Transferred

Hey everyone!!

So this week is transfers. Aaannnnnddd.....my companion is leaving!! Elder Prieto is going back to Laredo in the Area of "West Abundancia" which translates to "West Bountiful" ...no comment. Hahaha:) But surprise! I'm getting transferred as well! I will be leaving to the area of Portland in Corpus Christi Zone! Back to the Great White North! I really wish I was going to a Spanish Area, but I'm excited either way, it's gonna be a lot of fun. I've heard a lot about the ward up in Portland, hopefully my new comp and I will tear it up. 

So this past week was really fun, we had a meeting every day, 3 days of exchanges, a birthday party, and a baptism of one of our member's daughters. I don't really know what else to say, it's been a crazy week and day. 

I'm really excited to start the next chapter of my mission, but I can't believe how fast it has gone by. I have just over 8 months left, and that's super weird. I have loved my mission so much, I just pray that I'll be able to keep doing as much good as I can while I'm out here. I love the people. I love all my companions, both past and present, we'll see about future;) I love the members I've met so far, the people I've taught, the people that have gotten baptized, my leaders, other missionaries, President Maluenda and his family...it's been great. 

If anyone is pondering about serving a mission, stop. Just do it. You will learn more in even just a few months than you will in the next ten years if you don't serve. And 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. 

I love you all and hope you have a great next week! I'm expecting a pretty crazy one, so we'll see how it goes. Next time I email will be a couple hundred miles north of here!

Elder Packer

Transferdomis

Good Afternoon!

Well, a week from tomorrow is transfers. But I don't really care hahaha:) I've been having a great time this week, we had interviews with our mission president, and lots of prep for stake conference. 

Interviews was probably my favorite part of the week. We had like a 7 hour meeting and then went out to work for another 5 or 6, but it was great. I learned so much in that meeting. If I could get anyone to know something about the gospel it would be that reading the Scriptures is so important. So so important. And wonderful. You can learn  infinitely wisdom from them, there's comfort when you're down, there's answers to any question you can think of, there's warnings, there's direction, there's counsel, there's everything you could ever want from a book. I've really fallen in love with the scriptures on my mission, they're definitely something I will charish forever. 

That's about all the time I've got, sorry I didn't write more, or send pictures, but I hope you all have a good week and we'll see you next time! Love you!!

Elder Packer

Fish Fry

Hey everyone!

So this week was really awesome, we had a lot of fun. The main event of the week was the ward Fish Fry that the missionaries have been planning for about a month and a half. 

Last Monday we went to the Mercedes Outlets and looked at the cool stuff they had there, where we found some really cool and really expensive ties and socks and clothes and stuff. On Tuesday we had some fun with Elder Cannell's brother, who was down here for a mini mission in preparation for his own. He was here from Monday night to Friday morning and we had a lot of really good times with him. Everything from WhataBurger to taquitos, it was a lot of fun haha.

Then Saturday we had the Fish Fry, and we wrote and sang a little spoof of Hallelujah for it. It was fun, I don't have a video of it, but it might be on the mission facebook page or something haha. 

That's really all I have to say for this week, I hope you all have a great week and I love you a lot! Until next week!

Elder Packer

Una Semana Muy Genial

Hello everyone, and Happy New Year!! It's super weird to be in 2016, I come home this year, my sister turns 16, and my brother graduates next year........it doesn't stop. Life moves too fast. 

Anywho, this week was really fun! We had a lot of fun on New Years Eve, watching Polar Express with all the missionaries in the zone. Before that, last Monday, we went to Bass Pro for the first time in a while and went Bowling as a zone haha it was super great. I love Bass Pro Shop, it's a blast. 

Since there hasn't been much else that happened this week, I wanted to share a bit about some of the things I've been studying recently. The Book of Mormon is true, I'm learning more and more about that and other gospel topics in Articles of Faith by James E. Talmage, and I've been reading through the Old and New Testaments as well. Something that struck me during the Sacrament this week was Hebrews 6:10-12; 

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work andlabour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye benot slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 

What I took from it was diligence in missionary work. I have ministered and am ministering to those around me, but as I enter the New Year, it was a cool thing that refocused me and helped me recognize that I don't have too much longer to be out here, dedicating all my time to the Lord. And that's something I'm going to miss. So rather than think about things coming, it helped me focus on my work at hand. We want others to inherit the promises, it's the whole reason we do what we do.

As well, since the 2 great commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor as our selves, we should first of all, have love for ourselves, show that same love to others, and then let everything we do be motivated by our love for God. It's not easy, and I still have a long way to go, but it's what the Lord wants for us. Not just the missionaries, but everyone. 

Anywho, I hope you all had a wonderful week, have a great one this week as well! I love you all!

Elder Packer

1. The homies at Bass Pro

2. Elder Klamm during bowling