Week 17!

Dear Family!

 It has been another week, I know it is a little wierd I feel like I am always on the computer writing you..It is going so fast it's crazy.  I really can't believe that I have already been here 2 months, and that I am already half way through my 2nd transfer!  Way wierd.  But its so much fun.

 So this week, was a little crazy.  This we my first full week with Elder Pronk and it was so much fun.  We really have so much fun together and he is such a cool chill guy it is awesome!  We both have the same goals and visions for the area, and so we are ready to work really hard to accomplish those goals!  I am really excited to see how we do the next couple of weeks it should be really fun!  I really think that we are going to be able to see a lot of success, and I really want to see a baptism with him!  We have a few investigators that really could be baptized, so we just need to get them moving in that direction!  Really cool though, so much potential!

 Yeah so this week, first full week, and I won't lie it was a little bit stressful.  The most stressed I have been on my mission, so far.  But it was a good stress!  See the thing is that when I was in the tri-companionship I was there, but I had two older missionaries who could make all the calls and make good plans and stuff and I would just voice my opinion and it was good.  But now, I am pretty much the one making all the plans because Elder Pronk doesn't really know everyone yet.  So I pretty much planned the entire week and made all the judgement calls and set everything up for the week so it was pretty intense!  I really started feeling the responcibility for all of these people we are teaching and although it was really hard and kinda scary and stressful, I really liked it:/  I don't know why, but like the pressure and stuff just made me want to work harder and be better and do better and just be a better missionary.  Things were really hard and hectic, but I just wanted to keep getting better and better throughout the week.  In this new companionship, I really am going to have TONS more responcibility, but I am really excited for this opportunity to grow as a missionary and to really just learn things that I need to learn!  Things are going really good!

 The other thing with this new companionship is that I think that my language is going to grow ALOT.  My japanese right now is..pretty good.  I can definitely get my point acrossed most of the time, but I am going to have many more opportuities here to use it and to apply the things I am learning as well!  Elder Pronk is way cool about helping me and working with me so it is really awesome and I think that that is going to help a ton as well.

 I seriously love my mission.  Don't get me wrong there are so many things that I miss from home, and America!  But it is SOOO worth it to be here and be able to help these people learn about Jesus Christ and watch them strengthen their releationship with him and really learn to trust him and have faith in him.  It is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life.  It is real joy.  Missionary work seems so hard, but really when you get down to it, we are just lucky to be here.  The Lord is allowing us to do his work.  He could take care of it if he needed to right?  But he allows us to be a part, and allows us to feel that joy of bringing others unto him.  There are so many times through out the day where I am just like..I am so lucky right now.  And I just smile.  I really do I just smile and I ask myself how I am so lucky!  To be a part of this amazing work, is really just such a blessing.

 I know this gospel is true!  I have such a strong testimony in the Restoration of the gospel in these latter days.  I am so grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith, and all he did and went through so that we could have the Book of Mormon.  This book is so powerful!  I have seen it change lives.  I love the Book of Mormon.  I look forward to studying it more and more throughout my life.  This book can bless lives more than anything in this world if we will but read it, and apply it's teachings in our lives!  I am so grateful for Jesus Christ, and the strength he gives me everyday to go out and teach his gospel.  I know that it is through him that we are able to do the things we do as missionaries!  I'm so grateful to be a part of such an amazing work, and I promise that I am going to do everything I can every single day to make sure that I am doing the things He would have me do.

 I love you all so much!  I am so grateful for you all.  All of you helped me get out here on my mission, and have really made me the missionary I am today!  Have a good week, and I will talk to you all soon!

Love you!

All my love,

Elder Cottle

Week 16!! Another baptism!

Dear Family!

 

  This week has been a very eventful week!  I really can not believe how fast the weeks are going at this point..It's actually really weird!  But there is so much work to be done and it is so fun to be able to be a part!  There really was so many things this week, so I will try to make describe everything good, but there was a lot so I will try my best!

 

  First things first....WE HAD A BAPTISM!  We were able to baptize Sister M_____ last week!  We baptized her this last Wednesday, and we were able to do it in the OCEAN.  Yes, I have officially had my first ocean baptism.  It was such an incredible experience!  I will send a seperate email with all of the pictures, but it was so amazing!  Thank you for all of your prayers.  I really think that they helped her make that final walk out into the water and receive baptism.  I was able to have the opportunity to confirm her the following Sunday!  So I have been blessed to have confirmed two people, in Japanese, in my first transfer!  So scary but seriously one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  I can not believe how amazing it is to see someone after they have been baptized, and just how happy they are, and how blessed their life can be!  Amazing.

 

  Next big thing that happened this week was the transfer.  I won't lie to you it has been kind of a hard week!  I was really sad to hear that I wasn't going to be companions with Elder Hall anymore..but I met my companion on Friday and he is so cool!  His name is Elder Pronk, and he is from Canada!  He is a really cool, chill guy and is the same transfer as Elder Hall!  He LOVES snowboarding and he has a video of him throwing a double backflip!  He is like a pro its ridiculous but he is way cool!  We picked them up from the station and we just started talking about the work and we have all the same focus so it is way cool!  We have really high expectations for Sanjo, and I am really excited to have the chance to work with him.  I think that it is going to be an amazing transfer.

 

  So along with Elder Hall and Elder Sellers leaving, things have been a little more stressful.  But really good!  Basically I am the area Sempai, Sempai means like the older, wiser person kind of thing? It's hard to explain in English but basically it kinda means like I'm the "senior companion" just for knowing the area and knowing all of the investigators.  So its been pretty intense.  I have basically been making all the decisions and making all the appointments and stuff and it has been pretty intense!  It has definitely been different..but I have loved having some more responsibility and the best part is, we have actually been really successful!  We have been able to meet with a lot of people and things are going really good!  So even though it has maybe been a little more intense, it has been really fun.  I love the challenge.

 

  So a crazy busy week trying to get my old companions out and a new companion in!  We really were all over the place, but I think that we are back on track and really have things worked out and we are just ready to go to work!  So many miracles waiting to happen here in Sanjo, I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us this transfer.  MIRACLES.  I know this church is true and I know that this work is his work.  We are trusted to bring his children closer to him and as we work our hardest, trust in him, and have that faith, he will bless us with miracles.  I have seen it over and over.  I am so blessed to be here.  I know that the people of Japan are ready to hear this message.  Times are changing, and I know that as we are BOLD we will be able to bless the lives of theJapanese people tremendously.  I am so blessed to come from such an amazing family, and have so many incredible friends to support me!  Thank you for all that you do.  It means the world to me and helps me when things are hard to know that you are back home cheering me on.  I love you guys so much!  I pray for you every single night and every single morning, and a lot of times throughout the day too.  Pretty much just constantly..haha but just know how much I love you and how much I love this gospel!

 

With all of my love,

 

Elder Cottle

Pics!

Logan harvesting rice! So cool!

Week 15!

Dear Family,

 

  This week has been so crazy, but so incredible at the same time!  We really did so many amazing things and got so much work done!  I was definitely feeling the joy as we worked hard to help our investigators progress and help them get closer to baptism.  There was so much that happened this week, it really is just incredible we got it all done!  But way cool.

 

  So the first big thing we did through out the week was harvested rice!  We got to help out Brother T_____with the rice a few times and it was so much fun to help him!  One of the times after helping him we were able to go visit a little Japanese preschool and it was so much fun!  We just stopped in and asked if we could say hello, and they ended up making like a full on assembly for us!  It was crazy but so cool!  All of the little Japanese kids were so cute I loved it.  They said that we can come by anytime and they would be happy to have us.

 

  The weekend was where it got wild though.  So, while on exchanges, Elder Hall met these 2 way sick kids who play soccer.  G____is 20 I think, and just way cool.  C_____is the other, and he is 16 but really mature and just hangs out with all these 20 year olds.  His dad lives in London so he has perfect English as well as perfect Japanese.  But when he speaks english it is in a little english accent!  It is so legit.  So on Saturday, we got to hop on a train in the morning and go play soccer with them with all their friends at this field.  It was amazing.  We got to talk to the kids while we played and ended up getting G_____to come next week to come play music and stuff with us!  I guess he is really good at the violin mom, so i will have to let you know how he is!  So that is going to be sweet! 

 

  Then after playing, we went back home to Sanjo to go meet with some people and teach!  We were able to get two lessons which was way awesome, and then we went back to Niigata to go to the game!  C____got us free tickets, so we were able to go with all of his friends!  It was such an amazing opportunity to go!  I feel like I have had the best first transfer anyone could have..seriously amazing.  I have gotten to do it all!  The game was so fun and here in Japan they take it so seriously so it is awesome!  The stadium was huge, as you can hopefully see in the pictures, and it was just so fun to have that chance to go!  I really am so blessed. 

 

  So after the game, we had a chance to do a Skype lesson with Sister M_____ our investigator who is really close to baptism, and we did a three way with one of Elder Hall's recent converts Brother S______ He had a really hard time getting baptized because a lot of people didn't want him to, but once he did he realized the blessings and it really changed his life.  Sister M_____ is the same way.  She has some friends and family that don't want her to get baptized and she is worried that if she does they won't be the same to her anymore.  S_____ was able to tell her his experience and really testify that things will work out for the better as she gets baptized.  The lesson went amazing!  The next day (Sunday) she had her baptismal interview and passed easily!  She did amazing and she is ready I think!  She is planning on being baptized this Wednesday!  The best part is, she wants to get baptized in the ocean, so we are going to do an ocean baptism!  Sooo sick!  Seriously so amazing.  Please pray for her that she will have comfort and confidence these next couple of days to go through with the baptism.

 

  The last big thing for this week was transfers..kind of hard! I am losing my companions, and Elder Sellers is going to Sado, and Elder Hall is going to Niigata to be zone leader!  I really can't believe that they are leaving!  It is kind of sad..this is my first transfer and it isn't very fun!  Haha I loved these two Elders they are seriously amazing..but I guess it was for a reason!  So I will be the Sempai companion here, which just means I am the one who has to know where everything is because my new companion hasn't been here yet.  Pretty intense.  I want to set really high expectations for him as he comes here.  I know that I am the rookie, and don't know everything yet, but I want to make sure that he is ready to just see miracles here.  We need that high expectation!

 

  So blessed to be serving a mission right now.  I am turning a new page, and its a little weird but I am so excited!  I know that I am going to learn so much and that this is such an amazing opportunity to do amazing things!  I know this church is true and I know that Jesus Christ is the savior and redeemer of the world.  I have felt him strengthen me as I strive to do this work the best I can.  Thank you all for being such a good support and just know how much I love you!  I pray for you every day. 

 

Talk soon!

 

Love,

 

Elder Cottle

Pics!

Helped harvest rice on p-day!

Rice fields

Logan, his companions, and an investigator. He showed them around Sanjo. 

Beautiful

The beach. 

Week 14!

Dear Family!

 

  Crazy that yet another week has come and gone!  They are just getting faster and faster..it is kind of wild!  It is kind of a weird thing, because even though the weeks go by so so fast, I look back and see all of the stuff that we have accomplished through out the week and it really is incredible!  We definitely have the Lords help getting everything we are supposed to get done, done in one week.  There is so much stuff we have the chance to do as missionaries that I never really thought about.  It is really such a blessing to be here and such a blessing to be able to represent such an amazing church!

 

  The work is going good!  Our investigators are really doing well, and we have a few new ones that are really looking great!  I think that they are going to make huge progress this week.  That is one of our goals..we know that we have a lot of really good investigators, but we want them to be progressing more than they are right now!  We want them getting closer to baptism everyday..so this week we are going to work really hard to accomplish that.  Sister M____ is the next on the list for baptism on the 18th.  She is 100% ready, but is having a hard time making that last "leap of faith," because some of her friends aren't super happy about it happening.  We are trying to teach her that God will help her, as she has that faith.  She reads the Book of Mormon every day and loves it.  She really is so amazing, but we just need to get her baptized!  Pr______was up here a few weeks ago and he was able to interview her and talk to her.  He was VERY impressed by her and told us that we needed to get her baptized and that she would really help our branch out a lot!  Then we have another younger kid, R_______ preparing for baptism on the 28th.  He is 16, and can be hard, but we love him!  He is really having a hard time in his life, because his mom is in the hospital, and his dad passed away about a year ago.  He likes the church a lot, but we need him to progress more in the gospel and realize that it is through Jesus Christ that he can feel comfort and peace.  So that is what we are working for this week!  If you could pray for them, it would really be appreciated, and I know that it would really help!

 

  So we had a really amazing experience this week.  We had an investigator named T________who took us all around Sanjo for a day!  He wanted to show us his town, so we had the chance to do some really amazing things!  I will attach pictures after I send this, but it was crazy intense!  We first went to a museum and saw some cool Japanese things, then we went to this crazy intense, authentic Japanese restaurant.  It was way good!  Dad you would have loved it, I had salmon, with salmon eggs on top!  Then some crab soup stuff, and vegetables.  Way good.  Then we went to the biggest temple inNiigata!  The pictures will say it all, but I will say that even though it was amazing, way pretty, and way cool, it definitely was not the same as ours.  It as reverent, but different.  Kind of an interesting thing.  Then we were able to go to a temple that was built 1200 yrs ago!  It was one of the oldest in all of Japan,wayyyy cool.  We got to hike into it down this huge hill, but on the top before we headed down there were these two awesome classic old Japanese guys playing Conch Shells!  We told them that it was way cool, and they let us play!  So I play a sweet Conch Shell on the top of a Japanese Mountain..no big dealhaha.  But the best part of the day, was after that, we hopped  in the car and drove through the mountains, and he took us to the ocean!  We got to go to the beach!  It was incredible!  I did not think that we were as close as we were..but we went and walked along the beach and looked through the fish shops and stuff!  Way cool!  Me and Elder H_____bought this mean looking fish on a stick and downed it!  It was way good!  But really was such a good day, and a great chance to talk to this investigator alot about our church, and about God and different things.  We are going to meet with him again this week and it really turned out to be great.

 

  So this week was really good..I got a flat tire on Saturday..trying to hop over a gutter and I popped it..haha kind of funny but on the way to patch it we found a way sick investigator and two way sweet PI's!  The Lord works in interesting ways huh?

 

  So the reason I am emailing so early is because today, we are going to harvest rice!  It is like a once a year thing, and we are helping a member basically all day today..so we got up early to bust out emails!  I love you all so much.  I am so blessed to come from such an amazing family.  Josh and Kendra congratulations!  I love little Noah Wayne so much, he is going to be such a little stud just like his dad:)  Little bro's..keep up the good work with soccer and school.  WORK HARD.  Only good things come when you work hard.  It is always worth it!  Mom I am so glad that school is going good.  Dad keep working hard at your job!  I know that you'll get that deer;)  I know that this work is ready to explode.  We see miracles every day..and I know that the Lord is guiding us to the people he wants us to teach.  I love you!  Have amazing weeks and I will talk to you soon!

 

Love,

 

Logan

Week 13!

My Dear Family!

 

  Oh how I love this great work!  This week has truly been an amazing one, and I can't wait for this upcoming week!  So many miracles and so many blessings I just really can't even believe it.  But I do;) haha

  But really this week was amazing.  It was kind of hard because it was one of those weeks where we are planning all of our lessons, but some people aren't showing up:/  but we just kept working hard, and really trusted in the lord and the week really turned around and we were able to make the Standards of Excellence again!  Which is a really big deal and we were really excited about it.  The Lord really did just help us along as we just had faith in him and faith that we would be able to do it!  I can't believe how blessed we have been as a companionship, but I really think it is just because all of us have a ton of faith in this work and know that as we strive to be more and more obedient and try to be more profitable servants of the Lord, we are able to see miracles.  So amazing.

 

  My favorite part of the work right now is just the teaching an fellowshipping.  Seriously it is just the best feeling as you talk to these people, and really bring them closer to Christ and see them changing.  I have really gotten close to a less active member named Y_____.  He is such a goof..but he is so funny.  I still don't speak Japanese very well, but we still just connect way good and it has been so fun to watch our friendship grow.  It has been even more amazing though, to watch him change and begin to be more active in the church.  Really he is slowly changing into a better person and it really is amazing!  Just by loving him, and talking to him and inviting him, we have been able to slowly bring him back, and hopefully bring him back to stay!

 

  There really are so many amazing things in this work that I wish I could just write a novel because there really is so much!  But I know that I am just really blessed to be able to have this experience.  Seriously I know that it really is such a blessing that the Lord trusts us as missionaries, so be in these amazing places across the world and preach his gospel and bring his children closer to them!

 

  I love this gospel.  I love the work that I'm doing.  I love the Book of Mormon so much.  It is seriously the absolute best teaching tool, and has the power to change lives.  I HAVE SEEN IT.  I know that the people here are ready to hear the gospel and I know that I am just the lucky one to be a part.

 

  I love you all so much!  Know that I pray for you every day and that I think of you!  Talk to you soon!

 

Love,

 

Elder Cottle

 

Logan and his companions got caught in their first Typhoon! Crazy!

Biking, biking. 

The bond of the companionship!