Current Address

This is Corey's current address:

Elder Corey Hogewoning

657-0067

Hyogo-ken, Kobe-shi, Nada-ku,

Shinohara Honmachi 4-6-28

JAPAN

Pics from Kobe!

Elder McLaws and Elder Hogewoning
Elder McLaws and Elder Hogewoning in flight
Elder Hogewoning in front of the Kobe Port Tower

Elder Maeda and Elder Hogewoning in front of the Kobe Port Tower.

Solid Week

So I feel like I am finally getting used to the office. This week was still kind of bumpy but I feel like I'm starting to get a feel for what I need to do. I'm doing things like ordering supplies online, preparing letters of congratulations for the Japanese missionaries and their families (kind of like the one you might have got when I got to the mission, became a senior companion, district leader, zone leader, etc.), dealing with bill payments, handling problems with apartments, and stuff like that. I'm getting pretty good at typing emails in Japanese to different suppliers and to the area office in Tokyo. Elder Manning, who I replaced, was the fix-it guy when it came to computers, printers, copy machines, etc. so even though it is not necessarily part of my job discription I have inherited that responisibility as well. It feels a lot like the good ol' days in yearbooks troubleshooting everyone's computer problems. Who would have known that talent would be useful on the mission?

We are teaching only 2 people right now Ii-san and Nishihori Hideaki-san. Ii is in his 60s and loves coming to church. He has trouble grasping all of the concepts and whatnot but he loves the feeling when he comes. His only problem keeping him from baptism is tithing. He has a lot of debt and doesn't think he can pay it. We have talked to him a lot about it but with little headway. Tomorrow he is scheduled to meet with Bishop Kochiyama and see if they can figure out a solution.

Nishihori Hideaki is a really great guy. He is 30 and we call him Hide (not hide like in hide-and-go-seek, hee-day like p-day with an h). He is just looking for something to brighten up his life. He has been coming to English class for quite a while and has pretty much heard all of the lessons before. He called us on Tuesday and asked if we could meet before English class. We met with him and to our disappointment he just wanted to practice talking in English. He lived in Australia for a little while and is really good. We tried to keep the conversation focused on the gospel and asked him to meet us again and hear the lessons. He agreed only on the condition that we only talk in English. We hesitantly said "yes," thinking that we were probably just getting stuck meeting with an eternal investigator that won't do anything. He told us his dad is a Bhuddist priest and as his son he is supposed to keep the priestly line. He is a priest but he doesn't think much of Bhuddism. Well Friday rolled around and we met. We talked all in English. We talked about only the gospel and what it could mean to him. He really opened up and the three of us really connected. He agree to read daily and pray twice a day. He probably would have been willing to come to church if he didn't have work tomorrow. We were able to really follow the Spirit, ask inspired questions, find out his needs, and apply the message to him rather than just teaching a rote lesson. It looks pretty promising.

So I saved the best for last. You might remember but I left some pretty promising investigators in Senri when I came to the mission office. Well this weekend two of them are getting baptized! One tonight and the other tomorrow before church. President said when he transferred me here that since it is still pretty close that I can go to the baptisms so we're going to both! And you though that was all....
We live in the same apartment as the assistants to the president underneath the mission office. The assistants call all of the zone leaders regularly to see how things are going with investigators who are preparing to get baptized. Well Elder Starks was on the phone last night with former companion, Elder McLaws, in Senri. I figured he was just double checking to make sure Hayashi-san and Sato-san (the two getting baptized) were all good to go. Well it was about 10:26 and was just finishing up brushing my teeth and getting all ready for bed when Elder Starks poked his head into our room and said "Make sure you are in Senri at 8:00 on Sunday. You're baptizing Sato." Then he left saying nothing else. I couldn't fall asleep until around 11:30 last night. My mind was racing. I still feel all nervous and excited at the same time. Yep so I have a pretty amazing next 24 hours coming up. Thank you for all of your prayers and love. I really feel like this is just a tender mercy of the Lord that He has blessed us all with especially Sato.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Lots of love,
Corey

Letter and Pictures!

If you click on the letters, they will get bigger so you can read them.

Captions by Elder Hogewoning.
6-6-09 Here another pictures at the groundbreaking. From left to right: Sister Tsutsui, Sister Yamamoto, Brother ??? (I should know that by now. How lame!), Kaoru, Asagi Konomi, Elder Young, Me, Takemori Tatsuya. They let us and our investigators, Fujimara Kaoru and Takemori Tutsuya, get in on the fun. The three on the far left are Marugame Branch members. Everyone is really excited about the new building which should be done Feb. '10.
6-6-09 Raw fish and avocado...It really wasn't that bad. Elder and Sister Naka made us a lot of good food that night. I ate it all by the way if you were wondering.
6-6-09 From left to right: Sister Naka, Elder Naka, Me, Arai Yuka, Elder Young. We had a lesson with Yuka (first name) Arai (last name) in Takamatsu (about 30 mins by train from Marugame). We talked to her about baptism and showed her the font in the Takamatsu building. Afterwards, the Nakas, senior missionaries working with less actives in Takamatsu, graciously hosted us all for a lovely dinner.

We just made a baptismal date with Yuka last Thurs 7/16 for her birthday 12/13/09. Yay! (7/20/09)

5-12-09 The field is white...

*Where it is italicized, Corey wrote some Japanese characters, which I'm guessing mean "me" because I know what Elder Hogewoning looks like in Japanese, and the characters he wrote are too short.

Pictures from Elder Hogewoning

My dad got a letter from Corey today, and there were some pictures. Hope you enjoy! (Captions are by Elder Hogewoning.)

4-29-09 This is at the mission home. President Isa just told me I was going to be serving in Marugame with Elder Young. What a night?!?
6-1-09 The Marugame castle is a really beautiful place.

6-7-09 This is me at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Marugame chapel. It should be done early next year.

No time, again!

Just wanted to let you know, I did get a very short e-mail from Corey at the beginning of the week, which basically said something like, "Yes, no, yes, yes..." answering a couple of my questions, but that was it.  Sounds like he's pretty busy as am I.  This is my last week of EFY though, so after this I might have more time to update this willing that Corey writes more.  

Thank you all for your support, love, and prayers.  We both really appreciate it!

6 weeks in

Well I'm over 6 weeks in and every 6 weeks is transfers.  I'm still in Marugame but Elder Barrus replaced Elder Young.  They are both great and I'm so fortunate to be able to learn from both of them.  It's also nice to have kind of a fresh start with a new companion with new ideas.

I gave my first talk in sacrament on Sunday.  It was really nerveracking but I got through it all right.  I had to speak for 10 mins but it flew by.  I stumbled through the scriptures I shared but everyone was quick to praise me afterwards anyway.

Lots of love,

Elder Hogewoning