Sunday, December 28, 2014

Best Christmas gift ever!!!

Sure loved our Skype time with Elder Cottle. We are so very proud of him. He is doing amazing things and he is so happy!!! 

Week 79!

Short email today. I will add my questions and his answers. We talked on Christmas!
DID YOU MAKE THE TRANSFER OK?
Yes I made the move:)
1. YOU GOT A FULL RIDE MERIT SCHOLARSHIP TO UVU! SO PROUD OF YOU!
1. thats amazing!  I'm so excited!  yeah I think keeping my gpa above
a 3.5 isn't going to be a problem...haha thats awesome thank you for
all your doing!  I will be on there later today taking care of that
other scholarship so I will accept!  Thank you!
2. How's the leadership scholarship stuff going?

2. Yeah...I'll be doing that today!

3. How are you liking being back in Shibuya? Are you in the same apartment you were in before? Is it only the two of you? Where is this Japanese companion from? How long has he been serving? Do you like him?

3. It's a party being back in Shibuya I really do feel like i am back
home!  I'm excited to continue to get to know Shibuya a  lot better
and just see amazing miracles here!

4.Are you still a Zone Leader with this companion?

4. I am not a Zone leader this transfer actually...I get to take a
break!  It's actually really weird not having any responsibility right
now...but it's kind of nice!  It will be a nice rest for me haha.

5. Do all the members in that ward remember you? How is everyone doing? I am sure they will spoil you once again! :)

5. Yeah everyone was so excited yesterday it was so fun! the members
here are amazing and it's way fun to be back.  they are all going to
love you when you come! Don't worry, they are all amazing in english
as well it's crazy;)

6. Have you seen Sister Snow and her parents? How about Sister Christensen's? Megan Parr, Hannah Bonner, and the Whatcott girl are all home from their missions. They all look good.

6. I didn't see sister snows parents....but I'm sure that everyone
looks great!

7. SO WHEN WILL YOU BE SKYPING US ON CHRISTMAS? :) I am thrilled to see and talk to you!! Yippee!! We will need your skype  account so we can add you to ours. 

7. Yeah I am think we will skype on YOUR Christmas day starting at
4:30ish? I'll send you another email letting you know more details
later this week but it should be good!
I am looking for a nativity..but unfortunately here in japan it is
really sad but nearly everyone doesn't know the true meaning a
christmas and that it's about Jesus Christ...so they don't have much
stuff around...but I promise I am looking and if I see anything I will
buy it super fast!

thank you so much for the email mom.  I love you!  It's going to be
short today..but I will make sure that I have more time next
week...and I'm going to be seeing you this week so no worries! See you
soon! be checking your email to make sure that we are on the same page
for the call on YOUR christmas day, and we will see you soon! love
you!
logan



On 2014/12/22, at 4:51, Comcast <camillecottle@comcast.net> wrote:

Hello son!!! Did you make the move? I can't imagine how much stuff you probably accumulated over the last 6 months in Nagoaka! Bittersweet I am sure.

1.) First and most importantly, you earned a full ride academic merit scholarship to UVU!!!! How very exciting! I didn't even do anything, it was just awarded to you and posted on your uv link I believe. If you can keep a 3.5 or higher the whole year, you'll probably get another year of scholarships they say. Very very cool. This doesn't even include your leadership scholarship if you get that. So very proud of your hard work!!!! You'll need to log on to your uv link and accept that you want the scholarship. I would do that this week. :)

2.) How is the leadership stuff going? Did it all make sense last week when I have tiny instructions? You have to click that you want to go for the leadership scholarship first and the mm hopefully it will redirect you to the link to fill out the application. Charm the socks off them in the application. :) let me know anything else we can do.

3.) How are you liking being back in Shibuya? Are you in the same apartment you were in before? Is it only the two of you? Where is this Japanese companion from? How long has he been serving? Do you like him?

4.) Are you still a Zone Leader with this companion?

5.) Do all the members in that ward remember you? How is everyone doing? I am sure they will spoil you once again! :)

6.) Have you seen Sister Snow and her parents? How about Sister Christensen's? Megan Parr, Hannah Bonner, and the Whatcott girl are all home from their missions. They all look good.

7.) SO WHEN WILL YOU BE SKYPING US ON CHRISTMAS? :) I am thrilled to see and talk to you!! Yippee!! We will need your skype  account so we can add you to ours. Ours is jeff.cottle1

Let us know when and all the details. :)

Have you been able to find a nativity? I don't want to keep bugging you. :) It's ok if you cant find one as CHRISTMAS will be over and all that stuff will be out away for a season. Just let me know. Mom is giving me money for your Christmas and for the Nativity to put in your account if you find one. :)
So has it been pretty crazy moving? When did you arrive? I want LOTS of pictures. :)

I heard the sweetest thing from a friend at Walmart yesterday I had to share. She worked with me at Fox Hollow as my mentor. She asked about you in the line as we were checking out.(We're friends in Facebook).  She said,"Often times I get actual goosebumps from the things he says and I don't even know him." It brought a tear to my eye. What a beacon of light you are to others, especially all my friends that aren't LDS. I don't share you letters very often, but I'll post a passage of your letters sometimes or the darling things you will post with a picture. I have had MANY MANY people comment on how incredible those are and how they feel the spirit as well as how HAPPY you look. This is such a payday for me. :) so wonderful. I can't wait to see and be a part of this next June!

Things are crazy this last week before Christmas. Were you able to pack the 25 days of Christ I sent you?? The tree? I can't imagine trying to get everything you own and  acquired over 18 months into those suitcases. Wow. Where did Wheatley go???

I'm off for two weeks. Hallelujah. That's all I have to say. Hallelujah. Wow. Exhausting. :)

Dad and I are excited to have some relaxing time off with the boys. Eating, singing, and serving. We all went to see the Nutcracker last week. I had a student playing the main girl part, Clara. It was so fun and the Boys were troupers watching a ballet. :) would you have gone??? :)

Well can't wait to see your face. What a joy that will be for me. So excited for your future and schooling as well!! That is awesome. Make sure to accept it online. We can accept it for you if you can't or don't have time I think. Keep working on the application for leadership as well.

I want to hear my testimony that I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know he lives and that he was born in that stable with the shepherds. What a wonderful time of year to reflect on everything we have been given. I am grateful for your father and the incredible example he is to me every day, I am also so thankful that I have a missionary serving in the other side of the world. He's happy, and obedient. In super thankful for a senior who is so excited to get out on his mission and loves Heavenly Father, and a freshman who loves this gospel and stands as a firm and stalwart example to all his friends of who he is and what he believes. What else can I want? Have a merry Christmas! Talk this week!!

LOVE YOU!!!!!
Mamma

Sent from my iPhone!
3. It's a party being back in Shibuya I really do feel like i am back
home!  I'm excited to continue to get to know Shibuya a  lot better
and just see amazing miracles here!
4. I am not a Zone leader this transfer actually...I get to take a
break!  It's actually really weird not having any responsibility right
now...but it's kind of nice!  It will be a nice rest for me haha.
5. Yeah everyone was so excited yesterday it was so fun! the members
here are amazing and it's way fun to be back.  they are all going to
love you when you come! Don't worry, they are all amazing in english
as well it's crazy;)
6. I didn't see sister snows parents....but I'm sure that everyone
looks great!
7. Yeah I am think we will skype on YOUR Christmas day starting at
4:30ish? I'll send you another email letting you know more details
later this week but it should be good!
I am looking for a nativity..but unfortunately here in japan it is
really sad but nearly everyone doesn't know the true meaning a
christmas and that it's about Jesus Christ...so they don't have much
stuff around...but I promise I am looking and if I see anything I will
buy it super fast!

thank you so much for the email mom.  I love you!  It's going to be
short today..but I will make sure that I have more time next
week...and I'm going to be seeing you this week so no worries! See you
soon! be checking your email to make sure that we are on the same page
for the call on YOUR christmas day, and we will see you soon! love
you!
logan

Sent from my iPad

On 2014/12/22, at 4:51, Comcast <camillecottle@comcast.net> wrote:

Hello son!!! Did you make the move? I can't imagine how much stuff you probably accumulated over the last 6 months in Nagoaka! Bittersweet I am sure.

1.) First and most importantly, you earned a full ride academic merit scholarship to UVU!!!! How very exciting! I didn't even do anything, it was just awarded to you and posted on your uv link I believe. If you can keep a 3.5 or higher the whole year, you'll probably get another year of scholarships they say. Very very cool. This doesn't even include your leadership scholarship if you get that. So very proud of your hard work!!!! You'll need to log on to your uv link and accept that you want the scholarship. I would do that this week. :)

2.) How is the leadership stuff going? Did it all make sense last week when I have tiny instructions? You have to click that you want to go for the leadership scholarship first and the mm hopefully it will redirect you to the link to fill out the application. Charm the socks off them in the application. :) let me know anything else we can do.

3.) How are you liking being back in Shibuya? Are you in the same apartment you were in before? Is it only the two of you? Where is this Japanese companion from? How long has he been serving? Do you like him?

4.) Are you still a Zone Leader with this companion?

5.) Do all the members in that ward remember you? How is everyone doing? I am sure they will spoil you once again! :)

6.) Have you seen Sister Snow and her parents? How about Sister Christensen's? Megan Parr, Hannah Bonner, and the Whatcott girl are all home from their missions. They all look good.

7.) SO WHEN WILL YOU BE SKYPING US ON CHRISTMAS? :) I am thrilled to see and talk to you!! Yippee!! We will need your skype  account so we can add you to ours. Ours is jeff.cottle1

Let us know when and all the details. :)

Have you been able to find a nativity? I don't want to keep bugging you. :) It's ok if you cant find one as CHRISTMAS will be over and all that stuff will be out away for a season. Just let me know. Mom is giving me money for your Christmas and for the Nativity to put in your account if you find one. :)
So has it been pretty crazy moving? When did you arrive? I want LOTS of pictures. :)

I heard the sweetest thing from a friend at Walmart yesterday I had to share. She worked with me at Fox Hollow as my mentor. She asked about you in the line as we were checking out.(We're friends in Facebook).  She said,"Often times I get actual goosebumps from the things he says and I don't even know him." It brought a tear to my eye. What a beacon of light you are to others, especially all my friends that aren't LDS. I don't share you letters very often, but I'll post a passage of your letters sometimes or the darling things you will post with a picture. I have had MANY MANY people comment on how incredible those are and how they feel the spirit as well as how HAPPY you look. This is such a payday for me. :) so wonderful. I can't wait to see and be a part of this next June!

Things are crazy this last week before Christmas. Were you able to pack the 25 days of Christ I sent you?? The tree? I can't imagine trying to get everything you own and  acquired over 18 months into those suitcases. Wow. Where did Wheatley go???

I'm off for two weeks. Hallelujah. That's all I have to say. Hallelujah. Wow. Exhausting. :)

Dad and I are excited to have some relaxing time off with the boys. Eating, singing, and serving. We all went to see the Nutcracker last week. I had a student playing the main girl part, Clara. It was so fun and the Boys were troupers watching a ballet. :) would you have gone??? :)

Well can't wait to see your face. What a joy that will be for me. So excited for your future and schooling as well!! That is awesome. Make sure to accept it online. We can accept it for you if you can't or don't have time I think. Keep working on the application for leadership as well.

I want to hear my testimony that I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know he lives and that he was born in that stable with the shepherds. What a wonderful time of year to reflect on everything we have been given. I am grateful for your father and the incredible example he is to me every day, I am also so thankful that I have a missionary serving in the other side of the world. He's happy, and obedient. In super thankful for a senior who is so excited to get out on his mission and loves Heavenly Father, and a freshman who loves this gospel and stands as a firm and stalwart example to all his friends of who he is and what he believes. What else can I want? Have a merry Christmas! Talk this week!!

LOVE YOU!!!!!
Mamma

Sent from my iPhone

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Week 78! Miracle Week!

Heyyoo!

This has been amazing! We saw one of the biggest miracles I have seen
on my mission this week! We wanted to visit a less-active member on
Wednesday and had planned to go up there around 1. We got a call
during lunch from the assistant and he wanted to talk about the zone.
So we went over to the church to Skype with him. It pushed us back
about a half hour on our time so we really wanted to get up there. One
of the last things that the assistant said to us was that in Nagaoka,
our job was easy because all you have to do is talk to everyone. We
didn't know why he said that, but we started on our 15 minute bike
journey up to the less-active's house. On the way we got stopped at a
red light and saw this tall man walking across the street. He was
coming closer and we both called out to him. Normally we probably
wouldn't have because we were already late for this appointment, but
we remembered the assistant's advice (turns out it was revelation). So
we started talking with him and found out that he is from China, his
grandmother is Christian, and he has a lot of interest in Christ!
Recently because it is the Christmas season, we have been showing the
video He is the Gift, and the church has put the video out in all
languages, so we had it in Chinese! We talked about Christmas and
showed it to him. At the end we asked what he thought and he said, "I
loved it!" He really wanted to meet again and we set up to meet on
Saturday at 2. Later that night we realized that the Christmas Party
was Saturday at 5 and we would be practicing with the Branch at 2. So
we called him and switched it to 4. Fast forward to Saturday. We
played basketball with some investigators in the morning and were
planning on being to our apartment around 2 to change. The buses were
a little slow because of all the snow, so we got back around 2:30. We
got a message from Sun (this Chinese man) and he asked where we were!
He had miss understood that we changed it to 4, but we hurried to
where we were supposed to meet and walked with him to the church. He
hung out, got to know the members, and had a great time while we
practiced and hung out with him! We taught the Restoration with a
member before the Christmas Party started and at the end, his only
question was, "What does God want me to do?" The member answered
perfectly and said that first and foremost He wants us to return to
Him! And we learn how to do that at church! Sun asked us if he could
come to church the next day! He came and had a great time! He is
really prepared and we are excited for him! All-in-all he spent about 5 hours at the church on Saturday, 3 hours on Sunday, and loved every
minute of it! It was awesome!

Elder Wheatley and I are doing great.  I have absolutely no
complaints!  I have learned so much from him over the last 3 transfers
it has been a great experience.  We have been able to get along
extremely well since day one, which has just made the dendo that much
better.  We really never had to try and get used to each other, and
that just made it so good to be able to get right into the work and
continue to push it forward here in Nagaoka. We also saw another
miracle this week that is hopefully going to change the branch out
here.  There is a recent convert here in Nagaoka named N______ who
was baptized with Sister Clark and Sister Hanashiro, and she has
amazing dendo fire and really wants to share the church with as many
people as she can.  She is 17, and she has an older brother who is 19.
They are both full Brazilian, but have lived here their whole life and
speak Japanese perfectly.  But ever since N_______was baptized, she
has been teaching her brother, B____, and has been trying to help him
come to church.  He is a really shy guy, but she was able to bring him
to eikaiwa one day and we were able to meet him and just get to know
him and be his friend.  After he met us, he started asking N_______
questions about the church and about temples and about lots of things.
So, she would teach him, but she wanted him to come to church and take
the lessons with us.  We started messaging him, and this last week we
were able to set up and appointment to eat ramen with him and
N______.  We met up, and things went really well!  We just got to
know him a lot better, and then the church just came up naturally and
we talked about what we believe and how it makes us happy and he
thought everything was really good.  We talked about temples and he
says that some day he would love to try and go inside.  We talked
about how N______ had just entered the church after she learned
enough and said that he could do the same if he wanted to learn more.
He said that he has interest, and because he doesn't have a job right
now he has time to meet!  We invited him to come to the Christmas
party, and he was able to come and have a great time.  He is really
prepared and we see him with the potential of being baptized in
January!  It would be amazing to have a brother and sister who are
strong and active in the church here in Nagaoka who are so young!
Exciting to see that there are so many people here who are prepared
and who have real potential! Excited to see how things go!

Another huge miracle that has been happening over the course of a few
weeks. We woke up on Sunday to a message on our phone from L____(the
Vietnamese guy). He said that he was going to try and come to church!
We messaged him, but got no reply. Around 9:00 he messaged back and
said that he had just missed the bus, but would be on the next bus and
would make it to the station at 10:30. He would be late for church,
but we were really excited still! We got it all planned out to leave
sacrament meeting early and go pick him up in the car with a member
because the snow was falling like crazy! We messaged us back and said
that the train was late and he would get there around 11:00 instead so
we waited, but it was later than he thought so he got there at 11:30.
Anyway, we picked him up and brought him back to the church. We were
able to participate in the last little bit of Gospel Principles and it
was all on the Spirit. We then did a lesson with him and a member from
Fiji that moved here recently. It was really good! He said the he was
never able to put a name on it before, but now he knows what the
Spirit feels like. He said that there have been times in his life
where he has felt to do something or not to do something and the good
or bad things have come from how he listened. It was amazing! He
shared the experience that he had on Sunday morning. He felt the
Spirit tell him to go to bed Saturday nightearly, but he ignored it
and played video games until late. He woke up Sunday morning at about
8:30, but felt tired and didn't want to go to church. When he closed
his eyes, he said that my face popped into his mind and said, "Sleep
is for the poor!" hahaha it was from an earlier lesson we had
previously, and I guess he remembered what I said!  Haha we bore
testimony that it was the Spirit that brought that back to his
remembrance. In his prayer at the end he said that he was sorry for
"ignoring" Him (Heavenly Father), but he was going to do better from
now on and try to feel the Spirit as much as possible! His faith has
grown so much over the last few weeks! It is really awesome to
experience and be a part of! When we told him that we had transfer
calls the next day, he said that neither of us could leave because we
were his best friends! It felt really good for him to say that and it
has been fun to get to know him!

This week was also had a Christmas party here that was a tremendous
success.  We started planning this party right after Halloween, and
really pushed that we wanted to have tons of people come, and for it
to be a great opportunity for members to Dendo their friends and
invite other people to the church. We worked really closely with the
branch here, and had the idea to do a play, and kind of reenact the
Nativity, and then have lots of musical numbers done by the branch and
by the missionaries. We got everything prepped, and this Saturday we
had the party and it was amazing! We ended up having a total of around
60 people who attended, and had maybe around 35-40 non members in
attendance!  The party went great and every single person had a great
time and left with a smile on their face.  It was great to see
everyone kind of catch the true meaning, and we finished the party by
watching He is the Gift which really just topped everything off really
well.  It really felt amazing to see so many people in the church, and
helped me catch the vision of how many people God really wants
attending this building here in Nagaoka.  It was an incredible
opportunity for so many people to come, and it really excited the
branch!  They are getting ready to plan the next activity already!

This week has been amazing!  As some of you may already know, this
will be my last week in Nagaoka because we got transfer calls and I
will be transferring!  The crazy part is that I will be transferring
back to the area that I just came from!  I served in Shibuya for 2
transfers earlier this year, and then transferred here and have spent
5 transfers here, and now I get to go back!  Apparently there are
amazing things happening there, and I am so excited to have the chance
to serve back in the big city again!  I loved Shibuya when I was there
last year with Elder Egbert, and I felt like I had to leave too soon,
so I am way excited to have the chance to go back and work there
again!  I will also obviously have a new companion, and he is
Japanese!  This will be my first Japanese companion, but I am way
excited for it!  His name is Elder Suguwara, and he actually used to
be in my zone up here, he was trained in Sanjo actually!  I'm excited
to get to work with him and excited to have the chance to speak a lot
more Japanese;) This transfer has been so much fun, and I can't
believe that it is already at an end!  I am so excited to see all the
things that happen here in Nagaoka, because there are so many people
who are prepared to be baptized!  I know that Nagaoka is always going
to have a special place in my heart, and the people that I got to meet
here are some of my best friends in Japan!  It has been a blessing to
work here and I know that the Lord has some stuff He wants me to take
care of back in Shibuya!  Thank you all for all your support!  I am
sorry that this email is so long...but there were just too many
amazing things that happened this week!  Love you and I will talk to
you soon!

Love,

Logan

This is something we are doing in the mission right now for
Christmas, so I thought I would send my picture home!
My work out this morning, shoveling. Yeah that snow is past my
waist...haha this is on the top of our building!

Visiting a less active
We went to the N_______'s for dinner with our recent convert
h______k_____ and had a great Christmas dinner! Amazing family!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Week 78! 雪だ!❄️⛄️

Hello!

This week has been an adventure!  Friday morning there was a huge
clash of thunder, and instead of rain, snow started falling!  And it
came down!! We had our Zone meeting that day which went great! But
after the meeting we went outside and there was probably 5-6 inches of
snow on the ground and it was still coming!  It has been snowing on
and off all weekend and it is literally a winter wonderland here!  I
will send lots of pictures, but it's unbelievable here!  I know there
isn't any snow in Utah, but I think that is because we stole it
all...haha but it's been fun to work in!  I have to say thanks to my
amazing mom for sending me those swims shoe cover things? Those have
SAVED me this week in the snow and are still saving me.  They are
being well used!  But it has been fun to be out working in the snow
and meeting lots of great people!

We were really busy this week!  Like I said on Friday we had our Zone
Meeting and it went really good!  While Elder Wheatley and I were
thinking about what we wanted to train about and we really felt like
working with the members is something that we can improve as a zone
here...so we spent the whole meeting talking about how we can better
serve with the members and how we can build their trust more and it
went really well!  After that we had a christmas party with the zone
with lots of food and a white elephant exchange which was really fun!

We also had a big Christmas Concert this week in Niigata where all the
missionaries performed and it was really good!  They video'd it so I
think that I will be able to get a copy of the whole thing and maybe
send it but it was way fun!  We had Kent Derricot there who is a
member from utah who is really famous in japan and it was a great
concert!  I took as many pictures as I could at all of this so I will
be sending those out but it was way fun to be with all the
missionaries and have a chance to celebrate christmas together!

Yesterday we also had our big Zone Conference with President and
Sister Budge and that was amazing.  We talked all about Christmas and
the miracles we are working to see here!  President Budge has amazing
faith and it was great to learn from him and the Assistants and learn
about how we can be better this Christmas season to see more miracles!
The spirit was really strong the whole meeting, and it was just a
huge blessing to learn there!  Those kind of meetings always get you
really excited to get out there and go to work!  It was an amazing
week and we were so busy!  We had Zone conference yesterday, which is
why we have p day on tuesday but things are going so amazing!  I
really feel the Lord preparing his people here in Japan for the
gospel, and its the most amazing opportunity to serve him during this
season!  I love you all and I'm so grateful for your prayers and
support!  Have an amazing week and I'll talk to you soon!

Love,
Logan

Sent from my iPad

It snowed a lot!

Me and Elder Wheatley on the roof and the snow!
Us with Kent Derricot at the Christmas Concert. 
Riding in the snow!
Elder Egbert's last transfer. 
Our zone at our Christmas party!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Week 77! Pictures and a big email?

Hello everyone!

Unfortunately today I have no time to write a big email, so I am going
to explain this week the best I can with pictures! Lots of great
things happened this week, but nothing outrageous or crazy out of the
ordinary unfortunately...this pictures kinda show some of the stuff we
did! I promise I will write a big good email this next week! Love you
all so much!
1. We had a ton of ice cream this week!
2. This week was thanksgiving! With the 4 of us we bought the closest
thing to america as we could...Big Macs! We ate that with a bunch of
other stuff and watched a movie for our thanksgiving! It was
definitely one to remember!
3. This week we went on a hunt Sunday morning to find kaosu, and we
ended up down by the river. It's amazing where you can end up!

Hey we took a more pictures this week!
 Hope you don't mind...
1. This week we had exchanges and I met S______! Way nice man who
loves learning about the Book of Mormon!
2. We had district lunch in Joetsu! Always love the district lunches!
3. Then I had the chance to take a picture with the one and only K_____!
4. K_____ came to ping pong again this week and we drew some pictures
of each other haha.