JACE - Bottom of the 9th!

January 13, 2025

Hey Everyone!

It's been a pretty good couple weeks. We've been able to find a few people and have a couple good lessons, too! Not gonna lie, though, with it getting colder here and people not wanting to really talk with us, it's been pretty hard. But our most progressing friend, Sheritha, is doing great. Her biggest hang up is the true authority we have to baptize. To be fair to her, she grew up in a different religion, so it's still a struggle to realize that some things need to be done right. So please pray for her to gain that witness. She luckily already seems to love everything else about the church, but she just needs that last push.

In the member meals, I've been the one primarily sharing the message at the end, and I have a message based on the talk Pillars and Rays by Elder Dushku from last April. In it, I always give the challenge to be a ray of light for others. That's why I always ask y'all to look for and be rays of light. So don't forget to do it!

Love y'all!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan

JACE - And A Happy New Year!

December 31, 2025

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! Did y'all get anything cool? I sure hope so! Christmas out here was ok. Not anything too grand or nothing. We got to spend Christmas Eve and Day with some members. Not gonna lie, it kinda hurt a little to see grown siblings messing around and laughing with each other. But at least it's the last one I have to miss. Not much else happened this week. We did find 3 people on Saturday and 2 people came to church. One of which was a total surprise. All in all, things are going well. Still weird to think that by this time next year, I'll have been home for a little bit.

Don't forget to be miracles for others! It'll bring some your way, too! Make it a New Year's Resolution that you don't quit!

Love Y'all!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan

JACE - Christmas Time Is Here!!!

December 24, 2024

Hey Everyone!

Merry Christmas to all! It's so interesting to think that Christmas is the first in the rest of the holidays I have left out here on the mission. It's an interesting thing to think on. Not gonna lie, though, the only big thing that happened this week was Christmas Zone Conference. We had a good time and we even watched the Christ Child video that the church put out a few years ago. The same one that I watched with my MTC district last year! It's such a great video to remember and think on the birth of our Saviour! In case you don't know where to find it, here's the link: The Christ Child

I've thought about the Christmas season, and I know we all see the New Year as a time to reset and restart. But I had a little realization the other day. Christmas and Christ's birth was kind of a reset for Him. He came to this world where he had to learn the things of the world and how to overcome them. Of course, He had heavenly help. But if we think about it, we have that help, too! I'm so thankful that this tie has been given for us to grow, and especially this time of year to remember the Saviour! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Look for and be miracles for others! You never know who needs cheering up!

Love Y'All!!!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan

JACE - It's Been Quite A Year

December 9, 2024 

Hey Everyone!

Well, it's kinda weird to say, but I've been a missionary for pretty much a year! It's been a crazy time for me and I've definitely been able to have some reflection. I'm so grateful I've had this chance to serve!

Anyways, this week has been an eventful one. We had transfers and I'm back in Rochester! Gotta be honest, the drive back was so weird. I left in the summer when things were green, and then I come back and things were dead. But it's neat to be back! I already know all the good stores, too!

I also came back just in time for the Nativity activity put on by the stake. As missionaries, we got to help by watching the little Nativities that people had set up on tables, just to make people feel welcome and make sure things weren't stolen. I got to see a lot of the members from Roch 2, so that was the best part of my week.

I also met some of the people we have to teach. We had a lesson with Sheritha and Tony, and they are amazing! They're pretty much ready to be baptized, so we'll probably put them on date in the next lesson. I also met LeShaun and Mo and their 2 little kids. We haven't had a lesson with them yet, but they came to church and seemed to enjoy it! So be sure to pray for them to keep wanting the good things!

That's pretty much it! This transfer gives me a little old, a little new, and a whole new perspective on time. It's weird to say I've only got 1 year left, but hopefully I can make the most of it! 

Don't forget to look for and BE miracles for others! 

Love y'all!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan

JACE - Im Being Moved Back

December 2, 2024 

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I forgot about last week. But Thanksgiving was great. We spent the day with the Hunter clan in Owatonna. There was some great food, good laughs and a game of Splendor that Elder Mallonee won. We also got transfer news on Saturday, and I'm going back to Rochester! I won't be back in the 2nd ward, though. I doubled up to the 4th ward and covering the Kasson branch. I'm actually so excited to go back to something I know a bit. I get to meet some new members, be in a city I know, and maybe even see some old friends.

That's about it! It's going to be an exciting new transfer! Everyone have a great week!

JACE - It Wasn't Ours, But It Was Good

 November 18, 2024

Hey Everyone!

This week was a good week! As the title suggests, we got to have a baptism! It was for one of the kids that turned 8, but nonetheless it was a good one. We got to be a part of the confirmation and were in charge of filling the font. The Spirit was definitely there!

As for the other stuff this week, we got to have our regular lessons with Duane and Roberta. Duane is farmer that lives 20 minutes out of Faribault and only just hit his year mark in September. We have weekly chats with him about the gospel and other life event things. It's always a good time. Roberta is a sweet older lady who has also been a member for just over a year. We go and read scriptures with her, and hear a lot of the same stories over and over between the weeks because her memory of that stuff is kinda wonky. But they're always good!

Now to our friends! We had an amazing lesson with our friend Keyanna! We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and had a couple of members there. They bore testimony of repentance and even read some scriptures with her too. We gave a small baptismal invite to which she said yes. So we might be able to put her on date soon. She also came to church, but I don't think she was too impressed. Hopefully the Spirit was there for her to let her know about the truth that was shared!

Adam is having a rough time and just needs a lot of prayers. We're supposed to meet with him tomorrow, so hopefully that happens!

Nikki and Terryiana. Oh boy, they are something now. Nikki is being defensive about her WoW habits and I think might be too used to people being so willing to help her. We had to push the date for her baptism back a week and she thought we were punishing her for her habits, but we explained the 2 week rule and we're hoping her heart softens somewhat.

Then we have Anna and Bob! Bob is a member by name but he hasn't really been an active member since he was baptized. He likes missionaries, and when we went over there we met his wife, Anna. She of another faith, but she's kinda had falling out with where she was going because of her getting married to Bob. We've had good lessons with them so far, so hopefully the Spirit can work some magic for them to be drawn to the truth!

Last, but not least, is Carlos and Dominic! We were able to have a lesson with them on Friday where we read 2 Nephi 31 and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They had some good questions and insights, so I can see them progressing. The big step will be getting them to read on their own and coming to church. So pray for them too!

Those are our friends! Please keep them all in your prayers! They're all at different points in their journey, and it's so cool to see! Don't forget to have a great week, look for miracles and be miracles for others! You never know what your actions will do for someone!

Love y'all!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan

JACE - 11 Months is Kinda Wild

November 11, 2024

Hey Everyone!

Today marks 11 months of being a missionary! That's insane! It really doesn't even feel that long since I was back in Ashland, but now I'm in the third transfer here in Faribault. Time really does fly. There were a few fun things about this week, so let's get into it.

We were able to find 3 people this week! Two of them we were finally able to make a follow-up appointment with. It's a guy named Carlos and his kid who is old enough to be baptized. Our first lesson with them was us deciding to pop by at the right time, and luckily, it seems like they liked what we said! We also found a lady named Keyanna. She a mom of 3 and had a recent impression to read more of the Bible. So, she is kinda taste testing churches right now. She can't make it down to Faribault right now because she doesn't have her license, but she's working on it. So, please pray for them to keep having that guidance to the church and the truth.

We met with Nikki and Terryiana this week as well. We had a great lesson on Tuesday. It was meant to be a Restoration lesson, but we spiraled into talking about the blessings of prophets and the temple. We told her it's up to her when they get baptized, and she still said they should be able to do the 23rd. So pray for them too!

The best part of the week was getting to go to the temple! It recently just reopened, so it was awesome to be able to go again. The updated endowment video was interesting, but the changes they made made sense. Being able to sit in the peace of the Celestial Room was so nice too. I wish I could go more. Lucky for us, President Allred said that we'll be able to go 4 times a year, and if we are within an hour of the temple and one of our friends was going, we could go as long as we have a ride! I hope I'm around it when John is able to go in March! I really enjoyed the temple, and we went and got Taco Bell afterwards, so that was good.

That's really it for the week. I had a little bit of a mid-mission crisis this week, mostly of just being down on myself. But, my momma knows how to give me good reminders. She sent me the lyrics to a song that had a big impact on me even serving in the first place. Desert Road by Casting Crowns. I relistened to it, and I kinda had the feeling of, "Yeah, this is where I'm supposed to be." God is good, and He loves you and me. He knows where He needs us, we just have to be listening to Him.

Don't forget to look for miracles and be a miracle for someone else! You never know what your actions might do for others!

Love Y'all!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan