Missionary Work is so Awesome - Jun 13, 2011

Aloha Everyone! Well the work is coming along!  I love to be of service to anyone in need.  Sometimes I do get hardened but the Lord always softens my heart once again so that I may give and love freely.  I love to work with investigators and see them come unto Christ through the covenant of baptism but I equally love working with the less actives.  I feel such a connection with them.  When a less active becomes converted again it reminds me of the feeling I had coming back into the church.  Missionary work is so awesome!  I still can't believe I'm here.  The year has gone by so quickly and I feel it's going even quicker now that I'm over the hump!

 

The work is crazy out here.  Always moving, always thinking, always praying, always working.  I feel so exhausted and I love it.  It's the exhaustion that is so satisfying and gratifying. So awesome! This week was great. Found a couple of new investigators.  We are really trying to improve and step it up!  I can't wait to get back out and just do it!  Keep in touch and thank for the update. I'll talk to you next week! 

 

Elder Watson

Jun 6, 2011

So this past week we were able to have a baptism.  Kayla Budija. She is a 10 yr old girl that my companion and his previous companion have been working with for a while, ans she was able to get baptized by her father, a recent convert.  It was so awesome and her mother, Sister Budija, who converted a long time ago, was so ecstatic to have been able to see her husband get the priesthood and baptize their daughter!  That was the highlight of the week.  We are just trucking along, getting fat from all this wonderful Virginian food!  I love and miss you all!  I didn't get any email love this week! :(  That's okay!  Let me know how thing are going.  Thanks for all the snail mail!!!  Until next week!

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Elder Jesse-James K. F. Watson

Memorial day In Berryville - May 30, 2011

Hey everybody!  Today was a wonderful memorial day!  We spent the morning doing our necessary errands and the rest of the afternoon with the Pearsons, a member that used to be in the Berryville ward before their ward split earlier this year.  We celebrated their daughters birthday and played kickball and wiffleball (sp?)  It was loads of fun especially because we got to spend it with some of the elders in the zone.  Today it got to 96 degrees while we were playing and my heat rash it coming back out!  Not fun.   We've, Elder Hess and I, have been sweating so badly its gross.  I'm going through clothes like crazy!  After a nice p-day I'm ready to get to work!  There is just so much people to see and work to do here it's hard for me to get it off my mind.  For instance, I was singing happy birthday to Alyssa Pearson, and after singing I thought of her friend we were teaching and wanted to ask her how things were going with him, if she felt like he was progressing, things she could do to help in the process.  Just all throughout the day people pop into my head.  I love it! 

 

We'll things are going great in Berryville.  We have been running out of miles each day so we've been riding bikes in the hot hot weather!  It's a killer but I like it!  Gets my legs back in shape and I feel like I'm being really productive!  I don't know why but yeah!  Anyways!  I love you all and I'll talk to you all laters!!!!!

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Elder Jesse-James K. F. Watson

Transfer to Virginia - May 23, 2011

So I have transferred to VIRGINIA!!!!  I'm out in the west again and even closer to the sticks than before! LoL... I absolutely love it here in Berryville.  The people are nice and ...... interesting! Virginia is way beautiful. Very green and lucious (sp?).  My new companions name is Elder Todd Hess.  He is quite awesome!!!  I love him already.  He's a great missionary and he came into the mission field at the same time that Elder Savage did.  According to the Mission Lineage he is my nephew because he was trained by Elder Barlow who was trained by Elder McMaster, my trainer.  Elder McMaster served here in Berryville after leaving Mt. Airy and people are still talking about him.  He is an extraordinary missionary that has Christ in his coutenance that whereever he goes people love him!  Elder McMaster is now serving as an assistant to the President (AP).  He is doing really well.  I am doing soooo much better now that I'm out of Baltimore.  The spirit is flowing through me like crazy.  I didn't realize how hard Baltimore city was until now.  So I'm loving life right now.  It's great to be here in Berryville and can't wait to share the experiences I'll have out here.  I hope you all are doing well.  Please let me know how things are going.  It's getting real hot out here.  Summers are killers up here.  Way more humid than Hawaii!  Oh and the pictures I send before was taken today.  For our P-day we went disc golfing.  It was way fun and I heard we do lots on P-days so I'm looking forward to our next one.  Elder Hess, my companion was the one all the way on the left.  The tall, large in stature, blonde. ;)  He's so awesome!  Anyway, let me know how things are!  I miss and love you all. Take care and God speed!

 

PS: My new address is: 1104 Conway Street

                                    Winchester, VA 22601

May 16, 2011

Aloha ! 

 

Another transfer has come and gone and only after 4 and a half months I'm getting transferred!  Crazy! I though I was going to stay there longer.  I will be leaving tomorrow so this day is kind of a jam packed day with packing, washing clothes and preparing everything for when I leave. Like always this transfer is bitter sweet. I'm still district leader, after this next transfer I'll be DL for 9 months. CRAZY!  It was a difficult position this past three transfers but it's taught me a lot. Hopefull I can take what I learned and apply it in my next area!  Anyway, Aloha no and malama pono. I will send you all the information on where I will be asap!  Love you all!

 

Elder Jesse-James K. F. Watson

May 2, 2011

Hey everyone!  Just wanted to say hello!  It's finally nice and beautiful out here. I wish I had pictures to show you all how beautiful it gets in the spring.  I am loving the weather and loving that I can wear short sleeves again. I was just thinking the other day how crazy it was that I'm finishing up my final season making it a full year out on my mission.  At first, to think about another year, it seems like a long time.  But looking back on this last year it went by in the blink of an eye.  I look forward to another year of challenges and blessings.  It's makes life sooooo much like a roller coaster ride. All you wanna do it get off this crazy ride and then you look back and want to do it all over again. crazy.

 

So guess what, yesterday the investigator, Corrine Stanely, got baptized.  I didn't get to baptize her or see her baptism but it's all good. I was soooooo excited to hear she is finally baptized.  A woman, who at the first meeting seemed to have no potential and totally not ready for the gospel,  but, when you add diligence, godly love, and use spiritual eyes, you see their true potential and help them get to where they need to be.  I am going to see if we can visit her sometime today and if so I think I might break rules and give her a hug!!! hehe.  I'll take a picture with her and send it to you all! 

 

We'll how is everyone doing??  I hope you have been doing awsome and if not keep your head up. The Lord is watching and standing next to you with his arms outstretched.  Grab hold and let him lift you up.  And once you're up you see how much you've grown. I love you all and miss you so much but I'll be home soon.  Take great care and I will talk to you all laters!!  Love you!

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Elder Jesse-James K. F. Watson

Meeting an Apostle of the Lord - Apr 18, 2011

This week went pretty well. We had the opportunity to see and meet Elder Andersen, one of the twelve apostles, at stake conference.  He grabbed my left shoulder as he talked with a few of us missionaires.  Everyone wanted the jacket I was wearing! lol....so crazy.  It was a wonderful meeting and we invited a few of our less actives we had met this past week and all of them came!! I was soooo excited.  It was everything they needed to hear and I needed to hear a few things myself!  I am so grateful that we have prophets and apostles today just like during the time Christ lived on the earth. I'm grateful for their love and service in helping us and guiding us back to our Father in Heaven again. 

Other than that I'm just trying my best to do all I can to help others come unto Christ by helping recieve the restored gospel.  I'm enjoying my time as a district leader even though times get real tough. But I know that I can always rely on the Lord to help me through those rough times.  After each challenge that comes my way I am made stronger in faith and I feel myself grow.  I guess i can only expect it to get harder and harder.  And as I continue to put my faith in Christ and God and follow the promptings of the spirit, I will be able to overcome each challenge and come out stronger than before.  I love this gospel and know that it is true.  I love you all and I can't wait to hear from you all again. 

Elder Watson

Neil L Andersen's Bio

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Elder Jesse-James K. F. Watson