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