Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission

Monday, May 5, 2014

Bean Chan no More!

Chillin in Togakushi mountain!

Very interesting and fun week as we end transfer two here in Nagano. The Assistants to the President gave us the call on Saturday and told us who was voted off the island. Unlike back home, there are no mysteries after the transfer call so we already know our new areas and companions.

So here are the results: I am staying in Nagano, yay! My new companion will also be the new District Leader, his name is Chiba Choro, never heard of him before. He's my first full Japanese companion from Japan! That's way exciting. We got to call him on the phone, he seems pretty nice. Y'all will get to meet him next week.

    TuAkoi Choro will be going to Fukui, this is his first time transferring. His new companion is my MTC buddy Moulton Choro! I got to talk to him on the phone too. That should be a fun companionship. For the sisters, Avarell Shimai is transferring to Nonami as a trainer and Nielson is staying here. This is interesting since Neilson has been here longer, she was already packed and everything, haha. Furthermore, every companionship in the mission has someone transferring out, so basically tomorrow every single missionary will be together at the Golden Clock. And that's a lot. So expect some pretty cool photos next week!

    This week we've worked hard and played hard. We had a member in all of our lessons, went to a ninja house in Togakushi, and had a pretty spiritual testimony meeting at church yesterday.

     The circle is now complete, I am done with the 12 week training, but as a missionary, training never really ends. Heavenly Father is always finding new ways to make us stretch, stand a little taller, and come unto Him with as many souls as we can find and teach. This is His work and I know that He has put me in Nagano Branch at this time with these people, for me to learn, and for me to teach. So please pray for our new adventures and also yoroshiku onagaishimasu with Chiba Choro.

I hope that you all will read Preach My Gospel like I asked before, it will help you all in your missionary work too.

So here we go into a new time, new doryo, same place. Number 3!!!

Love you all,
Cullen E. "Watdawg" Watkins

Chillin in Togakushi mountain!

TuAkoi Choro

Basketball dendo

bball dendo

Lock Seed and bball dendo

Fourze on DVD!

Our friend in a wig.

What my trainer got me! Gonna miss this guy!

New thingy

Morning workouts at the Olympic Park just by our apartment!

Monday, April 28, 2014

The Proud Family

Me at the Yamaguchis.

Hi!

Way fun week this Sempai week! We got to dendo with our Assistants to the President and they filmed us OYMing for a special training video! Way funny, TuAkoi is an OYM master!

We went to Ueda and teamed up with Baird and Beck Choro there, spent the night and all four of us got stuck in the train system together on the way to Matsumoto. It took 4 hours and we kept going in circles!

We had our interviews with Ymashita Kaicho. I love that man, he is so kind and wise. After, we all had to jet back to Nagano to host the special fireside that Yamashita Kaicho was throwing for our investigators. We had a great turn out. Lots of members brought their friends! We were so happy!

On Sunday we had Shokujikai/food after church, and lots of new people came! It was way cool. Then we went to have FHE with the Yamaguchi family again. Love them.

Its been pretty good. I am learning more about being a leader this week too.

I loved hanging out with the other Elders. We have inside jokes and everything. And miracles always happen on kokans. This time nobody said no to us!

Well wish me luck this week too! We work harder and harder with a big smile!

Love you all! Shout out to Parker Phillips and Hannah and Jamie and William Sheeley on their weddings! Also Shout out to Sheldon who is going on his mission to Ogden, UT Spanish speaking!!

take care,
Cullen Watkins Choro

Our apartment

This is where we sleep. Those are our futons.

Kids love Avarell Shimai

Mormon Sho at Catz Cafe

Strange people

Nagano Branch Linger Longer

Japanese Toys R Us!

An isle of all SENTAI and RIDER!

BFFS!

Visited Yamaguchis again! So cool!

TuAkoi and our member friend Tezuka who was baptized before I came here.

FHE with the Yamaguchi family!

Yamaguchi Kyoudai built the house himself!

Yamaguchi mountain

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Next Time On The District...

Me and beautiful Japan!

FHE with the Takatsukas

Us in Ueda Jo

Okay that was a lot of photos.

Happy Easter everyone! Nobody here really knows what Easter is unless your a member of the church or something. We had an Easter egg hunt in Ueda with the Choro tachi there and some investigators after another fun kokan. We hid the eggs in the park, and some random little kid starts picking them up and throwing them away! Haha, we saved them tho. We also used Easter candy from America that Baird Choro got from his family. It was way fun and the park was pretty.

Egg Hunting family

Sakura season is the best! Spring is finally here and there is life and beauty everywhere! We walked around a couple of different parks this week and even wrote letters in one of them last week. It is so great to see, not snow everywhere haha.

Pretty Japan

We also had a very fun Family Home Evening at the Takatsuka family's home. They are way out in the country. And the kids are so cute! We have so many cute kids in our branch!

FHE with the Takatsukas

Well I just wanted to wish y'all a hoppy Easter and also remember the Savior. I invite yall to check out the video "Because of Him" on the Mormon Channel online. It shows us just how much the Atonement effects us.

Shout outs to Janis Dabbs, Uncle Furman, Russell W. Hall, and all the other folks with a birthday this week and month!

This week we switched roles as part of my training to have a Senior Companion Experience. Wish me luck all!

Love you all tons! Have a great spring and remember that we are all made alive in Christ.

Love,
Cullen Watkins 長老