Elder Braden Hutchinson's Mission: 2/24/13 It is very awesome here!

Hey! So it is very awesome here. Toyohira is like a borough of Sapporo kind of like in New York. My week has been incredible and lots of fun. We did meet a pretty good amount of awesome people! Toyohira is leaps and bounds busier than Eniwa was and I am realizing more and more just how small Eniwa was. I still really love it tons. By the way I still want recipes and things to send to Haramai Shimai if you have 'em. My apartment is super cool and it is way different to only have two people in the apartment. With all the new missionaries coming soon (next transfer 15) it will probably become a four man so I will enjoy it while I can :) I haven't taken any pictures of it yet so I'll try to remember to. Glad you found pictures on facebook again! Remember to check for friend requests from Japanese friends every once in a while. Today we did lots of music practice at the honbu and I am being used a lot more hahaha. I got that sweater for like 500 yen at a recycle shop :)

Thank you for all the awesome stories! I am glad I was able to leave such an impact on the ward and I am looking forward to seeing how everyone is doing when I get back, but that's a while away ;) I'll keep doing my best to try to leave a good impression on all the wards I end up having the privilege to be a part of. Also I'm excited for the package! Since I'm close to the Honbu I'll probably receive it sooner than I did when in Eniwa, but I don't know for sure. Also the snow in the city is way crazier than Eniwa. The news about 58 new missions is incredible! That's so exciting. I feel like there are going to be a ton of new areas opening up here too. Well, they will for sure actually! I'm so proud of the little things that you are doing to start missionary work in as many ways as you can. The pictures are wonderful (Mya and Livy awesome as usual) and I especially felt nostalgic seeing the picture of Lily at the door.

Dad-Thank you for your love and concern and prayers. That is such a cool thing to see 31 missionaries at the temple in one day! No one here can believe that people in Utah wait so long for the temple. We try a lot to shovel snow for people, but (especially old people) everyone likes to do it for exercise. It is a great way to start conversations and show a good image though. Your testimony is such a strength to me and I was really happy to here from you. I love you dad!

Here is my summary of the week.
Monday- After emailing we went home and I finished letters. We just did a bit of finding the rest of the day. Tuesday was DTM in Atsubetsu with the new district. Everyone is way fun and I'm looking forward to the DTMs etc for this transfer. After that we taught some good lessons. One to an old lady who really wants to come to church. Very funny person. Wednesday was dendo in a place called Nishioka (west hill) and we tried to teach this older guy who is in a country western band who was really stubborn, but he let me play his banjo and was super impressed. That day we also had my first Eikaiwa and it was WAY fun! We had this little rhyme to help the students practice pronunciation and Stilson Choro decided to try rapping it while I beatboxed and everyone loved it! Best part was after than one student (a lady who is about 68) came up and said it was her turn and SHE rapped while I beatboxed! Oh man. Way too funny. There is just tons of funny stuff here I can't write it all. The next day we went on splits with Komori Choro (it became 3 man) and we did some finding and I taught a cool kid on the street and gave him a BoM and then we taught a lesson to a really neat guy named Nakamura (very common name) who is 45ish and works for a video game company. He is afraid of going outside and meeting people, but for some reason meeting us wasn't scary at all and he really wants to change his life. He said meeting with us is healing him and we haven't even taught him that much yet. He might take some time, but I'm looking forward to him. Friday we ate lunch with this guy named Daiki from Eikaiwa who is fluent in English and has been going to Eikaiwa for 6 years. He had interest in the gospel, but a missionary pushed him too hard one time. He is super cool though and we will keep showing love to him etc. We also taught a lot of lessons while housing that day and had a way good time. Saturday was going to a bunch of appointments we made and then making some more. We taught a lesson to a mom who said that she always rejects missionaries, but we felt different. Very cool. We also had this kid randomly call us and say he wanted to meet at the church. We ended up running to the church and had FHE with him and the YSA's in the ward. Sunday was super awesome. The investigators who said they would come to church didn't, but one of the AP's (My trainer Elder Hansen!) investigators came and I got a chance to teach him a bunch during priesthood meeting. After church one of the sister's investigators had been having a kidney problem and wanted a priesthood blessing. Since she isn't a member the responsibility went to the missionaries and I gave her a blessing in Japanese and it went pretty well. Cool experience. After that we met with some members and an old lady I found in the phone who lives in a place kinda like where grandma is living. So that is it! What a blast haha.

Thank you so so much :) Love you tons! Keep doing your best and the Lord's help will be with you!
Aishiteimasu!