Here are a few thoughts from Lucas's email to me this week.

This week's been a bit hard, mostly on my back. I've started the new treatments twice a week and they at first made me sore in my abs, but the last three days or so my back muscles have really hurt and it's been hard to walk. But I've been out working with Elder Wanlass, as Elder Zanni had foot surgery on Tuesday, and Elder Bortolo's toe still isn't better.

Elders Buchanan, Zanni, Bortolo and Wanlass

We taught an investigator of theirs - João. And we invited him to be baptized August 7th, and he said yes. Which was awesome! He came to church too.
We were finally able to teach a small family that we met 2 weeks ago. It was a bit crazy with the 3 little ones running around and they didn't understand a lot, but they became more open and want us to come back another time.

We had a fanTAStic zone conference with President this week. He gave an amazing training about chapter 8 of Preach My Gospel
, which are the attributes of Christ. But instead of talking directly about each attribute, he instead focused on Christ. He used the first few paragraphs of the chapter as his basis. We watched the bible video and read the verses when Christ called Peter, Andrew, James and John to discipleship. "Come follow me, and I will make ye Fishers of Men." He talked about how every other chapter in PMG is focused on what we DO, but this chapter is focused on who we ARE. Christ made these four men, what they could have never have been of themselves. He offers the same call to us. And he can make us who we never could be ourselves, like Him. Then he invited us to follow the example of Ben Franklin in choosing one attribute a week to work on (Franklin had 12 Virtues) and to do everything we can to develop that attribute that week. There is a list of 54 attributes at the end of Chapter 8. So he invited us to pick one this week and then one more every week for the rest of our mission.

House Bound

I've been in the house all week, but not with Elder Zanni but with Elder Bortolo. He had an infection in his big toe, so the doctor removed the whole nail. He had to stay in. So rather than their area not be worked for a week, I stayed with him and his comp Elder Wanlass went with Elder Zanni everyday. So I was stuck in the house haha. Rested my back a bit, but I was bored most of the time. We took to filming little videos that were funny but dumb, playing chess (somebody left a board in our house) and casting actors in our Book of Mormon movie haha.
All in all, there's not a lot to report on the work front.

Spiritually however I have some good stuff. The Spirit is the real missionary.
It's interesting. If we truly do all we can, the Spirit does all the work. As a missionary, as well as a member, we must prepare daily. Study the scriptures, try to understand the words of life. Treasure them up. As we do, we create a cache of knowledge and understanding with which the Spirit can work. He places us in the lives of others or moves them into ours. He prompts us to speak. And if we truly are "good", then that's enough and we are instruments for the Spirit to teach. In everything we do, be it a missionary teaching a lesson, a Sunday school teacher in class or us just talking to a friend about the gospel, all we have to do is be a good instrument and the rest doesn't matter because the Spirit does all the work. He gives us the words he needs to come unto the hearts of individuals :)
How cool is that?!

I'm grateful for the Atonement and the sacrament through which we can renew our covenants daily. I love that my mission has taught me to come even closer to my Savior.

CAMPEÕES EUROPEUS!

Portugal won the EuroCup! WOOO!!! I was a Portuguese on Sunday Night when I found that out haha :) We won! There were horns honking, engines blaring, horns blowing, people shouting. Someone even set of fire works haha good times :) Viva Portugal! 1st time they've won :)

This week was actually a blur. Can't really remember much of it actually haha :) But yesterday we had a mission wide meeting. It was cool to get to sing the mission Hymn with the ENTIRE mission there (including Maderia!) Lots of force :)

We had a fantastic event at the church on Saturday. An Arrail! São João Brasilian style. Very good! Lots of investigators and members all there. We had 7 investigators there! :) woo!

On Sunday, Maria do Céu and Bruno got baptized in Porto 1! I started teaching them and marked them for baptism! But then I left, but Bruno asked that I baptize him! :) That was super cool :) He's gonna be an awesome missionary some day.

All in all, it's been a good week. My back's holding up.

Hope y'all are well! Have an awesome week!

Abraço,
Elder Buchanan

Fourth of July

Happy America day! Huzzah! Best Country in the world ;)
Patriotism...That's how you do it my friends.

What a cool week! I don't have a lot to say, but I've got a good story!

In Portugal, everyone thinks it's hilarious that we're all called "Elder" because for them its pronounced the same as the name "Helder" so they all get a good laugh out of it. Well the youths also will be annoying and yell "oh elder!" just to mess with us. 'Cuz they know we're all "Elder" Well when someone shouts that, it's fun to go over to the person and contact them. They always get a bit uncomfortable and then you know there's one less person to yell "oh elder" haha. I've only done it like twice
Well that's the background. Elder Zanni and I are getting off the Metro and I hear "Oh elder!" I decide to ignore it, but then there it is again and Elder Zanni hears it too. He's gonna walk away but I'm like...naw man, we gotta go contact him. I can't let this slip by! So we got over and we're like "You called?" and he says, "Yeah! I want to know more about your church!" Man! haha it was so cool! His name is Diego and he's from Argentine too like Elder Zanni, so they hit it off really well. Diego is super ready to hear our message. He said he's felt an absence of God and he doesn't really feel it in many churches. He introduced us to his dad on the phone! It was so cool! They were gonna come to church but something came up so we're gonna have to follow up! That day was super cool!

Well, I hope y'all have a good week!

Abraço!

New Zone Leaders in Porto

Hey everyone!
Sorry I couldn't write last week and this week will only be a brief look into my week.

I finally left Porto 1 and where did I go? Porto 2!!! haha :) I served here for six weeks last August, so lots of people still remember me which is nice. I've been called to serve as Zone Leader of Porto with my new companion Elder Zanni! He's from Argentina. So I'm taking advantage and trying to learn some Spanish to complement my Portuguese haha

Elder Zanni's an awesome missionary. Super funny, loves to laugh, hard worker!
President gave us the challenge to be perfect examples for our Zone because he needs 100% obedience to missionary rules leaders. So that's what we've been doing!

We're doing a white wash here. We work in more suburban part of Porto, closer to Matosinhos and Amial. The last Elders left us some contacts to work with but not much so we're working hard to find people to teach and bring to church!

I'm having a great week :) We live in a house with Elder Bortolo an awesome Brazilian and Elder Wanlass, an awesome American, who's hilarious.

Have a great week!

Abraço,
Elder Buchanan

                                  

Elders Zanni, Buchanan, Bortolo and Wanlass

Dia de Portugal!

You guys!
Today is Portugal day! How cool is that?! What? What's Portugal day? ...I actually have no idea. These people have like 6 "Independence" days. All I can say is that if Aliens invaded Portugal, it's a good chance they could call it Independence Day 2 haha

Today is also the day Elder Morrison hits a year in the mission! (I hit 6 months until I go home this last Tuesday!) So to celebrate, we're gonna take part of our pday and go on a hike! It's easy because our area is so huge it's really hard to go outside of it! haha We'll see how my back holds up, it shouldn't be too much uphill, relatively flat. I haven't been feeling much better, however...but maybe this'll strengthen the muscles. Or make them worse haha...:/

I'm gonna be honest with y'all...I had a good story to tell, I know it. And I thought about it like yesterday...but now I can't remember what it was...A HA! Remembered :)

SO! I'm getting physical therapy right? It's at the clinic in the Porto Stadium. The PT area isn't like an appointment with you and the therapist one on one. It's an open area, run by a doctor, but then there are a bunch of people walking around who do the thearapy. Well...normally it's the same person who does mine, but I mean there are people that aid in the smaller stuff.

Anyway. I go to physical therapy and then I leave. That evening we go to Gondomar to do some searching for new people to talk with. So we start ringing some doorbells, one guy let's us in, but it's only to tell us politly, face to face that he's a Jehova's Whitness and he doesn't want anything. So we're like..ok. But we're still in the building so we start knocking his neighbors that we hadn't rang already. We get to the last door. And a lady opens the door, and I just kinda stare at her and she stares at me for a couple seconds and then she's just like, "...I know you..."
YOU GUYS! She works at the clinic! haha! Oh man it was hilarious! It's really easy to remember the guy that comes in a white shirt and tie to do physical therapy haha
So I was like, "Yeah! I'm actually a missionary! We talk to people about Jesus Christ!...Can we share a message?" She was on the phone and so we said we'd try another day haha. Saw her on Wednesday at the clinic though haha...awkward.

But that's ok, the gospel isn't convenient. But it is true!

I hope y'all have a great week! I'll send some pictures next week!

Abraço,

Elder Buchanan

Trapped in a Portuguese Elevator

So the day after I wrote last week's email, I actually was finally stuck in an elevator for the first time, not only in Portugal, but in my life.
And let me tell you about the elevators here. They're not like the ones back home. They are a tiny box, big enough for four people to squish in. There is no double door that closes, no. It's a metal swinging door, that will lock, and then you move along the wall! BLAH! So we had five Elders. The elevator was going down and got stuck! It was 9:30 pm haha Luckily we were close enough to a door that when the technition opened it, we could get out. weew haha, we were there for almost an hour. And it got super hot. :P
Don't want to go through that again haha pretty funny experience.

We taught Rui twice this week! We taught him about the Book of Mormon and HE ACTUALLY READ THE CHAPTER WE LEFT HIM! It was awesome. He's says, "I believe basically everything you're saying. And the stuff I don't is because its "formal" and I'm an informal guy." haha :) he doesn't want to do it because there's "ceremony" attached to it! haha so we'll be talking about that. He invited us to dinner!

This week has been good :) Hope y'all have a good week! Send me a note if you will :) love to have an update!

Abraço,
Elder Buchanan