BLOG 49, SEP 11-17, 2023

 SEPTEMBER 11 - REMEMBERING

Monday, 9/11, brings back so many memories for every family in our nation, as it did with us. Without going into any of our personal memories of this day, we love sharing these two photos that bring back sweet memories of our special time in New York in 1996.

Packer Church and American History trip in the summer of 1996. These two photos are priceless to our family. 

Summer of 1996, Steve and I made sure to get this Iconic photo, which we then recreated, minus the twin towers, a year ago in New York, prior to our departure for our mission. 

We feel blessed for the strength of our nation, especially when we choose good over evil, right over wrong, kindness over cruelty, and love over hate.

WOOD SIBS ZOOM CHAT

We loved our Wood Sibs zoom visit with one another Monday night, and terribly missed Lucie, who was unable to join us this time. We had a wonderful time sharing special and unique memories we each had of one another. They were all so random, but each were special memories we shared. We look forward for next month.  

Wood Sibs Chat, minus our dear sister, Lucie! It's not the same when we aren't all there, but we managed! 

MISSION WIDE CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT AND SISTER DE FEO

We have been preparing for several days since we have learned of this great opportunity, which happens with little knowledge beforehand, as the Area has so much on their plate, speaking to all the missions within the Europe Central Area.

Almost 4 years ago, we were on our Paris mission, having had the same experience with the same person, but Elder De Feo was a counselor at the time. We had a wonderful 45-minute meeting in our Paris Center with him, and President and Sister Sorensen talking about the purposes of the center, of which he had heard a good amount from Roland Léporé earlier. This was just 2 months prior to completing our Paris mission.

November 2019 - Paris, France, Family Resource Center, with President/Elder De Feo. 

Our November 2019 meeting was also with our Mission Leaders, President and Sister Sorensen, with President/Elder De Feo. 

It was such a blessing to truly prepare in a deeper sense as we knew that this was a tremendous and glorious day to come. We took countless notes and began to see the parallels, not only for our mission, but also in our preparation for General Conference in a few weeks, and also the beautiful applications that have great significance for our personal lives from here on out.  

Our hearts were significantly buoyed up, lifted from our daily efforts, into a greater vision of the Lord’s beautiful love for us and how we can bestow our great efforts into glorious outcomes continually in our lives.

It was wonderful and amazing to see the sea of faces of the missionaries from the entire mission. Everyone made it, the young and the seniors from the entirety of the mission, from Corsica on up. They were a beautiful site!

We found out that President De Feo was the first Stake President in Rome, which was also during the time that our son, Austin was serving his mission there. Austin became an assistant to the Mission President later on in his mission and did know President De Feo.

While we waited for President and Sister De Feo and our Mission Leaders and family, the whole mission was singing hymns. It was glorious! 

President and Sister De Feo.

The entire France Lyon Mission 2023

We quickly took a photo of the Senior Missionary group. This was a first with all of us together. 

They greeted us after the photos, as we all entered the building. They are such gracious and inspiring leaders and speakers. 

President and Sister Léporé talking about the importance of huddles, spiritual huddles, just like in a football game. They are of great value to communicate and make plans. 

Elder Runyon, a star BYU Football player and missionary here, talked of the importance of huddles in the game and how they have similar application in our lives as missionaries and with family.

President De Feo teaching among the missionaries. 

Sister Buysse and her companion, Sister Bown. 

Our dear Sister Conners, who we love and miss.

As the departing missionaries who had to leave asap, to catch their trains, this was some of the 48 of them at that bus stop across from the church.

     Just a few notes of many:

When we act by faith, we’ll receive the power to act on revelation.

Act on the promptings of the spirit to receive more revelation.

     First Great Commandments

-         Love God

-         Love our neighbor

     First great truth

-         God loves us!

 

     Faith we gained in our pre-mortal life in the council of heaven.

-         We gained faith in our pre-mortal life in the council of heaven, before coming to earth.

-         Don’t minimize the faith we came to earth with.

-         We’re here to remember our act of faith in the premortal life so we can continue in faith here on earth. It takes faith to do all things of great worth.

     My final ending thoughts from what we learned:

We must always seek for higher ground, and may at times even be living part of a terrestrial life, and then sometimes we are living celestial elements of our lives, all depending on our progression, our desires, our hearts, our understanding and deepened conversion, etc. It has to do with our pure hearts, our Christlike love, our love of the Lord, our ability to have charity, our ability to move to higher ground, more and more each day. As we look outward and lift and love others, we are becoming more and more terrestrial/celestial.

We might've been tired after a long day, but it was so faith filled and inspiring to the end! But we must keep it up!

SENIOR MISSIONARY DINNER WITH HANSENS AND RILEY’S

After our mission wide conference on Tuesday, a couple of senior missionary couples and we decided to head to a restaurant to have an opportunity to visit with them more since they live further away. Most of those who live a little closer, ended up going back to their apartment that night, but the Riley’s whom we had never met formally (only through lots of zooms) would have a long trip back to Corsica. Hansens live 6 hours away and both were leaving the follow day. We enjoyed our in- person visit with them and hearing of the wonderful things going on in their part of the mission.

Packers with Elders and Sisters Riley and Hansen

GREG SARGENT’S ART OF CHRIST

We have known Greg Sargent since the days of Layton over 20 years ago, when living in the 37th ward. Greg has turned into an amazing artist in the last 20 years and is remarkable. Most of his artwork is of Jesus Christ. I have loved everything he has done, but this one drew me in like none other. I told him that this piece will change lives. I felt it should be shared. 

Artwork by Greg Sargent, absolutely beautiful!

This is what Greg wrote when posting his art. Love this!

THURSDAY EXTENDED PARK VISIT DATE

Though we took our normal walk in the morning in the park, we looked forward later to take a long walk around the entirety of the park again for most likely our last time before our mission ends.

     FEW PHOTOS FROM MY IPHONE

Notice where the long-stemmed flower is growing from. 

Loved all the beautiful scenery behind us!

This island is never opened, but the sign says it is. We may never get to cross underground on our mission, to get to the other side!

Each time we've passed this section, someone is playing the piano. He was playing and singing. 

When we sat for a little repose, this was our view! 

The flowers are beginning to die and it will get cold and we enjoy our shorter morning walk loop. Steve wanted to give me this time to allow me to bring my pro camera and capture some photos along the way.

I loved having my pro camera in my hands, but I don’t have time or space on my drive to do much with what I did take and so I will share very little and will have to wait till I get home to do more. My iPhone has been my easy way out of doing photography, of which I love and adore.  It’s not what we’re here for.

    FEW PHOTOS FROM MY PRO CAMERA

I was so pleased that the colors and blossoms were still radiant and so beautiful, though many were dying. This brought me so much joy to take my camera to capture them. 

We may each feel like we are different from others, but we can stand out and be brilliant all on our own! 

The black bird in the tuxedo on the right, was leading the choir of flamingos!

MAJOR PREPARATIONS FOR OUR COURSES TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK

We are now at 158 registered individuals at this point, which may very well increase. We are amazed at how fast it has grown and pray it will be a blessing to all who are involved.

One class began on Saturday and the rest will begin next week. We pray for each of the facilitators and participants for its great success which will be a tremendous blessing.

HAILEY HILL K. ZOOM CHAT

Our daughter, Camille, put me in touch with Hailey. It was fun for me to connect with her, as I taught reading to her when she was young, around 25 years ago. She had questions on teaching her son the same reading program I taught her 25 years ago. He is autistic and has had some challenges, and she felt this could really help him. She’s going to do amazing!

Hailey Hill K zoom chat! Such a wonderful woman and mom, that I taught how to read 25 years ago. 

SUNDAY WORSHIP

We enjoyed another beautiful sabbath worship with the ward members. Grateful to always feel the warmth and love of everyone we are with and pray they too can feel of our love for them, as we visit with and share our attention towards them.

Sunday Best, as my daughter Camile would call it, as they would take a photo each Sunday of the family before going into church. 

CHILDREN/GRAND CHILDREN/FAMILY MOMENTS

     Jacob – major prayers needed!

Continued prayers are needed for Jacob as they prayerfully need to make their decision about Jacob’s major corrective surgery stemming from his MPS6 condition.

And more prayers for Jacob, as he just sprained his ankle yesterday on his important bike race (but still qualified for State), and has an important golf tournament, where he just made the varsity team for this tournament this Monday. It’s the last game before Region and State. Bless that boy!

Jacob, finished amazingly, even after crashing and spraining his ankle. 

     Sister Maliyah Duckworth – Powerful truth!

“…the nice thing about being a missionary, is all I have to do is just be a missionary (and all the responsibilities that come with that of course). I don't have to worry about anything else though! …it's nice to know that all I really have to do is just be me; just represent Christ; just love as he would love, serve as He would serve, and do as He would do. Give tours and learn from the experiences I'm having here. I KNOW I was sent here for a reason. Probably many reasons. The thing about historic site missions is you don't hardly EVER see results. Ever. Because people come, you give them your tour and hopefully bring the spirit, and then they leave and you never see them again. You never know if you had any influence. You never know if they followed through with the invitation you gave them. You never know what kind of promptings they received from visiting. But you learn to be okay with that and I think that's so cool. I know there are people that have come here that I've needed to meet and people that have needed to meet me. Words that others have needed to hear and words that I've needed to hear. I'll save my final spiel/testimony for next week hahaha, but as my time here is coming to an end, I can't help but dwell on how precious these past few months have been! 

Maliyah, George of the Jungle and Sister Tew at the Zoo!

Maliyah petting the Stingray.

The last of the Visitor Center missionaries.

A threesome of lovely missionaries!

Elder Kyson Duckworth now in Brazil

“This week I've been reading through the late Alma chapters about Helaman’s 2000 stripling warriors, or "sons," because they were very young and supposedly not much older or younger than me. They were greatly outnumbered against their enemy and needed to make a choice. Attack or flee? So, captain Helaman asked them their opinion, and here's what was said in chapter 56, verses 46-48:

     46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

     47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

     48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

I think that last line in verse 47 is huge. They knew that "if they did not doubt, God would deliver them." And with that faith they had, here's the result of the battle that they were greatly outnumbered in:

     55 And now it came to pass that when they had surrendered themselves up unto us, behold, I numbered those young men who had fought with me, fearing lest there were many of them slain.

     56 But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war.

Those verses have been stuck in my head all week, and whenever I read them there hasn't been a single time I have read them without feeling the spirit testify to me that those men were REAL. They're faith was REAL. And though they were merely young boys, they had the strength of God because of their exceeding faith and action in the things they're mothers taught.

While it's important to know we have faith in something, we will only receive strength from God and Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost if we exercise our faith in the things we do. Believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Live it. Believe Christ can help you in this trial you’re in? Pray and search for the things you need. And once you've put in all the effort you can give, they will make up the rest for you.

Never forget to be grateful for what you have too. That's kinda important.”

Kyson is on the top row, second from the left.

Their favorite pizza is filled with chocolate inside the crust, and they love it!

Kyson and his companion! Both are trying to learn each other's language. 

GOSPEL STUDY REVIEW

     Book of Mormon

• Pride and wickedness cause quick dissensions.
• The love of the Lord is what propels us to bless others.
• Do not doubt God’s hand in our lives.
• Peace will abound and radiate towards others when they see the examples of righteousness before them.
• Be firm and steady in the faith.
• Joy is felt with conversion.
• Continue to grow in the knowledge of God.
• Each of us should find our prayer garden to pour out our hearts to God.
• God will, and can, manifest truth to His children who seek truth.
• All the prophets have testified of Christ and His redemptive power.

     Come Follow Me

• Let all things be done with charity.
• Our trials refine us and help us look outward to help and lift others and look heavenward.
• Through the Atonement of Christ I can be reconciled to God.
• Understanding what true Godly sorrow really means and that it causes us to repent and change.
• The Savior is abundantly blessing us with His love, grace, and mercy, which is for all of God’s children.
• Invite God to be a part of our covenantal relationship.
• Our daily acts of kindness need to start right in our home, family, our neighbors, and in our communities.
• Prophets teach us the doctrine and truth from God, and show us an increase of love from God for those fallen in sin.
• God loves us so much by giving us challenges to grow, so we more readily reach out to the Lord.

Conclusion:

We are feeling so blessed, very uplifted and ready to keep going, after such a spirit filled week! We hope that you too can find the motivation and inspiration needed to sustain you, lift your spirits and find joy every day, no matter what life may look like. You can do this by reading scriptures, praying, listening to inspiring music, serving and showing love towards others, listening or watching uplifting podcasts, conference talks, faith filled YouTube channels, etc.

We are given hope and faith in Christ that can bring us joy, inspiration and the drive to keep ourselves aligned with goodness, kindness and faith in the Lord.

 

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