Monday, June 30, 2014 - Week 77

Mom and Dad,

Things sure are warming up here in the land of the rising sun!  It's starting to feel like summer in Japan!  The relentless heat and humidity which seems to attack you no matter where you happen to be.  I love feeling sticky and hot all the time!

Hashimoto Choro is from Saitama.  I'm pretty sure it's up north somewhere.  It's been great working with him so far.  He's adjusting to Missionary Life and learning like a champ.  He also really wants to learn English, so he's working hard at that too.

Haven't had a chance to meet Welch Kaicho yet, but we'll be meeting him this Thursday in Okayama.  It'll be fun because a lot of missionaries will be staying at the old honbu (mission home) there the night before, so I'll get to see a lot of other missionaries too.  After this week is over, President Welch will be doing interviews by Zone, so I should get another chance to talk to him in another week or two.

It's been fun being a district leader again.  My district has 12 missionaries right now, so I'm calling 2 people each night for follow-ups.  It's really a great opportunity for me to learn and grow where I have the chance to interact with so many missionaries.  This last Friday we had a district meeting as well, it was fun and spiritually satisfying to plan and conduct a district meeting again.  I've learned a lot and changed a lot since I was a district leader last year, and so it's nice to have a chance to see the progress I've been able to make.  The same goes with being a trainer and white-washing an are - I feel like I learned plenty of lessons last time and I've been able to learn from my experiences.

I love you!

Elder Kyle Hutchings

Monday, June 23, 2014 - Week 76

Mom and Dad,

All went well with transfers.  I did have to take a good chunk of money out of personal funds to make it to Kobe then to Matsue.  Matsue is pretty far out.  It was about a 4.5 hour bus ride from Kobe.  It was definitely hard leaving Toyooka because I love the members there and there were a lot of stronger investigators coming up out of the wood works.  It's a bit strange now being in a different area.

Matsue is quite a bit more Tokai than Toyooka.  It's not full of people, but it's got a college or two and I haven't seen many rice fields around.  The apartment is right next door to the church.  You can see the church looking outside of the front window.  It's very convenient!  My trainee is Ni Hon Jin!  His name is Hashimoto Choro.  He's 18, and a nice fellow.  I haven't taken a picture with him yet, but I'll be sure to this next week and send it in my next e-mail.  It's kind of nice that I don't have to worry about teaching him Japanese.  He's been doing all right with dendo so far, and I'm hoping I can help him learn many of the things I have so far.  Our apartment is a 4nin, and the other companionship are both Ni Hon Jin as well.  I'm the only gaijin in the apartment!  It's fun because I learn a lot of Japanese, and I get to be as weird and gaijin as I want.

These last couple of days we attended Stake conference in a neighboring area.  It was fun and a very good experience.  A bit sad though, that we didn't have as much time to start dendo-ing in our area.

Zinke Kaicho is going to be packing up and leaving this weekend.  Welch Kaicho should be coming in on Friday.  Next week he'll be going around the mission and doing some Meet The President conferences.  I'm excited to meet him, and to learn from him.

On Thursday the mother of the kid we baptized last week took my companion and I and her sons to the beach in Toyooka.  We played on the rocks and then talked about the Gift of the Holy Ghost on the car ride home.  It was fun and very good.

I'm way excited to start digging in to rely on the Lord and start digging in to this new area.

Love,

Elder Kyle Hutchings

Monday, June 16, 2014 - Week 75

Mom and Dad,

I'm transferring!  Headed to a place called Matsue.  I'm going to be whitewashing it, becoming a District Leader and trainer.  Just like what happened to me in my 4th transfer last year, except this time I've got a bit more experience.  I feel much more confident in my ability to rely on the Lord and work with the Spirit.  Should be fun!  It's nice because I'll get to see Zinke Kaicho one last time before he goes.

Because I'm going to be transferring I'm not going to take too much time to write, but I would like to share a couple of things that  happened this week.

This last week President & Sister Zinke did a Bye-Bye taikai (conference).  They went around to every zone and shared some parting thoughts and such.  It was really more FHE-esque than a taikai.  I was translating the whole time, so I didn't necessarily get to take notes, pay attention to what was being said, or relax in the nice setting, but it was good.

This last week on Wednesday we received a call from a Sister in the branch saying that her 10 year old son (one of our investigators) wanted to get baptized the next Sunday.  We had only had a chance to teach this kid once or twice, and we weren't thinking he was going to be progressing fast.  But, as it were, he wanted to get baptized, and so we took on the endeavor of very simply helping him understand the doctrines and principles needed to receive baptism.  We taught him, helped him, he was interviewed, and baptized yesterday.  There's plenty of other details I'd like to share, but I have to go pack so I'm just going to sum it all up by saying: I just work here.  Seriously.  I just work, do my best, be obedient, and the Lord lines things up.

Love,

Elder Kyle Hutchings

Monday, June 9, 2014 - Week 74

Mom and Dad,

I'm in a bit of a pinch for time today.  So I won't be writing much.

But good heavens this week went quick!  Went to Kobe on Tuesday for Mission Leadership Council, planned and did a Zone Training Meeting for with everybody in the Zone.  It was a bit weird because lately in meetings I've been translating when my companion is presenting so the translator can learn and take notes too, so I'm in between presenting things and translating in a meeting.  It's hectic, but way fun.

We went on a companion exchange this last Friday, and then somehow I'm here e-mailing.  It's crazy to think it's the last week of the transfer and that transfer announcements will be next week.

Sounds like youth conference was a blast!

I love you,

Elder Kyle Hutchings

PS.  It's so natsukashii hearing about the hay haul.  I'm jealous you get to do it.

Monday, June 2, 2014 - Week 73

Mom and Dad,

It's crazy!  The President and Sister Zinke will be going in another week or 2.  Things have been warming up quite a bit here!  It climbed up to about 35 degrees (celsius) here yesterday.

Mom and Dad I love my mission.  I'm learning so much and I'm honestly just so happy.  More than just happy, I feel fulfilled in my life if that even makes sense.  I honestly just feel like Nelson Choro and I are doing the correct things in life and like things are just right.  It's a weird feeling in a way.  I feel like I've just given up so many of my doubts and fears, and as though I'm like a little child.  Just joyfully going about my business delighted and curious about all of the wonderful things in this world.

We met and spent some time with a brother from Russian yesterday.  He was an amazing man.  He spoke like 30 words of English and 30 in Japanese.  But he loves his family.  He's working in Japan because his daughter loves to dance and working in Russia doesn't provide enough money.  He's a beast of a man.  I sent Jason a picture.

Yes Mom, I have eaten takoyaki.  It's the best!  The takoyaki in Osaka was the best, though.  If we come back someday we need to go eat food in Osaka.

Sorry this is another short one.

Love you!

Elder Kyle Hutchings