Signing out

Thank you all to those who have written and supported me through these past 24+months haha. I love you all and I love the Lord. We'll see you soon

Elder Packer

La Ultima Semana

Good afternoon! 

I hope you all have had a wonderful week, mine has been great and pretty crazy. 

I don't want to go through and have a recap of this week, but I do want to say that I love the mission. This is the last full week of my mission, and I can't describe how much it has changed me. I love the mission, I love the Savior, and I love all of His children. There are so many things you learn in the service of the Lord, and I can't tell you how much these last two years have meant to me. I've met amazing people, I've seen amazing things, and I've come to know for myself that the Lord truly does live and aid us in doing His work. My mission still isn't over, because I will be a missionary throughout my life. People will always need the Gospel, and there will always be something I or you can do to help someone grow closer to Christ. I love you all, have a great week

Elder Packer 

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!:) 

I hope yall had just as good a week as I did, we had a lot of fun this week and it was a blast! 

Most of the week we were inviting people to a halloween party we were having as combined branch activity on Saturday. On Wednesday we ended up doing service for like 3 hours while we helped out a recent convert family move (not out of the branch thankfully) and then helped an investigator clean her yard and move a ton of bricks. 

Friday we had interviews/zone conference, and it was all about the Restoration, which was amazing. I can't even describe a lot of the things that were said and felt, but it was really an awesome training and a great testimony builder. 

Saturday was the Trunk or Treat, and it was awesome!! Lots of food and fun, we had a few people show up and almost everyone was dressed up somehow! They played a lot of songs I didn't know and kids did a lot of dances that I didn't know haha but it was really fun and the spirit of love was definitely there. 

That's about it for this week, I hope yall have an excellent Halloween and rest of the week!! I love yall!!:) 

Elder Packer 

2 Years Down

Good afternoon!!

I hope yall have had a great week, it's been fantastic here in Laredo. The weather has gotten down to the 80s and high 70s this week and that has been amazing!! And one morning it was even in the 60s, and we wore jackets because we were freezing...welcome to Texas. 

This week on Saturday was really interesting. We had a family history event in the morning and a lot of people showed up and we had an awesome time. Something else that made that day interesting was that it marked 2 years since I left to Mexico City. I made it two years! Haha and I'm still really excited to have almost another month to go. Being a missionary is the best thing in this world. Not just being on a mission, but being a missionary. The best thing ever is to participate in the conversion of another person, to witness their change, and to see them grow closer to the Lord, and in witnessing that you grow closer yourself. 

I love yall a lot and hope you have a great next week!! 

Elder Packer 

Elder Kopischke

Hello!!

I hope yall had a grand week, here in Texas it was quite the week!! The biggest event that happened was that we had a zone conference in Corpus with Elder Kopischke of the 70, and it was amazing!! We learned so much about how we can do better in the work, as well as how we can grow our love for other people, which will help us the most as we strive to become better missionaries. 

Even though I won't have a lot of time in the mission to apply and perfect the techniques that he taught us, I have it set in my mind that I'm not going to stop being a missionary when I get home. Every member is called as a missionary, and even in Utah there are lots of missionary opportunities. Which is my challenge today. 

Everyone knows someone that is not a member of the church, whether it be at school, work or otherwise, they are there. A lot of times we don't know if that person is even a member or not, but we have to be assertive and open with our own faith in order to find out. It's really not that hard to have a gospel/faith related conversation in everyday life, and by doing so we can find those who need to hear the message of the Gospel, who have been prepared by angels to accept it, and who desperately need and want salvation and eternal life with their families. It is an expression of love towards God, and also to that person, who is a child of God, our brother or sister, and a soul whose worth is great in the sight of God (D&C 18). So my challenge for today is, as you are continuing to go over and set goals to apply the things you've learned in conference, set a goal to be a missionary. Give yourself a deadline. Act with faith. Further your conversion and eternal progression by giving someone else the chance. 

I love yall a lot and hope that you can see of the happiness that come from missionary work. Until next week!

Elder Packer 

Nuevo Laredo

Good day!!

I hope yall had a great week, mine definitely was wonderful. 

We got 2 new sisters in the district, Sister Luna and Sister Wagstaff, the latter of which dies with me (goes home). We also got a new roommate, Elder Juarez, who is from Guatemala and is really good at the guitar, baritone, Uke, and rapping haha. So it's like a whole Nuevo Laredo, hence the subject. But it has been really good, we've got things kicked into gear and we're looking and finding and teaching a lot of people. 

This week's message is developing your talents. Everyone has a talent, just find what it is! Yesterday's lesson in Gospel Principles was developing your talents, and it was really cool. Everyone has talents, they've been born with them, whether it's playing an instrument or being athletic, or even being a good listener, patience, or always being cheerful. Personality characteristics can be developed just like talents.

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

Elder Packer 

Conferencia General

Hello!!

I hope you all had a great week and especially conference weekend!! My week was awesome and topped off with the amazing conference! I loved it, I learned so much. 

To be a little brief I just wanted to talk about some of the cool things I thought about during conference. During President Nelson's talk about joy, the scripture D&C 18:15-16 came to mind, that says if we labor to brings souls to Christ we shall have joy. So I meshed that one and 2 Nephi 2:25 to come up with the statement: "Men are that they might bring souls to Christ." Missionary work!!! Then at the closing talk of the conference, Elder Renlund made the statement that repentance brings great joy. So then "Men are that they might repent." 

I like those two statements a lot, but if you use them together, you come unto Christ when you repent, and you are saving your own soul. So "Men are that they might come unto Christ." It reminds me of one interpretation of D&C 18:15, that if you bring "save it be one soul," that one soul better be your own haha. We grow and become more converted as we help others to come unto Christ, thereby pushing ourselves farther along on the pathway of discipleship.

 "After all is said and done, the most important duty is to preach the Gospel."  So my challenge to yall is to pray and plan for missionary opportunities. Follow the counsel of Elder Oaks and see the great joy that comes from doing missionary work. It doesn't matter if you think you don't know anyone that's not a member, or that you don't know if you have any opportunities, I promise you that you know at least one person who is ready and needing of the Gospel, so go out and find them. 

I love you all so much and hope that you have a great day and week!!