If anyone is feeling sad, stop. Forget about yourself. The only times we really are sad are when we're thinking about ourselves.
When we focus on others, that's when happiness comes. Everything is a choice. Literally. Everything.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Greenie no more!!

Buenos Dias a todos!

So this week has been an especially crazy week. My comp got called to go to 3-day training, so I was with Elder Hoffman in southmost from Monday to Thursday, and we didn't really work a whole ton in Los Ebanos (my area) because we spent most of the time in southmost. It was really fun tho, I stayed in an apartment with 3 of the funnest elders in the zone, and we had a blast. I learned a couple hymns on the guitar, and we actually went proselyting with the guitar one day because we had a zone competition to see how many songs we could sing to members and contacts that day. It was super fun, we probably sang Mas Cerca Dios de Ti (Nearer My God To Thee) more than 20 times that day hahaha.

But yeah, after that Elder Denney and I worked together Friday for probably the last full day together, because on Saturday we had a three-way exchange to get some people interviewed, and I went with Elder Jones to downtown (my favorite area to work, the people rock, and we have a couple members that like to cruise with us the whole day, it's great). Then Sunday we didn't have the baptisms we were hoping for because one of the kids in the family we were teaching broke his arm and ended up being up in McAllen for a few days having surgery. That was rough, he's in pain, but he's a tough cookie.

And tomorrow is transfers! Once again, we don't know them yet....it's frustrating, but my companion has already been here for 5 and a half transfers, so he's basically certain he's going to be getting transferred. Oh, and because I'm done with my first 12 weeks in the field, as of today I am officially not a greenie anymore!!!:):) HooRah!

The pictures today, a few are from the 3 day exchange, we got Shamrock Shakes and Elder Hoffman and I spent a little bit of time with two of the cutest little Mexican girls you'll ever meet, we went to Rudy's, and had a blast. Then yesterday we went over to one of our member's houses and she made us some of the best crepes I've had (second only to my mom's :}) and that's basically it for this week! I hope you all have a wonderful week, and special shoutout to the packers for sending me the package for Valentine's Day, that was awesome, thank you:) Stay strong, be of a good courage, and smile:)

Elder Packer








Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Transferdomis!

Buenas!:)

So this last week was really fun, we had a zone exchange and I got paired up with Elder Carter in his area, and he's only one transfer older than me so we were the youngest companionship in the zone haha. Our first lesson we taught was to some random lady we met in a trailer park, and she invited us in, and cooked us hamburgers, and told us all about how she loved Jesus while Carter and I couldn't stop looking at the gun on her coffee table. After a 20 minute talk about why Jesus is awesome, she asked us to move some of her furniture around, and then if we could put on her trailer skirt for her the next day, which we did do. That was interesting. Quite an experience. 

We also visited a couple cool members, including the Leiva family, and they are super awesome. We sang Nearer My God to Thee accompanied by the guitar for them (which reminds me, I bought a guitar last week, its been fun), and the gave us a bunch of snacks to take home. They're super cool, they're the family that took our whole zone out for lunch one day in December to a super nice restaurant. Then to end the exchange we went to breakfast at iHop, and I got a couple fun pictures there haha. And also Carter laughed and spilled water all over me and the person I was sitting next to, that was a great way to end the exchange...haha jk it was fun.

Other than that it's been a pretty great week also. We might be having 4 more baptisms this sunday, so that is gonna be freaking sweet! And this is also the last week of the transfer, and my companion got called to three-day training with all the leaders, so I'm on exchanges for the next few days:) I love exchanges, they're always fun :)

We also got Valentine's Day stuff from the sisters:) they decorate our door while we were at the church playing basketball in the morning, it was a pretty cool surprise. Which reminds me, thank you so much to everyone who has given me things for Valentines Day:):) I can't tell you how much I've loved it, it's been amazing.
That's basically it for this week! I hope you all have an awesome week and I love you all!:):)

Elder Packer








Monday, February 9, 2015

Happy Valentines Day!!

Buenos dias!
Thank you to everyone who has sent me letters and emails, I really appreciate it more than I can express in writing. It really means a lot, thank you for all your support:)

This week really flew by! Two main events were zone meeting, and Betty and Angel's baptism yesterday!
Zone meeting was really really fun. On Saturday we met at the church and had a few really spiritual trainings and talks and things, then we did some super fun competitions between the districts, which I have pictures of one contest. Then we finished with a  testimony meeting and that was really awesome, we got to know a lot more about each other and more about the new people in the zone. Which is weird because it feels like they just got here but we only have 2 more weeks left in the transfer, so there will probably be a lot more new people coming and some others leaving. Time really is flying. 

After zone meeting we went to b-dubs and that was pretty fun, but pretty expensive for a missionary budget. Either way, it was awesome. Then after that we went and had Betty and Angel's interview, and while they were getting interviewed Elder Denney and I spent some time entertaining Breana, Betty's 7 year old daughter. She's the cutest, I can't even describe it haha.

Anyways, they both passed their interviews like a boss and then yesterday was their baptism. I was at the Spanish ward for church (where we miraculously had 3 other children we are hoping to get baptized just walk in) so I didn't get to see them at church, but when I got there one of the sister missionaries (sister Bentz) told said "hey is Betty one of your converts? She's been bearing her testimony all day!" and that was pretty sweet. 

Betty and Angel are super boss, she's had so much faith and shown it so well. When we taught her about the word of wisdom she said she'd try to quit drinking coffee, but wasn't super sure, but she never had another cup, and even threw it away, despite her husband still wanting to drink it. Her and Angel are so great, they're gonna make some great members.

Anyways, that's all for this week, I hope you guys enjoy your week, and Happy Valentines Day! Also I think next week there's a bunch of Holidays including Presidents Day, Chinese New Year and Ash Wednesday:)

The pictures are of a watermelon eating contest, 4 members of my district playing I'm Just a Fisherman (wonderful song, I highly recommend it) and the baptism yesterday. Until next week!

Elder Packer
 




Monday, February 2, 2015

#gameday

Buenos Dias a todos!

Thank you all so much for writing me letters and emails, and those of you who read my letters as well, I didn't really realize how many people do read until I got a few emails from people I didn't think were following up on my mission journey. So thank you all for your support, it's really been so amazing to hear from everyone and get all your prayers.

This week was really great, we had some really good lessons with investigators, and a mother and son who will be getting baptized this Sunday! I'm really excited for them, they're super boss.

So something that was almost funny this week; we were secretly doing service for a family by cleaning their yard and raking up leaves and stuff like that because their yard was trashed, and the neighbors called the cops on us, so two policeman showed up. It was almost funny, because they didn't really do anything other than stand there and discuss if they should do anything, but the fact we got the cops called on us for doing service was kinda ironic.

That's really basically all I've got for this week, other than a few funny pictures. In two of them we're wearing a bunch of ties that are actually from the tie room, so no one really wears any of the ties we're wearing. There. Are. So. Many. Ties. Really, it's insane.

Anyways, thank you all for being amazing, I'll write more next week. Have a great week and may the Lord be with you.

Elder Packer