Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission: It's a Winter Wonderland! And mice.

Temple Club

Temple Club Again!

Konnichiwa,

I have heard from many of you about the snow storm down south and many have said "You're probably tired of snow there". Quite the contrary, it hasn't snowed here in three weeks and the temperature not much different from how I remember home this time of year. But then, today on the morning we get up early to hike to the Shinden (Temple) It snowed big time. Now its all snowy again and folks are pulling out the salt. That's how they do it here, it dissolves the snow or something. It's always lovely when it snows.

    We got our Katakana name tags this week. Mine Says Watokinzu Choro or rather ワトキンズ長老. It's pretty cool looking. I might send one of my Eigo de name tags home to yall.

    Our new Kohai are pretty cool. They have Shimai! We were so worried because when the last Dai Sempai left they took all the sisters we had left. We were an all Chorotachi zone or a couple of days. Also one of the Kohai is from the other side of South Carolina! And he knows what Zaxbys is! It's pretty awesome. We also got the new Nihonjin Senkyoushi (Japanese-people missionaries) in, these are the ones that we will be leaving with to Japan. The interesting thing is that all 4 of them are Shimai this time around. As always it's really fun to talk to them in Nihongo.

     I appreciate all of the encouraging and spiritual words I've been getting. I want to be clear though, I'm not depressed. I just mess up sometimes and I have to learn from my mistakes. I've gotten to listen to a lot from Elders Bednar and Holland lately by way of old recorded MTC talks, Bednar 長老 said that "If you don't feel inadequate, you need to repent of some pride." I know that I can do what I need to with help from Heavenly Father. I have felt His guidance often recently and He has led me by the spirit to do things I didn't even think about.

     I encourage you all to read "The 20 Mark Note" by President Packer. It is about how a young Elder Bednar serving in Germany helped the young Apostle Elder Packer cross the German border without even knowing he was lead by the spirit.

Come Unto Christ

   I wish to leave you with this music video for the Youth theme this year. Brown 長老 and I used it in our Sunday School lesson a few weeks ago. It is really inspiring.

   One more thing, there was a mouse in our bed room this week. I saw it and ran up top the bunk bed. ole Smith Choro, of corse, didn't believe me. Tanner Choro and Brown Choro checked under the bed and the mouse jumped and squeaked! Smith Choro yelled "BOB SAGET!" He was upset that he was wrong and jumped up on a chair. After that the whole district came over to our room to try to catch it and take pictures. It went straight ninja on us after that, and we've been paranoid ever since. So funny.

    Well I'll see you all next week in what I think will be my last email from the MTC. Please send me more letters, I love getting them. I have been trying to write everyone as well, you never know when you might hear from me.

Love you all/ai shite imasu/あいしています,
コレンワトキンズ長老　