May 11, 2010

Dear Family,

It was wonderful talking to you yesterday. It was nice because that previous week was difficult. I’m having a hard time getting a lot of work done because of various mission related things that bug me. I had to go on so many exchanges when Elder Insch was my companion. This brings me to my next point which is that I will no longer be companions with Elder Insch. He is the new Zone Leader. He will be going to Kanazawa so he will still be my Zone Leader because that’s where I’m at. Oh by the way, until today President Erying’s grandson Henry (funny huh) has been one of my zone leaders. I probably should have mentioned that in an earlier email. But I will be staying in the same area. My new companion is a Canadian. His name is Elder Howells. He’s went senior last transfer I believe. From the sound of it his Portuguese isn’t as good as elder Insch (nor Japanese actually). It will be a change but I’m very excited. I know this is what is best for me and that it comes from God so I’m not going to second guess it or complain. There are a couple bummers that come out of it but whatever. Life is sometimes a bummer.

In lighter, more Tyler-like news, last week after I emailed you I saw a man urinating in a gutter. He yelled hazukashi tokoro gomen ne. I translated it as “awkward place, sorry.” But I guess place also can mean moment. Then he said the phrase that means “hey you super hard workers good job” (keep up the good work). It was quite funny. We have a lot of stories like that. Also, Japan has tons and tons of bats. I never noticed until Elder Insch pointed out that there weren’t birds around. Oh also I won’t be companions with Elder Howells until tomorrow.

I will be giving a talk in two weeks on Mosiah 5:7. I can’t think of a whole lot to say. It’s a fairly specific topic which makes it hard. Don’t think about it a ton but any advice would be appreciated. I’m going to have a hard enough time translating anyway, especially since I don’t know how proficient elder Howells will be. Dear Elder is really slow to get to me by the way. I have mail written for Aly but I can’t send it because I don’t have a current address.

I had an interesting experience on an exchange that I went on in Tokoyama. It’s up in the mountains. It was beautiful (I’ll send a couple pictures), but this one investigator was like “your hair it’s......blonde.” Then she also mentioned that my eyebrows and my arm hair were blond too. Then she said “oh I love it so much” (she spoke a little bit of English). Then she put her index finger on her forehead and her thumb under her nose with both of those fingers extended. She was trying to imitate my nose. She said, your nose it’s sooo tall. It’s so handsome. People love me here it’s so fun/funny. It really boasts my self confidence.

Hey for the first time I’m going to call everyone to repentance. I want everyone tonight to be thankful for the fact that they speak English. Our language is incredibly hard. I have to deal with questions about English on a daily basis and I have no idea why our language works they way it does. Also, I implore you to give missionaries referrals and have them over for dinner every so often. It’s tough doing what we do. But kick them out fast. Tell them you only have a small window of time to feed them. They need to be other places. I hate getting stuck at a dinner for forever.

タイラ is my name in Katakana, Katie. By the way, I loved talking to you. I’m sorry if I didn’t talk to you a lot but talking to you made it all worth it. I miss you a lot and you are sounding so grown up. I’m sorry if I seemed like I was talking to you like you were young. You are so mature now.

Finally, I’d like to say that there is a woman in our ward that gives us stuff like mom always wanted us to eat, green stuff and stuff that we have to chew like 200 times before we can swallow. She is going to be like 178 years old next year. So it works. She rides her bike to church every week.

This next week will be interesting and I’m putting all of my trust in the Lord. I’m excited and it will be good for me. I’m still praying for everyone. Have a wonderful week. I love you all.

Elder Tyler Hooton