Happy Easter!

Hello!

This week has been...well it's been and it's gone haha :)
There are some changes! Changes in time, weather and my companion!
Man that one less hour of sleep really kills when you're a missionary haha :) We tried to get up a little early yesterday, to give ourselves time to get out of the house early, but that didn't work haha :) Too tired. Out of bed at the prescribed hour, thank you! Sunday was just a crazy day actually...
So it's Easter, right? (Happy late Easter!) so
we get to the chapel early to make sure everything's nice and in order and ready for everyone, haha almost no one showed up on time! :P Probably because of the time change haha :) I laughed to myself. :) THEN we went home to eat lunch because we didn't manage to get ourselves invited to someones home (there's a sidenote*).
I cooked the rice and got it good and done and it sat in the pot kind of finishing cooking and right in the middle of me trying to start the chicken curry...our gas ran out! haha We have a tank that feeds our water heater and stove, and we need to replace it about one a month or so...man what a time to go.
So what did I do? The only think I could. Cooked in the microwave haha :) It actually wasn't bad, and luckily the rice was already done. Not the most amazing Easter meal, but still good :)

So My new companion! Elder Wait! He's now in his 5th transfer. There's about the same distance between us as there was between Elder Gilbert and I...so that's a frightening thought! haha :)
He's one of the most Christlike people I know. He's very ambitios and has lots of good ideas on how to help our ward. He and I are getting along well. It's funny because I was in the office when he came into the mission. So I saw him grow up haha...so to speak.
The kid is straighter than an arrow. He finished college already studying architecture, and has plans to go home to do his masters. He's 23 and converted to the church about 2 -1/2 years ago. He's an awesome guy.

We've been facing some opposition from Inês's family, but we're trying to help her over come it so that she can be baptized which'll be awesome! :)

We were supposed to have an outdoor ward activity today, but the rain killed it. Darn you rain. We were going to have a barbque! My life is over! haha :) I think I'm becoming accustomed to a climate that doesn't rain as much as home...even though I miss my dear Oregon. Today during studies I had the heater by my feet and the window slightly cracked so I could smell the rain :)

Well, we've got some good looking weeks ahead of us! I'm excited :)

I just want to include here my testimony of our Savior, Jesus Chirst. I love Easter because it's an opportunity to remember not only that Christ suffered for us, so He could understand us perfectly, to pay the price for our sin. but He also rose again. So that I can rise again. That every single person that ever lived our will live will live again. I know that He lives, that He loves us, and that He still leads His church through His prophet, Thomas S. Monson.

Hope you're all doing well! Sorry I'm a bad writer! We're supposed to be getting two computers side by side in the chapel soon, so that would mean I could be a bit better at responding to everyone, But I missi you all!

Abraço.
Elder Buchanan

*Side note: It's funny, my mother always taught me to never invite myself to someone's house. Haha but as a missionary, that's what I do all the time. "When can we come over and teach/visit you?" Our ward missionary leader and another member Think we need to be more upfront about getting meals with members, that we should ask rather than wait to be invited. David, a member was telling us about his mission in spain and how he used to go up to members after church and ask, "So, Irmão, when are we coming to your house for lunch?" haha :) He told us to never have fear to ask them for food, "Só diz 'Os Servos do Senhor tem fome!' " haha ("Just say, 'The Servants of the Lord are hungry!' ") That what he told me haha :)
The purpose of meals is to fortify and build up the members, as well as feed us. Cuz it's nice to have a meal that you didn't cook haha

20 Years Young

I'm no longer a teenager... weird haha

This week was crazy. This'll be a short one in all actuality, so I apologize, but I'll put in some pictures to make up for it!

Wednesday. Let's just focus on Wednesday. 6 marked appointments. 5 with investigators, all planned to have members of our ward come with us, right?
The day started with the member who was to be with us for 3 of the appointments cancelling, he had a good excuse, cool, that's ok. We talk a recent convert and then he came with us to the following appointment instead. Appointment was a disaster but we marked a new one. Next appointment fell through. Appointment for the end of the day called, fell through. Then our member who was supposed to come with us got lost and walked 40 minutes the opposite direction, he's new to the area, that's cool, went to the appointment, didn't answer...

What a ridiculous day of  mission life haha :) I'll just let that experience take the cake for this email.
In other news, I got a great package from my family on my birthday, brought to me by the Ashby's, who are the freaking greatest. Sister Ashby even made us (me ;) ) a whole cake!!! MMM so good :) and a cute little banner. IT was really nice :) Then they inspected our house. WE PASSED :)

A young man named Pedro came to church with us, so that was cool. And a member brought his brother, so that was cool to get to know him!

Here's to a better week :) "Ser Mormon é ser feliz!" " To be Mormon is to be happy!"

Abraço,
Elder Buchanan

 The  photo is for everyone who wished me a happy birthday this week, in whatever way they did :) (Translation: "Thank you so much! I love you all!")

Adventure is Out There!

Hello! :)

This week was fantastic! Today I'm actually not in Póvoa! I had to take a taxi and two buses with my companion to come all the way down and east to the city of Portalgre! So that my companion, and Elder Zwahlen's companion could go leave the mission limits together and take care of things in Lisbon today! So I'm spending p-day with Elder Zwahlen. He's pretty laid back, chill dude. He trained my last comp, Elder Morrison and they're very alike haha :) Oh man, the trip down here was soooooo long :) Going back is going to be soooooo loooooooong :) haha :)

This week we met and marked appointments to teach 3 families! We are bringing members to all of them so it'll be awesome! I'm super excited! There's a family with 2 older children and a younger one, there's a couple that have a small child and then there's a mom with two older kids and a niece! They've all got a lot of potential to accept the gospel! :)

We had a new couple move into our ward from the Oetis Stake down in the greater Lisbon area. They are very nice! He's a returned missionary and so he's happy to come teach with us when time will permit! They also invited us over for lunch on Friday, which I just realized will be my birthday!

Holy cow. I honestly can't believe that I'm turning 20 years old in only a matter of days. Two decades of life! holy cow! That's a large milestone. No longer a teenager. It's like the final nail in the coffin of my childhood haha :) It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I had my 19th birthday. I was still in my first transfer in Portugal. We had fasted from the day before until that morning as a mission and I had been on a division the day before with Elder Domingo’s, and had gotten the chance to only be able to speak Portuguese with him. It was interesting! And then that morning, he distracted me while elder fortes and my trainer Elder Cluff put the "candles"(matches) in my cake. I came in and they sang happy birthday to me :) It wasn't a huge ordeal, but it made me feel good :) It's weird to think that another year has come and gone since then. It seems like an eternity ago, and yet just the other day!

I love being out here on my mission. It's the biggest opportunity I have to serve others. I get worry about very few things. Truly when Christ told His Apostles to take no thought as to what they would wear or eat He was reminding them to think not of themselves, and instead focus their service on others. I only have 9 months left out here. And they're going to be the best 9 months ever. Because I get to spend them forgetting my worries and myself and instead focus on the needs of others and how I can help them! What a lesson and a blessing!

I know that Jesus Christ Lives. I know that through His prophet, Joseph Smith, Christ and our Heavenly Father restored the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth in the exact form that Christ himself established! I have sought and prayed and fasted and I know!

I miss you all very much! I hope you all have a great week! Feel free to send a note if you wish :)

Abraço,
Elder Buchanan