Pics!!!!

First baptism!!!!

Week 12!!!

Wow well this week was definitely the most incredible week I have had on my entire mission so far, and I am sure that I will have more amazing ones like it.  It was one of those weeks that just seemed to fly by, but we accomplished so many things that it was truly amazing!  Such an amazing week. 

 

  So the first thing that we did was the barbeque on Tuesday!  That was an incredible experience.  First, it was pouring rain and it was the first day in Japan that I had seen a rain storm so it was really awesome!  But we went to the church and met up with some members from the ward and we went to a old person home and did some service there!  We washed some wheel chairs, and then after that we went upstairs and got to spend some time with these old Japanese people!  It was amazing!  We sang some songs for them, played guitar and piano and stuff, and then played a little game with them!  It was so fun to really just get to bond with these cute old people, and it was such a blessing to get to serve.  After that we all loaded up the cars and headed up into the mountains for a barbeque.  The pictures do not do it justice!  I wish I could have video'd the whole thing because really it was just so amazing.  It really didn't look real.  We had our barbeque which was amazing because it was just basically throw everything on the grill thats right in front of you and just eat till you can't eat anymore!  It ended up being a really fun day and a good way to serve.

 

  So next was I went on exchanges for the first time!  I ended up going on exchanges with our zone leader Elder Coleman.  He is awesome!  He is from Texas, but is only a few transfers from going home so he is just an amazing missionary.  I learned so much from him!  We were so blessed as we were together for only 24 hrs we were able to find 2 new investigators.  Miracle.  I was so amazed.  We ended up going to his area and doing a lot of different things.  We went and passed out Eikaywa(english class) cards on a super busy intersection and it was so much fun!  It was so fun trying to stop people and talk to them even though I don't always know all the words I just had to go for it!  Elder Coleman was really good at pushing me and making me want to just do it!  So much fun.  Then we got up the next morning and went on a bike ride to this HUGE soccer stadium that is by his apartment.  This stadium puts Rio tinto to shame I'm not kidding.  Amazing stadium!  Then we went back and studied, and before we went to the station to exchange back we did some finding.  I was able to give an entire intro to the Book of Mormon to a few people!  It was so cool!  I was incredibly nervous..but I grew so much from it.  The exchanges were amazing and I realized that you really can learn so much from switching companions for just a little while and I was so grateful to have that opportunity!

 

  Ok so next might have been my second favorite thing of the week...2 weeks ago we met a guy named W________and he loved soccer and invited us to come play!  So, Thursday night we were able to go play with him and all of his friends!  How amazing is that!  We got to play in a gym some super fun futsal and it was a blast!  They were all actually super good!  They are all on the same team, and play really well together so it was so much fun to play with them!  We all played really well, and they all were telling us to come back next week so we are going back again this Thursday!  It is such a good opportunity to meet all of these young guys and hopefully we can get them all to church!  It would be such an amazing thing to get some younger people in our ward, so we will see how that goes!  We want to see if W__________would want to go to a Pro soccer game at that stadium cause we can go if we go with an investigator! So we will see!

 

  So the best part of this week was obviously this weekend.  AMAZING.  Seriously Friday we didn't have much, we taught a lot of lessons and had ping pong night which is always fun.  Found some cool people.  But Saturday was the big day!  We had W_________baptism!  So cool!  Here where we are right now, we don't have a font so we had to go to another city to have him baptized! We rode over with him and taught him on the way, then had an amazing baptism!  Elder Sellers was able to baptize him and he did such an amazing job.  The spirit was so strong and he was so happy as he came out he was just smiling.  We were actually able to have some investigators come to the baptism and I think that they definitely felt the spirit, so it will be amazing to teach them this week and see what they thought!  So yesterday, Sunday, I had the opportunity to confirm W__________.  I was so nervous because I had to do it all in Japanese.  I practiced a good amount before, and I still just felt so nervous sitting in sacrament meeting waiting to do it.  Finally it was time and all morning I had been praying to have the Gift of Tongues and just confirm him the way the Lord would confirm him and that the spirit would be there.  We all stood up and gathered around him, and as I was about to start, I just felt so at peace.  I wasn't nervous or scared or anything.  I began the prayer and the words just came to mind really easy. I was able to confirm him with very little flaws, and it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life.  I was able to bless him after that through the spirit he would be able to know what to do, that he would always have the desire to do right, that he would always have the desire to help people, and that he would always be ready to serve.  I closed and the spirit just came over the room.  It was so strong and just an amazing experience, one that I will NEVER forget.

 

  Something that was so amazing was that here in our mission we have a thing called the standards of excellance.  They are a list of numbers that push our mission to set high goals and strive to reach them the following week.  They include having 5 progressing investigators, 20 lessons taught, 5 member present lessons, 2 new investigators, 1 new referral, and a few other things.  For almost an entire year this area has failed hitting these numbers, meaning that they got less than 50%.  This week, our third week in the mission, we were able to hit the standard of excellance.  The mission is having us type up our miracles to send out to the entire mission to get everyone excited that yes even the lowest area is baptizing and hitting the standard.  The time is now!

 

  I just want to bear my testimony that I know that this church is true and that this is the Lords work!  I have never seen the Lords hand more involved in anything in my life than it is here and it is amazing.  We are so blessed as missionaries to have this chance to bring others unto Christ and bring that happiness we have in our lives to them.  I have already seen it change lives in the short 3 weeks I have been here, but I know that it is true and I know that it is happeneing.  Miracles literally happen daily here, and I know that as we continue to work our best, and be exactly obediant, we will be able to continue to see these miracles.  That baptism was actually the first one for our area here in 2 yrs.  How amazing for us to come in and get a baptism right from the start.  Miracles, miracles, miracles.

 

  I am so lucky to have such an amazing family at home.  Thank you so much, I am always so happy and proud to be representing this amazing church, as well as my family back home.  I love you all so much and I know this church is true!

 

All my love,

 

Elder Cottle 

More pics!

Isn't this beautiful! Far different than the Tokyo city I expected. 

Week 11!!

Alright family and friends i don't have much time! but this week has truly been an amazing week.  so many amazing miracles happened.  first thing i want to talk about is W________! he is getting baptized this next week! this saturday! i am having my first baptism already! i am so excited! so we asked who he wanted to do everything..like baptise him and confirm him and he asked me to confirm him! so i will be confirming him in japanese! i am so incredibly nervous but excited to..it is such an amazing opportunity and i can't wait to do it! i am so happy and excited. he is amazing!

 

so next just one little miracle was while we were riding our bikes along the river we saw two younger guys fishing.  we just decided to get off our bikes and go down and talk to them. THEY WERE SUPER COOL! they play soccer on a team, and asked if we wanted to go play this thursday! so we are going to go play and talk to the whole team! it was such a miracle the one guy like gave us his number! he really could be such an amazing member..there is so much potential it really is amazing!

 

i am blown away with the way the lord carries the load as long as we are exactly obedient and worthy.  he really does help so much.  we have completely turned this area around already like in 2 weeks, and we will be hitting the standard of excellance next week for our mission! which is really incredible..the time is now for the area of Nigatta and it really is amazing.  We will hve this baptism this week and then we should have another pretty soon! we have a sister names M________and she is such a cute nihongen lady! she is so ready to be baptized and wants it, the lord will help her when the time is right! but i really feel like the time is soon..

 

Miracles are happening! i am so blessed to just be a part..seriously it is truly amazing! i love everyone so much! i am so lucky to come from such an amazing family! love you so much!

 

love,

elder cottle

How beautiful is this????

On the bikes. 

Logan's zone!

Map of the new boundaries!

New map of the Tokyo North Mission. Logan is in the very top or far north parts of the Tokyo north mission!

Week 10!

Dear family!

 

  Well i made it to Japan! what! there is no way to describe this place besides saying that it is incredible.  it is SOOO different than america, but so cool and amazing at the same time! i will make sure that i send pictures to everyone. i don't have a lot yet, im sorry i have just been really busy. but i will send what i have cause honestly it is the best way to describe japan!

 

  So the trip here was crazy, but a lot of fun. after our 12 hr flight we landed in japan around 11 o clock and drove back to the mission house in a huge bus.  we drove through down town tokyo and it was amazing at night! incredible for sure.  we then finished paper work and went to bed at like 2 in the morning! we got up the next day and had an entire day of training! it was really really good training.  President budge and sister budge are amazing and we are so lucky to have a mission president as amazing as him.  then the next day we got up and had a little more training but then all the trainers got here.  everyone pilled in a room and he starts off with a brand new area that is being opened up and that is really cool named nigatta. everyone wanted to go there super bad and its the very first one that he is about to call.  he calls up the trainer, and this trainer was one that was like talking to me earlier that day and was joking saying he was hoping he could bring me home with him! it was crazy haha so then and then he says my name! so i got called to open up a new area! its incredible. i am like the most north you can go in the tokyo mission right now.  it is so amazing! so me and my super sick trainer elder hall made the 7 hr trek up here.  it was crazy! but the best part was that we got to take the bullet train! it was so cool! we got up here and we have the best apartment ever! its so cool! we have like one of the nicest in the mission. we are cleaning it up, but once it looks good ill send pictures!

 

   ah there is so much i wish i could tell you but i just don thave that much time. its so hard to just explain everything that is happening it. im so happy to be here though, its so amazing here and the work is so ready to explode. people are ready to hear the gospel here, there is a reason president budge is packing this mission with such amazing talent. i am so happy to be a missionary! my trainer is really so amazing, oh i almost forgot! we are in a tri companionship! so i have another elder elder sellers who has only been out a transfer more than me. he is really cool. but anyways my trainer is amazing, he is really focused, great at japanese, and has such a strong testimony. it is such a blessing! i am so happy with it! he is from american fork and plays soccer! super chill guy and he is going to byu after the mission! such a blessing. i can't say it enough.

 

  Things are really so good here. i will try and send those pictures, and take lots more this week and make sure i have a lot to send to you! i got my bike! i named her shadowfax and she is seriously beautiful. an amazing bike. i am so happy with it! its like more of a road bike, super coool ill take pictures this week and show you! love you all so much im so happy to be out here! i pray for you every night!

 

with love

 

logan

Letter from President Budge!

August 12, 2013

Dear Brother and Sister Cottle:

Your son arrived in the Japan Tokyo Mission on August 6, 2013 in good spirits and ready to commence his proselyting assignment. We had a wonderful time with him.

Elder Cottle has been assigned to work with Elder Hall and Elder Sellers, and they will serve in an area called Sanjo. Your son can receive his mail at the following address:

Elder Cottle
Japan Tokyo Mission
4-25-12 Nishi Ochiai
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-to 161-0031, Japan

Enclosed is a picture of your son with Sister Budge and me, along with a picture of him with his companion. We have also included a map showing the locations of the various areas in the mission. You can use it as a personal record of his assignments.

By the time you receive this letter, Elder Cottle should be adjusted to his new proselyting area. The positive sustaining support he gets from you at home will be a great blessing to him. May the Lord bless you and your family as you share in your son's mission experience.

 

Sincerely,

 President L. Todd Budge

Pics of Sanjo Nigata

This is in sanjo Niigata. Beautiful. 

A breakfast platter. Yummy!

He's arrived and has his first assignment!!

Dear Sister Cottle,
Yes, Elder Cottle arrived with the group and is doing very well.  He received his assignment today and is on his way to a place called Sanjo in Niigata prefecture (a 6 hour train ride North of Tokyo)  and has two wonderful companions.
He looks great!  Thank you for sharing him with us.
President Budge

Week 9! Last P-Day!

Mina San!(everyone) 

  Can you believe that this is really the last week i will be spending here in the mtc?? what?! where has the time gone!? i really feel like i was just dropped off at the mtc, just a rookie here, and now i am leaving! it seriously just does not seem like it has been two months...but i am glad that these first two months have gone fast! i look at where i was when i got here..both spiritually and with the language and it is crazy how far i have come! i am not saying that i wasn't spiritual before or anything...but the spirit that is in the MTC is so special..and i can tell that i have grown soo much from being here. we are so blessed to have had this MTC no keiken(experience) and i feel so blessed to be going out so prepared! our teachers tell us how they were here for the full 12 weeks, and they explain how they still weren't as prepared as we are now, because the only time they ever taught was during TRC, which is only once a week.  here in the MTC i have probably taught up to 40 lessons here, and i just feel like that has given us such a step ahead and that we will be so much more ready for when we are really teaching, because we have already taught 40 times before!  Its very exciting and i feel so blessed.

 

  This week has really just been pretty chill..nothing has really happened because we have just been on the last week..and it has been pretty relaxed, which has been nice! one thing that was kind of crazy this week was that we taught our last lessons to our investigators(which as you know are just our teachers) but it was really sad! we commited both of ours to baptism, which was awesome! but it was sad to tell them(even though they know we are leaving) that we were on our last lesson and that we were leaving the area! they told us we had to come to their baptism and we said we would;) haha but it was a really sad thing! i never even thought that as part of my mission i would be this close to the people in my district and my teachers! our teachers are incredible..seriously incredible and it is so sad that after being with them almost every day for 2 straight months we are leaving them! i keep telling them that i am coming to visit in two years since they just live here in provo..;) we'll see what happens haha! also it is just sad to leave our district! i know that most of us are going to tokyo and that we will be able to see each other every so often..but it just isn't going to be the same! it is sad..plus the three in our district going to sendai we might never see again! so that is super sad as well..sometimes i just think i love people to much...:( i can only imagine how much harder its going be when we have to leave a real area, and leave real investigators..im in trouble haha.

 

  So i wish i had more time, but i have so much crazy stuff to do on our last p day here in the mtc! once im in japan, i will hopefully have more time to email and write and i really would like to write everyone and anyone who has written me!  seriously i am so blessed to have such an amazing support group and that i have such amazing family and friends sending me letters and packages! you have no idea how much i appreciate it for real...thank you! just know that i love everyone of you and i pray for you daily! i will write again from Tokyo!

 

Ganbatte kudasai Mina san! Arigato gozaimasu!

 

love,

 

Cottle choro