Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission: June 2014

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Transfers: Episode 4 A New Companion

Me and my new Doryo, Yamada Choro!

Elders Witwer and Mahoney from Suwa in the train back.

Minna san konnichiwa!

We traveled so much this week and I'm broke because of it. But it has been fun! I got Elder Yamada from Nagoya on Tuesday. It was a very small transfer this time. I dropped Chiba choro off in Matsumoto on the way and went with Elder Witwer from our zone to the Golden Clock. There weren't a lot of people but I saw Father Tanner! One of my best friends from my MTC Doki. He has been Yamada choro's companion last transfer. Now he and Smith Choro will be living in the same apartment. Not companions but still, really funny!

Elder Yamada is my first Companion from Utah! He is also half Japanese like all of my previous companions. He has been out for a year. Way smart. And fun. I like him!

This week it rained harder than I've ever seen in my life and we rode bikes through it all the way home. It was crazy!

This weekend we had District Conference (Stake Conference). Our mission President, Yamashita Kaicho spoke on Saturday night. We spent the night in the Matsumoto Elders apartment, which is were Chiba lives now. Chiba choro is my mom, so I stayed at my moms house haha. It was like another camp out with 14 elders like last time. Way fun!

Sunday morning was a broadcast. Elder Walker of the 70 spoke, in Japanese! I didn't know he served in Japan! That was cool. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the 12 spoke too, in English. And a few other speakers. They were all great! They spoke of members and missionaries working together and said that the "Corps of missionaries in Japan are some of the finest in the world". I thought that was fantastic.

Elder Yamada and I are working hard to see miracles in Nagano this transfer! Please pray for us. And I'm praying for you all! I love you so much!

Have a great week,
Elder Cullen Watkins

My boy Father Tanner!

Gathering at the clock.

Transfers!

Checking the bikes.

We found Walmart stuff.

Matsumoto for the night.

Kyouryuger animal crackers!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Ya, mada Nagano! =DDDD

Takei family! Yay food! They remind me of Grandma and Grandaddy Parker.

Which means yay I'm still in Nagano!!!! It's also a pun because I'm getting a new companion, Elder Yamada! He trained my MTC Companion Brown Choro and is currently companions with my bro Tanner Choro. This is my 3rd companion here in Nagano. Man I'm so happy to stay!

Of course this means that Chiba Choro is transferring, but he ain't going far because... he's our new Zone Leader! So I'll see him at Conference and also get to do kokans with him since Yamada Choro is District Leader. Pretty cool.

The sisters are the same too! And with this being Nielson Shimai's last Transfer, we all get to watch her "die". Haha. Also the Ueda Elders are the same too!

I also heard from my Pops, TuAkoi Choro, he's going District Leader at Transfer 6! That's young. He really is "Super Bean".

   So last week I went on a kokan with Beck Choro in Ueda. Ueda is like the most forgotten area in the mission. Nobody knows where it is haha. But it is a magical little place. Something funny always happens when I go. This time we had to run after a train in the pouring rain. No rain suits, no umbrellas. Fun!

    We also had a Branch Okonomiyaki party! It was hosted by the Young Women or Wakai Josei in Japanese. They made cookies, takoyaki, and okonomiyaki for us while we played ping pong with the primary children. It was way fun. Some of the primary kids told the young women about my knowledge of Kamen Rider transformations. They asked me to perform some, so they would all call out rider's names and I'd do the pose. Everyone, including the Relief Society President, loved it and said it was very impressive. So funny!

Well next week we are having District Conference in Matsumoto so there could be another "camp out". And of course tomorrow I'm heading to the capital at the golden clock to get my new doryo. Not as many folks are switching this time so it won't be as awe inspiring as last transfer, but I will provide some God's Army photos next week.

   Please pray that we will have a great transfer in Nagano for my 4th transfer. Some of our investigators are close to baptism. Please pray for them and that we can know what they need. As always I'm praying for y'all as well... always.

Love y'all,
Wat chan, in Nagano =)

Playing basket ball with our friend.

We sang "Let it go" from Frozen in Japanese and English while making cookies!

Cookies!!!

Food!

Kids!

Making Okonomiyaki and stuff!

New Sentai Hero!!! An orange ranger!!! Yeah son!

Playing ping pong!

Our Yogen board (prophesy board) about transfers. I was voted off the island! Haha.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Hilton Scandal

After DTM at a Ramen resturaunt. The Zone Leaders are there too but only Hilton Choro is in the picture haha!

Dear family and friends,

   How are you? No I do not have a rash, that is classic sun burn. Its gone now. And I wear sunscreen all the time now. President and Sister Yamashita saw me two weeks ago when I had sunburn and told me to wear sunscreen. Other wise I'm fine, just drenched from the crazy rain we've been having.

    This week I had my first Zone Leader kokan with our Zone Leader Elder Hilton. We did a lot of OYM and talked to a lot of interesting people. It was cool. I am getting over my fear of talking to people. Elder Hilton also taught me how to keep the apartment clean haha. He is leaving for home next week as this is his last transfer. Two years fly by, he tells me. Enjoy your "youth" make everyday count.

   I was thinking about that a lot and I decided to ask myself daily, "Have I filled the Missionary Purpose of invite others to come unto Christ". That really puts things in perspective for me as I go about my day. Also I've been reading that book and I have another challenge for you all.

If you can, obtain a copy of "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" by Clayton M. Christensen, read it, and apply it to your everyday dendo and your church callings. It is filled with many great ideas and perspectives that I've never heard of before and really are great.

   Well... its week 6 again.... you know what that means; transfer calls on Saturday. There is a larger chance of me being transferred this time. I don't want to really, but I am excited to see the other places. Maybe just one more transfer in Nagano. Maybe I won't transfer. I guess we will see. So let's make this week the best regardless!

I love you all and pray for you often.

Shout outs to Grandma and Grandaddy Parker who just celebrated their wedding anniversary!

Love,
Elder Cullen E. Watkins

PS: I hold the record for eating 10 parfaits at Catz Cafe tabehodai (all you can eat). Haha.

Mission culture bookmark, we recite this everyday.

Cool card I got from John and Joy Belcher, thank you so much!

Our Eikaiwa (English conversation) Chirashi (flyer).

Kamen Rider DVDS looking cool!

Me and Go-Onger Ranger Green

I found Power Rangers DVDs, not Super Sentai, American Power Rangers.

My Dictionary

My Scriptures

Calendar that Chiba Choro got me.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Monkey Ninjas Attack!!!!

Nagano Zone

Konnichiwa!

Today we went on a road trip to a place called "Hell Park" which is a famous park for Monkeys! So today the 6 of us played with the monkeys and had lunch in the mountain trail. It was fun and good to get into the woods for a bit.

Friday we did Zone Conference in Matsumoto. I gotta say again how much I love my mission president. He's soo wacky sometimes and way funny and also wise and filled with the spirit. The Assistants to the President made awesome videos that got us pumped up for dendo! Me and some of my photos were in one of them. Just a little bit. They rocked. I was inspired this Zone Conference to do more 100% OYM, Open Your Mouth, to everybody around us, even if I just say hi.

They also invited us to read "The Power of the Everyday Missionary". I will begin reading it this week, but I hear it is a great resource for everyone to learn how to do dendo in our everyday lives.

On Saturday we had a cookout and FHE at the Ezaki K's home. It was great, that family makes up pretty much most of the Youth group in the Branch. There are 5 kids. They remind me so much of home. The times when we'd get everybody together for a party at the house and sometimes the Missionaries would show up. It was great. I remarked to Ezaki Shimai that they reminded me of home. They are so great and told us stories about their missions too.

I love it here in Nagano. Like I said it is hard sometimes, but I love the people and the work I've been sent here to do.

Love you all and praying for y'all everyday!

Love,
Cullen Watkins Choro