Week 25!

Dear Everyone!

I feel really bad because I did not have very much time today, but I was able to get some pictures on here so I hope that would be ok for this week! I also have one great story.

This last Sunday, I was able to have the incredible opportunity of confirming our recent convert T______and giving him the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The spirit was incredibly strong, and it was an amazing experience. I have been so blessed on my mission to be able to confirm 3 people in Japanese and it has been incredible! In english, it is really amazing but in Japanese, it is crazy powerful. The words are amazing and it is such a cool thing to get to do!

The work is being hastened and we are so blessed to be a part! This last week we had a Conference with the South Mission and Elder Evans and it was incredible. We had an amazing conference about how we can become even better missionaries and I was really able to come out of it with amazing new ideas on how I can become a more profitable servant.

I love you all so much and I hope you know I love being a missionary! I will talk to you all soon, and hopefully have more time next week! Have fantastic weeks!

All my love,

Elder Cottle

Week 24! Another baptism!

Hello everyone!

 

  This week has truly been an amazing one!  It definitely was one full of adventure and excitement, and miracles!  I am loving the city of Mito, it is incredible!  There is so much potential in this city, we are so excited for the weeks to come!  Yesterday had to be the high light of the week however, because we were able to see a baptism!  T_______was able to be baptized after church yesterday, and it was an amazing day!  There really isn't anything like watching someone's life change, and then them making that first step, and receieving baptism.  He came out of the water and was just so happy!  The rest of the day he really was just glowing.  He is going to be an amazing member of the church, and is going to help so much in the ward.  Thank you for all of your prayers!  I have such a strong testimony of prayer.  It really does make miracles happen.  I know that your prayers helped him have that courage and faith to get baptized.  Prayer is such an amazing thing because we really get to express to God the desires of our hearts, and as we do that he is able to bless us!  So thank you so much!  We were really excited to see that baptism happen, and are so excited to get out and hopefully see some more soon!

 

  So besides the baptism, right now we are completely in find mode, which is different for me because in Sanjo we were always just teaching lessons!  But we don't really have any other investigators, so this week we have the plan to get out there and find some amazing people who have been prepared!  Please continue to pray so that we can find these people!  We know that they are there and we are ready to do what it takes to find them!  We are really excited to work hard and see some miracles this week!

 

  Tomorrow we have a huge 2 mission conference with Elder Evans!  I told you a little bit about it in your email dad!  But this conference is with the South, and the North mission!  It is going to be huge and we are having a 3 hr conference with him!  I have been preparing a lot by reading some of Elder Evans talks, watching some of them as well to really be able to get as much as I can out of it!  Tonight we will travel down to Matsudo and stay the night with the Elders down there, and then head off in the morning!  It is a total of about 2 1/2 hrs by train to the church we are meeting at, but I am so excited!  Then after, all the missionaries in the North mission will be meeting and we will have a conference and dinner and stuff!  It is going to be a crazy day tomorrow, but we are so excited to be so spiritually uplifted!

 

  The companions right now are doing great.  We have been able to really get close the last little bit, and it has been great!  I love these two.  We are having a lot of fun, but we are also really growing alot together!  We have really high expectations for the area, and we want to be able to see this area just sky rocket like we know it can!  We all have the same desire to work our hardest and see this miracle happen which I think is really important.  I really have been so blessed to have such amazing companions so far on my mission, such a blessing!

 

  Besides our baptism, there really wasn't anything crazy exciting this week unfortunately..so I am sorry this email wasn't better!  However, this week is going to be amazing, so I will have great things to write next week!  Just know that I love you all so much and I am so grateful for such an amazing support system!  You all are amazing and I pray for you every night!  Talk to you soon!

 

Love,

 

Elder Cottle

 

Week 23!!!

Hello everyone!  This was definitely one of those weeks that I had no time!  But, I do have a few pictures and one important story!  The story is that we have an investigator who is going to be baptized next Sunday!  He is 20 yrs old and his name is T________!!  I love him and he is way sweet and we are so excited to baptize him!  It is going to be this sunday so i was just going to ask for your prayers so that the baptism will go through!  We are so excited for this opportunity and we know how blessed we are.

 

I love you all so much and just know i miss you and love you!

 

Love,

Elder Cottle

Pictures!

So first...We went on a way sweet hike...thats all these sweet pictures!

 

Then..I transferred..and that is the rest of these!  Like the Night before I transferred...leaving Sister M_____ and my brother elder Hall..and then leaving Y______which really broke my heart!  But fun stuff!

He will miss him so much. :(

Beautiful 

In the apartment 

He and his brother Elder Hall

Week 22! November 4th

My dearest family and friends!

 

  So I first need to apologize for missing the big email last week!  I messed up...and I promise I won't do it again!  Haha this week has been crazy...After I got the transfer call i had to pack up and get ready to move!  It really is crazy that as missionaries we just get up and move acrossed the country just like that!  I am now living in Mito!  I am so excited!  This city is amazing and I really can feel that we are going to have so many amazing miracles happen here!  In our district, we have the "Matsudo Church," which is the biggest church in all of asia.....is is 6 stories high and on the top floor has a futsal/basketball court!  It is an amazing building and I actually get to see it tomorrow!  way excited to see it!  Mito city is on the completely opposite coast that I was on last transfer, so i got to see the ocean yesterday!  I have officially seen both coasts of Japan.  Way too cool.  Such incredible opportunities as a missionary in the Tokyo Mission!

 

  So it was really sad leaving Sanjo!  I did not think that i would get as close to people here as i did!  it was way sad to have to leave on such short notice..there were a lot of people i didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to!  So it was hard..but i am so excited to meet the new people here in this ward!

 

  I love both of my companions.  They both want the same things I want, and want to work hard like I do so I can't complain!  I know that president budge called us here on purpose so I am way excited to see the miracles this transfer!

 

  So I know that this seems short...even though the week was crazy..most of it was just doing move stufff and getting settled.  But I am going to send out a picture email right after this, and it will really sum up the week!  I am so grateful for all of the support I have received!  It really has been such a blessing.  I have amazing family and friends.  Thank you all so much!  I know that this gospel is true!  I know that the Lord is hastening his work right now and that there are so many miracles here in japan that are ready to happen!  I love being a missionary here, and I realize how blessed I really am to be able to serve the Lord for this short time.  I love you all so much I will talk to you soon!

 

All my love,

 

Elder Cottle