The Last Two Weeks

December 3, 2012

Man, i have not sang this much since high school!  So, this week was a crazy one.  First off, how are you family and friends?  How is school or work or your families?  Excited for the Christmas season, or as for the folks in Washington; dreading another winter storm?  I hope all goes well.  22 more days family!  SKYPE!  Hahahaha

Okay, so let's start with this week.  We've been singing.  Around the island.  And it. Is. Awesome.  I have never felt the Spirit so strong in music before in my life.  We, a group of elders and sisters, went to Caguas and to 2 wards in Ponce.  So Friday we arrived, warmed up, and preformed for the stake Christmas activity.  Everything was going well, until we had an announcement to move the kids out of the front row.  Like, during the middle of the concert.  It was announced twice.  That was a huge game changer.  There were some problems (not a lot of details now, this is for a mission story once i am home).  We finished, and had some really, really good food.  They decided to do a culture of foods from different Latin American countries.  And hot dogs from America. :)

 But we then sang in Ajuntas, and I want to share this experience.  This chapel is in the middle of Campo, and it is beautiful.  I walked into the place and was completely overcome by the Spirit.  It was beautiful.  Evidence to me that P.R. will have a temple one day.  But we got to sing our performance for this ward, and we sang the song "O Holy Night" in Spanish.  We have a sister missionary out here who sings it, and she brings the Spirit so strong.  It's crazy how words can be sung daily, but the difference can truly be the personal understanding of the words.  As in the difference of how many lives can be impacted.

 

This part here is what I included in my letter to President, I hope you enjoy.

"This week, we received some crazy blessings.  So this Saturday we began our fast.  I asked the Lord to please lead us to the elect, or put them in our path.  That night, we returned to the chapel to find a man waiting outside.  We talked for a bit and I asked him how we could help.  He said he wants to see our chapel.  We took him on a tour, and then we arrived at the baptismal font.  He was looking at two pictures, one of a man getting baptized, and another of receiving the Holy Ghost.  We opened the doors to the font and his eyes got wide.  He said it was beautiful and he wished he was baptized here.  We then just felt the Spirit so strong, and we invited him on the spot to be baptized.  He accepted.  I said, "How do you feel?"  He said, "Paz."  I said, "Would you like to feel this forever?"  He said, "No doubt."  Later on he asked us, "How can I be baptized in your church, when I was already baptized there?"  Before the words left my mouth, he took my hand and said, "I am going to talk to the pastor of the church, because I have my own agency, and tell him that this is the correct church and that this is the path God needs me on."  And he left.  I just started to cry and thank the Lord in my heart for that beautiful experience.  I know the Lord is watching over us.  Say hello to your family for me."

I love you all.  Thank you for your support.  Please, I ask you, to continue thinking about what more you can do for someone else throughout your days.

 

Remember who you are,

 

Elder Stout

December 10, 2012

Man, my voice is fried.

 

Haha okay, so this week was fun!  We had the great chance to sing, and sing, and sing and sing and sing.  It was impressive!  I am so tired haha.  Physically i am drained!  We really haven't had much time working in our area, but we have had some great spiritual talks and, on top of that, chances to grow.  I just have to say, mom and dad, I am happy for the way you raised me.  I am happy for the fun times and difficulties we have had.  You shaped me to who I am.  And I really am this guy because of you two.  Thank you very much.  Not much to say, though.  I have to say, it's always great to talk to Elder Udall, to help us both relax in our daily lives here hahaha.  He is a great guy (the one who I served with on the islands).

 

Really, not that intense of a week. but work was done.

 

Remember who you are,

Elder Stout

Elder Stout, you are not that good looking. Two week catch-up.

Nov. 19: AGAIN, I have no time!  We are preparing to go island hopping soon to sing, then we'll sing all around PR.  Hopefully I will record it for you, so I can send it home.  Golly, I love you all.  Thank you all for the letters and packages, I appreciate you Manorwood ward.  Always in my heart!!!!!

UNTIL NEXT WEEK

Elder Stout

-- 
Remember who you are 

Nov. 26: Yeah, that was how my week started!  This Monday, we were practicing singing for the choir tours we're going on!  That was fun, then we had an interview with President.  That's when I freaked out!  I didn't shave that day.  You all know I can grow a beard in 12 hours if I am lucky.  My shirt was a typical P-Day shirt.  I got ripped a new one.  So that's why I needed some money mom!  I got new suit pants, a new haircut.  Medicine for my health.  Shaving cream and soap and other things.  It has made a huge difference in my life and in the spirit so far.  I can feel it, big time.  This week was rather difficult though!  It's upsetting how fast these weeks are going by!  Let me jump to Thanksgiving.  Woke up, and we realized we had 5 dinner appointments.  First one, we had ribs.  I guess Puerto Ricans don't like turkey.  I don't really blame them.  The white meat is too dry. :)  But at every house, I told them of the time Symone ate that whole plate of turkey and grew out her baby bump.  So we had ribs, turkey turkey turkey and turkey.  It was so good, but so much food.  Huge waste on my progress!  I am trying to get to 190 pounds by June.  I am 230 right now.  I didn't help the cause last week, but oh well.:)  So on Sunday, we got to go to Toabaja to sing over there!  I have the sweet chance to sing a duet with Hna. Wilson!  She is from Idaho, and can sing like no other!  I just try to help her sound even better with how bad I sing!  Hahaha it's scary up there, but the spirit is felt so strong.  And what a blessing that the baptism we had in Toabaja a year ago, the family is all still active!  That was so awesome to see that blessing, I was beaming!  Thing is, we had to sing in 2 chapels that day.  So we had to boogey to Arecibo, which was an hour away in 30 minutes.  I had 8 missionaries and the President's wife and daughter in the car..........................  We got there, thank you.  President didn't seem too happy, I understand why.  But the spirit was felt.  Then we sang at a funeral that night.  Lots of singing this week and a lot of the spirit being felt.  I loved it!  We might be going to the island to sing, I hope I get to!  But we will find out soon!  Man, that week is going to be awesome!  After transfers, I am STILL in Trujillo Alto with Elder Raymundo!  We're about to do some work out here to prepare all the new greenies to enter!  Man, I love you all.  Hope your weeks went awesome!  Keep going.  If you feel you need to rest, don't.

 

 

:)  Remember who you are!

Elder Stout