Monday, May 26, 2014 - Week 72

Mom and Dad,

This last Saturday listening to Elder Christofferson was excellent.  We all got to shake his hand before the meeting.  It's interesting looking at Elder Christofferson.  When he first walked into the room, my thought was, "If I didn't know he is an Apostle of the Lord, I would probably just think and feel like he's the most pleasant person I've ever seen or met."  He is a True Disciple of Jesus Christ.  He is full of charity, love, power, and authority.  He, his wife, and Elder and Sister Aoyagi spoke.  It was so lovely and inspiring - the feel was almost temple-like.  One of the things Christofferson Choro said which impressed me the most, was that the Lord approves of us.  We as a mission are doing well, and that the Lord is pleased with what we are doing.  Just keep going.

A little while ago we ran into a brother from Nepal in the eki.  We switched numbers with him, and then we set up an appointment to meet him yesterday.  He told us he had a friend from New Zealand who also wanted to meet with us.  We met at the McDonalds next to the church and chatted for a bit, then we walked over to the church, showed them around and started talking.  It was the strangest thing - I was teaching people in English.  They weren't Japanese either, so cultural quirks and gaps in understanding that I'm used to having to maneuver around and break through in order to teach effectively weren't there.  It turned out to be a really good lesson, though and they both want to meet again.  It was just weird, though, teaching in English.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that I fell off my bike last week.   We were on our way home and not just a block or two away from our house.  The chain decided it would be a good idea to come from the big third gear to half-way on the first little gear and off the gear while I was pedaling. It jolted the bike, I fell down and the bike was on top of me and it cheese grated me against the road for a good 2-3 meters or so. I got some pretty nasty road burn on my left side, but it's been healing up all right.  The worst part of it all is that my pants are hashed and my white shirt got blood on it. Sometimes, stuff just happens in life. I love dendo.

Just a heads up, I've been taking out a bit more money lately so that I can get to taikais and still eat and stuff.  Sorry!

Love,

Elder Kyle Hutchings

Monday, May 19, 2014 - Week 71

Mom and Dad,

Way excited to go this Friday and hear from Elder Christofferson!

Things have been going really well this last week.  Time is going by so fast!  We had Zone Conferences and got to hear from Zinke Kaicho and the Assistants.  I wish I could tell you more, but I'm in a bit of a pinch for time.  Zinke Kaicho talked to us about the priesthood.  It was mind-blowing - he's undoubtedly going to be a general authority someday.

The more I learn and the more I come to realize about life and about everything, the more I come to see that it all just goes back to following the Spirit and living the Gospel.  It sounds like a cop-out answer, but I understand in ways that I never thought I would just how true and important those 2 things are.

Fun to see that the house is getting ripped apart!  Also good to hear that you're enjoying yourself in Hawaii, Mom.

I love life!

Love you,

Elder Kyle Hutchings

Monday, May 12, 2014 - Week 70

Mom and Dad,

Good to hear from all of you.  Nice to hear that everybody is still alive and genki.

Loved Marisa's prom pictures.  Looked like she had a good time.  I noticed that the truck is still there in one of the pictures you took of her.  I figured you would have destroyed it by now.  Ma, iinn janai.

I'll send a few pictures.  Love you all!

-Elder Kyle Hutchings

Sakura in Toyooka.

We met a guy this last week who's way cool.  He used to live in Toyooka and is 19.  He lives in a different area, but was visiting Toyooka so we had a lesson with him.  He's pretty much just waiting until he's 20 so that he can get baptized without his parents' permission.  He built this bike.  Including the design and painting.

The gyoza, spaghetti...feast.

Nelson Choro and I bought some ridiculous half-pants.  We're the bomb.

One time I also may have accidentally broken a chair at Eikaiwa this last week.

Monday, May 5, 2014 - Week 69

Mom and Dad,

So guess what?  I'm not transferring!  I'm going to be sticking around in Toyooka for a 6th transfer.  By the time this transfer ends I'll have been here for about 9 months.  But I love this place, I love the branch, I love the area, and I trust that this is where God wants me to be.  I also love my companion to death.  Nelson Choro and I are working hard and having way too much fun!

This last week went incredibly fast and was incredibly good.  We had MLC in Kobe on Tuesday, and then did a Zone Training Meeting on Friday.  It was such a good ZTM.  Nelson Choro and I are really focusing on getting everybody pumped up and doing more to point out the good that everybody is doing.  We're really trying to help everybody feel good and confident.  Another thing about ZTM that went incredibly well is that we were able to just show and teach everybody what we've been doing in our own area and such.  We've been working hard and doing all we can to work smart too, and as such we've been able to set an example for our Zone.  They all trust us and were way willing to listen to what we had to share.  Another part of ZTM we did was teaching everybody how to feel good while you dendo.  If I had more time I'd share more of the details of what we taught, but the spirit was strong in the meeting.  Overall, it just felt way good.  As we've been calling everybody in the Zone to follow-up on the meeting, everybody has said that it was just what they needed to hear.  It's so comforting to know that the Lord loves His children so much that He would work through my companion and I to help them.

It's way exciting to hear that Marisa got asked to prom!  I hope she has a good time!  It's crazy to think that May is already here.  It's also crazy to think that this will be Zinke Kaicho's last transfer.

I love dendo and I love life!

Love,

Elder Kyle Hutchings

April Mission Leadership Council - Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders