TheCountdown

Hello everyone!

So this week was pretty good, we did a lot of good stuff, had a lot of fun, and it was very interesting. Monday we did just hung around Portland for p-day, it was really nice and relaxing, and then Tuesday I had an exchange with Elder Sanchez, that was pretty fun, we got a lot of things done, it was great. Jared Dement also came over Wednesday morning and showed us the way they planned down in Argentina, it was pretty cool. We did some big planning and adjusting of the area, and now we're super ready to go out and work haha. 

This is the last week of the transfer, so we're on the countdown to seeing what happens next transfer. I don't know what will happen, but I've loved my time here in Portland and would love to stay. But whatever happens I know it's the Lord's will. 

That's all I really have to say haha sorry I don't have too much. I love you all, have a wonderful week!!

Elder Packer

GoalsPlansLetters

Hello Humans!!

So this last week was pretty awesome, we had a lot of fun times and lots of good things happened. The most memorable/exciting thing was probably the return of Jared Dement, our Ward Mission Leader's Son who was serving in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. He served an awesome mission and is still pumped to help the Elders here in Portland. 

On Sunday he gave his homecoming talk and it was awesome, he shared some really cool experiences, including a letter that he wrote to himself on the plane to the MTC. He held on to it for the whole 2 years, and then read it on the plane back from Argentina, where he gave himself a bunch of advice. He read about half of it and then decided to talk to the woman he was sitting next to on the plane for the 15 hour flight, and told her all about what he had been doing for 2 years, bore his testimony that he knew this was the only true church of God, and that he wanted to give her a Book of Mormon. She read the introduction and the testimonies, and then he read the rest of his letter, where in the last paragraph he had told himself that he needed to share the gospel with whomever he was sitting next to on the plane. He felt the spirit, started bawling and told her, and testified again that it was God calling out to her. He is hoping to soon see a picture of her getting baptized or with the missionaries. Super cool!

I didn't write myself a letter when I left the MTC, but I decided to do that today, even though it's more than halfway through. I'll still read it when I am on the plane, and intend to still talk to the people sitting next to me on the plane. 

Anywho, we made some really awesome plans this week and we're hoping to see lots of success from them. All I can really say is that the spirit guides. He is real and wants to help, we just need to be looking and listening. 

I love you guys and hope you have a great week!! 

Elder Packer

1.Wednesday

2.SuperCoolPicturebyGregOlsen

3.Another

4.HarkerBeingHarker

5.Cheesecake:)

PostMothersDay

Hello yall!

This week has been pretty good, we did a lot of random stuff, I was on exchanges for a couple days, we had some meetings, and then we skyped Sunday! It was good to see my family, I'm glad they're doing so well. 

I don't really have much to say because I spoke with them yesterday, but I do have a bunch of pictures, so I hope you guys enjoy those haha. I love yall!:) 

Elder Packer

Selfies on the exchange, a santa hat we found, and me burning my pants!!!

Por Tantas Bendiciones

Another Monday!

The weeks keep going by faster haha. Anywho, this past week was really good, we got a lot of things done in the area, met a lot of new people, cleaned up some records, and are still loving it in Portland. The people here really remind me of my ward back home, it's the closest one I've been to that has been really fully functioning in the way it should be haha. 

I don't have too much to say this week, I just wanted to comment on Mother's Day prep. Kids, have fun showing your mom how much you love her this week. Husbands, love your wives. Do what you can to help them out, not just on Sunday but every day, especially this week. Set a goal to do one nice thing for your wife every day this week that you don't normally do. And wives, be grateful for whatever the men do, we aren't perfect but we try haha. 

Now to make my mom cry a bit I'm going to share how grateful I am for everything she's done for me. I wouldn't be out here if it weren't for the faithfulness of my mother. Every day she would hound us to do scripture study, even when I was literally walking out the door. She made sure that we knew that she knew that was something important. And if it hadn't been for that example, I don't really know where I would be right now haha. That, and I'm thankful for all the times you've done my laundry....really, really grateful hahah:) love you!!

I hope yall enjoy this week and have a wonderful Mothers Day! 

Elder Packer 

1-2. Harker and I this morning

3. A picture my dad sent me that makes me laugh every time hahaha

El Espirit

Happy Tuesday everyone!!

Sorry I didnt write yesterday, but us in the Texas McAllen Mission were blessed with the oportunity to listen to Elder Robins of the Seventy and Elder Holland yesterday in McAllen!! It took all day for us in Corpus, but it was well worth it. 

My week before that was really kinda dull. We did the usual thing, but we weren't seeing much success. But one thing Elder Holland said yesterday was that he was glad of how great of a job we were doing here in McAllen, even though we haven't been seeing the success we normally do. He complimented us on how well we were doing and how obedient and trusting to the Lord we were, and then he explained a bunch of things about teaching with the Spirit. It was super awesome. 

Everything we do as members and missionaries is so that we can have the companionship of the Spirit. One thing I loved that Elder Holland said was that when we have the companionship of the Spirit, we have the companionship of a God. Who doesn't want that all the time? He read 3 Nephi 19, and how the apostles had gathered everyone together to see Jesus come again, but when he didn't show up, they started teaching those who weren't there the day before all the same things He had taught them, and then they prayed that if Christ couldn't be there, that having the Spirit was the next best thing. All of us have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, which entitles us to have the Spirit with us all the time as long as we're living worthy of it. Super cool stuff. 

Then Elder Holland also went into 3 Nephi 17 verses 6-9 where he heals the multitude. The cool thing he mentioned was in verse 9, it says he heals the sick, blind, lame, etc, and anyone who was afflicted in any manner. He pointed out that we all have afflictions, no matter who we are, we are all afflicted either physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. But Christ healed the Nephite people of ALL of their afflictions, not just the physical ones, and He can heal us from ours if we let Him. 

That was the majority of my week haha I hope you guys learn something and have a great week! Keep the Spirit with you, and I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Packer

StillWaitingOnTransfers

Hello Everyone!!

So this week was really good, we had a lot of fun. We have transfers tomorrow, and so we went to visit some people that we'd wanna say goodbye to in case we leave....and we literally just found out that both of us are staying!! YES!! A third transfer with the same comp...that's a new one, but I'm glad it's Elder Harker:) so as long as we don't get another call tonight saying differently, we should stay the same, still here in good old Portland:) I love the Portland ward, it's a beautiful place. Anywho, now that that anxiety is over with, we have a lot of work to do!

Right now the main focus of my mission is the "why." And the why is the thing that changes not only a missionary's life and attitude toward the work, but any member's life and attitude. When asked why they come out, a lot of missionaries say "It was my duty," "My parents wanted me to," or similar things. When asked why they stay, the usual response is "Because I love the Lord." We do a lot of things as missionaries, everything from waking up exactly on time and working out, to doing studies effectively, to getting back to the apartment on time, and in between that we work as hard as we can all day to teach, receive and contact referrals, and fellowship investigators with members so they have less of a fear and more of a motivation to come to church, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eventually go to the temple to receive the ordinances required for exaltation. And we do all of that to an exact tee, repenting if we are even a minute late. Missionary life isn't easy. But the why behind what we do can change everything. 

From my experience so far as a missionary, the most effective "why" is because you love the people you serve. Truly, honestly love and care about them and their eternal progression. In John 15, the Savior says "Greater love hath no manthan this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." When you love the people here, you gladly sacrifice your time, your talents, your energy; you fast for them, pray for them, and you don't think about what it does to you. You don't matter, they do. When you reach that level of "why" is when you work your most effectively, see the most success, and get the most out of your mission. You change and get better more than if you were to focus on trying to change yourself and get better for yourself. 

It takes a lot of patience and humility, but it is worth it. I'm still working on it, but that is my why. Anywho, I love you guys! That's my testimony of why I'm on my mission. You can go out for any reason, but the reason you stay is what is most important. I hope you all have a great week!! 

Elder Packer

1-3. Model Plane a member gave me:)

4. My After Picture from WeightWatchers;)

Party In Portland

Hello everyone! I hope that you have had a great week, ours down here in Portland was great.

Last Monday we went to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus and it was awesome!! There was a lot of really cool stuff there, and a lot of pictures taken hahaha. It was great, then we went to the 2-Story Whataburger on the Bay. Super cool stuff haha, gotta love Whataburger. 

Tuesday we had interviews with President Maluenda, and it could possibly be the last interview I ever have with him because he leaves June 30th. I've really loved President and his family, they've taught me a lot and been such great examples. After interviews I went on an exchange with Elder Russell in Rockport, and then Wednesday we came back down and did some service for the Muhammud's. Thursday we had a really good zone meeting in Corpus, then Fridaywas weekly planning and we did some really good plans inspired by some of the things the APs taught us during interviews. Super good. And then Saturday we helped the Muhammud's with some more service. 

One cool thing that happened was that on Tuesday they talked about the shower of blessings that Heavenly Father gives us, and then I got a fortune that said something similar haha. Then they also talked a lot about love, which tied in to the Gospel Principles lesson yesterday which was on Charity for us. It was really good, a big love-filled week. 

Anywho, I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you all!! Until next Monday!

Elder Packer 

1. My Fortune

2. The District at the Aquarium

3. Harker and I under a Blacklight in our Apartment

4-5. Spaghetti and Chopsticks;)