Otra vez vienen las transferencias

Bueno!! 

How is everyone? I hope everyone had a wonderful week, I know mine was pretty great, and also really quick. 

This week was the last week of the transfer, and we had a bunch of appointments, so it was pretty exciting. We found quite a few people to teach, which was great, and we brought people to church, something this area hadn't done since August of last year. But it was super cool. We got to meet with some people from my last area in Harlingen, and we spent a lot of time doing service. But last night we got transfer calls, and apparently I'm leaving after only one in this area. I'm a little sad, but it's alright, I feel like I did a lot with the organizing of the area, and I left it much better than I found it. I still don't know where I'm going, but I'm excited to see what the Lord has for me in these next few months. 

That's basically it for this week, I hope you all have a wonderful week!! I love you all!!

Elder Packer 

1-2. Pictures at "Crazy Monkey Lady's" house (she's got a dozen or more monkeys)

3-4. Kassie and I after her confirmation and the baptism of her step-sisters. 

Dia de independence!

José, puedes ver?

Hello everyone, I hope you've all had a wonderful day and week! This last week was a pretty fun and exciting one for me and my companion. We had exchanges, and I was sent to La Feria with Elder Sheehy, where we had a pretty good time and did lots of service work. We got back on Thursday where we also had interviews with Presidente Torres. He's a really awesome guy, super inspired, and he got us all really excited for the work. He's a lot like President Maluenda, but he's definitely got his own style. He wants to go proselyting with each of us, so that's definitely going to be interesting haha. He's got a crazy story, he was almost ordained a high-priest before he left on his mission, but they found out he wouldn't be able to go on his mission, so they waited until after, where he became a Stake President at like 23 or something like that. He also baptized 50 people in 3 months while he was on his mission. Crazy high faith.

So, for those of you that don't know, my companion, Elder Lake, wants to be President of the United States. He has a lot of great love for this country, and I honestly think he will do it, he's got some good plans. But with yesterday being the 4th of July, he was definitely on a high point all day haha. We had a lot of fun celebrating the birth of America, and he has shared with me some pretty cool plans and talks and things about America. 

But because of his goal to be president, I was thinking about goals I have. He's convinced me to be part of a political movement to help the country, so that's one of my goals now too. But I wanted to challenge yall to think of a long-term goal (2-5 years) and a short-term goal (1-3 months) and then plan for it and put those plans to action. They can be financial goals, educational goals, or spiritual goals, but just make sure you don't overcomplicate the plan. I am a big believe in small and simple things. I love yall a lot, and hope you have a great week!! 

Elder Packer 

Sorry, I forgot to mention the baptism picture. On Sunday I was privileged to baptize Kassandra Larios, the daughter of one of the members in my last area in Harlingen. She's adorable, she taught me the whip and attempted to teach me a front walkover hahaha. They're recent converts from just before I got to the area, so it was pretty great to see them continue their progression and prepare for the temple. Her parents are Eliza and Carlos Mares, and she's got a younger sister that's 2 who she is being a great example to. They're all buen gente, I love them haha. 

Se va el tiempo

Hello yall:)

This week went by super fast, sorry I don't have a lot to say. We had a couple exchanges, and got some renewed animo, it was awesome:) This week we get a new mission president. He comes in today and tomorrow President Maluenda leaves. We're all going to miss him a lot, but we're excited to see what the new mission president has for us as well. 

What I really wanted to share this week was about love. I really love my mission. I love serving the people here. I love hearing about people lives and doing what I can to touch their hearts and change their lives for the better. I really love hearing about their lives, hearing them open up, mourning with them, feeling their pain as an ache in my own heart, and esforzandome tanto to be able to help them out. That's probably my favorite part about the mission. 

Along with that, I've set a personal goal to touch the heart of at least one person a day. Its really not that hard, all you have to do is try. I intend to keep that goal after the mission, and I want to challenge anyone who reads this to do the same this week. The boy scouts have a saying; do a good turn daily. It's like that, but make sure it's for someone in specific. 

I love you all, hope you have a great week!

Elder Packer

1. Elder Castillo and Lake 

2. Me brushing a member's barbie's hair....don't ask questions haha 

Rain

Hello yall!!

So this week was pretty good. We got caught in the rain once or twice, but it was pretty fun, I love getting caught in the rain haha. Sounds weird, but it's really exciting. On Friday we had our ward Father's Day party and that was super fun, everyone showed up late, but when it finally got started we had a lot of fun, good food, good music, good people. 

We also did a lot of service this week, on Saturday we almost did nothing but service, but we had stake conference too haha. We first went to a member's farm and helped her pick up from some of the recent storms. it was pretty fun, we got to see some animals such as a HUUUGE pig, some donkeys and goats and chickens and things, it was cool. Afterwards we went to a different member's house and helped them wash an RV they had, and that took a lot longer that it seems. It was crazy. But then we had Stake Conference, which was really good. President Elkins went super hard on service for the adult session, and then about callings during the other. He is one of those who speaks very straightforward. It was good. 

That's the majority of my week, I hope yall are having a great one, and happy late Father's Day to those who I didn't get to tell, namely my own Dad and anyone else who would like to claim it hahaha. I love yall!! Have a great week!

Elder Packer

Greener Pastures

Buenas tardes mis amados!

I hope you all had a great week, mine certainly was pretty great. We had some fun on Monday with the other missionaries in the Zone, and Tuesday we did an exchange. I was with Elder Felix, we taught some cool people and the Senior missionaries, Elder and Sister Clark, brought us ice cream. 

Skipping to Friday, we had a good weekly planning and such, and we went out and worked a bunch. Saturday we had zone service at the Daniels house to help them clean out their garage and we had a blast over there even though it was like a thousand degrees. I was also on exchanges with Elder Castillo on Saturday, and we biked to the edge of the gaping depths of my area, which took a while, and we found out that the member we were looking for lived on a different street with the same name that was actually on the other side of Harlingen...right next to our apartments. But we made the best of the situation, it wasn't too bad haha. 

Sunday I gave a talk on Missionary Work and The Atonement. I thought it went pretty well, I really enjoyed studying for it. 

That was basically my week. Presidente Maluenda has only 15 more days in the TMM, and then we will be getting Presidente Torres. I'm excited, but I'll definitely miss the Maluendas. anywho, I love yall, hope you have a great week!!

Elder Packer 

Ajustandome

Hello everyone!!

Recap; I'm back in Harlingen, this time in a spanish area, and a bike only area, and my new comp is Elder Lake. He has about 8 months on the mission, and he's 6'6". Taall dude. 

So this last week was pretty crazy. I emailed I think on Wednesday, and that was the day we did some shopping and things, and we didn't get too much done outside of organization. Friday we went and had Valley Conference with President Maluenda, the last conference we're going to have with him as our presidente. Him and his family leave the 28th of June, it's gonna be hard, but good. And this whole weekend it was pouring rain. That and I got a flat while biking and we ended up walking home for about 1.5 miles, until a member came to the rescue and drove us the other mile haha. It was actually really fun though, just biking/running in the rain. I don't know why, but we really loved it haha. 

That's about it for this week, I hope you guys have an awesome week, I love yall!!

Elder Packer

Guess Who's Back

Happy Wednesday everyone!!

Sorry I'm emailing so late, the library was closed on Monday, and yesterday was transfers. I'm back in Harlingen! But this time I don't get the luxury of a van, I'm on puro bike. It's gonna be a fun summer hahaha. 

So I don't really know what to say, the past few days have been pretty crazy. We said goodbye to a bunch of people in Portland, Harker was lucky enough to stay. I really wanted to stay, but the Lord had need of me here, so I guess that's where I'll be. 

I did take a bunch of pictures, so yall can look at those, but that's really all I've got for today, sorry! I love yall, don't ever lose your testimony!!

Elder Packer

1. Muhammad Family

2-5. Birkeys