Elder Watkins Japan Nagoya Mission: I Hereby Pronounce You Hitched!

Us and the happy couple :)

I only got a couple of emails, but maybe that's cuz of the Super Bowl. Happy Super Bowl everybody! Unless your team lost I guess...

It was a fun week. I can officially say I've been to a wedding reception and a funeral on my mission. Oikawa Shimai got married and a lot of YSAs and young families from all over came for the party at church. Including some of my old friends from Seto! There were some nonmembers too! It was way fun. I felt like part of the family, just like when we had stuff like this at Gram's or something.

Game at wedding reception

Also this week we met a band of young motorcycle riding, hip hop dancing, party people. Elder Nakamoto, a Kasugai missionary who was on a kokan with Tanner, got challenged to a dance battle with him. It was so funny!

Other than that, I had an interesting experience; I received a random phone call from an hidden number. I was a lady who wanted to change her life. She asked me many hard questions to which the answers were prayer, faith, the Atonement, and baptism. I had to follow the Spirit and we talked for an hour. She was really nice, I invited her to church and she said she'd call again. And actually she called again right as I was typing this very email. She pointed out that life is hard, but as I shared my testimony through my own experiences, I think she began to understand a little more. So I want to testify that I know that even when life is hard, if it seems like we've hit rock bottom, or like all hope is gone, the Savior is there. He loves us when no one else does, and He knows what we need and who we need. And all we really need, is to follow Him.

Bride and Groom

I just watched the video were He raises Lazarus from the dead. That is just a small part of what He can do, but isn't that amazing? He also said, that if we believe, we can move mountains. I often wonder why, even though I try hard, why am I not finding, but this experience and those scriptures prove to me again that prepared people are out there. And if I have faith, believing, I zetai ni (definitely) can bring them to Christ.

Well here's to another good week of doing the work! Much love everyone and enjoy your great American tradition!

Love,
Elder Watkins (next week will be 1 year in Japan for me!)

Happy Birthday to Abigail and Elder Beck this week!