BLOG 23 - MAR 13-19, 2023

 TÊTE D’ÔR THIS WEEK

If any are tired of park photos, please feel free to skip to any section that works for you, but because it brings us joy, we can’t help but capture some of the daily changes that brighten our day. France values their parks. No matter how large or small they are, they take good care of them.

One particular day this week at Tete d’Or, we walked in the afternoon and witnessed a grand kickoff celebration. Since children get out of school early on Wednesdays, the city celebrated the opening of the amusement park and the floral gardens, and other recreational opportunities.

Everyone was enjoying beautiful weather and the newly opened activities. Seeing all the children and families throughout each section of the park did make us a bit homesick, but we were elated by what we saw. There’s so much more that is yet to open. 

We didn't have tickets for this puppet show, so we stood by the side for a few minutes, but as a young girl in Belgium and a Young Adult living in Paris, this was such fun entertainment. So happy to see these continue. 

NEVERENDING ZOOMS THIS WEEK

     Sister Scheuermann

Monday, we took the time to share with her the latest updates of the correlated presentation and the new webpage from the Area. She was thrilled with these new additions, which will be helpful to their efforts.

  

    Wood Siblings

I have so enjoyed coming together in our monthly sibling’s chat. My sister Claire was out of state and Alan was not able to get on, but I used facetime and he was able to watch and chime as well. We loved getting to hear any updates, but the thing we loved talking about was Family History. With my sister, Janine Green, the new director for the FamilySearch Center in Nauvoo, IL, it’s fun to hear the things she’s able to start uploading onto FamilySearch just for our family alone. She’s definitely caught the bug and we are all the benefactors.

   

     Stake President Silbermann from Toulouse

We had a quick zoom chat on Tuesday with President Silbermann, who had reached out to us to see if we could discuss the possibility of our helping his Stake in Toulouse to set up Sharing Church Resources. We let him know that we had been helping the Rodez branch in his stake, until the Sumners had to leave and we will be getting back with their Branch President.

We will be going to Toulouse in April to meet with him and His Stake Council as part of their Stake Conference to share with them all about Sharing Church Resources. Once he saw the Paris introductory video, he knew that this was what he wanted in his area. This is how it’s happening in many parts of the world.

President Silberman is a good friend of President Léporé

     Area Departmental Presentation

On Wednesday we were grateful to meet via zoom with several missionary couples in Frankfurt, who oversee some of the areas for Welfare and Self Reliance, Family Services, Humanitarian, Young Adults and Just Serve and share with them all about the efforts of Sharing Church Resources.

They were very receptive and grateful to hear about SCR, though they knew it more as Community Resource Initiative (the old name), as they did not know what had come from it and the growth throughout the world and the strong support from the Church. The goal is to all work together, and not be separate silos in the work that each do, but how can we all combine our efforts to bless all of God’s children with the many resources we have to offer. We’re all in this together to bless all His children.

Area Senior Couples overseeing, Family Services, JustServe and Welfare Self Reliance and Young Adults all serving in Frankfurt.

     

     English Connect I

Each week things are coming together a bit better, but I’m grateful Steve was able to help teach the class this last week. The class is making great progress. We have asked the Elders to begin to take over by next week, as we have additional assignments our mission president has asked us to do that will make it much harder to fill this role. Since the missionaries are there anyway, they will do a great job.

These amazing students are doing so well.  We love the English Connect Course.

     

     District Council

On Friday we enjoyed an engaged chat with our District. We heard their enthusiasm about Sharing Church Resources with their friends in France, via the pass along cards and taking them to the new Webpage.

     

     Val de Saône Ward Council Presentation on SCR

Val de Saône is the ward we attend, and they’ve had a harder time getting together with their Ward Council to present SCR. We’ve encouraged all Bishops to give the presentation and Bishop Florent Coudret did a wonderful job on Friday evening. He really has caught the vision of this work, as did others in attendance. We were able to answer questions and share a few other comments during the presentation and at the end. We know there’s still a lot of work to move it along in this ward, but seeing how many classes that are being offered in the Stake now through QuickReg is absolutely thrilling. Actually, as we scanned out via QuickReg to a larger view of Europe, there’s more classes registered in Europe than most any other place in the world, that we know of.

     

     QuickReg with Cary Johnson

Steve had to leave after 30 minutes with the ward meeting to meet with Cary Johnson from the QuickReg team in Salt Lake. We were grateful that Elder Hilton reached out to see if we could meet with her. We divided our efforts, and it went great.

Steve has worked with Cary for several years concerning QuickReg, and she has been amazing to work with, as we would give our feedback on improvements needed. He was able to get his questions answered with Cary and then Steve showed her all that is happening here in France and Europe. She was stunned and thrilled. We are most grateful for all the effort that she and her team have made.

ZONE LEADER PRESENTATION AND DINNER CHEZ NOUS

Last Thursday, we had our Zone Leaders, Elders Candland and Whitney over for dinner and a chance to hear their presentation for members, which our Mission President asked them and us to put together for the Missionaries, so that they can go into their homes and start sharing all about SCR to the members. We so appreciate the amazing spirit of these two and their presentation. We felt theirs from the missionary stand point is awesome and that we will keep with ours more for leaders and their family. Both of these presentations/discussions are more personal for families that we think will help engage them in this cause.

We enjoyed a simple dinner before their presentation. 

Elders Whitney and Candland

MEMBER POWERPOINT/DISCUSSION PRESENTATION

We too were asked by our mission president to put together a member orientation presentation/discussion to be taken to the families of the Stake Council members and all the bishops in each of their homes. We told Paul Obrecht (in the Stake Presidency) that that we are more than happy to do this but asked that after we give the presentation to the High Councilors and their families, that they turn around and take this same presentation to each of the bishops they oversee.

We have now finished our family friendly presentation/discussion and it is ready for final translation. President Paul Obrecht reached out to all of these Stake leaders, asking to let us know what time frames would work to go to their home. We are now making appointments and will hit the road this week.

Before translation, here is one of our slides to introduce the theme of our presentation for SCR.

 

THE LAMB OF GOD PRODUCTION IN DENVER, COLORADO

Our 6^th child, Jordan Packer had a wonderful opportunity of performing in Denver, Colorado, playing the part of John. We are so proud of him and his amazing family for all their great support. If you’ve not heard him perform and act, he’s incredible! 

Jordan Packer, playing John in the Lamb of God in Denver

Thomas, Peter and John as played in the Lamb of God

SATURDAY VISIT WITH THE MAHIEU FAMILY

We were invited by Elder’s Loisel and Keiser, to join them with an appointment and dinner at a member’s home, since they had no other way to get there but by our car.

Brother and Sister Mahieu and their youngest son, Guillaume, who is preparing to enter medical school, are from the Val de Saône ward, a 40-minute drive from the missionaries’ apartment.

We enjoyed a wonderful visit with them, where they first showed us their quaint and lovely backyard, with a swimming pool and garden.

Swimming pool with their garden on the left.

If you've never seen Brussel sprouts grow, the sprouts grow on the tall stem. In Paris, they would sell them still on the stem.

Before dinner, Brother Mahieu shared a surprise video with us, when he was on his mission in Martinique in 1989, just prior to when my parents would become mission leaders in the West Indies, which Martinique was part of.

MIRACLE! What was most surprising and miraculous was when he showed us a recording of his mission in Martinique. At one point, he showed us some recordings of a young woman (24 years old) from the ward in Martinique, who just happened to be Elder Loisel’s mother. The amazing part of this story is that Elder Loisel’s grandmother had all the photos of their family stashed in her home, and during a terrible hurricane all photos were destroyed, so they have zero history of their family. This video was the very first time that Elder Loisel had ever seen anything of his mother as a young person, let alone a video of her speaking. The rest of us didn’t have a clue that he had never seen photos of his mother, while we were watching the video. On the drive home, Elder Loisel told us why this meant so much to him. I had taken a photo of him with his mom in the background while watching this video, not knowing how precious this truly was. He can’t wait to tell his parents on his call on Monday. He’s in hopes to get a copy of this recording.

Elder Loisel with his mother (before she was married) on the screen while living in Martinique. First time ever seeing an image of his mother, while she was much younger. 

Young Elder Mahieu and Elder Loisel's uncle.

Before the meal, the Elders shared a wonderful message with this family, about Sharing Church Resources with their friends and neighbors. We were so grateful for their conviction and desire to share this message with them.

The missionaries joining the Mahieu family. 

The meal was French Raclettes. Steve and I had never had them before, but we heard all about them in Paris. Even though I could not eat most of what was offered, I knew that Steve and the others would enjoy it fully.

With little servers you keep warm in the middle section, having put cheese to melt and then pour the melted cheese on top of all the varied toppings. 

Image from the Internet. There are countless ways of preparing and eating Raclettes. 

SABBATH SUNDAY

As always, we loved church and meeting new people. Elder Loisel gave a talk in Sacrament meeting, and luckily, he spoke out, as the microphone system was broken.

Elder Loisel giving a talk in Sacrament Meeting. This photo is for his parents, people we dearly love in Paris. 

RAIN/HAILSTORM ON THE WAY HOME FROM CHURCH

We walked to our car after church and began driving home. Little by little it started to rain harder and harder. Finally, it was hailing like we’ve never seen in France before. It was a warm and sunny day prior and then suddenly we had a hailstorm. It was quite strong, with pea size hail coming down, covering the streets, cars and sidewalks. Many were caught unaware with nothing to cover themselves. Once we got home, it was still raining, but the hail had finally stopped.

The hailstorm was coming down hard and furious and the hailstones kept growing to the size of a large pea. 

COME FOLLOW ME STUDY

Here are some brief thoughts on our thoughts form our study this week in Come Follow Me, studying Matthew 13: Luke 8;13.

• Relying more wholly on the Lord will bless me with needed rest from the cares of the world. We can testify how true this is, when our devotion focuses more on the Savior, the challenges we face come more into focus and we feel more peace. He is waiting to bless us!
• Look for ways we can glorify God every day, not only on the Sabbath.
• What is in our hearts? Are they focused on our treasures and recognition, or our love of God and His children?
• Just as John the Baptist was preparing the world for the Savior, Jesus Christ, so can we, as we are a window to the Savior by our examples of love, compassion, lifting others, comforting the lonely and bringing hope to those around us.
• Pray with the intent of doing what the Lord wants me to do, rather than concentrating on the laundry list of my needs.
• Pray with a desire to actively ‘do’ the gospel, instead of only studying it.

 

We are so grateful for the tender mercies and miracles we continue to receive, even if they are not mentioned above, they are here each and every day, and so grateful for the wonderful opportunity to serve together and see His hand unfold in this work all over the world. We love each of you for your goodness! We will admit that our hearts are always longingly thinking of our children and grandchildren whom we adore and miss.

 

With all our love,

Elder et Sœur Packer                                                                                            Grandpère et Mémé

801-336-6153 (Steve’s)

801-564-1332 (Renée’s)

 

ALERT! New Address below: Please include the name and address as stated

 

Les Missionaires – PACKERS

59 rue Bossuet

69006 Lyon FRANCE

 

PHOTO DUMP HERE