missionaries in the Tokyo Mission! We all got iPads and it has been
so different! With the iPad though, I thought it would be cool to
just type up a little every night in like a little digital journal. I
am still writing in my journal the big stories, miracles and stuff
like that, but I think that this could be a cool way to give you all a
really detailed update of my week! So you will all have to tell me
what you think, and see if it's good or not!
2/5/14 - Well. This is brand new! Today we were able to receive a
new tool for our missionary purposes..and that tool is a brand new
iPad mini! They told us that someday we were going to get them, and
we finally got them. It is a pretty crazy thing to have an iPad as a
missionary. I actually kind of feel like I'm being rebellious or
something..its way funny! I am so excited though to be able to have
this opportunity to have this amazing missionary tool. It is crazy to
think that we are the only international mission who has this tool,
and that the entire church is watching us! It is kind of intense, but
I know that if any mission can do it, it is the TOKYO, JAPAN mission.
This is the start of something new!
2/6/14 - This was the first full dendo day with an iPad. I really am
still just shocked that we have these things, but they really are such
an amazing tool! Today we had weekly planning, and it was definitely
difficult trying to do that with these new machines! But, we were
able to get through it and still be effective! The most amazing part
thing about this is that we have our area book all plugged in to our
iPad, and it keeps track of all our investigators all the time and it
is just way too cool how it works. These things literally are just
perfect for a missionary, and I really think that as we use them
effectively, we will really be able to more fully fulfill our purpose,
which is to bring others unto Christ and to see people change their
lives and be baptized. I am so grateful for the chance to be a
missionary today. I want to become the most profitable servant I can
be, and not waist any of this precious time that I have here. We are
so blessed as missionaries!
2/7/14 - Today was a really great day here in Mito! At 3:00 at Mito
Eki, we were able to meet our friend R_______to talk about
the Restoration! Today was really warm, so we were able to just take
a seat outside the Eki and talk. We were able to give the entire
Restoration lesson, and part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he took
everything so good! He really loves the church, and thinks that
there are no problems with it. He isn't going to be able to come to
church, but we are going to meet with him next week before Eikaiwa. I
REALLY want to set a baptismal date with him and baptize him soon! He
really is so prepared, so hopefully we will be able to do that! Other
than that we were able to continue up-dating these iPads so that they
can be effective instead of out of date, so that was really good! We
were also able to have our DCS tonight, which is where the
missionaries in the ward meet with the Ward Mission Leader. Our Ward
Mission Leader is Brother Uchida, and he is the best! It is so cool
to think that Uncle Josh is back in South Carolina doing the same
thing! I bet he does an amazing job, and that the missionaries love
him, because I seriously love Brother Uchida! But today really was a
great day, and tomorrow we are supposed to get a ton of snow, so that
should be exciting!
2/8/14 - Today was CRAZY. It dumped snow like crazy here in Mito
which is way crazy and really rare I guess! We looked outside after
study and it was just white. So, basically we just headed out in the
snow and worked way hard! Me and Elder Lammintaus headed to the
church to have a Skype lesson with L_______. I seriously love him so much.
He is our Chinese investigator and he seriously is just the best. We
are going to be friends forever! But, we were able to have a Skype
lesson with him and we talked about the Plan of Salvation! He really
liked it, and we were able to explain how we get to live with our
families forever after this life, and where we come from! He seemed
way happy about the plan, and seemed to understand everything really
well! Then, we were talking to him and he said that he wanted to
invite us over to his house for dinner! How cool is that? I have
never been to an investigators house for a lesson yet on my mission,
it just doesn't really happen in Japan, but it is happening this next
week! We are going over there on Tuesday and we are going to teach
him some more and its just going to be the best! I really am so
grateful that we met him at that activity, and so grateful that we
have had this opportunity to become such good friends with him! I
seriously love him and I just want him to be happy, which is really
good news because we have the thing that makes people the happiest!
Life is good right now as a missionary, and I am just way too happy
tomorrow is Sunday.
2/9/14 - Yeah so remember when I said that it snowed a lot yesterday?
Yeah, it was psycho today. We got a call from the bishop telling us
that church was pushed back until 1 o clock, and that it was only
going to go for 1 hour, which is crazy! But, we got to stay inside
and have a way awesome Sunday Morning study which is way awesome. I
just have to pause and say how amazing this keyboard is. I LOVE MY
FAMILY. They are the best for sending me sweet stuff all the time
and just hooking me up. I am a very loved missionary. Way too lucky.
Anyways, today was Sunday! We headed to church and it was just
ridiculous..Biking was crazy! But, with God's help, we were able to
make it to the church! We got there and immediately started shoveling
the sidewalks and streets and it was so cool to be out and serving! I
loved shoveling the snow too. Believe it our not, I actually really
missed it! Reminded me of home! But we were able to have a great
church meeting, and after words we had a lesson with Brother T_______.
He is a less active in the ward that I have grown really close to,
and I really want him to become active so bad! But he seriously is
the greatest guy. Every single time we come, he tells us that he feels
the most happy when he is with us, and that we are his angels. I
guess in some way, that is kind of what we are right? But it has been
amazing to be teaching him, and really having the opportunity to turn
his life around, and really help him realize how much the church can
bless his life. It really is amazing how much love you gain for
people out here! I feel like as I have this opportunity to help
people progress and become closer to Jesus Christ, I am really able to
grow so close to them and develop so much love towards them! I am so
grateful for this opportunity to be here in Japan serving these
people! I absolutely love these little Japanese people. I have never
met such kind, respectful people and I really have grown to love them
so much! All I want to do here is my very best, and help these people
in the best way that I can. Way too fun!
There it is! I don't really know if that will be very good or
interesting or not, but please let me know what you honestly think!
If the old way is better then just let me know! But I just want to
say that I love this work. This last week I really felt the Lord's
hand as I have been assigned to train a brand new missionary, a
district leader, and the oldest missionary here in Mito! It was been
an amazing week though as we were able to see miracles not because we
are great missionaries, but because this is his work, and as we put
our trust in him, we are able to see miracles! I know that this
church is true, and I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and
redeemer and I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have as
members of his church! That is the reason I am here, to share that
happiness with the people of Japan! I love you all and I will talk to
you all soon ok? You are in my prayers!
Love,
Elder Cottle
Sent from my iPad
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