JACE - Here We Are Again

April 15, 2024

Hey Everyone! 

Another week is gone again. It's kinda crazy, I've noticed that sometimes the days feel so long, and then it's p-day again. Not too much happened this week, but I'll do the quick overview.

Last Monday, we were in Duluth for P-Day with the district. It's so much fun to be able to do that this transfer. We're here today, too. But that's not important right now. After P-Day, we headed to the Rusts again. I was wanting a haircut, and had remembered Sister Rust said that she used to do that. So I asked while we were at their place for conference last weekend. But we end up being there for me than just me, because Brother Rust asked us for a blessing. I gave it, and this time felt much more guided than the few others I've done. It felt really cool. Definitely lined up for that to happen.

Tuesday wasn't really much of anything. We did our normal finding methods, but we weren't able to really find anyone. We did do some service that evening for an older lady moving into a semi-assisted living place. We luckily had help from the Crowe's boy and another high schooler. They did a majority of the heavy lifting, to be fair.

Wednesday was kinda a mess. We had District Council, which is still depressing when everyone else is together and we can't. But afterwards we tried to do the job they gave us of helping to moderate the mission Facebook page. Pretty much just messaging every person that interacts with the page in any capacity. But we weren't exactly sure we remembered how to do it, so we waited for the social media Elders to help us, and that took forever! But later we had dinner with the Mikas. Our main objective was getting John's temple recommend sign, but we also got to have dinner with Charmaine and her kids. We shared a good message based on Elder Dushku's talk from Conference. Please pray for her, because she is really having a hard time spiritually. Both her, and her kids.

Thursday we got to have exchanges with the Carlton Elders. I took Elder McFarland with me to Ashland and even out to Ironwood. We did some stopbys, got John his recommend (WOOO!), and met up with our little miracle for the week. Earlier in the week, an inactive member, who is inactive because of medical and travel reasons, reached out to us saying that they were talking with someone about the church and she wanted to meet with missionaries. We were so hyped about the situation! We gave her a Book of Mormon, taught her a Restoration lesson and testified of the power of asking Heavenly Father to confirm the Book of Mormon. She seemed to be really receptive to it, so we hope she'll be a strong friend to teach!

Friday was a bit more of the usual, but we had some success in setting up lessons for the next week and had a lesson set up for the evening. But our friend William forgot about the lesson! It's all good, because we'll just set up another one with him this week!

Now Saturday was the fun day!!! We got to go to the temple with John and the branch! It's such a great experience. I was able to baptize John for his dad and his grandpa! He said he loved it. I now understand why Brother Cousineau had some trouble baptizing John. I kinda had to catch him fully because his knees don't bend so well. But I was super surprised by the size of the temple. I didn't know temple could be that small, but that makes me excited to go there for endowments next week. They're letting us go before the temple closes for 6 months, so I'm excited! Especially with the huge emphasis on temples in General Conference!

Sunday, as always, was great! Fast and testimony meeting is always a time for the Spirit to flow. I kinda always make it a point to try and bear my testimony. I bore mine based on some conversations I had in the last week with people, that say they can't/don't believe in God because of the bad stuff that happens in the world. To respond to those people, I looked in Ether 12 since it has the scriptures about "Trial of your faith" and "I give unto men weakness". But I found a new favorite scripture, being Ether 12:4, which says, "Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world." It's a great response to people like that, and it's just a great reminder to people that we should always look forward to a better world because of God.

That's pretty much it for the week! Hopefully you guys are all having fun and the weather heats up a bit for y'all! Have fun and stay safe! Love y'all!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan

P.S. I wrote another song. You can tell me what you think.

JACE - Did Y'all Watch?

April 8, 2024

Hey Everyone!

This week was probably one of the weirdest weeks so far for the work, but General Conference was so good! I hope you all watched it and found something to take into each of your lives!

We started the week off with some good old Mika service. It seems to have become a weekly tradition where President Mika calls and asks if we're planning on coming out there to help with something. It's usually just been cutting up and stacking wood boards. Nothing to bad, but this week we ended up doing it in a little snowstorm. It wasn't snowing before we got there, but as soon as we got to work, it started and didn't show any sign of stopping. But it ended with some of Sister Mika's delicious cooking. Always worth the work.

Wednesday we decided to head to a part of the area Elder Parkin and I never got the chance to hit. We headed to Mellen, which is about 20 miles south of Ashland. It was a pretty good idea, since there was some stopbys and knocking that hadn't been done in forever. But the snowstorm from Tuesday was still hanging around down there. But we had already used the miles to get there, so kinda tracting through a little blizzard. Then we ended up with dinner with Sister Schave, so it was pretty good.

Thursday we headed out to Ironwood for the day. We had a couple lessons and stopped by a bunch of people. We had a lesson with John in which we helped him set up the beginning of his family tree. He said he's gonna work with his sister and get really into it. We also helped him get the names of his parents and grandparents to take to the temple for baptisms. It's gonna be a fun trip and I'm so glad we get to go with the branch! Then we met up for a lesson with someone we've known about for a little bit, but she's been hard to get a hold of. We ended up having the lesson in a laundromat, and when we gave her the Book of Mormon at the end she was so excited! Hopefully she reads it and feels the power that comes from it.

Friday we had a lesson with Charmaine. But we decided to go out there an hour before and tract a little bit around the rez. We found this dude named William and he seemed pretty interested. He said he had seen missionaries hanging out in the coffee house, so I guess it must've been enough to take a little interest in what we got to say, so pray for him to keep that interest.

Now the big thing! General Conference was sooooo good! My personal favorite talk was Elder Dushku's. His whole thing about looking for and catching the rays of enlightenment was such an amazing idea! Also, the fact that not everyone should be looking for a pillar of light, but those little rays can be put together to make our pillar of light. Also, Elder Renlund's talk about just keep paddling and trying was such a testament to how we must keep nourishing our spiritual side and our testimony. But I hope I wasn't the only one who felt the whole overarcing message of the power of the temple! That is one of the things I most miss being out here. You know as soon as I get home I'm going at least once a week. So go to the temple for me!

Ok, everyone! Have an amazing week! Love y'all!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan

P.S. I've also dived back into writing songs a bit. Imma attach one to this. Give me your feedback!  

JACE - Transfer #3, Baby!

April 1, 2024 

Hey Everyone!

Can't believe I've made it to the third transfer. Time is flying and Easter has come and gone. I was so thankful to be able to be where I'm at and to reflect on the Resurrection as much as I could. It was a wonderful day, and an interesting week with transfers and everything. I have a new friend here with me in Ashland. Elder Morgan is a pretty cool guy so far, and i definitely will do my best so it will stay that way.

This week was unfortunately kind of a "meh" week, as far the work was concerned. Starting out the week with a nice snowstorm that continued into Tuesday wasn't the best start. We pretty much weren't able to do much that day. 

Wednesday we decided that we would make our way to Washburn, and then we decided to go to Bayfield for the first time since we had been here. We met a couple of ladies who are unable to come to church because of mobility reasons. Sister Potter and Sister McCabe were super nice and enjoyed being able to have a little Easter message. Elder Parkin had gotten the ZL call from President Gochnour, so we started letting people know that he would be the one leaving. We had a video call lesson with John and when we told him, he was glad that he still gets to mess around with me while I'm here.

Thursday we had our last exchange of the transfer with the Virginia Elders. I brought Elder Shakespear to Ashland with me for the day. We didn't super know what to do, but we had planned to do some stopbys. We almost didn't do them because I didn't really know where to go and to who to try and see, but then I saw the little star on our map for a recent Convert named Shane that we hadn't talked to or seen in a while. So, I decided to head to his place and see him. We pulled up right as he was coming to grab his truck for a garbage run at his duplex he is renovating. So we got to join him and have time to talk about Easter, Gethsemane and the importance of the week. We also talked a little about temples and the importance of doing the ordinances for the dead. It was awesome, and it was definitely led by the Spirit because we almost didn't do it.

Friday had some service, but mostly it was spent sitting around and reading the Book of Mormon to finish March Madness. Pretty much because one of us was packing and the other had nothing better to do since we weren't going anywhere.

Then we had transfers on Saturday. Lots of driving, but it was a fun time being able to catch up with other missionaries who got moved out of our district or just see new faces. Picking up Elder Morgan was great and we got permission from Sister Gochnour that, as long as we could get a ride, we could join the branch and our converts for their planned temple trip! So excited!

That's pretty much all I've got for y'all! Stay safe and read your scriptures! Love ya!

Sincerely

Elder Buchanan

JACE - Transfer Week is Here Again

 March 25, 2024

Hey Everyone!

It's crazy that the end of the transfer is almost here again! I am kinda ready for it. A bit of a change would be very nice to have. But we're having some interesting things happen this week.

We were able to avoid going to urgent care for my foot, but we ended up having to go anyway. After p-day was over, we went to help an inactive member prep for a taco fundraiser. We were tasked with cutting up vegetables. (You can see where this is going.) I was cutting onions, which was kinda hurting my eyes. And Elder Parkin was cutting up lettuce, then he cut the top of his thumb. It was a real good cut, so we had to run to the urgent care and get his thumb glued. A small little miracle off of it was that the office lady was an inactive member of the church. It was nice to be a little reminder for her.

We had exchanges with the Grand Rapids Elders on Tuesday. I got to go and hang out with Elder Jarman there for the day. We were able to do a little bit of good work. I brought along some Lorcana cards I had bought and introduced the game to him. He enjoyed it, but he has spent a lot more money than he should have on Magic. If he gets another game under his belt, he'll end up spending way more! And it was free cone day at DQ, so we were able to get some ice cream at the end of the day.

We were able to have a couple of lessons with Charmaine this week. She is struggling spiritually.With her being new to having the Holy Ghost, she is still trying to figure out how the Spirit works. So please pray for her. Satan is trying to throw everything he has at her, and she needs the help.

We had stake conference this week. We were able to catch the adult session on Saturday. We had kinda forgot about it, but luckily we caught it after dinner. A lot of the talks were about the temple. I do miss being able to go to the temple whenever I want. So at least hearing about it and what it means to people. They say we are going to go next transfer before the temple closes for 6 months, so that will be good. For the general session we got to go to Duluth. President and Sister Gochnour were speaking, so we also had in person interviews for the transfer. I explained that I'm ready for a change. I love them so much and they are definitely the leaders I need for my mission. We ended up coming back in a snowstorm, which is still going today. So winter wasn't over anyways.

My invite for y'all this week is try to make time for the temple. Whether it be baptisms, endowments, or sealings. Spend more time in one of the most sacred places we have. I wish I would have gone more before I came, but I can testify of the power of the temple. 

Love y'all!

Sincerely

Elder Buchanan

JACE - St. Paddy's Fun

 March 17, 2024

Hey Everyone!

This week has been a bit more eventful than the last couple. It has been a fun time, but I did have one little problem.

On Tuesday, we had exchanges with the Elders in Virginia. I got to have Elder Morris here with me. We were able to have a good time. We got to do some Facebook work and knocking. We got a number and even met up with one of our less actives. Her daughter has actually been the driving force behind them coming back. It's been slow for them, but they've been trying. They are awesome.

We got to do some service this week. We helped President Mika stack a bunch of milled out wood so they could dry. To be honest, it wasn't the hardest job I've ever done, but we got to have some good conversation with him about things going on in the world. Then we were able to help one of our members pack up some stuff since they are moving in July. But the best part of that is that Brother Bay is big into Pokemon cards! We got to chat and marvel at his collection. I thought I had a lot of bulk, but he's got at least 10 times what I had. And he has graded cards and sealed product, too. We even got to play a round of the new Disney trading card game Lorcana. It's fun, and plays a bit like Magic. Thanks for that, boys. 

Now to the not so fun. We were able to have exchanges with the ZLs on Friday. That's not the bad part. I got to hang out with Elder Jones in Duluth for the day. We did some good stopbys, calls and even had a lesson. But on the first stopby of the day, the curb decided to say, "screw you." I went to step up on it and rolled my ankle pretty hard. So I was walking on a sprained ankle for the rest of the day. Since then, it's just been annoying to walk around. My leg is stiff and it does hurt if I bend it too hard the wrong way. It doesn't help that we aren't supposed to use our car this coming Thursday. But we'll make it work.

I also just want to testify on the power of the Book of Mormon. I've been doing the March Madness challenge, trying to read the Book of Mormon in a month. Reading it that fast has given me the chance to actually connect all the events together better. I recently made it through the record of Ammon and his brothers preaching to the Lamanites. It's an amazing opportunity to be able to relate more to their service and look up the vigor they had to keep going even when times were hard. Even though in my short time as one, I love to be able to have the chance to "Boast in my God!" I'm grateful for the privilege, and I know that it is a privilege, to be able to serve Him and bring the truth to those who need it. 

I love you all! Don't forget to look for the small miracles!

Sincerely

Elder Buchanan

JACE - Two Weeks In A Row!

 March 11, 2024

Hey Everyone!

Hope y'all had an awesome week! This was pretty good. It's kinda funny how the days can feel slow, but then it's already p-day.

This week was Zone Conference! It was a lot of fun and a lot of good Spirit. We were able to head down Tuesday evening and stay at the mission home so we wouldn't have to drive 4 hours in the early morning to be on time. I chose to leave behind a good pair of walking shoes because I thought we wouldn't do the morning walk the Gochnours do because of Zone Conference. Lo and behold, I was wrong. But I was able to keep up with Sister Gochour and one of the Spanish Elders the whole time. My calves were on FIRE! After ZC, our Zone met up at Raising Cane's for dinner, which was a blast. Just being able to be together for a bit longer was great. But it did cause us to not get back to Ashland until midnight. It didn't help that I was developing a cold all day, so I was dead tired.

The next fun thing was Saturday. We went out and did some service for the Rusts! They live in Iron River, which is a 40 minute drive from Ashland. Our branch reaches so far in every direction. In the morning Brother Rust checked in to see if we were coming, and then after we said yes, he said, "Also, here's dinner." and sent a picture of the hunk of pork he was smoking. The service wasn't even that bad, but the pay off of smoked pulled pork sandwiches was awesome. And Brother Rust has some awesome stories. We planned to leave at 6 and ended up talking til 7. Then when we shook hands at 7, we ended up chatting for another 40 minutes! It was a fantastic day!

Then we have the Sabbath, which is always good, no matter which way you spin it. But today was Charmaine and her kid's Confirmations. It is actually super special to be able to be a part of the circle to welcome someone fully into the church. We did end up having to do Charmaine's twice though, because Brother Wilber forgot to confirm her as a member before giving the Holy Ghost. But they each received beautiful blessings to go along with it. Her 6 year old didn't want to be left out, so we gave him a quick blessing. Then we had John's baptism. It was a great service. The ward mission leader, who has been giving John the rides to church, was the one to baptize John. The only issue was that John is a little taller than me, and Brother Cousineau is about shoulder height on me. Brother Cousineau said John is the tallest person he's baptized. And the baptism almost went bad, too. John's foot slipped out from under him in the font and almost caused him to catch the corner of the stairs with his head. Luckily, Brother Cousineau had a good hold on him and kept him safe. Then we did John's confirmation as well. I freaking love the Ashland branch. They've been so welcoming to our friends. We had a bit of a luncheon after, and Sister Mika, the Branch President's wife, made some butterscotch brownies and decorated it to welcome John. Too bad I didn't get a picture before the words got destroyed.

Which leads me to my invite this week. I'm inviting y'all to remember to be welcoming to those who are new somewhere. Whether it's church, a job, or team, it really affects the person's view of the thing they are walking into if the people there are wanting them to be there. Make people feel loved, and they want to stick around.

Love you all so much! Keep working hard and getting better!

Sincerely

Elder Buchanan

JACE - Marching Forward In Faith

March 4, 2024

Hey Everyone!

This week was an amazing one! 

This last Sunday was so special. Of course, it's always special because of the Sabbath and the sacrament. But we had Charmaine, Liam, and Z'Nyia's baptism! The Spirit was so strong while we were watching them make that covenant. I asked Liam how he felt afterwards, and he said he felt happy after coming out of the water. I even noticed Charmaine getting emotional as Brother Wilber was saying the prayer and after as well. Even little Elijah was asking if she was crying. It was also so awesome that her mom came and supported her and her kids getting baptized. Maybe it might spark something for her too, but who knows!

The rest of the week was kinda more of the same. We had a lesson with John, in which we marked him off for %100 of principles taught. His baptism is this upcoming Sunday, and he is going to be an amazing member! 

We had 2 lessons with Charmaine and the kids to get them all up to %100 taught as well. But after our Friday lesson, the reservation was having a Ring Dance event at Northland college and Charmaine invited us to go. So we went and got to watch some people do little hand drum performances and watched their elders do a prayer circle as well. It was quite interesting, and Charmaine said March is the start to Pow-Wow season. So hopefully we get to experience one of those.

The funny thing of the week definitely goes to Saturday. We had exchanges with the Grand Rapids Elders. Our exchange spot is in Duluth, which is an hour and a half away from both of us. So we got up and were out the door by 7:30. When we got to the spot, we sat there for about 30 mins. We decided to call them to see where they were at, and they weren't even in their car yet! They were still in PJs!!! So we found a new middle spot between G-Raps and Duluth and met them there. After Elder Barton and I made it back to Ashland for the exchange and did our P-Study, we only had 2 hours to do actual missionary work before we had to exchange back. Still, it was a good time. Just a funny circumstance. 

Now it's March! How is the time flying so fast! A cool thing for this month is that we were challenged to do the March Madness challenge. Which is reading the whole Book of Mormon front to back in a month. I've already made it to 2 Nephi. It's a little harder for me because I like to read my scriptures out loud, but I've felt the Spirit as I say all those words out loud. 1 Nephi 11 hit me a bit more because of Nephi seeing the life of Christ and what he would go through for all of us. So, although it's a couple days late, I would like to issue the same challenge to all of you. It gives a great reason to read a great book!

I love y'all so much!

Sincerely,

Elder Buchanan