Week 43 - May 4, 2015

DAT TIE DO

I like it here!

Well this week was mostly just updating the area book and visiting people I don’t know very well, but it was a good one! I learned out here that if someone has fallen away from the church or decided to quit going, it is most likely because that person lacks a testimony of the Restoration. Or doesn’t fully understand the Restoration. At home I had a testimony, but it was super weak. Now I know with an absolute certainty that these things are true! It has to be! It just makes so much sense! Look to understand more fully the restoration, it makes a difference. 

Cool Thing: Me and Elder Dos Anjos took a ton of time out of one of our days to organize and update the area book and there were a lot of lost investigators and less active members there. So that was awesome.

Funny Thing: This ward hasn’t had an American missionary for a while and the whole week I’ve been telling people I’m from the Bahia and everyone believes me hahaha. Good times. The members either get a really good laugh out of it or they just get kind of confused.

Interesting Character: My companion: Elder dos Anjos. He reminds me so much of Skylar its ridiculous. For example one time he got super mad for some reason and started mumbling to himself and said, "I just want to punch a wall so bad right now but won’t because it’ll hurt my hand!" And then he just kind of sat on his bed and didn’t talk for a little bit hahaha. He’s a funny kid!

Weekly Difficulty: So I thought my last areas were huge but they were super small compared to this one I am in right now. I guess it’s the largest area of the two zones of Joinville.... It is so massive. We have walked so much!

Weekly Triumph: A member gave me a sick tie yesterday (see pictures)

Spiritual Experience: So my companion has been super frustrated this whole week because of the other pair of missionaries that are living with us. It’s been kind of a mess in this area but he was super frustrated and it was something I could just see. In my last area I also got a little frustrated about something that one of the Elders did and just sat in a chair for a while to think. One of the Elders in the house approached me and said, "You alright?" I said I was fine but just a little angry. He said to me after, "you know what makes me feel better and happier?....serving. Another Elder is not feeling very good and needs a blessing, will you come help?" I said yes and we gave him a blessing and I felt so much better. So with my companion I’ve just had a thought that blessing participated in helped me out A LOT, so maybe something like that would help him. Then I was thinking to myself, well do you even really need a blessing? Then at the moment I said to myself no, but I continued thinking and the last time I had received any blessing or had anyone lay their hands on my head was when I was set apart as a missionary. I have often needed a blessing from one of my companions but always ignored the thought. So I asked Dos Anjos to give me a blessing and it was one of the most inspired blessings I have received . And It just changed our whole workflow and attitudes, and I can feel the Spirit so much more when we teach, plan, pray, study, everything. It was super cool. The Priesthood is real!

Scripture: 1 Nephi 1:1

Eu amo vocês!!

Elder Buck

I know what happened to the am pm next to our house. It's here in Joinville!

Week 42 - April 27, 2015

Leaving Itajaí

Well folks it was that part of my mission again! I totally got transferred to Joinville and my new area is called Iririú. I am super stoked to be in a new area but super sad to leave Itajaí. That place was Zion.

Cool thing: I am now living in a home with 3 Brasilians and the amount of slang they use is outrageous. I’m learning their ways....and I look a lot like them so it’s pretty funny.

Funny thing: The elders in my last area and I did a short play for the Primary of when the Angel Moroni appeared to the boy Joseph and yeah… I’m pretty sure the kids had no idea what was even going on hahaha.

Weekly Triumph: I got Carlos a new bible that is approved by the church and "took away" his modern age bible that said some really whacky crap. hahaha I think he was happy!

Weekly Difficulty: Packing all of my stuff. I have a lot of things!

Spiritual Experience: Yesterday (Sunday) was my last day in Itajaí and the last time I would probably see any of those members for the rest of my life. Darlen walked up to me and shook my hand and just said, "Elder Buck, thank you so so much for everything you have done for me, my husband, and my kids. I wish you a very happy future and many blessings from God because you have helped bless the life of my family more than either you or I can fully comprehend. You helped us come to know of the true gospel of Jesus Christ." And for the first time I think in my entire life, I truly felt the happiness that this work brings all at once. The truthfulness of this Gospel and this church is so undeniable!

Scripture: D&C 18:15

I love you all and wish all of you a very good week! Tchau!
Elder Buck

Week 41 - April 20, 2015

Horsey!

Cool Thing: The family that just got baptized are doing so good! They still have a lot of questions and want to learn so much! Darlen already wants her patriarchal blessing and Carlos is preparing to receive the Priesthood. They are doing great. She told me a story about what happened to her at work this past week, which to me is proof that the Holy Ghost actually exists. She went to work and one of her coworkers mentioned that she looked different almost like she had a "light" around her. So that was cool to hear. Also, Carlos had an experience similar to hers! He said he has never been treated well by the people in charge at his work and is talked down to a lot; but after his baptism they were talking to him like he had worth and he could "feel" the difference the Holy Ghost has been making in his life. Also, the two men that we have baptized in the past couple of weeks (Carlos and Vilmar) bought white shirts to wear to church and it was awesome!

Funny Thing: My companion and I scared the Bishop’s wife to death on accident when we showed up at their house. I think she literally thought she was going to die.

Interesting Character: LIZZY from Luxinburg, Luxingburg, Luxenberg, Luxembourg, I don’t even know. She had a British accent and spoke English and I totally taught her in English for the first time in my entire life and it was so weird!! It was a lot simpler because I actually knew she understood exactly what I was saying. I talked to her with Elder Beecroft for like a whole hour this past P-day and it was sick! 

Weekly Triumph: My companion and I planned a family home evening with a less active family and it turned out pretty awesome! They made some killer food too!

Weekly Difficulty: Elder Cordeiro and I went to the hospital for like the whole day because he had an allergic reaction to something. So that was fun.

Spiritual Experience: We marked an appointment with a reference from our bishop (which we had met earlier this week and left a book of Mormon for her to read), and when we knocked at her door she came out with the Book in her hand and wanted to give it back. She said that it was super against everything she had learned in the other churches and she didn’t want to learn more about the book or our religion. So we stayed and discussed one of the concerns she had about dead people coming back (when Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith) among other things. We asked her afterward if she had read and prayed with real intent and an open heart and she said she did. We then responded by saying, “we know for a fact that you read, but NOT with real intent and an open heart because it is impossible not to receive an answer.'' It might have been a little strong but afterwards, she had admitted that she had not prayed with real intent and an open heart and we are planning on passing by her house later this week to see how things went. But the Spirit responded very quickly about what we should say in that very moment and it was super cool.

Scripture; I was reading D&C 138 and learned that each one of us can do what he did to receive personal revelation from God! Good stuff.

Love,

Elder Buck

Mini-Me: Daví

Week 40 - April 13, 2015

Cool thing: I was able to interview with president this week and that guy is super awesome and helps us a lot! Also, Cordeiro and I bought some yugioh cards this week for the two little boys of Darlen and Carlos and they were SO STOKED! That was so awesome.

Funny Thing: One of the young women in the ward put my first name in the Google translate in Portuguese and I guess according to Google, my name is "Big Spoon"....so…everyone has been calling me Colherão (Big Spoon) the past couple days...

Interesting Character: DANTE. Dante is a very cool guy. He’s a member of the church from Argentina and speaks English like as if he is American. He’s a super funny guy. And mom, I guess he knows who Taylor Tabile is because he served in the same mission or something. Small world. But yeah cool kid!

Weekly Triumph: We had 4 baptisms this week, which was flipping sweet! Carlos, Darlen, Poliane, and Davlin (daughters) all were baptized!

Weekly Difficulty: We had to go through about 10 different pages of paperwork trying to get the names and information right for the baptisms, but other than that, I have nothing to complain about! Also, one of the elders living with us picked up a mosquito transmitted sickness called "Dengue" this week so he’s been very sick.

Spiritual Experience: Seeing and feeling such a difference in the home of Carlos and Darlen after being baptized and confirmed. This Gospel is so perfect!

Scripture: I read D&C 11 this week and liked it!

That’s it. I love you all!

Elder Buck

Week 39 - April 6, 2015

Me and Lamb...

Not much really happened this week other than conference so.... If any one of you did not see conference this weekend, I would exhort you to do so! Every talk was inspired of God and God passes his will to the prophets directly to us! I absolutely loved conference! That’s really all I have for this week! 

AMO VOCÊS. TCHAU!
Elder Buck


Hey there Mom! I miss you guys so much! I’m glad you got to watch conference because there were some VERY powerful talks that were given. I don’t know why I neglected to watch all of the sessions of conference at home, because literally EVERY SINGLE ONE of those talks can be applied in any one of our lives if we just look for it. I was able to watch it in English this time and it was truly incredible. I’m looking forward to being able to read all of them when the next Liahona comes out! And mom I appreciate all you’ve been doing for me out here too. I know it’s hard to help someone who is so far away, but somehow through the emails, letters, and boxes haha you’ve helped me more than I could have ever imagined you would be able to. I love you so much and look forward to hearing from you soon!! te amo! ...Elder Buck

Hey dad it’s good hearing from you! But seriously wow conference was SO good! The priesthood session was absolutely amazing. I was thinking of you a lot Saturday during the priesthood session. I was thinking about how it’s already been a whole year since we went to the conference center together to watch the Priesthood session in Salt Lake. It’s so crazy what happened to the time. There was a talk by a 70 I think.... that talked about raising fathers or something, I kind of forgot cause I didn’t have my notebook, but I just want you to know that you have been raising a father from day 1. And there is not a moment where I didn’t appreciate how you treated me or taught me. There is still SO MUCH I have to learn but you helped put me on the right track. You have truly shown me what kind of man I need to become and I just wanted to thank you for that. Love you Dad! ...Elder Buck

The most beautiful thing I've seen...

Week 38 - March 30, 2015

Hey There friends and family!

Cool thing: We had a baptism this week so that was super cool!

Interesting Character: PETER. So a member brought an investigator from Haiti to church, but turns out he was already baptized in our church when he lived in São Paulo. hahaha. Good kid.

Funny Thing: Watching my companion exercise in the morning is a treat! It is one of his transfer goals to exercise more. bahahaha  - it's funny.

Weekly Triumph: So we went to Darlen and Carlos' house this week and she told us she has good news and bad news... so the bad news was that we won’t be able to teach her during the week anymore, and the good news is that she is working during the week so she can get Sundays off to go to church! Fasting and prayer work miracles people! Oh, and Vilmar (our other investigator who we had planned to get baptized this week) had a problem with coffee. We told him he wouldn’t be able to get baptized if he still drinks it and we thought we lost a baptism for a couple weeks. The story turns out that the day of his baptismal interview he showed up super sick. And we asked him what was up and he said he stopped drinking coffee. Que alegria! And he passed the interview. He told us why he quit drinking coffee and he said when he poured himself a cup, the glass mug blew up.... It was truly a very strong response from God!

Weekly Difficulty: We had 2 baptisms planned this week with 2 of our investigators. Vilmar (dad) and Vitor (11 year old son) When we got to the Baptism no one had heated the water and it was super cold. The bigger problem though was that after we had baptized Vilmar, Elder Cordeiro went to Baptize Vitor. It turns out that Vitor has a huge fear of being submerged in water. So we didn’t baptize him this week but are working with him to build up the courage to be baptized in a few weeks by his father.

Spiritual Experience: The Baptism of Vilmar was absolutely incredible. He is a different man!

Weekly Scripture: Alma 34

Love you all!!!!

Elder Buck

Week 37 - March 23, 2015

Cool thing: We had 18 non-members who showed up to church yesterday and it was awesome.

Weekly Triumph: we found a family to teach this week and they are so elect! Like they are getting married and are looking for the truth!

Weekly difficulty.... So me and Elder were walking to an appointment we had with Carlos and Darlen and one of the members stopped us and told us to tell Carlos and his family to go to the ward dance. We were all like yeah! So we told Carlos and Darlen about the dance at the end of our lesson and about the law of chastity and stuff and went home. We had marked the next day to teach their daughters with Carlos and when we showed up, Carlos pulled up behind us on his scooter and the moment he got off his scooter I knew something was wrong. We went inside and he started to tell us about his work and stuff and then we asked him about the dance.... He mentioned that Darlen went and did not like it at all because of the music and dancing that was happening there. She actually ended up grabbing all of her children and leaving the dance because the played a song called "Lagradinha" and other bad music. Additionally, a lot of the members were actually doing the dance that went along with the song... Que vergonha. So we marked to come back to his house when Darlen was actually there so that we could talk with her. We returned and before we could even sit down, she destroyed us. She burned the church and us so bad. It was so embarrassing. But after she said all of this she asked us what we had to say about it all and the only thing I could think of was to say a prayer. So I said, "can we start with a prayer?" and she just kind of turned calm and we were able to explain that even though the members don’t always follow the commandments, that doesn’t mean that the church isn’t true. Luckily for us she had a strong enough testimony to still go to church this Sunday with her family. It was painful. Especially when she said, "You know it’s so hard when you look for a church your entire life and when you actually find the only true church something like this happens." Keep the dances rated G PLEASE.

Anyways..........

Scripture of the Week: Exodus 32 - this is how I felt.

Spiritual Experience: Being able to be in tune with the Spirit enough to know exactly what to say to someone with so much confusion and anger.

Besides the little hiccup (hahaha) it was a great week and I’m still continuing to learn a lot!

Love you all!
Elder Buck

"The grind..."