Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission: The Apostle RETURNS!

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Hello from Hogwarts!

   Went to the Temple again this morning and afterwards we ate in the cafeteria. It was really bizarre to see sweets, soda, waffles, and general breakfast being served inside the Temple. But it was so great. That was the best food I've had in a while. It's really great to be there with all of my mission friends.

    So this week was a "cut you down to grow you up" kind of week.

     Monday I was feeling really discouraged and inadequate. "I can't do this. I can't teach these people in this language. I can barely get by" I just didn't feel like I had the confidence to do anything. Then at the end of the day, for whatever reason, two of the Shimai (sisters) in our District, Dopp and Molnari Shimai, were in our classroom just talking. They have become good friends to us. They are part of the group of Dai Sempai leaving next week. Anyway, Molnari Shimai started telling the story of why she chose to serve a mission. It was so spiritual. It reminded me of why I chose to serve. Afterward I told her thanks, it was what I needed. Then she asked if I would share my story. I told her and Dopp Shimai of the week I got my call, the time I didn't have papers at Scout camp for those boys and I was the one who needed the faith to except the consequences. I learned that week what it means to rely on the Lord. It was a great reminder to me of what I can do with the Lord's help.

     On Tuesday guess who came back? Bednar Choro! He had kept the questions from last time and came back to answer as many as he could. He and his wife said so many inspired things. My favorite part was his testimony of the Book of Mormon, it wasn't anything new, but it was so powerful. He spoke of the Book of Mormon as the second nail that holds the board of truth in place. "No one could have written one page of a Book of Mormon unless they were lead by God."

      He also showed his sense of humor as he pointed out to some new missionaries who still had an orange dot on their name tags; "That's called a dork dot." I thought that was just a little MTC joke, but here was an Apostle talking about the dork dot, the most hilarious thing I've seen at a devotional.

      Well I'll leave you all with a challenge; when next you write me, include a spiritual thought, experience, scripture, or testimony. I would love to read that along with the happenings.

     Gotta go, Doryo is bugging me to go to gym. I just want to sleep! lol. Next week we'll be DaiSempai, the district that's been here the longest. So weird.

     Love you all, and yes people still call me "Watdawg" sometimes.
Cheers,
Cullen Watdawg Watkins Choro!