Week Four

Hola everyone,

I have a lot to say this week! First off, thank you all so much for everything you have done to support me, I have been so grateful. Mom, thank you especially, and in answer to your question of pie or Pep, I would prefer the vanilla pep over the pie...so yeah:)

Anyways, one cool thing is that I was made district leader because our old district leaders are now the zone leaders. Our senior district is now gone, and it was so sad. We loved those guys so much, it's crazy how close we got in just a few weeks. Elder Harrop and Elder Trautman were my hero's, they were exactly the kind of person that I wish I could be and that I hope to become. 

Second, one of the Hermana's in my zone who has been called as Sister Training leader with her companion is Hermana Savannah Heywood, one of Kris's old soccer players. She said she was from heber when we introduced ourselves, then I said I had family that lived there, she asked who, I said the Golightly's, and she said "wait, so do you know Kris Thacker" and I said, "yeah, she's my aunt" and we both proceed to talk about how crazy and awesome Kris is. Shout out to you shorty. 

Another thing that was super awesome was our Sunday Devotional by Elder Bednar. It was amazing. I can't write everything that I learned from it but I'll just mention a few key points that apply to everyone. Overall, the talk was about humbling ourselves and becoming like Christ. He mentioned that even after he was let down by his three most trusted apostles, suffered the pains of the world, which agony was so great that it caused him to sweat drops of blood from every pore, and was betrayed by one of his apostles by a kiss, he still cared enough to heal the guard whose ear was cut off by Peter. He said that we need to be converted unto Christ, not just have a testimony of Him, but live as he lived, humble ourselves to care more about the welfare of others than ourselves, and study the His character and try to become more like Him.

That wasn't that great of a summary because it was such a good talk, but if you find it I definitely recommend it. I never really believed it when missionaries would write home and say that they feel the spirit so much more and so strongly because I thought  it was just to say that or that it couldn't happen, but I seriously do feel the spirit so strongly here. I love it. 

One more little tidbit of information, my maestro Hermano Guerrero proposed to his girlfriend this week. They had been dating for five years since they both went to school here, they've both served missions during those years, and they're both super cool. 

That's all for now, but for one of the pictures I need to explain something. We took pictures with our whole zone on Sunday because it was their last one, and Elder Harrop and Elder Trautman decided I looked like a gangster because of the way I posed in most of them. So in the one where they're all being serious and I am smiling, it's because I was laughing because they thought I was an O.G. So yeah, anyways, thank you all, I love you all, and remember to pray always that the Lord be with you.

Elder Packer