Contact Elder Watson

Jacob will be unable to read this blog during his mission. If you wish to contact him, please use the information below.
He may not be able to respond directly to each letter or e-mail, so check back weekly to learn of his progress!

jwatson@myldsmail.net

Adriatic South Mission
P.O. Box 2984
Bulevardi "Gjergj Fishta"
Qendra "ALPAS", Shkalla NR. 5,
Apartamenti NR. 14
Tirana 10000, Albania

Monday, January 26, 2015

26 January 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for the weekly emails! I really appreciate it! It's always wonderful hearing about what is happening at home. I can't believe I'll hit my one year mark this week! The time has flown by so fast! There is this one family we visit here in Durrës and they have a daughter on a mission. They said that the time has flown by like crazy. They tell us that their daughter describes the first half of your mission as climbing up a ladder, and the second half is the slide down. She'll be getting home in February. It just hit me the other day that February is only a few days away! It'll be awesome to be here when she gets back home! 

It's been a lot warmer here, lately. This last Saturday we were playing futboll with some of the young men and we were playing in shorts and t-shirts. It was pretty warm. Wow! Rachel, you had quite the week! {Rachel had to go to the eye doctor, getting new glasses which she has to wear all the time, and the orthodontist, getting more brackets on her teeth, last week.} That's great that Uncle Jerry and his family are doing well! Give them my regards.

So this week we were blessed by the Lord in so many ways! Probably the biggest blessing this week was Besa got baptized!! We've had some issues with scheduling her baptism, so it was a wonderful relief when everything came together beautifully for her baptism. It was such a beautiful event! She was very happy afterward. Then again on Sunday when she was confirmed, she was super happy as well! In Sunday school that day, she also talked more than she ever had before and she gave wonderful testimonies of everything! I was super happy that she was baptized and confirmed this week! President Weidmann came to her baptism and he actually performed the ordinance. He said he was really nervous because he was going to do it in Albanian. He did very well! He didn't have to read anything or to have any help! He had everything down in Albanian! It was very beautiful! He was very happy after the baptismal service as well. His daughter actually returned from her mission this week. She was in the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission. She got to Albania on Thursday, and on Thursday night she came to Durrës with her parents to see Besa's baptism! She said it was a good transition from being a full-time missionary back to "regular" life. This week we also had interviews with President Weidmann. I love having interviews with him so much! He's such an amazing man! I really look forward to working with him. That's one of the greatest things I've noticed from being in a leadership position. I really love getting to work with President Weidmann on a much closer level. He's so inspiring! I always look forward to and get excited about interviews with him! 

I've been seeing the Hand of the Lord more and more in my life every day! I absolutely love being a full-time missionary. Of course, at times it's difficult, but it's such a rewarding experience! You get to see the Gospel making a bigger change in your life and in the lives of others! I've seen the Gospel change people's hearts and I've seen them come and get baptized to make sacred promises with God. I've seen the change that comes from baptism in the lives of many individuals. I've kinda' explained the happiness I have seen in Besa after her baptism, and I've seen similar changes in the lives of many others! I've also seen the changing power of the Gospel in the lives of other missionaries. I've seen missionaries that have struggled with things in the past, become strong and be wonderful examples toward other missionaries. The blessings of being a full-time missionary aren't just for the person serving. They are for those whom the missionary serves, as well of the lives of everyone that will interact with that person in the future. It also brings blessings to those that know the missionary as well. It may not be possible to see the blessings that come from it in the present, but many years down the road we'll understand those blessings more fully!

I thank you very much for your prayers and support. I could not do this without your help! Ju falendëroj shumë! Ju dua shumë! U nglifshi shëndosh!! U bekofshit me paqe, lumturi, dhe ndhimë qiellore!

Me dashuri të madhe,

Elder Watson

Eating bugaçe.  You can see the pain and fear in my eyes!!
We were contacting in the rain and a Bentley drove by.
Besa finally got baptized this week!!!!!  Yeah!

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