BLOG 44, AUG 7-13, 2023

TOYOTA CAR WINDOW INSTALLED

We are so grateful that our car window is now repaired, as it was a bit concerning driving with only having cardboard as it’s only form of protection from the weather and further break ins.

What was once broken is now new!

TUESDAY FAREWELL DEVOTIONAL

Tuesday was the Farewell Devotional for all departing missionaries. We listened to the beautiful testimonies from the faithful missionaries. Those we have served with have an extra tender place in our hearts. They will be missed, and we look forward to meeting the new missionaries (14) that came this week.

This is a portion of some of the departing missionaries that we personally knew, the one on the bottom right, had to leave early for school and attended from his home area. 

New incoming missionaries.

FLORIDA OR BUST

Austin and Emma Packer finally moved to Saint Cloud, Florida on Tuesday. They had all of their belongings and cars packed in large metal containers (which drove off separately) and then the family flew from Utah to Orlando. The heat was insanely high when they arrived, but they are tough and they’ll love having a chance to live close to Emma’s parents and be close to the place Emma calls home. We have been so spoiled with them near us for all these years and miss them even more knowing they’ll be much further away from us. This will give us a great excuse to go to the Orlando area to visit them and our dear friends, the Clarks, who live in the same city.

Austin's family on their way to the airport.

Three kids, mom and dad, strollers, car seats, backpacks, cello on back, baby blankets, suitcases and they are set to go!

Emma keeping an eye on Rose and Leo!

Austin, with Bowen and his cello, riding upside-down!

ZOOM WITH BROTHER AND SISTER STEEL

The Kansas City Wichita Mission and their Stake is starting to hopefully move towards implementing Sharing Church Resources, all thanks to Brother and Sister Steel. They have had their hearts set on doing this for over a year now and periodically will check in with us to see what else they can do. Sister Steel has been helping in the community for over 6 years extending a huge hand to the community and other faith organizations and building bridges using resources of the Chur. It has had a profound impact on building wonderful relationships, where once they thought the church was a cult and now they know better!

Brother and Sister Steel

CENTER PROPOSAL - MORE ADDITIONS

We are grateful for the ongoing help the Lord is giving us on the Resource Center / YSA Gathering Place proposal for the Lyon Stake. Our mission president sent a beautiful endorsement letter to President Jubault that showed his great support for this effort and he also suggested that we invite our Welfare Self-Reliance Manager to share his thoughts as well.

ZOOM WITH PRESIDENT JUBAULT AND MOMO DJEMAI

As we met with President Jubault and Momo this last Wednesday we found that it was extremely helpful. Where Momo is the Welfare Self-Reliance Manager for several missions and stakes, he gave us wonderful insights to add to the proposal that we could see would be most valuable. Steve worked really hard to implement these thoughts, so that we could review it together before another meeting. We are still waiting for a couple of other endorsement letters and we are praying it will be ready in the next week. Your prayers are appreciated!

Momo Djemai and President Jubault - a great team to work with!

ZOOM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM

Wednesday we were ready to start with our social media Team, with President Léporé and other Mission leaders, but Joshua Boswell, who would be giving us direction for next steps, did not join. Joshua is always one to be early or on time, so we figured something must’ve happened. I texted him, called him and nothing till right before our meeting concluded. He had to drive to a nearby town, and explained that his area had another terrible storm, which took out their electricity and phone service. They have been hit so hard in Arkansas, as well as other areas nearby.

The meeting turned out wonderful, though, as President Léporé gave permission to move forward with using Facebook in another direction, until we get further guidance from Joshua. We are so grateful and have been working on it ever since, with the help of several teams.

President Léporé, with the Social Media Sisters, the Assistants to the President, the Zone Leaders, the Sister Training Leaders, (just minus Joshua Boswell, who got stuck in another storm)

AFTER THE FOURTH DAY

In a recent study, Steve and I studied more in-depth, the talk, After the Fourth Day, by W. Mark Bassett, from April 2023 General Conference. This particular quote was the foundation of what was a profound answer to us. “The Lord expects us to do all that we have in our power to do and He will do what only He can do.” Having access to His power is fueled by more faith, more good and hard work, increased study and prayer and considerations on what more can we do, to then rely on His part more wholly for what only He can/should do. Even though the Lord can do all things, he expects us to do all we can do. We wrote a plan with specific goals to help us in doing all we can, with the Lord’s guidance and revelation.

·       “Sometimes during our own challenges, we might feel like Christ is too late, and our hope and faith might even feel challenged. My witness and testimony are that as we move forward with faith in Jesus Christ, the fourth day will always come. He will always come to our aid or to raise our hopes back to life.” …Sometimes it may seem like He doesn’t come to us until the figurative fourth day, after all hope seems lost. But why so late? President Thomas S. Monson taught, “Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass.”

After the Fourth Day, by W. Mark Bassett, from April 2023 General Conference

ZOOM WITH THE FACEBOOK RESPONDERS TEAM

Friday we met with a team of missionaries who are serving in Corsica, and is the response team for the Mission Facebook page, called, “Croyants en Jésus-Christ.” As part of one of the experiments that President Léporé would like to try, they will be starting Sunday to post about offering the Church’s free resources for the community. When people start making comments, these Elders will work on responding to each person who sees the post and asks questions. We have trained them on how to register others for the course they desire, if they need help. We pray it goes well for them. They were so excited to start this venture, as the Facebook page is for the whole mission.

Elders Velasquez and Beames - responders team

THE PARK IS STILL IN BLOOM

It wasn’t until Saturday that we finally were able to go to the Botanical Gardens within the park and see the glorious color and display of their flowers that had blossomed more brilliant that ever.

A Botanical Garden walk in full bloom - photos to follow

This photo above and the one below both were from the week before, just a few days before leaving on our trip to the French Riviera.

ZOOM WITH PAUL OBRECHT

It’s been a while since we’ve met with Paul, as vacation time takes in a big portion of their summer months. He’s a busy man and grateful we could meet to update him on some critical items that needed addressed. We have been so blessed to work with an amazing Stake Presidency in Lyon. 

Paul Obrecht

SUNDAY WORSHIP – SO MANY BLESSINGS!

The main and most important reason we attend church each Sabbath, is to renew all of our covenants with the Lord, through partaking of the sacrament. Everything else is still a powerful blessing, such as feeling the spirit (which can be felt anytime, but we are able to share our spirit with others), mingling with members and visitors, ministering, singing hymns, listening to speakers, attending Relief Society, Priesthood, Young Women and Young Men, Primary, receiving the words of a living prophet of God and his leaders at General Conference twice a year, activities and so on. We are so grateful for our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   

Sisters Stewart (new senior companion) and Ferrari introducing themselves in Relief Society and asking for help with their efforts.

We didn't mean to be so patriotic, but when Steve pointed it out, I thought we'd get us all in! ;)

CHILDREN/GRAND CHILDREN/FAMILY MOMENTS

     Duckworth’s French exchange student back home

After three weeks, the Duckworths said goodbye to their French exchange student, Louis, from Annecy, France (just 1.5 hrs. away from us). He kept telling them he didn’t want to go back, as he loved his time with them. They took the time to visit many local sites, but last of all this week they drove to the Washington, Moses Lake Temple Open House. He brought his suit from France and made sure to wear it each week at church and at the Open House for the temple.

Picking Louis up at the airport in Portland, OR

Louis brought his suit for any church type events. He could pass as an awesome LDS missionary, though he's Catholic. 

Moses Lake Washington Temple Open House

They had a wonderful time at the Open House!

More fun with the family!

 

Louis loved the tour of the fire station in Amboy, WA

    Nate and Dixie’s camping

Last Friday, Nate and Dixie went camping. This is an annual event for their family. We have fond memories of going camping with our family and love that a lot of our family continue to go camping because of those sweet memories. 

The Nate and Dixie Packer camping family!

     Sister Maliyah Duckworth

“This week there was a tour that was about to go into Liberty Jail, but before heading in, the leader of this group of youth asked if we could have them sing a song first to help bring the spirit, since they were being a little rambunctious lol. So we decided on a song we would have them sing. But as I announced to the youth that we were going to sing a song, I caught myself feeling strongly prompted to have them sing something different from the one we had decided on. I told them we were going to sing A Child's Prayer. The song was beautiful and there were multiple youth crying by the end. Afterwards I explained to them how I had felt prompted to choose that song and how the message related strongly to the lessons that Joseph Smith learned in Liberty Jail. How God IS there, He DOES listen and He DOES hear and answer EVERY child's (bc we're each His child) prayer.”

“God's been teaching me a lot and I've especially been working on following promptings of the Spirit! As I've followed those promoting I've seen countless tender mercies and blessings; God's hand. He truly is with us more than we realize. Let Him in, let Him guide you, and listen, so you can have those personal miracles in your life too.”

Sister Maliyah Duckworth on the far right in green.

     Elder Kyson Duckworth

“When a flashlight grows dim or quits working, you don't throw it away, you change the batteries. When a person messes up and finds themselves in a dark place, do you cast them aside? Of course not, you help them change their batteries! Some need AA: Attention and Affection; some need AAA: Attention, Affection and Acceptance. Some need C: Compassion; some need D: Direction. And if they still don't seem to shine, just sit with them quietly and share your light."

“One thing I've learned is that patience and love is a huge virtue in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, replacing people's batteries doesn't work. And all we can do is have patience with them and just love them unconditionally with the love and light of Christ. He is the Light of the World. He is the perfect example of love. And I know that if we can strive to have that Christlike love in our lives, you will see blessings and happiness in your life.”

Elder Kyson Duckworth on right

Elder Kyson Duckworth on bottom right

GOSPEL STUDY REVIEW

     Book of Mormon

• We shall reap the rewards of our faith, diligence, patience and long-suffering.
• Our faith in God can be a great source of healing on our journey in life.
• Have faith unto repentance.
• Be teachable, willing to receive direction from the Lord, our prophet, and Church leaders pertaining to the things of righteousness.
• Put our trust in Him! God will support us in our trials.
• Bring others to the knowledge of the Lord. * Appeal unto the Lord. * Never be weary of good works. * Learn wisdom in our youth. * Let the affections of my heart be placed upon the Lord forever. * Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings. * Don’t be slothful to exercise faith and diligence. * Travel in a direct course. * Do not be slothful because of the easiness of the way. * Look to God and live!
• Bear all things with patience, bridle all our passions, be diligent and temperate in all things.

     Come Follow Me

• Live by faith and good works, which shows our heart’s inward desires.
• The Lord’s grace is a gift, which endows us with strength and the needed blessings to fulfill His will on this earth.
• My good works will connect me with Christ, but only His grace will bring salvation.
• I can be a light and beam to others, if I will shine from within, by my actions consistent with the Lord’s.
• Our covenants give us a newness of life.
• I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• When we judge others, we are actually judging ourselves.
• Rely wholly on the merits of Jesus Christ for our salvation. His grace gives us mercy and we should freely offer our hearts to receive His Atoning gift, by giving our very best to Him.

Summary:

After learning more of the deadly and horrific news of the fires in Maui, I thought back on a talk I gave in 2014 and which still begs answers to these questions. “I asked myself what we were to learn from these catastrophic events, or perhaps even the small and poignant personal disasters or heartaches that we each face at one time or another? I began to see similarities and comparisons in our own lives with these types of events, and what we needed to learn from them. How can we better prepare ourselves to face challenging times and then begin to recognize the need to reach out and help others?”

I pray that I, and each of us, can be more ready and able to prepare spiritually, temporally, emotionally and physically, and especially to always seek ways we can be the Lord’s hands.

AN EXTRA PHOTO GIFT!

This is the Idaho Falls Temple, that Steve and I were married in 45 years ago, and when I saw this stunning photo, I had to find a place to share it! Photo by @temple.photos

 

With all our love,

Elder et Sœur Packer                                                                                            Grandpère et Mémé

801-336-6153 (Steve’s)

801-564-1332 (Renée’s)

Address below: Please include the name and address as stated.

Les Missionaires – PACKERS

59 rue Bossuet

69006 Lyon FRANCE