Joey's Address in Shimonoseki

45 Yamaguchi-Ken, Shimonoseki-Shi
Akineshin-Machi 7-4-#1101
Japan 751-0874

17 December 2007

Dear Family,

How goes it? I'm in Japan. I arrived in my "bean" area: Shimonoseki, last Thursday. My trainer lived in Southern California and moved to Southern Oregon in middle school. His name is Elder McClure (Makura) and he also went to BYU for a year before coming out. He has been out here for about a year and a half, and it was a big surprise for him to turn trainer again.

So it's been fun jumping in. Shimonoseki is a very special place. We have lessons basically every night, which is way awesome for Japan. My first Sunday here, two men were baptized. It's pretty crazy! We have a very special situation here. A man named Nakamura Kyodai (Brother Nakamura) here was baptized just a couple months ago. He has taken a special interest in helping the homeless around the city. He is building a place called Samaria Home, and he invites homeless men to come and stay until they get on their feet and find a job. That's where we have been getting most of our referrals.

It's sooo awesome seeing the repentance process truly in action. The men who were just baptized were both members of Yakuza way back in the day. The kind of thing where you bring in the mission president for the baptismal interview. But knowing they have been through a lot makes the flipside here that much better!

Well, I haven't been able to get a bike here yet, so I have been riding a mamachari bike around. It's a 3-gear bike that is pretty much straight from the 80's. Hills are doing a lot to build my character!

Saturday, we rode a ton. If you pull up a map of the Shimonoseki area, we started in the middle of the peninsula in Shin-Shimonoseki, went pretty straight east to Chofu and went all the way around the peninsula with a strong ocean wind to the city west of Shin-Shimonoseki to Yasuoka. Pretty much a full afternoon.

We are doing fine here. Lots of lessons, tons of food from the members (big branch of almost 50!), no central heating, and nato that looks and tastes like boogers, and a sweet 11th story view of Shin-Shimonoseki with the Shinkansen bulleting by. I am very lucky and ready to go to work.

Always, Elder Hogge

083-257-1074

13 December 2007

received via postal service

Dear Family:

I am really, really, really, really, really, really, really in Japan. I made it! I have really been pampered here with American food (Pizza Hut, Beef Stew, Chicken-Broccoli). And I just got my first transfer information. I'm headed to Shimonoseki. It is as far west as you can go on Honshu. I hear it has been a place of many miracles as of late. Maybe I will be able to teach . . . ?

Oh yeah, no email anywhere in Japan. Sorry! Don't worry. I will write every week. Just the snail way. And I will have 30 minutes for Christmas, your Christmas. So call after I call from 083-257-1074. Also, I got a chance to proselyte and I absolutely loved it!

Sincerely, Elder Hogge

P.S. My trainer is Elder McClure.

P.S.S. What time is good for you 12/25?

4 December 2007

Well, I have a foot out the door. I am very much ready to leave the nation. :-) This is my last week here at the MTC, and I am rearin to go out into the field!

So Friday, I finished 1st Nephi in Japanese. I didn't quite understand 100% of it, but I could definitely tell a big improvement in my reading pace and comprehension from the beginning. It truly is amazing how much progress all of us have made here in the MTC.

And even better news, I got my flight plans on Friday! I am way super way super way excited. My flight leaves from SLC at 6 AM next Monday. So I am getting a jump on the world! We get to report to the travel office at 3 AM. So we will see how that goes! I have a bit of a layover in Los Angeles from around 7 to 10 MST I think...I hope to get rid of a couple Book of Mormons
while I am at it!

So, in celebration of our receiving our flight plans, God decided to grace Provo with 2 inches of snow over Friday night, so we woke up to all white! It's a shame that I have really come to like snow. Odds are, I won't see any for the next two years. :-)

Well, I am thankful for everyone's thoughts and concerns, but this marks the last week I will receive Dear Elder, so say goodbye to that convenience! Haha, yeah, the last time I will receive any mail here in the MTC is around lunch on Saturday, so I am definitely headed out.

It is amazing how quickly time flew here at the MTC. If there is one thing I have learned here, (besides patience) it is how to plan and get myself in gear to work full time. I really like planning now. I have a testimony of it. When we plan, I know we are putting clay in the Lord's hands, so that He can know how to inspire us away to other things if need be. So, I am packing a lot today, so I don't know what I will be able to do in terms of letter writing. Just a caution to all...I don't know if I will send anything back, so we will see!

I liked the First Presidency devotional Sunday. It was a good treat. I can definitely feel Christmas, but surprisingly, I haven't missed being home to the max. It is odd to think that I am almost to the first of only two Christmases I will see on my mission! Time has absolutely flown. Well, I don't know quite what else to say for now, so I will say

TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!
~Elder Hogge

Joey's Japan Address

As we understand it, Joey will be leaving for Japan on December 10. His mailing address there will be:

Elder Joseph Wallace Hogge
1-11-26 Hikari-Machi
Higashi-Ku
Hiroshima-Shi
732-0052
Japan

Merry Christmas to everyone! Jeff