Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission: 1 Mission, 1 Goal, 1 Family

Meito Zone!

The Yamaguchi family! They are new to the ward, way cool!

New cousin is here!!! Her name is Emily, thanks for all your prayers!

    Meanwhile in Seto, we are starting to really knock them down! We have a Yakusokusha! (person with a baptism date) His date is a ways away so we will have time to prepare. Please pray that he and our other investigators will be baptized and accept the gospel in their lives.

   Last Tuesday we had Zone Conference up in Meito. Meito is where the Mission Honbu is, so we can just walk in and get money, supplies, or whatever we need. I even got a letter from mom and dad handed to me direct from our mission mail person, Sister Zimmarman. It is so nice! In Nagano we had to wait a little bit to get stuff from the honbu.

At Zone Conference we learn from our leaders about things that they have been inspired to teach us about how to conduct the work. We got really wonderful trainings from the District Leaders and Sister Training Leaders for the first half of the day. Then we learned some bike safety during lunch. And for the last half of the day we learned about the enabling power of the Atonement from President Yamashita and his Assistants. That part was especially spiritual. I felt the Holy Ghost bare witness to me of those truths as we studied in groups and particularly as the assistant, Elder Tsukamoto shared his testimony with us for the last time before he heads home. It was the best Zone Conference I have participated in yet.

   Recently, I have been thinking about goals. As missionaries we set goals everyday, every week, and every month. But we have to set good goals, ones that we can reach but also push us. We have to make a plan to reach those goals. And we have to actually try to reach them. I have found that as I've set goals and stood accountable for them to my leaders, fellow missionaries, and the Lord, that we can, in fact accomplish our goals. We can actually find people, teach them, and baptize them. We can invite them to come unto Christ.

So, what are you waiting for? If you want to do something, make a goal (a written one, that is time bound) and go for it! I know that even if these people don't get baptized, it doesn't mean we have failed, but that doesn't mean we stop doing everything we can to achieve our goal, 1 companionship, 1 month, 1 baptism.

Well next week should be pretty fun, we have a special Stake meeting coming up and some of my dearest friends will be there. One of them will even spend the night with us in Seto, my trainer Elder TuAkoi! I haven't seen him since he transferred. It will be a great reunion!

I love you all a whole bunch,
Elder Watkins

Happy Birthday to Dani Cifuentes and Emily Parker!