Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Been slow, gomen

I am on an iPad at the store. Sucks!

It was a fun week. We went on a 6 Elder dendo adventure with Nakatsugawa Elders. It was like a cool battle operation. We split up, 3 ways in Seto and use all our powers to find 3 new investigators. We found 2 and one of them came to church Sunday. Miracle!

Saturday is transfer calls. I want to stay here for Christmas. Please pray it will be good news.

Today we are going to a funeral for an elderly member of ward. Please pray for there family too. We love them.

No pics. Sorry. Can't send here. I will try later. Love and miss u all!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Watkins

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Adobenchya chuu!

We are having a district activity in Nakatsugawa right now!

Not much time to write right now, wanted to let you know that we had a good week.

As always we appreciate your prayers! Sorry no pics today, but a bunch next time.

Church is true. Love you all!

See y'all next time with more awesome things to say!

Love,
Watkins

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Susume!

20th Birthday Party!!

Hello family and friends,

   I just turned Hatachi (20) in japan that is a big deal. It is crazy right? So as some of you may know, this is usually when I write my big review of the past 12 months and the things I've learned. However, because my year mark is next month, I've decided to wait until then to write that. In this email, I will rather share some thoughts about the past few years of my youth.

  You know I've not really been homesick so far since the third day of my mission. But as my birthday came around, I began to miss home a bit more. I wanted to just go and visit for the weekend. Then I got that awesome package and cool video filled with messages from my family and my home ward. It was just what I needed. Although hearing people call me "Cullen" is really strange.

   Things have changed since I was last in the Conway Ward, now I am in Seto Ward and the things I knew and prioritized are far different from what they are now. I am still very much the same but also different, I have learned more this year about life and myself than perhaps any other previous year.

    I think back to all of the people who have influenced my life, all my heroes: My parents, grandparents, YM president, Bishop, Scout leaders, Primary teachers, friends, all the way down to my trainer, TuAkoi, and my comrades in the Japan Nagoya Mission. These people and more were sent my way to prepare me for "a future that only God knows." I am so thankful for their love and examples.

   Yesterday in church, we had our ward Primary Program. The Spirit in the room was special as 4 eight year old girls shared their testimonies of baptism, one of them even got baptized later on that very day. And while the children sang familiar songs from my childhood, in Japanese, not only was I amazed that I understood what the words meant, I also remembered my primary days in the Florence Ward.

  I still don't know much and any of my companions can testify that I make at least 10 mistakes a day, but one of the things I do believe is that what we do in this life matters. I have learned this year the importance of revelation, friendship, and to see people as God sees them.

   Now as we approach the Christmas season, the Lord through our Mission President Yamashita, has given us a goal; each companionship gets 3 baptisms before Christmas, as a gift to our Savior. Many of us here would think, "how can we even get one?" But our Zone Leaders and Assistants and District Leader have testified to us that if we will have the faith to find, we CAN do this.

  Please pray for all of us in this mission and for us here in the Seto Ward of the Nagoya East Stake to be able to have that faith and reach this goal that the Lord has set for us.

   Lastly, you know, I was asked last week by Elder Bills, who I came here with, "We all have that one thing that we miss, what is your one thing Watkins?" my response to this question is always, to put it simple "I miss going to Grandma's house." What that entails is not just the house or the food, but sharing stories and time with my family there and the memories. And I might add that I miss my boys, going camping, and everyone in the Conway Ward. I will never forget those days of seminary, or going to the movies, or any of the other fun things we did.

    So as I begin the 20th year, I am thankful for all the people and events that have shaped my life so far. There have always been rough times too, but those are small next to the good and fun and blessed times. Let us all press on in the work of the Lord, and bring the world His truth in Conway and Japan!

    Everyone I've mentioned in this letter, you know who you are, and many others too, you are all in my prayers.

   I leave you with the Japanese word used to mean "onward" in the hymn "Called to Serve"; 進め/ Susume! And the words of the Doctor "Allons y!"

Love,
Elder Watdawg Watkins

And Happy Birthday to Everyone!
Baskin Robbins for birthday!
Baskin Robbins for birthday!
31 flavors for the b-day!
B-day Pizza hut!

Birthday present from my doryo! Kamen Rider Drive!

Birthday present from my doryo! Kamen Rider Drive!

My tiny cake from Valor

My tiny cake from Valor

Bishop Christ's Dendo challenge coin! Shiny!

Bishop Christ's Dendo challenge coin! Shiny!

B-day Package!

B-day Package!

Opening with a bread knife.

Package!

Lama haircuts

Lama haircuts

Santa Sanders at Kentucky (didn't eat there, yet)

Santa Sanders at Kentucky (didn't eat there, yet)

Planner I made for Campbell Shimai.

Ward Primary Program way cute!
Letters!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

This Season's Halloween Special

Our party crew!

Trick or Treat!

My cowboy look.

Laumatia playing with Beck's panda head and looking like a DJ.

Hello everyone!

  In Japan, most folks know what Halloween is, but maybe not quite how to celebrate it. The 4 of us missionaries were asked to put together and throw a Halloween party for our English conversation classes on Wednesday night. It was wayyy tekito (thrown together) but lots of members came and helped out and lots of crazy children came. It was way fun. And with it being the end of the month, we were all broke by the end. We also made the mistake of buying 80 bucks worth of candy, we had to return over half of it! haha

   We also took bean chan, Elder Klein, to Shyabu Shyabu resteraunt for his first time. And we went in the rain! It was kinda far out too, it was a great adventure. Then on Monday (not pday) we had a surprise visit from my buddy in Toyota, Elder Bills and his bean chan. They were looking all over for a bike for his bean but couldn't find one in Toyota or Okazaki, so they came here (with special permission). Turns out they had also never had shyabu shyabu before so, we went there again. Haha. It was a nice visit with them.

  Bills choro is my doki of course, and we are coming close to our year mark next month. Crazy how time flies and now we are older, more experienced missionaries. We talked about all the things we have learned and the things that have happened. Strange to think it has been a year since I was about to celebrate my birthday with friends. It feels like I still just got to Japan.

   This week is crazy. We have pday on a different day, DTM on a different day, a kokan in Nakatsugawa, and my birthday. In between we have a bunch of lessons and investigators popping out of thin air. It is very exciting. Today even, we are having a lesson at a member's home with some friends that they invited to hear the gospel. That is VERY RARE in Japan. Elder Laumatia and I are a little nervous, but we have sought Heaven's help on this one. Please pray that we will have a good lesson with this family tonight.

   Well for my birthday I will celebrate with a round of pizza. Other than that, I will dendo, and invite, and give that time to the Lord. It will be a great birthday.

   I pray for you all to have a great week too.

Much love,
Elder Cullen E. Watkins
Beck boyz with knives "my one weakness"- Spiderman

Bishopric member showing his balloon muscles.

Crazy kids playing musical chairs.

Crazy kids playing musical chairs.

Young Women DJ's

Mummy game, haha!

Mummy game, haha!

All that candy, 75 dollars and counting!

Too much!

Musical chairs

Haircuts!

Beck boyz in our apartment window.

Beck boyz in our apartment window.

Becky

Shyaby Shyabu!

Shyaby shyabu with Bills!

Shyaby shyabu with Bills!

Shyabu!

Me and Laumatia ready for some rain dendo!