Week 55 懐かしい!

This week was amazing!  So many good things happened, too many good
things for this email but I am going to try and pack it all in here.
So to start off, this week we were able to have out Zone meeting.  It
was a really good meeting and I felt like we were all able to really
learn from the spirit and learn how to be better missionaries!  Me and
Elder Killpack prepared quite a bit to have the training go well, and
things went great.  The big thing that we did in the meeting though
was rolled out facebook to all the missionaries.  Before it was just
Zone Leaders and Sister Training leaders who were using facebook, but
we decided as a mission council that we were going to give it to
everyone and so that is what we did!  We trained a lot on the rules
and things like that, and it was really good! I felt like everyone
realized the responsibility we have been given, after I helped
everyone realize that only 30 missions in the world right now are
using facebook, and only 2 outside of the states.  It was a great way
to help everyone realize the blessing we have been given!

After the Zone meeting we were able to go on exchanges with the Sanjo
Elders, and I was able to go to Sanjo!!  I never ever thought I would
make it back up to Sanjo, but I did and it was amazing!  We were able
to get there and the first person we met with was Sister M______! Right
now she is going through some tough stuff and hasn't been coming to
church, and won't meet with the missionaries.  But...she loves me and
so she wanted to meet up really bad haha.  We met up and just kinda
talked about the situation and it sounds like she got busy and really
couldn't go to church, however when that happened everyone called her
and asked what was up and she felt pressured and that pushed her
farther away.  She told me that she still loves the church and
actually wants to come back, but just needs a little bit of time.  She
might come to Nagaoka this next week though!  I am hoping that when
she comes there she will be able to feel the peace in the building and
the spirit will tell her what she needs to do.  It was such a great
chance to meet up with her!  I am hoping to stay here for a little bit
so I have a chance to continue to work with her and to help her get
back to going to church regularly.

After that we got to go meet with Y____!  Seriously one of my best
friends ever.  We went to this way famous, way good restaurant with
him and then after I was able to teach him the plan of salvation at
the church while everyone kinda started playing ping pong.  It was
just like old times.  He is doing really good, and I don't know if I
told you all this but he actually got the priesthood!  So things are
going really good there and it is just cool to see someone who has
changed so much.  It was so much fun to be back in Sanjo for a day!  I
miss that place and know that I am the missionary I am today because
of all the stuff I learned from serving there.

After exchanges, me and Elder Killpack headed up to Niigata to see
A____get baptized!  That was awesome.  We went up there and actually
my old companion Elder pronk who has gone home was there with us
through skype and he told our story which was just way cool.  He did
the introduction for A____and it was just a super powerful story and
testimony!  Then we went in and did the baptism and me and elder
Killpack were able to witness for him.  After he was baptized he gave
his testimony and it was way cool because he talked about all the
missionaries he worked with, but then said that it was all because of
me and Elder Pronk.  That was so cool to hear!  I didn't help teach
him very much, but all the missionaries just kept telling me that they
always taught him, and he always talked about me and Elder Pronk.  It
was just amazing to see that even though I was a really young
missionary, I was still able to help this kid receive baptism!  A____, Elder Pronk, and I all got together us three after his baptism (elder
pronk through skype) and just were like "oh the original three!" haha
we actually talked and A_____wants to go to the Salt Lake Temple when
he goes through in a year, and wants to go through with me and Elder
Pronk!  It will be right after I get home, but how amazing would that
be!  He also told us that he is really thinking about becoming a
missionary, because of how much we have helped his life!  That would
be so amazing to have a guy I helped see baptized serve a mission!

This week really was just a week of miracles and I just have to say
that I am way too blessed!  I know that God is hastening his work and
that it is being hastened in all countries!  It is a blessing to be a
part.  I love you all and I hope you have a great week!  I will talk
to you soon!

Love,
Logan

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Elder Killpack and Elder Cottle

Week 54! This week.......

I never know how to start these things off, but this week was amazing!
I guess I will start with our Zone Conference that we had this
weekend.  So on Friday, President Budge and the Assistants came up
from Tokyo to do our 2 mission Zone Conference! It was really fun to
have them come up and get the 2 Zones together! It is always way cool
to see so many missionaries in one place.  We had the meeting in
Niigata, and it was just a way good meeting.  We talked a lot about
facebook, because that is kind of the new thing we are officially
rolling it out to everyone in the mission, so they went over a few
things with that, but we also talked a lot about the mission culture,
and how it is.  It was really cool because we talked about how we felt
like the culture was and we had a really awesome discussion.
President Budge really thinks that we have a really obedient mission,
which is a huge blessing, but that we might be lacking a little bit on
the diligence part, and that we need to be working a little bit harder
to see more baptisms and miracles here, because those miracles are
everywhere if we just look for them!  It was a really great
conference, and I always feel like I learn so much from president
budge when he trains us.  I actually gave a training in this
Conference, the Zone leaders and sister training leaders were all
assigned to teach a topic, and I had the "privilege" of teaching about
reformers and world religious leaders..haha it was actually really fun
to learn more about the reformers in history, and to be able to train
on it!

The next day we actually had out "district conference," so all of
niigata gathered in niigata and we had a conference together.  On
saturday we had priesthood, and then a session with everyone at 6 and
it was really good! it is really cool here because president budge
actually holds the keys for these area, so he basically runs niigata
and was able to focus the whole conference on missionary work which
was way cool!  it was awesome to see the members getting excited about
working with missionaries more to see more people joining the church,
as well as coming back from less activity.  I don't know if i have
told you this before, but in the Tokyo mission, and the tokyo south
mission, there are almost 17,000 less active members.  17,000!  It is
terribly sad, but the new focus here in Niigata is to help bring them
back.  It was actually awesome because in the conference, there was a
member in nagaoka who has recently come back. he was really close to
the missionary who baptized him, and so in the takai he actually got
up and gave like a little testimony about coming back.  after he sat
down, president budge called the missionary(now really old and living
in america) on skype without this member knowing, and putting it on
the projector in the meeting to talk to him!  It was such a cool thing
because this newly returned member was just crying as he got to see
his missionary that had helped him receive baptism so many years ago
but hadn't seen him since then, got to see him for the first time
since! it was a really cool experience and the spirit was crazy strong
in there. yeah i don't think that member is going less active again;)

The best part about this week was yesterday.  On sunday, I got to talk
to all of the Sanjo ward members!  it was so great to see them, and
see them recognize me and to go and shake their hand and talk to them
for a little bit!  I love the members in sanjo so much! it was super
funny cause all they could say was how my japanese was really good,
but it was only because i couldn't speak at all when I was there cause
it was my first area! haha but then we were sitting in the meeting,
and Y___ came and sat in front of me! I don't know if you all
remember him, but he was my way good less active friend in sanjo, and
we were really able to bring him back to church which was amazing! he
came all the way from niigata just to see me..haha and the other
elders were telling me that all he talks about is me which is so
funny! he really is one of my best friends in Japan, and I get to go
on exchanges this week and talk to him as well as Sister M_____!  I am
really excited that I get to be back up here in Niigata, just to be
able to see my first area again!  Such a blessing.

One last amazing miracle is going to be this next weekend! I have been
talking a lot about A____ lately, the kid that I found when I was back
in Sanjo, but he is getting baptized this weekend!  Me and Elder
Killpack should be able to go so it is going to be such an amazing
experience to see him be baptized!  I don't know why I am being
blessed to be up here for it, but I am so grateful for it!  I will
take lots of pictures and send them next week!

This week was great, and I know that this next week is going to be
amazing as well!  I hope you all are enjoying your summer! I love you
all so much and I am grateful for each of your amazing examples to me!
I will talk to you all soon!

Love
Logan

Ps - GO USA!

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Week 53! Japan lost.......

 Believe it or not, people here are crazy about the World Cup! the
only sad part is, japan isn't very good so it isn't a lot for people
to be excited about..haha but we had an amazing miracles that kind of
involved the World Cup this week!!  Well, I guess it will involve the
World Cup possibly.  This week on Sunday after church me and Elder
Killpack decided to visit a less active member in the Branch.  He
actually used to be the branch president, but fell away from the
church and wants nothing to do with the church.  We decided to visit
him and we were hoping to just be able to share a short video (Because
of Him) because every time elder Killpack has visited him he was very
cold and didn't even want to really talk to them.  We rolled up on our
bikes and he was outside in the yard watering his plants.  We came up
to him and said hello and he was pretty friendly actually...then he
put down his hose and invited us inside! (this has never happened
before by the way) We go inside his house and he has a sit down in his
house and starts making us some drinks, he comes back in with Hot
chocolate!! He sits down and basically just starts shooting the breeze
with us about soccer and life and japan and all these things.  Finally
after a while we just asked if we could share a quick message with him
and he said yes! (which he has never allowed before) We showed him the
video and he really liked it! He was trying to hide it...but he really
liked it!  To end we asked if we could pray with him..and he didn't
let us, but for a second I think he wanted to say yes:) haha we left
the house with a "date" to watch japan's next soccer game! we walked
out of there just absolutely amazed. just a week before that, he
hadn't even allowed the missionaries to even talk to him, let alone
come in his house, drink hot cocoa together, shoot the breeze, and
share a message!  I absolutely amazes me how much God works with these
people.  We did absolutely nothing but just go visit him, but that is
what God required.  Missionaries have been trying to go over there for
years and years, and maybe that persistence is what it took to soften
his heart.

 The coolest part about that miracle is that here in Nagaoka they
have been working really hard to reactivate members, and there were
three big members that went less active, and all of them were branch
presidents at some point.  we have 2 of them reactivated, and this
man, M_________ is the last of the big three.  I am really excited to
work really hard with him to see if we can't get him coming back to
church and get him fully active again!!  I believe more than anything
that it is possible, but i know that it isn't my power, but God's
power that will make that happen.

 The rest of this week was really a great week.  Me and Elder
Killpack had an amazing week just absolutely filled with miracles and
TONS of teaching.  I really don't want to come off sounding prideful
or anything haha but hear me out.  This area really has been
struggling, but we came into this transfer really excited, with a lot
of faith to see huge miracles. Me and Elder Killpack really want to
see a baptism here in this branch, and know that it is possible.  This
week we worked incredibly hard and taught all of our people as much as
we could trying super hard to help them progress closer to Jesus
Christ.  I believe that God is just blessing this area because
we want to see it so badly.  Me and Elder Killpack want to see success
so badly, that we are going out and working as hard as we can, being
exactly obedient, and God is taking care of the stuff we can't
control.  It is an incredible feeling being on God's team as a
missionary.

 I love this work!  I love being a missionary and it is scary to me
how I am already half way done.  I feel like I still need to learn so
much, and get so much better, but I absolutely love being a
missionary, and there is no where else I would rather be.  It is
amazing how happy a mission makes you.  Seeing other people gain faith
in Jesus Christ, and feel the joy of repentance and accepting the
gospel is the greatest gift us missionaries get.  I am so blessed to
be here in Japan, to have the opportunity to serve these people here!
I love you all back home so much and I miss you a lot!  It is crazy
that we are on the downhill slope, but I intend to make this year one
to remember!  I will talk you all soon have an amazing week!

All my love,
Logan

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Week 52! Transfers.......

Hello!

I am now very far away from Tokyo haha. It only took 5 short hrs on a
bus and an extra 2 on the train to get here, but I made it safe and
sound and Nagaoka is amazing! I am so excited to work here and to see
miracles with Elder Killpack. It is going to be too much fun! We saw
some amazing miracles this week of people just showing up to church,
and I can just see that miracles are all over this area!

So I thought I would just share an amazing story with you all! My last
week I served in Sanjo, almost 8 months ago, me and my companion elder
pronk met a really cool guy named A____! He is a way young, good guy
and we got his information and then left. I didn't really think much
of it, other than he was a really nice kid who was really prepared and
a new investigator because we had a scheduled time to meet again.
Well, I got into Nagaoka this week, and I kept hearing about this
'A___' guy who is going to get baptized this month. It turns out that
'A___' is my A____investigator, and that he is going to be getting
baptized this month! He has been meeting with the missionaries ever
since me and elder pronk met him, and he is really excited to be
baptized this month. The most amazing part is he remembers me
perfectly. I added him on facebook yesterday and he started messaging
me saying how excited he was to meet up again, when I asked if he
remembered me, he sent me back the exact date that we met him, and
told me that he can never forget.

The miracle of this story, is that I am back up here, to help him
receive the blessings of baptism. I didn't really know that he was
progressing or doing this well until I got here, and it is just
amazing to me that I am going to get to be a part! We are teaching him
tomorrow, and I am going to get to see him again and kind of help
teach him a little bit before his baptism! This is just another
testimony that this church is true, and that our leaders are called of
God, and are inspired, and receive real revelation for us. There is no
doubt in my mind that I am supposed to be here right now at this time.
Amazing!

I am really excited for this transfer because I really feel like we
have what we need to see amazing miracles. It is fun to see how far me
and Elder Killpack have progressed as missionaries. I think now that
we both have a little bit of an idea what we are doing as
missionaries, and we both speak a little bit of Japanese, and we both
have really high hopes for this transfer, and lots of faith, we are
going to be able to see amazing amazing miracles.  I am excited to
have the opportunity to continue to learn, from Elder Killpack and
others on my mission, and really know that I am so blessed to be in
such an amazing mission with such great missionaries.

I am super grateful for this chance I have to be a missionary. It goes
so fast! It is crazy how fast it goes, but it has been such a blessing
to me, the people here, and my family. I know that I wouldn't be the
person I am right now if I hadn't come here. There really is no where
else you can learn the things you learn here. Missions are such a
blessing. I love you all so much! You are all such amazing examples to
me! I think about each of you and I am always praying for you! All of
your testimonies all strengthen mine, and help me be a better
missionary. Thank you! Everyone have a good week and I will talk to
you soon!

Love

Logan

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  I'm Back!!!

Week 51! Transfer Week!

 Yes so today was transfer calls!  Lets just say it was kind of a
crazy call, because today me and elder egbert have had literally no
time! We didn't get our calls until around 11:10 today, but they came
and it was President Budge on the phone!  He talked to me first and
told me that I am transferring back up into Niigata! I will be in a
different city up there as a Zone leader, but Sanjo is in my Zone! I
am so excited to have the chance to go back! It is crazy how long it
has been since I have been there, i could be there almost a whole year
later which is crazy! But I am so excited.  The best part about it all
is, my companion is ELDER KILLPACK! He has only been a Zone leader
there for 1 transfer, but we are going to be serving together!  I know
he is an incredible missionary, and I am just way too excited for the
chance to work with him!  Who would have thought that when me and him
were playing soccer together on club 5 yrs ago, we would be serving as
Zone Leaders in Japan? Crazy.  Elder Egbert is moving to Nakano to
replace Elder Hall as an Assistant!  He is the man.  I love Elder
Egbert and I am way excited to get to continue to work with him as a
Zone leader, he being an assistant.

 So today has been spent all with packing and getting things ready!
The crazy part about this transfer is that we are both switching out,
so we really have to prep the ward and the area for the new
missionaries who are coming in!  But it is exciting and I am really
excited for this next transfer!

 Wow I really have no time.  Today we had a fun p day so I will send
pictures but I love you all!  I will talk to you next week, from
another new area!  Exciting!  Talk to you soon!

Love,
Logan

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