Oh, and we as missionaries are teaching all the Latins here English!  It's so crazy, I would have never thought I would learn Spanish, let alone know enough to teach English while speaking in Spanish.  The Lord is amazing.  For all those graduating, good luck, congratulations and stay safe.  Continue to do missionary work, talk to your friends or members of your family who aren't members.  Invite them to church.  Be that example.

LOVE YOU!  Next time, I will be in PUERTO RICO!! :]

-- Elder Stout
Remember who you are 

Another Week.

I am downloading a voice clip, hopefully it works!  But I will type also.  I can't believe it has been almost two months.  Feels like yesterday that I opened my call haha.  Dad, sad news about the Lakers.  I know Kobe will be fine though.  Um okay, funny experience this week.  All the Latins think I am a translater.  I got to stop going out in the sun i guess :) haha no it has been a blast.  We have an Elder from Espana, he says I am his favorite American.  Told him I count, but not really cause I am only half.  It is going to be so hard to say goodbye to all of these Elders.  I can't believe that there are only 12 more days until I am in sunny San Juan!  With my luck, I will be in the jungle playing with the insects for 8 months.  First year I come back into civilization, I'll have solid yellow teeth and speak a mixture of languages.  There is my imagination for ya all.  Everyone who reads this, continue to count your blessings.  We have an Elder here who has one pair of shoes, but a smile that could light up the world.  The moment you think you are humble, you are not!  I love all of you.  Tomorrow we go tracting with real missionaries here in the Dominican Republic.  I'm a little timid, but it should be awesome.  I cant wait!  Oh yeah, my friend back in Provo and I wrote a remix to Turn My Swag On.  It's a Mormon version.  It's pretty impactful.  Can't wait to share it with you all in two years.

God bless you always, be safe this week.

-- Elder Stout

Remember who you are 

There is a voice clip, but I will try to put that up later. :] -Symone

Week 6!!

WEEK 6!  Haha

Okay first.  John Burdette, you're right.  My comp is always singing, but he isn't that great.  It stinks, man.  The Haitians left this week.  It was a sad day.  I gave one a pair of nikes and the other a pair of my church shoes.  He (the Hatian Elder) came in with a pair he has had since he was 6.  He is 25 now.  I knew I packed too much for a reason haha.  Now the Latins are here in the MTC, so it's solid Spanish.  This is going to be fun.  This week has been the hardest, I think.  But now it has gotten better, and I am re-focused.  We went to a mall here, and the mall was first floor food and second floor a normal mall.  What sucked was that there was no candy there.  I almost cried because that's all i wanted :[ hahaha.  I am just munching on Peach-O's, the greatest gummy candy ever.  I can't believe it's only 3 more weeks and then I am going to be in the field in Puerto Rico!  We met the second counsler of the Puerto Rico mission and he was talking to us about the situation down there with the church.  It is not pretty.  Time to do work, you know.  I would also advise you to continue to read the Book of Mormon.  It's just such an amazing blessing.  My favorite book now is Alma.  Yes, it's the longest, yet so full of amazing missionary work.  Oh, hahaha, also you know it's bad here when every missionary companionship has Jesus the Christ as their reading material in the bathroom hahahahaha!  P.S. Mom, all i eat is pegao here.  You know, the burnt rice on the bottom.  Greatest lucnh and dinner ever!

God bless to all, I keep you in my prayers.  But please keep all those around you in your prayers.  Things in the world are become a lot harder, especially when it comes to families.  I pray that all will make sure family is first, forever. It is very essential on this Earth.

-- LOVE, Elder Stout
Remember who you are