January 2, 2011

Dear Family,
I got off the phone with you and realized how much of a bum I was (does bum have two *m*s or one?) I wish I could have been more upbeat. It takes so much to be upbeat and happy, especially with a new missionary because I have to always been teaching and trying to tactfully explain things in a funny non-direct way. I’m going to go forward though with a renewed effort to be happier. I learned from Elder Soliai reading a part of his journal to me that I actually do have quite a few funny/interesting experiences each week that are worthy sharing. Also, because I was essentially alone for the holidays, I now know how much more I should appreciate my family now that I sort of don’t have one close by (just like I totally appreciate the cold weather here after being in Fuji for the summer). Also, living in Montana for a big chunk of my life, I know that this place has nothing on Big Sky country.

First, I would like to share what I call the “devil pot” experience. I share this first just incase you never get a letter from me again and I’m found dead in my apartment with pot burns all over me. When Elder Soliai and I came home from district meeting in Komatsu last week we decided to make romen. So he took the pot off the stove and turned on the cold water to fill it. When the water touch the pot it started to steam and make a hissing noise. The stove wasn’t on. The water wasn’t hot. We have no idea why the water started to boil. My only conclusion is that super hot water came out of the spout but I immediately touched the metal part of the facet to see if it was hot and it was cold. So I was fairly freaked out. Anyway, so that’s that story. I still can’t figure it out. I think it was Satan trying to burn Elder Soliai but really the jokes on him because it just cooked the roman faster.

Next is that I’ve never seen lighting in a snow storm but I guess it happens (in Fukui). It’s actually pretty cold. It was like a blizzard outside (is that how you spell blizzard because it just reminds me a DQ) and then the sky would light up with lightning. It was pretty sweet.

President Baird called me this week just to tell me that everything in my mission is aligning for me and it doesn’t happen often so he told me to take advantage of it. It kind of scared me and now that I’m not seeing a much success after the call, I feel like I’m failing. I also feel like it was Mrs. Pomeroy my 8th grade English teacher when she called mom at home and dad at work to tell them how great of a student I was (jokes on her I read the cliff notes of The Hobbit).

I’m worried that my shoes are going to die. I had a pair die this week (they actually exploded). I walked about 5 miles one night and my feet started to bleed (the heels). I looked in the shoe and the sole was ruined and the heel part had exploded. Don’t worry it was my cheap pair and my Eccos are still doing well. They are like walking on air. It’s just now that they will become my primary pair. I hope they don’t get worn through very fast. Don’t get too worried though. I’ll keep you posted and right now I’m wearing boots most of the time anyway.

I forgot to mention how much I loved that fact that I opened up my box of graham crackers and saw the chocolate bars jammed in there and I was reminded how brilliant, cheap, and good at Tetris my whole family is.

I used a plunder for the first time this week...

Thanks to Katie for teaching me that phrase over the phone. I’m still trying to find a time to use it.

Before it got too cold I tried turning up the temperature on our heated toilet seat and then came back later to sit on it and I swear it gave me 2nd degree burns on my bum. But I tried it again the other day and I swear it produces more heat that our regular heater. I want to sleep on the toilet. It’s like magic (not the same type of magic that warms the pot...or is it?). I want to bring one back to Montana (Dad would never leave the bathroom though).

The acid contact solution sucks by the way. My zone leader convinced me to stop using it for a while and I stopped it this week and realized I get fewer headaches from my eyes and my contacts go in a lot easier now. They just feel better when I don’t: use it. So I’m going to use it every so often just to clean my contacts and then go back to regular solution (his dad is an eye doctor).

Finally I got the complement of my life this week. Elder Soliai and I were late for a really important train (due to a long game a jenga with an investigator...I won). I told him we’d have to run for about 3, 2 minute segments to make it (it was suppose to be a 45 minute walk). Half way through Elder Soliai said, “when I was in my interview with president Baird right before I met you, he was telling me about you. The last thing he said to me was that Elder Hooton is a very physically powerful missionary....now I understand.” Frankly I was flattered. Physically powerful is exactly how I would want to be described. I almost started crying on the spot (but the tears would have frozen to my face and I didn’t want to risk it). My question is why does he think that? I’m worried that Elder Momose’s letters to the president were just him complaining about me pushing him too hard. In conclusion I’m flattered and it beats the heck out of, “your giant nose makes you look kingly.” We made it to the eki in 23 minutes. Heck yes!

I love you all. I’d just like to say that I finished the Book or Mormon last week while marking all of the references to Christ. It’s the activity Elder Holland did with Elder Anderson or Cook (I forgot). It changed my life it was a great experience. I’ll explain it more next week. Sorry I’m kind of out of time and I just got another email. I love you all. Keep working hard and getting along. Nothing makes me happier that that.

Love Tyler