10/27/12 This week's news

Hey!!! Love you tons too!

It has been an amazing week and yes I've been wearing my sweaters and coats etc. but it hasn't snowed yet. The rain is worse than the cold hahah. I'm not excited for snow. The pictures of Mya and Olivia are awesome! We are having a Halloween party at the church instead of English class and I am probably going to dress up as a prophet and my comp is going to be the book of Mormon. It's going to be sweet! I'll probably be able to send you pictures of our investigators etc. from that, so win win. Other than that most people have never done Halloween before. Just seen it on TV and stuff. We did see a thing at this park by our apartment the other day though with a bunch of little kids and what not. Adam's costume sounds cool and Mara had better dress up. I remember Iron Chef pretty well because the Priests won everytime because of my shakes. B)

I'm so glad Uncle Merril is coming home! Sounds like a tough situation still, but I'll keep praying!!!

I still don't understand the ultrasound photos Lauren sent, but cool that you're going early to find out! Gives you more time to go crazy over what specific clothes to buy and stuff? haha just kidding, but I'm excited ;)

That's pretty crazy that every one went to Sabrina's party. I didn't know Mara was dancing, but that's cool! Greek food sounds great too. Headaches? What are you doing? We have an investigator who is way close to getting baptized who keeps missing church because she gets sick too. Be careful! How is your job going lately?
I really like reading the conference talks on paper too. We can get Liahona, but it's kinda tricky. We have a ton of old ones. A lot in Japanese too...
Congrats to Tohi! Any news on girls who are deciding to go out at 19 now?

So this week has been pretty cool with meeting people and getting stuff done. Monday was President's birthday at the honbu. Tuesday was district meeting, then getting two lessons switched to another day so we just went around finding people. Hansen Choro has been having me lead everywhere so I can know the area better since I'll probably still be here after next transfer, but he won't. Then it was planning session that turned into having a lesson with the previous mentioned investigator (Nakamura) on the phone. Then Eikaiwa that night (English class). Wednesday we had a lesson in person at the church with Nakamura and another with Haramai (Nodoka's mom) and they were both really good. The two lessons from the day before had to get moved again so we went to Chitose early to street and go to eat at the Relief Society president's house. We played this game where you pass a paper around and draw someone's face one part at a time. Oh man... We also shared a spiritual message then. Friday we finally met with one of the two people from before and he brought his friend! They were really cool at it was our first time meeting (other than the time we got the one kid's number on the street) and we taught a pretty decent lesson on God and prayer, but making a baptismal date didn't quite work. They want to meet more though so that's way good! Both 18 yr olds. Saturday was the other lesson that didn't work and it was WAY good! We gave him a tour of the church, talked about baptism, then sang a hymn and talked about how coming to church/prayer helps us relax and invited him to be baptized on 12/22 and he said yes! It was way cool. It was the first time I got to be in a lesson like that. His name is Atsuki and he is 18 as well. We also played ping pong with a recent convert's son named Yuuta who we want to get coming to church/baptized because he just turned 11. He wore me out way bad. Haha! Yesterday was the primary program which was way nostalgic. Shy kids and everything. Pretty similar to the ones back home. Other than that an *eternal investigator* (I am missionary 172 that he's met) named Doi came to church so we had gospel principles just for him and the lesson turned into a focus on him getting baptized. My comp tried to challenge him, but it didn't work out. The spirit was way strong and the teacher was offering to take him to Hakodate to do family history work so he can prepare to go to the temple after, but it didn't quite work out either. We are thinking his time is soon though.

So that's my week in a nutshell. I feel bad that I haven't told so many stories yet, but I'll do better in my letters from now on. Love you tons and I hope everything is going great!!! I'm sending a letter soon for the Teachers quorum and Adam, Lauren, and Mara's birthday.

-Love
Hutchinson Choro

10/21/12 "The work is going crazy good"

Hey! Time is going too fast huh? It's not too bad of weather today either, though there have been some way cold days lately. Rainy too. Fun that everyone is doing Ali's spook alley again. I wish I made time to go beforehand. Tell everyone hi for me :) They are going to have the primary program in the ward here soon too I think.

Cool Mara has been keepin' up and had some time to play with Lauren and the nieces. Way cool Adam made the improv group too! I'm glad he's getting stuff done. Oh boy I bet things are so crazy with Lauren getting ready for her little bebe. The pictures she sent are great! By the way, anyone from the family can email me whenever they want. It's not just mom... Anyways today is Pres Evans B-day so I don't have a lot of time. We have to get to the Honbu (mission office) and somehow fit all the normal p-day stuff in too. I want to apologize to everyone who sends me letters, because most of the time it is hard to find time to even sit down some p-days and even though I've gotten a lot of letters done it's even more tricky to find time to go to the post office. I don:t mean to sound complainy I just feel bad and hope no one is worrying that I forgot them etc.

Thanks for the news about Uncle Merril. I:ve been praying for him every night. The text from Joan especially brought a special spirit to my heart and I can feel our family ties all the way across the ocean :) Tell Joan thank you for the short but powerful story and that I'll keep praying for Uncle Merril. I am very happy to hear that Dad was able to give him another blessing and I know Uncle Merril has more great things to do as well.

Getting pictures with people is kinda hard because I never take my camera anywhere and it'd be really awkward to just ask people for their pictures. Not to sound complainy again, but I'm really stumped about it. We aren't supposed to take pictures often so we don't look like tourists either. I have my journal though and I'll for sure be able to get pictures at their baptisms ;)

The work is going crazy good. I feel like I have been improving a lot and overcoming a lot of my fears about speaking out and stuff like that. We have been teaching an English class every week since I got here. Guitar is getting volunteered to play at the Halloween party that we are planning for the ward, played after English class again, and then playing a cool arrangement of Our Saviors Love for a zone conference or something like that.

I get stuff from the mission office the second it gets there they send it to me. I will be looking forward to the package! I am going to try my best to reply to Lauren's email so that's all for today. Love you tons though!!! Aishitemasu!

Elder Hutchinson

P.S. a note from the letter to Lauren -
Thanks for the encouragement and comparing me to the Sons of Mosiah. They are the bomb. I still have for sure a lot of work to do, but I've definitely been seeing so many amazing miracles even as a bean. I want to work harder to lose my self more and let the spirit take over. Even though I get tired I feel good about it because of what I have accomplished and know it is all because of the Lord.

10/15/12 Dendo stories & surprises

Hey! So I have no email from Lauren and I even let my comp go first to see if it would come, but it didn't so that's lame... :( Well I read it in your letter cause I have to finish this and get going to dendo and stuff, but that's crazy good news!!! I'm sorry I didn't get to hear it directly from her email. Sounds like a way fun to let you guys know too!!! I wonder if you are right about it being a boy. Whooo another niece or nephew comin' up!

So yeah conference was sweet. Speaking of sharing it with investigators we have a way awesome one named Fukunaga (her name means eternal happiness. killer right?) who is 24 and crazy cool. The sister missionaries in another area found her and passed her to us because she lives here, but she is way cool and she came to every single session of conference. Every single one. We've only taught her one lesson so far and afterwards we talked to her about it and she said that she got really good feelings about it and help for her life! Yeah! So she is going to pray about it and I have pretty good vibes about that. So we watched it at the stake center in Shin-Sapporo in a little room. No worries about the *surprise announcement* Everyone had pretty much heard it from someone's mom. That's way cool though. I say it's about time girls get to go at 19 and everyone pretty much agrees there, but we also all agree that we think 18 years might die... haha not really but it's way neat and I'm excited for the world to be even more full of missionaries. Good luck waves going towards Adam and all the other people getting ready to serve and stuff. I'm definitely glad that I'm here and that I was patient through my year of college. It definitely made me more ready to be here. Also I was pretty sure I replied to Sarah within the last email I sent. haha If I reply to anyone personally go ahead and just leave it in the reg email.

I bet Mara's talk was cool! I'm way proud just hearing. Speaking and being confident is definitely way tricky. I think I could even work on it quite a bit. Sounds like a fun time at Grandma's too. Also, sounds like I left you high and dry as far as explanations of those pictures go hahaha... So that picture of me *teaching* was probably me singing as sisters in zion to be *initiated* The picture on my bike was an insane day of rain where the izarigawa (river name) was way overflowing. It was intense. I think I sent you a bunch of pictures of getting fed by members, one time was sushi (a ton) and the other time was probably 3 farms worth of tomatoes and pork cuts or something. Yesss. The picture of the bean is in a recent converts house and is me. Elder Hansen is very proud of the picture of me passed out with my journal. The picture with all the blue things is this cool rocket balloon thing they did at the game. Probably the most interesting that at that game. Let me know if you have any other picture related questions.

Wait, what are you mailing tomorrow? I hope there is deodorant. I don't need it for a while, but you might as well put it in if you're sending a package. I can't really think of stuff I need so I'm confused. I think I'll be alright with one suit coat since all my pants are black.

Sounds like a lot of rad stuff at home. Lots of getting ready for stuff and going places. Cool Adam got to go to that play. Sarah told me about it in her letter and sounds like it'll be way good. She told me about Emily being in it too. Must've been a lot of fun! You should have just went hahaha. I have definitely kept Uncle Merril in my prayers especially since I got the handwritten letter from you this week. I'll try really hard to find time to write back by hand too.

So this weeks dendo summary:
P-day was way sweet. Played some park golfage. Pretty fun. Like a cross between regular golf and mini golf. Then we hit the onsen which is the most comfortable thing ever. Then we had FHE at the bishop's house because it was his b-day. We had some way good food and taught a little lesson to their kids and stuff. Coolio. Next day was district meeting and a regular day of dendo. A lesson with this kid we contacted one of my first days here who could finally meet with us. Then we had Eikaiwa (English class) and an investigator showed up randomly afterwards who has been sick, and we gave her a blessing and had a really spiritual experience.
Wednesday we went to Chitose and met this old guy who was way nice, but just wanted to speak English the whole time and talked really slowly even when he spoke Japanese. We tried really hard to get the gospel in there... He kinda sucked our energy haha. The cool thing though is on the way there Elder Hansen and I were talking about how he met a guy riding a bike from the top of Japan to the bottom with all his possessions attached to his bike and stuff at the exact place we were riding. Then, we look over and lo and behold there is a guy who fit the description perfectly! We were so awestruck all we could say was *konnichiwa* as he passed by, but then we felt like we had to chase him down and we did. He was a way cool guy from Hong Kong and we got his email and stuff.

Thursday was just a crazy ton of planning and a lesson that went pretty good. Friday was going to Chitose again and not being able to meet with a bunch of people we wanted to and searching for this address that someone gave us one day. Saturday and Sunday were conference. Nuff said. So far on P-day it has just been regular. We taught a lesson to Nodoka again and she gave us origami and popcorn and a thank you note. She also rocked all the roleplay baptismal interview questions. Still a genius.

Anyways I love ya a ton and it's great here! Stay spiritually strong and keep showing your strong amazing examples! I've been resting enough and it's time to go dendo my heart out. Thanks a ton as always! Love ya bunches!!!

10/8/12 Life as a Bean

Hey! So I have no idea what you are talking about as far as general conference goes... We don't get to see it until next week! Ah... sounds like something crazy though! Like, did the age change to 18 or something? And did it lower for girls or something like that? I'm completely confused hahaha. I guess I won't be able to hear till next Saturday though! Haha and tell friends that if they want to send me messages through your email that they can just leave a comment or message on facebook or the blog and you'll send it to me like you did with Sarah's ok? I did get her letter by the way and will do my best to write back to it soon. We have a sweet P-day planned today. Park Golfing, touring the beer factory (if we have time) and going to an Onsen... :) look up what that is hahaha. We are also going to the bishop's family's FHE so that's sweet!

Thanks for your letter too mom! I haven't gotten it yet, but I'll let you know. That's tough Uncle Merril is still working through health things but I'll definitely be praying for him. I have a really cool story about an investigator we met on the street the other day. We were biking to Chitose which is about a half hour away and halfway there I realized my wallet wasn't in my pocket and it looked like it had maybe fallen out. I was really worried and my companion and I prayed to know what we should do because there was a high chance that I just left it at home too. We eventually decided to just go on to Chitose and right when we got into town we met this guy who was just turning into his neighborhood and we got to talking to him a lot and it led to teaching him twice this week and giving him a tour of the church. Not the biggest miracle, but if I didn't pause and think of my wallet we wouldn't have seen him at all.

Thank you so much for being such a great mom and grandma. I have been reading the last issue of the conference Liahona lately and it focuses a lot on how important leading and teaching with a Christ-like love and example in the home. I'm grateful I was raised in a home like that. Keep showing and teaching that kind of love to everybody around :)

That's cool that Mara is doing so great! She is a great student and example from what I can tell. Help her to keep that up. Cool that teachers have been asking about me too. It isn't too cold yet. Sometimes at night if I don't wear gloves my hands get chilly, but that's about it. I have my camera today so I'll see what I can do. I wish Hansen Choro's pictures would send because he has way better ones because I never remember to take my camera anywhere. I don't really understand the picture you sent, but I'm guessing if the age is changed then no one will want to go to college before their mission? haha

As always I love you tons and tons and the spirit is the way and the means by which we need to act in everything that we do. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior and Redeemer and there is no other way that we can become clean, have true joy in this life, and return to our Father in Heaven as Eternal Families. He loves us more than we can comprehend and truly gave everything He could as God's Son and His miracles are infinite. Have you read Jesus The Christ before? I would like to recommend it to anyone wanting to build their knowledge and testimony of the Savior.

Aishiteimasu,
Hutchinson Choro

Braden's "Bean" initiation (see the last blog entry)

End of a long day!

10/1/12 As Sisters in Zion?

Hey! No worries about the typhoon... It passed the East side of Hokkaido just barely so we hardly got anything. Not going to lie, but I was a little bit excited to see it. We were helping a recent convert clean out her mom's old apt since she passed away, but it was only a little rain. Cool picture from Lagoon hahah. The pictures of Dave and the fam are awesome! So I forgot my camera again, but we'll see if Hansen Choro's camera works today.

Thanks for updating me on the ward and everything! I hope Taylor gets better right away because that's tough! Right in the middle of school too. That's crazy Jake has to get 25 shots! Holy cow! Please thank the ward members again for me! Let them know that a lot of good is getting done here :) I:m glad you could hear the music stuff too!

So neat about all the new babies coming into the family! There are definitely some really amazing Japanese families here. So cool and so strong in the gospel. Really inspiring. I try to talk to lots of different people at church and we actually had a big eating meeting after church yesterday. I don't know what to call it in English haha. It's tricky to just tell about the people I meet because there are so many! Families in particular though.. hmmm we try to visit ward members every now and then, but they are not all usually home and a lot of the times it's just at the door because we can't go into the houses depending on who's home. Our lessons with Nodoka the 8 year old are still going way good and she and her mom are on track to be baptized really soon! Nodoka wants to get baptized next Saturday, but since it's general conference we might pick a different day. It is really fun to teach a kid like that.

On Wednesday I went on splits to Muroran! It was about an hour train ride away and I was companions with Elder Onishi for a day. He is the district leader and way bomb. He is 25 and a convert to the church a few years ago. Pretty much that whole day I had to do my best to do absolutely everything in Japanese and it was cool. It was really neat to see such a different area! Way pretty. The town is like tiered and stuff and the ocean is close too. I learned a lot from Onishi Choro and tried out some cool new things that improved my dendo a lot.

Also the next day we had zone conference and it was really crazy because we were all the way in Muroran and we had to leave super early. At the zone conference though they made me get up and tell about myself in Japanese and then sing As Sisters in Zion and then they sat me down and all gave me tons of candy! Sweet! I took a picture, but yeah. Camera at the apartment... :p

I'm excited for general conference too and I'm really excited to hopefully take investigators to it! We all go to the stake center to see it so I'm thinking that'll be way sweet. Remember sometimes when it's the hardest to stay focused that's the time you need to focus the most because there are things that Heavenly Father wants to teach you. I know that this work is worth it. Worth more than anything else that I could possibly be doing right now. I am glad that the missionaries there have good attitudes and stuff! I'm seriously dying to know how things are different there because of the new mission. I think if the missionaries can actually be there long enough (and not spread out too thin) and work with the members tons of real miracles can happen! I'm really excited and proud of Mara for doing her best to work with Esmerelda and stuff too!

Everyday is definitely full of things to be grateful for. I am trying to work more on making my prayers more detailed and meaningful because I think that if I rely more on the Lord in that sense that I'll be able to notice and fix my weaknesses even better. With that said I am trying harder to get everybody into my prayers as much as possible too. There are lots of great people that I am privileged to pray for here too though :)

Feel free to write anytime by the way. I'm not exactly sure the time difference, but I usually do email at noon on Mondays here.

Love you tons and tons! Aishiteimasu!