BLOG 6 - Nov 14th - Nov 20th, 2022

1 MONTH ANNIVERSARY IN THE MISSION FIELD

Today, November 20^th, marks 1 month in the mission field. Time has flown quickly, and much has happened, and much is yet to come, as we look ahead of what we have on our agenda to accomplish. We are grateful for this opportunity to serve again together, and especially in France. Steve’s French continues to greatly improve, and I get braver each day, as I blurt out speaking no matter what mistakes I make. Steve was asked to give the closing prayer in Sunday School today and did fabulous!

CHILDREN AND YOUTH ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK

For the last two weeks, almost daily, we have noticed school children, of all ages, involved in varied activities, such as sports and nature finding during school hours.

The park has these activities organized for the youth. With the nature activity, the park provides a specific instruction sheet, where the students would go from post to post, each numbered with a special identifying mark they stamp on their paper after identifying a plant or tree correctly. The kids have so much energy and are so engaged while learning.

School boys finding yet another post to mark on their paper

Post with the number and the special dot imprint for marking

DINNER WITH SENIOR COUPLES

Prior to our mission wide conference this week, some of the senior missionary couples who were able to come early enough, met at a restaurant located in the mall.

We met some of the senior missionaries for the first time in person, though we’ve met them several times via zoom. One couple, we had not yet met, nor zoomed with (sounds like a new social activity 😉).

As senior missionaries, we find that getting together with other couples is very important to be able to share ideas with, or just to get to know one another. They are all wonderful people and we’re enjoying getting to know them.

Elder and Sister Sumner

Elder and Sister Packer

Elder and Sister McNevin

Elder and Sister Smith

Elder and Sister Nicole

Elder and Sister Ovard

Elder and Sister Gannaway

Wishing we had the rest of the Seniors with us!

MISSION WIDE CONFFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT AND SISTER ALLIAUD

The Mission Wide Conference was held in two days, dividing the mission in half, to accommodate the large number. Our day was on Thursday. We love these mission conferences from our past experiences and look forward to receiving guidance and inspiration. It was a wonderful all day event. 

President and Sister Alliaud - 2nd Counselor in Area Presidency

Presidents and Sisters Léporé and Alliaud and half of mission

President Léporé - a masterful teacher

Singing a hymn 

Elder Gibby - AP

Sisters Hall and Diatel

Elder and Sister Packer with President and Sister Léporé

President Rubén V. Alliaud is the second counselor in the Europe Area Presidency. We have a remarkable Area Presidency, and it was a pleasure to finally meet him and his dear wife. They are a very dynamic, personable and rather humorous couple. They taught principles in a beautiful way that sunk deep into our hearts.

Before his call in 2019, as a seventy, he stated he knew no English, and shortly after that was asked to speak at General Conference, and of course in English. In his first talk, he briefly shares about his own conversion from the example of his uncle, but what he didn’t share was the story behind his uncle’s conversion, which he then shared with us, which is absolutely remarkable. Here is the story.

“While his uncle was living in the United States, the uncle’s father called from Argentina and said that his sister was investigating a strange American church and asked him to find out if it was legitimate. So, his uncle invited the missionaries over to learn about the Church. After 2-3 visits he felt he had enough information and asked the missionaries not to come back. As the missionaries were leaving, one of them turned and felt impressed to say something that is not customary at all, “If you don’t want us to return, then we need to have a prayer with you.” He agreed to have a prayer, to keep them from returning. Then the missionary said, “If you want us to remove you from our records so other missionaries don’t come to visit, we need you to say the prayer.” He didn’t want to say the prayer but agreed, to keep other missionaries from visiting. They briefly taught him how to pray, and he began, “Dear Heavenly Father.” At that point he stopped and began to cry, Elders, “I want to be baptized right now!” He told the missionaries later that at that moment he felt the presence of his grandfather and heard him say that he needed to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,” He never regretted that faithful decision.

CLICK HERE TO READ ELDER ALLIAUD'S TALK

We also heard from Sister Alliaud. She and her husband work so well together, feeding off of each other’s comments and complementing one another so tenderly. President and Sister Léporé also spoke so powerfully to us. We learned so many distinct and important principles of the gospel for this great work, that of the Doctrines of Christ, about serving, the importance of gratitude, and why the two great commandments are so vital in our efforts and much, much more.

The musical number, “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer,” was performed by 5 missionaries, and was an original arrangement by Elder Larsen.

Beautiful musical number arranged by Elder Larsen

On a sweet side note, I enjoyed meeting Sister Mickelson, who used to live in Paris with her family for a brief while, where they attended the Paris ward with us during our first mission in Paris. She is so dear and filled with such a bright light and a great love for her mission.

Sister Mickelson, I promised I would find her!

Afterwards, we were asked to take the Léporé children home, since their parents needed to stay at the church a bit longer. This is when we got to see where they live and at least the outside of their home. It was amazing! We absolutely love the Léporé children, as they have been like family to us for several years. The oldest, Eric, is on a mission in Tahiti.

One last photo with the Léporé family

The Mission home where Léporé's live

PRESENTATION – OPEN HOUSE FOR THE ÉCULLY WARD

We were asked a couple of weeks ago to do a 30-minute presentation during an Open House for the Écully ward, which is in our building but not the ward we attend. It was held on Saturday. We were asked to share with them and the friends they invited about the work we do here with sharing any and all the resources of the church to all of God’s children, not just members. We were also asked to share the immense humanitarian efforts and donations that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made to the world. We were not aware how much this was until we received a booklet from Elder and Sister Munns sharing this information from 2021. It was remarkable to see how much help the church offers throughout the world.

Our presentation went well. There were about 16 people who attended, not counting us. We would’ve been happy with 1 or 50, but grateful for those who came and were very excited to learn what the church is offering to all! They all left grateful for this new direction and excited about the blessing it will be and can’t wait for it to be in full swing.  

Attendees at the Open House

They also received a tour of the chapel and then after our presentation, the AP (Assistants to the President), Elders Gibby, Rosales, Cecchetto  missionaries also gave a presentation on Gospel Library. Since we had a zoom baptism for one of our grandsons, we left early, to go home and watch in our apartment.

Earlier in the evening, Steve asked to have a photo taken with Elder Sam Gibby, as he was a student of our son-in-law, Brian Lattin, married to our youngest, Becca. He really like Brian as a Spanish teacher.

Steve with Elder Gibby, who was taught by our son-in-law, Brian

This same evening, we met a YA newlywed couple who are amazing. The husband served in Paris shortly after we left, at the same time as Lucie Cuche, and his wife served in the Jacksonville, North Carolina. We know her grandmother from our Paris mission. This couple is Francois and Léa Mejean. 

Francois and Léa Mejean - an amazing YA couple

LINCOLN’S BAPTISM

We arrived home just in time to attend Lincoln’s baptism via zoom. We were grateful for those of our family who were able to attend via zoom as well, which allowed us the chance to see them at their early hour of 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning (catching them doing whatever they were doing and loving it).

Handsome Lincoln Packer - soon to be baptized

Jordan and Lincoln prior to baptism

Forgive all these fun random snaps of our family watching

Lincoln coming to say hello to those online

Henry with his momma Becca watching the baptism

Lincoln hugging his dad after the confirmation

Oh boy, I think that's a maple bacon doughnut

Lincoln’s baptism was so beautiful to us, especially since we couldn’t be there in person, and we loved witnessing this sacred ordinance for him. Seeing this sweet boy excited for his baptism at age 8 and to know that he is following in the footsteps of the Savior, Jesus Christ, was dear to us. Seeing this special event all the way from France to Colorado and saying hello to our family as a group did our hearts so good.

Larissa, Lydia, Lincon and Jordan Packer - we love this family!

Awesome Dave and Lynette Spear (Larissa's parents) with Lincoln - so grateful for them being near to love on their family

SABBATH SUNDAY – AN EVENING OF GRATITUDE

Another beautiful, inspired Sabbath! Our dear friend, Lucie Cuche spoke in Sacrament meeting today and was amazing! She is one of our favorite Young Adults here, but then we think they are all pretty awesome! Lucie is always happy and so willing to help.

After church, we held a brief meeting with as many Young Adults as were able to stay and we began to plan a service activity that I spoke about last week. After explaining what this very brief meeting was about, service in the community, they shared some wonderful ideas. We will take a vote later this week, once we learn more what’s involved for each of their great ideas.

We’ll also end the event with caroling the day of. Hopefully the following week we will have a special dinner for them and their friends they had invited to the service and caroling.

As a bribe for them to come, I made my Celestial Sugar Cookies, and they gave us a delicious thumbs up. I’ve been told they are better than a swig or crumble sugar cookie.

The bribe worked - Celestial Sugar Cookies

Tonight, was the event, An Evening of Gratitude, at the Saint Gervais building. We were all asked to bring cookies to share afterwards (yes, I brought more sugar cookies). We then watched an online presentation on gratitude by missionaries in the France Lyon Mission and it was shown even to the Paris Mission. It was beautiful and filled with inspiring music and messages on the healing power of gratitude in our lives. They also showed President Nelson’s beautiful video on #GiveThanks.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH HIS VIDEO ON GRATITUDE

Share the Power of Gratitude

“Counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a unique, fast-acting, and long-lasting spiritual prescription.” —President Russell M. Nelson

Before it began, we met two people from India, who were visiting. We learned a little about them prior, but after the presentation, we learned more about their lives here in Lyon. I made a sweet and tender connection with the woman, Arsha, and we exchanged numbers and took pictures together. Arsha (from Kerala) is a young wife and mother of a 4-year-old daughter. She hasn’t seen her family for 9 months and still has the rest of her masters to finish, before she can bring her husband and daughter over here to live. Her friend, Karan (Nagpoor), had been coming to several church events and invited her to come with him. They are classmates and he has been amazing to continue to bring friends to church events because he feels that there is something of great importance happening within this church.

Arsha and Karam - new friends from India

May God be with each of you!

With all our love,

Elder et Soeur Packer                                                                                          Grandpère et Mémé

801-336-6153 (Steve’s)

801-564-1332 (Renée’s)

Address: Please include the name and address as stated

Les Missionaires – PACKERS

17 rue Philibert Roussy

69004 Lyon FRANCE