Monday, September 14, 2015

Goodbye Oklahoma (Week 104)

Well this is my last email being a full-time missionary. I'm so grateful for all of the experiences I've had as a missionary here in Oklahoma. The people here will always have a place in my heart. My mission has taught me so much about love and obedience. I know the memories I've had here in Duncan will last forever.

This week has been a blur. It has flown by so fast. Where do I begin?

We got a new investigator on Friday while me and Elder Norman were on exchanges. He walked up to us while we were contacting a farmer, and asked us to come over to his house after we were finished with our conversation. So we did and taught him about the Book of Mormon and left him with a copy. He is really interested. We are going to go back on Tuesday to teach him more!

We were very bold with Br~ on Saturday. He is frustrating himself by looking to prove the Book of Mormon (Which he just finished a couple of weeks ago) by physical evidence. We bore our testimonies of the Book of Mormon. We read Alma 7:5-17. The only way that we can receive testimony is from the holy spirit, the spirit of truth. It was a good visit. The Book of Mormon should be read by the mind but it should also be read by the heart.

Sunday was amazing, I'm going to miss the people in this ward a lot. We had a great turn out for attendance, as a district we had 10 investigators and 8 less-actives come to sacrament meeting. Incredible! Both Elder Norman and I gave talks in sacrament. It was an amazing service and all of the talks were great. J~ came to church! She walked in right as the invocation was finished and walked up to the podium. She enjoyed church and hopefully will be coming again next week.

After church we had an amazing meal at the Z~'s. Oreo cooked us rib-eye steaks with baked potatoes. They love the missionaries so much, I'm so grateful for them. I hope he gets baptized soon. He has some stumbling blocks he has to move first. Keep them in your prayers.

Wednesday morning I'll be driving up to Moore with Elder Sheffield for transfers. At noon the departing missionaries will have lunch and then we will go to the temple for a session. I am so excited! I'm not sure what we are doing after that. I'm sure we will have interviews and then spend time with president.

I want to thank everyone for their love and support while I've been out here. Your words and thoughts have taught me so much! I have felt your prayers. Thank you for everything!

I'm so excited to come home and visit with all of you!

Sincerely, Elder Watkins

 The Z~'s

Bishop Cross and Sister Cross


Stake President Petersen and Sister Petersen


I met Steven Spielberg! aka Marlon

Me and Br~

Almost done!

Brother McDaniel and K~


Tuesday, September 8, 2015

The Last Days (Week 103)

This week has been splendid. We are finding a lot of new people to teach!

We have started to teach a new part-member family! Their name has always been on the roster, but it was missing an address. Well a couple of weeks ago, it showed up! Since then we had been knocking their door every time we came through their area, but there was never any cars in the driveway and no one would answer. Well one day our appointment fell through so we decided to drive by and try them again. This time there was a truck in the drive way. So we anxiously knocked it and they invited us right in! We got to know them and learned more about the husband's religious background. He was raised catholic and has Hispanic roots. He is awesome and wants to learn more about the church. His wife has tried to explain the church to him, but she has been away for so long its been hard for her. He works in the oil field so he is gone a lot. He also shared with us that his job has been hard because he feels like he is one of the only guys who is married and has a family. Then on Sunday we talked to a couple of the young oil field members that have kids who work a similar shift of 6 days on and 3 off, and it turns out they know him from their crew at work. They are going to start fellow shipping with him at work and invite him to activities and church. That was a pretty cool miracle.

This Sunday we had a very less active part member family come to church another whose name was also on the roster but had no address. We got to visit with him and his wife (non-members) for a bit after sacrament and got their new address. Which turns out to be on the same street as the Lewises! - one of the amazing families in the ward that lets us have investigators come to their home every Thursday night for activities and lessons. We told him about it and are going to invite their family for our next Thursday activity as soon as his work schedule permits. He works 27 days on and 10 off so it will be tough, but we will make it happen.

After church we got word of another part-member family that just showed up on the roster who moved into Marlow! Is this real life? We Got the new address from the Clerk, and last night we went up and knocked their door. The member answered and we had a really good conversation with Him on his porch and got to know him. He is a young mechanic in the Army at Fort Sill. He's been married for about 2 years and has two kids. He hasn't been to church in a long time and wants to come back. He asked us for all of the church services information and said he is going to try and make it this Sunday. We will be visiting with hopefully his whole family Sunday evening.

Another eventful thing that happened at church was that the bishopric asked me to give a talk for my last Sunday in the field which is cool because this is the only ward I haven't spoken at yet. I'll be the concluding speaker so I'll prepare a 15 minute talk while I also prepare my homecoming talk for the following Sunday, it should be a busy week of studies. I'm thinking about just giving my homecoming talk for both because they are both on missionary work.

Time's up, I love you all! See you soon!

Sincerely, Elder Watkins

 Scrap'in and paint'in

Elder Sheffield pulling a Michael Scott/Han solo

The Womack's had us make concrete squares with our names in them
 
Bowling on p-day as a district
 
 A pond in a gated community in Lawton. Beautiful
 
Found this 1970's camera in its original box at Good Will for 5$



Monday, September 7, 2015

P-Day Pictures

A kind member in Elder Watkins area sent the following picture text to his Mother today. It read:

"Just wanted you to know that we had Elder Watkins in our home today. We love him, and as a result, we love you and are grateful you prepared him to be a wonderful missionary."

Needless to say it made our day.