Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission: Squanto Curry!

Our thanksgiving feast! It involves Indians just like the pilgrims!

It has been soooooo busy! Forget what I said a few months ago in
Takaoka, this is the busiest time of my mission! So many lessons with
investigators and members, meetings, Kokans, reporting, goals,
training, etc. Yesterday after church I felt like my brain was fried,
and we still had two more lessons to go! It's crazy, but it's good.

Today begins a part of training we call sempai week. That's when me
and my trainee, Elder McArthur, switch roles for the week and he gets
to be senior companion and I get to be a junior companion. This is to
help the bean gain experience and apply skills. Should be fun to see
what he does, I think it will all go well.

I did a Kokan last week with my old companion, elder Miranda. That
was was natsukashi! (Nostalgic). We visited a member and had a crazy
lesson with an investigator and a member featuring some deep doctrine.
We were all confused. Haha but it was fun. They've also been doing
some major work on the interior of the church so that has been kind of
a mess. We had to do some of our lessons and English conversation
class in a closet.

Kokan with Elder Farias from Brazil.

On Friday we had DTM and the zone leaders came to give some training.
That was way inspirational. Then I talked about member work. We did a
practice situation in front of everyone in which I was a really
awkward member and the Kariya elders were themselves and they had to
talk to me. It was SO funny, I was trying way hard to stay in
character and not laugh the whole time. Then we each shared a
scripture that motivates us to dendo, something we did in two of my
past districts, and it was really spiritual. I am so inspired by the
faith of each missionary in my district.

After that I went on a Kokan with Elder Farias, one of the Zone
Leaders. I asked him what I could do with the time I had left on my
mission and we discussed why we came on missions and suchlike. We had
very similar thoughts on it and recounting the experiences we've both
had really helped me think about not what I should do, but who I want
to be.

Like I said, member work has been off the charts this week! On
Thursday we met with Suzuki and the Bishop was our tachiai. Yamauchi
Bishop is a young guy, about 36 I suppose, but he is super spiritual.
He helped out a lot in the lesson in which we talked about having
faith to overcome his challenges and be baptized. Suzuki is doing
well, but still needs to stop smoking and talk to his brother.

Taniguchi family! They rock!

We also had a member appointment on Friday, two on Saturday, and
one on Sunday. They were all fantastic! The ones on Saturday were mogi
lessons with the Ishii and Taniguchi families. The Ishiis are the son
and grandchildren of our mission President and the oldest of the three
kids is 11. They were so crazy! But we had a lot of fun. The Taniguchi
family has a 17 year old daughter and a 19 year old son, the dad is
the first councilor in the Bishopric. That reminded me of home so
much! We had a super spiritual lesson and then they gave us a ton of
Mexican food! Tacos! Been so long! It was so cool talking to the kids
and trying to teach them English. They gave us root beer floats too!
And a cake for my belated birthday. So cool.

I love members and the spiritual power they have to help in dendo.
Their testimonies and love for the gospel are extraordinary and
their faith is something else. They are such an example to me,
especially in a place where no one is Christian, nor cares anything
about it.

My awesome district and zone leaders!

Well next week is my last email from Japan! Please email me! Anytime
is good, even if I can't respond to you, I can read new emails
anytime. I'd love to hear from everyone before I return as well as
after.

Hope everyone has a good week and a good start to the holiday season.
Love to all!

Elder Watdawg Watkins