Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission: My Old Master...

My daddy!!!

Billsy! I missed you!

District Train ride!

Our sleeping arrangement. haha!

It has been a long and fun weekend! I was beat!

First on Thursday I went to Meito, a part of Nagoya City, the capital of the mission, on a Zone Leader Kokan. Our Zone Leaders are awesome. I was with Elder Arata, we dendoed in Nagoya City and talked about life. And man, their apartment is like a command center. It was cool. I have never dendoed in Nagoya until that time, guess now I'm a true Nagoya Missionary haha.

The next morning, Arata choro and I took a train to Nakatsugawa for DTM. It was my first experience with city trains and it was PACKED! I was squished in a sea of Japanese city folk. When I got out I was sweating and felt like a dirty city person. haha.

After that all 10 of us in the District took the train all the way back to Nagoya for our big Stake meeting. The Nagoya Japan East Stake, has 11 wards and branches and is said to be the largest Stake in Japan. We had a training with the members and all the missionaries in the Stake about iPads! We will be getting iPads this Christmas to use for dendo and family history. It is a really cool initiative by the church. It is an exciting time for missionary work.

And because all the missionaries from the Stake were there, I saw a bunch of my bestest friends including Elder Bills from my doki, and my trainer, the legend, Elder TuAkoiiii!!!!!

He has become something of a legend in the mission for his unorthodox ways of dendo and getting almost 30 investigators and 15 yakusokushas. Which is why he hasn't been transferred from his area since I last saw him many moons ago. And because it was late and stuff, it was arranged so he could spend the night at the Seto apartment with us. So we had the whole Toyota crew with us, making 8 elders for a night. Crazy! We made katsu and talk about old times. The best thing was we have both grown since Nagano and I can speak Japanese to him now. It was like on Power Rangers when Tommy came back for a cameo appearance. So cool!

We ran with them to the train the next morning and after saying see ya later (cause we we have a few stake activities coming up this month) Beck choro and I went off to Undo Kai. Basically an elementary school field day, which in japan is a big big deal. Our friend we teach was there and we cheered on her son Tatsuya on the white team! They won! It was a sunny and fun day.

After that I was beat. And I slept well. But man, It is weeks like this that make me realize, again, how have a huge family here in the Japan Nagoya Mission. I always think of Alma 17:1-3 when Alma and the sons of Mosiah are re united and how they were filled with the Spirit and taught with power and authority from God.

Well that's about it. Next week I will see them all again at General Conference in Nagoya. Looking forward to hearing from the Prophet with my brethren and shimai. I love this mission!

Love you all,
Elder Watkins

Happy Birthday to my good friend and teacher Aaron Brock!