BLOG 12 - DEC 27th, 2022 - JAN 1st, 2023
STEVE PACKER’S SIBLINGS ZOOM CALL
We were thrilled to finally have our first Zoom chat with Steve’s
siblings in a very long time. We could only imagine how thrilled and happy
Steve’s parents were that we were finally able to get together since Gma Audrey’s
funeral 1.5 years ago. Steve’s father passed in 1974 during Steve’s mission in
Japan.
I love Steve’s siblings
and being able to sit back and watch them exchange stories, laughter, family
stories and life’s experiences, made me smile. We were grateful to meet Scott’s new girlfriend
of a year, which we all really loved getting to know. She’s lovely.
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| Steve Packer Sibs zoom chat |
We’ve been gathering our
thoughts and ideas on a vision document for some time now for President and
Sister Léporé. They are grateful as it will help them in putting together their
proposal for a center concept in Old Town Lyon. We finally collaborated our
ideas together today and began the process. It feels good to start and hopefully
soon we will have this ready for them to begin their proposal ideas for the
Area on the vision and need for a Center in Lyon.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD – APARTMENT
SEARCH
Our realtor has been on vacation
for two weeks and we won’t be seeing her till next week at the soonest. We were
told to continue the search online ourselves and send her some ideas. Some
places have no address and only photos, some have an address and no photos. Yes,
this makes it a bit challenging, but we if find a suitable location with good specs,
we can go from there.
IN PERSON DISTRICT COUNCIL & LUNCH
We loved being together
with our district for the first time in person this transfer. These in person councils
only happen once during each transfer and so they are choice when we do.
We enjoyed a two-hour meeting/discussion
as we learn from one another, a time for sharing ideas, showing support and
encouragement with one another and a time to rejuvenate in person. We are
amazed at their brilliance, their humility, and their devotion to their mission’s
purpose, and we love them.
As the Sister Training
Leaders (STL’s) and Assistants to the President (AP’s) expressed during this
council more on their thoughts and understanding of the beauty and need for
Sharing Church Resources (SCR) with the community, the other members of the
district began to see the value of what we’ve been talking about, as many of
them were transferred from other areas and still don’t know much. They have a slightly
better understanding now. For those who are not sure what SCR is about, you can
go back to blog 3 link below and read a little portion as far as what our
purpose is here in the mission.
We each brought food to
share. I made a breakfast casserole and brought my Celestial Sugar Cookies.
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| Renée's breakfast casserole |
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| Sister Diatel making her curry dish |
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| Sisters Feil and Tefan |
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| Elder and Sister Packer |
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| Sisters Bennett & Tefan |
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| Elder Candland and Means |
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| Sisters Diatel and Davison |
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| Elders Hansen and Zarbock |
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| Sisters Wilkey and Feil |
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| Elders Voisin and Steffensen |
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| Elders Rosales and Cecchetto |
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| Sisters Winter & Raheri |
WEEKLY DATE NIGHTS
Steve and I have been having weekly dates ever since
we were first married. They are a regular, necessary and beloved part of our
relationship, and most, if not all of our children have followed suit. Once you
make a commitment to have these weekly dates, it not only becomes a habit, but
you also realize how much you need one another and to spend regular time
together doing those things apart from your regular schedule. They have
strengthened our relationship and they feed our souls with much needed
rejuvenation. These dates don’t have to be going somewhere, but just being
together. If we had a temple within our mission, we’d be going there.
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| Recommendation on two movies to watch one after another in this order. They are incredible for youth and YSA. |
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| Recommendation # 2 of 2! |
NEW YEAR’S WEEKEND
New Year’s breakfast
Saturday instead of New Year’s Day morning. Simple breakfast casserole and cubed
hashbrowns.
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| Breakfast casserole and cubed hashbrowns |
We loved going to the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fournier on this last Saturday, New Year’s Eve Day and walked around the exterior grounds and inside the Cathedral. It has several smaller chapels as well, to honor the Virgin Mary and other notable people; each having a place to praise, kneel and pray. It was built in the late 1800’s, during the same time that the Salt Lake temple was being built. It was fascinating.
The interior was massive
amounts of incredible artwork all made with mosaic tiles from the floors, on the walls, all the
way to the ceilings.
They believe that Mary saved Lyon from destruction and thus they built this cathedral to honor her. Once again, just as in Notre Dame and other cathedrals we’ve walked in, there is a beautiful and peaceful spirit, as faithful people enter who believe in Jesus Christ, and that Mary was such an integral part of Christ’s life.
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| Basilica of Notre Dame de Fournier - highest point of Lyon |
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| One of the side chapels off of the large cathedral |
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| Off on the side is Lyon's Eiffel Tower |
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| Mosaic floors, walls and ceilings |
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| This mosaic art was down in the basement with another chapel and Mary type figurines from other parts of the world |
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| The smallest of the many chapels within |
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| Backdrop is downtown Lyon |
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| You can see it's not big, but is a major landmark in Lyon, along with the cathedral |
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| The second highest point of Lyon is Croix Rousse - the area that we live, finding a multitude of winding hills all the way down! |
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| These two icon structures are seen from all over Lyon |
NEW YEAR’S SABBATH WORSHIP & GRENOBLE VISITORS WHO KNEW MY PARENTS AS MISSION LEADERS
Today we met again with
the Écully ward and ours combined, in the Écully building. Starting next week, we
will be back to just our ward, but church will be at 1:30 p.m. for us.
It was a beautiful Sacrament
meeting and Sunday School lesson. We were so impressed by the preparation and
presentation of their lessons and discussion during Sunday School today. Sister
Wilkey, one of our Sister Training Leaders, is going home this week and gave
her farewell talk. It was so touching. She will be greatly missed! President Jubault,
our Stake President also spoke in the Sacrament meeting. He is an inspired
leader.
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| Sisters Wilkey and Bennett |
Pavel and Leslie Barta Family and Joëlle Pratique story
After church, a visitor
came quickly to meet up with Steve and myself after Sunday School. I don’t know
if he even knew why he needed to meet us, but the Lord knew. After our long
discussion with him and his wife and mother in-law, we knew why, and it was
glorious. The heavens were open and my parents, once again, had nudged this to
happen.
Brother Pavel Barta is originally
from Czechoslovakia. He is now living in Grenoble, France but will be moving to
England, as he’ll be working with the church as a Human Relations employee in
the newly developed Europe North Area office in London, England with his wife and
six children, 3 months to 16 years of age.
Pavel shared his
incredible conversion story, his background, his life’s experiences and his
dear family and how he and his wife met in their missions in Scotland. We were
so amazed at his life’s story, and where he’s at now in his life. The very
thing that we are doing for this mission, is what changed his life as a convert.
It was the resources of the church that transformed him into the person he is.
We then shared with him
what we are doing here and our experience in Paris and then our mission with
the Priesthood Department between both France missions. He was extremely
interested and wanted to keep in touch as he works with the area in England.
Steve and he continued to visit, as I met and spoke with his dear wife, Leslie and her mother, Joëlle Pratique, from the Écully ward here in Lyon.
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Sister Joëlle, Pavel and
Leslie Barta and youngest child of 6 children |
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| Sister Pratique and Barta family with Packers |
What transpired next was so
unexpected and amazing. Leslie and Joëlle were asking me questions about my French
background and as I gave them a quick rundown as to how I knew French, I also
told them about my parents and their many French speaking missions, mentioning that
one of them was in the West Indies as Mission Leaders. They asked me what my
parent’s names were and as I shared their names with them, they looked at each
other in disbelief said, “We know them.” They had me show them a photo of my
parents and confirmed that they knew and remembered them well.
They had lived in French
Guiana at the very time my parents were mission leaders in the early 1990’s.
Leslie’s dad was the branch president at the time, and they had many sweet and
tender memories of my parents in their life at that time.
They shared how much they loved them and how they were such great leaders and great musicians (my father directed the Mormon Barbados Choir and my mom accompanied). They talked of how loving my parents were with everyone and what a tender person my father was with his emotions. Even though it was 30 years ago, they had very fond and vivid memories of my parents that they shared with me. I was overcome with emotions myself.
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| My Fall 1992 visit to Barbados, with Claire on left, my parents, and I'm on the right, expecting # 8 child (Becca). Claire had just come home from her mission, having served at a much later age. |
Tarantula story with my mom – watch this very brief
video
Leslie next shared a most
amusing story about my mom and her dad that had me laughing so hard, that I had
her repeat it while I made a recording. I do not remember my mother ever
sharing story with us, and even though I knew she was a strong woman, my
admiration for her was greatly intensified.
There was no doubt in my
heart, that my parents had orchestrated the meeting of this family and their
dear Joëlle.
We felt such a powerful
connection with this family and hope we can someday meet again.
LINK TO HEAR OF THE TARANTULA STORY OF MY MOM
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| Joëlle, Leslie and Renée - newfound friends |
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| Image from internet - but these spiders would creep me out more than I can admit, how did my mom stay so calm? |
NEW YEAR’S DAY FIRESIDE WITH CHRISTIAN EUVRARD AND FAREWELL MISSIONARIES
Christian Euvrard has a
rich knowledge of the history of the church here in France. This was his topic
for the fireside for the France Lyon Mission. He was the director of Institute
in all of France for many years, and that’s how my parents knew him and his
wife while they were here in Lyon, as he would visit the Institute in Lyon
often while he lived in Paris.
We got to know him from
our mission in Paris and have always been inspired by his many rich
experiences. We could go on and on with his many experiences of service.
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| President and Sister Léporé |
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| Christian Euvrard - greatest French Church historian |
At the end, after Christian
Euvrard dropped out, each of the departing missionaries shared their testimonies
and farewell messages. We knew a few of these missionaries from our first 2
months in being here and love the beautiful people and missionaries they are and
have been. Dieu soit avec eux.
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| Elder and Sister Ovard - finished their mission in Lyon a couple of weeks ago, and now serving in Paris in the office to help for 1-2 months, gave their farewell testimony |
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| Sister Wilkey gives her farewell testimony |
With all our love,
Elder et Sœur 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
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