Dear Family!
It was St. Patrick’s Day today! We celebrated by going to the top of the Shimonoseki Yume tower. Wow, it certainly is starting to heat up! My deodorant ran out the other day, so I have been running on emergency Axe spray can stuff! It is soo weird how they don’t do deodorant here! Well, in any case, I will be very happy when the package arrives!
I just got Sarah’s letter and pictures today. I think she is really good at timing it so I get her letter right before I write! People are getting way big! Willie!! You’re growing up! Holy cow! You’re already way taller that when I left and braces! Man, you’ll be a stud when I get back. You look soo “steki” (cool, fashionable)! It looks like you’re already more fashionable than me!
Mari is growing up way fast too! In her little tutu and pigtails she reminds me of Darla off of the Little Rascals! Haha. My companion has pictures of his nephew just a little younger than Mari that he hasn’t even seen! And it’s his first niece or nephew, so I consider myself lucky. The “scowl” picture is hilarious!
Sarah, you look like an awesome mom. Aaron, yeah. Haha. Hilary -- you’re getting more gorgeous! Also, I didn’t get any pictures of Mom or Spence, so I assume y’all are alright.
Speaking of alright, I am! Me and my companion (Elder Moon, he’s awesome) just had our whole planning meeting in Japanese, and we didn’t even realize it! It is very much becoming more natural. It’s taking over my English! But this past week was particularly awesome -- we did an activity called “Dendo Week” (Missionary Work Week) in our branch where members got points for doing certain things, and big points depending on what it is! The activities ranged from praying for missionary work to jointing for lessons to giving the missionaries a referral. To make a couple long stories short, me and Elder Moon ended the week with 2 new investigators, 1 more soon-to-become, and 3 potential investigators. Absolutely amazing growth!! I know for a fact that if we try (Elder Moon just hit me with a ball). Anyways, if we try our best, the Lord will bless us, even if it is through indirect means, maybe not even anything we do specifically!
So yeah, Mom, it looks like you’re going to be a world traveler this summer! All the places you go! You’re going to be soo busy! But I’m sure you’re going to find some good time to relax. Please be sure you do! You deserve it! Just trying to do the whole “housekeeping” kind of thing for 2 people has worn me out! I appreciate a lot of the stuff you do for us much more.
Well, my health is good; we are eating a lot of cabbage! (One of our members is a farmer!) We are working hard, making friends, but also having a ton of fun! Missionary work is a lot of work, but it has only been recently that I have realized that every single part of the work can be fun if you make it! Hey everyone, have fun! Okay? Everything is fun if you make it; and if you make it fun, you’re having joy . . . your job! (2 Nephi 25:23) Well, take care and be safe and have fun.
Always, Joey Hogge
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Pictures and Captions from Joey
Me and Elder McClure (my trainer) with Kobayashi. He is awesome! Baptized: 1/12/08
Nato! It looks and smells like boogers. But I ate it!
This family really reminded me of Sarah, Aaron, and Mari. They are awesome members. The little girl absolutely loved Pooh-san. Visited 2/11/08
Monday, March 10, 2008
3 March 2008
Dear Family,
It’s MARCH! I hope everyone’s February was filled with Valentine’s and birthdays! This past week went by particularly fast. We had Zone Conference in Hiroshima, so that took a couple days. Since we are four hours by train, we have to go up the day before in order to be in Hiroshima for the meeting. So that was way fun. We played sports for last P-day. There were a couple college age kids that we got to play too. It was fun.
This week was good. Hey Dad, I heard your Sunday School lesson was awesome! You rock! I sure hope I can stand up to the great example I have been given. Also, Grandma and Grandpa Buck are moving !?! The property looks so beautiful! No one has a yard, let alone grass, here in Japan. Not even the parks! Haha. I guess having relatives in Utah is pretty much inevitable for us Mormons. Haha.
Hey Mom, the standard of living here is great. You would be proud to see how nice we are keeping our apartment, and how healthy we are eating. In our new apartment, in our sleeping room, we have tatami mats and futons and heaters and sliding doors and yeah. One side is even made of rice paper! It is very Japanese. It’s awesome!
We have also had the opportunity to ride by the ocean a lot recently, and I love it! It is waaaaaay pretty. We had a stunning beautiful day Saturday. I saw a flock of hawks just sleeping in the middle of a field and I thought, I’m sure Mom or Dad would have wanted to see this! So yeah, there is a chance I’ll switch areas this week, so I’m soaking it in.
Recently, I tried making/eating rice pudding for the first time, and I loved it! Rice, butter, milk, salt, sugar, honey, and maybe raisins. It’s way good! I think I’m turning into a Japanese person.
This week, I have really gotten more comfortable talking to people I don’t know. Knocking doors yesterday, I felt happy and confident. I have received a lot of help with Japanese. Conversations are much more natural, and I’m already starting to forget English! If you emanate, “I’m a scary foreigner” or “I’m just a salesman,” then people will reject you hard, without even listening. But if you emanate, “I am having fun and I am happy and I am grateful to talk to you,” people will listen even if they aren’t interested. But we are in the business of making friends and sharing the happiness we have found in the gospel! It’s fun.
Sunday, me and Elder Moon had a lesson which we planned as just a friendly introduction and talking about God, but we were led by the Spirit, and went through most of Lesson 1 without even trying! It was sweet. Yanagida-san (our investigator) had some awesome questions that we figured out the answer to together. We both rejoiced and were edified together. (Sounds like a scripture!) So I have caught a glimpse of how this work should be done, and it was AWESOME! And I am pumped! So I’m doing well. I printed off some pictures last week, so bon apetite!
I love you all,
Elder Hogge
It’s MARCH! I hope everyone’s February was filled with Valentine’s and birthdays! This past week went by particularly fast. We had Zone Conference in Hiroshima, so that took a couple days. Since we are four hours by train, we have to go up the day before in order to be in Hiroshima for the meeting. So that was way fun. We played sports for last P-day. There were a couple college age kids that we got to play too. It was fun.
This week was good. Hey Dad, I heard your Sunday School lesson was awesome! You rock! I sure hope I can stand up to the great example I have been given. Also, Grandma and Grandpa Buck are moving !?! The property looks so beautiful! No one has a yard, let alone grass, here in Japan. Not even the parks! Haha. I guess having relatives in Utah is pretty much inevitable for us Mormons. Haha.
Hey Mom, the standard of living here is great. You would be proud to see how nice we are keeping our apartment, and how healthy we are eating. In our new apartment, in our sleeping room, we have tatami mats and futons and heaters and sliding doors and yeah. One side is even made of rice paper! It is very Japanese. It’s awesome!
We have also had the opportunity to ride by the ocean a lot recently, and I love it! It is waaaaaay pretty. We had a stunning beautiful day Saturday. I saw a flock of hawks just sleeping in the middle of a field and I thought, I’m sure Mom or Dad would have wanted to see this! So yeah, there is a chance I’ll switch areas this week, so I’m soaking it in.
Recently, I tried making/eating rice pudding for the first time, and I loved it! Rice, butter, milk, salt, sugar, honey, and maybe raisins. It’s way good! I think I’m turning into a Japanese person.
This week, I have really gotten more comfortable talking to people I don’t know. Knocking doors yesterday, I felt happy and confident. I have received a lot of help with Japanese. Conversations are much more natural, and I’m already starting to forget English! If you emanate, “I’m a scary foreigner” or “I’m just a salesman,” then people will reject you hard, without even listening. But if you emanate, “I am having fun and I am happy and I am grateful to talk to you,” people will listen even if they aren’t interested. But we are in the business of making friends and sharing the happiness we have found in the gospel! It’s fun.
Sunday, me and Elder Moon had a lesson which we planned as just a friendly introduction and talking about God, but we were led by the Spirit, and went through most of Lesson 1 without even trying! It was sweet. Yanagida-san (our investigator) had some awesome questions that we figured out the answer to together. We both rejoiced and were edified together. (Sounds like a scripture!) So I have caught a glimpse of how this work should be done, and it was AWESOME! And I am pumped! So I’m doing well. I printed off some pictures last week, so bon apetite!
I love you all,
Elder Hogge
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