Packer's France Paris Mission Blog 2

Packers in Paris Blog 2 – Our First Week in Paris

We are here to dispel any thoughts or notions that we are here in Paris on a vacation. 😊 We have been so inundated with meetings, trainings and YSA (Young Single Adult) gatherings and YSA Multi Stake Conferences, running errands to get settled and food shopping (all of which takes a very long time), and designing a new center, that there has not been any time to imagine anything else. We know the time will come that we’ll be able to use our PDay to see the some of the sites! 😉 Actually, we can see the top 4th of the Eifel Tower in the distance (second photo on the right), each day as we walk to the Center only if it’s a clear day. So, we have seen the Eifel Tower (about 2 miles away). We are also very near the Louvre, and a block away from Notre Dame and other notable sites. These are just a few of the sites we see on our way each day. (Photos taken by our cell phone, minus the Pompidou)

We’ve been hard at work in designing our new Family Search/Discover Center (soon to have another name for the Discovery part, church headquarters thoughts)! There are so many steps to take before approval is done, but it’s coming together and will be an exciting draw for people all over the world. I’m sure as it progresses pictures will come.

Our Family Search/Discovery Center - Just around the corner from the Pompidou Center – Check out where the Pompidou Center is on Google! Large crowds will walk down our street, thanks to the Pompidou Center.

Internet Photo

There is no doubt the purpose and plans for this new center will be incredible and has been moved along by the Lord. There is such vision and need for such a center, that we get so excited each time we work on it and move the work along. It will take longer than we planned, but we know it will happen and will be such a blessing to all who enter.

YSA’s In France are Amazing!

We have grown to love the YSA groups here in Paris and the outlining areas. They are dynamic, loving and genuine people, looking for strength in challenging times, realizing they need each other and most of all, guidance from the Lord. They come from every background imaginable, yet they seem to gel like they were born under the same roof, needing similar nourishment and instruction.

We LOVE getting to know them and their backgrounds and often their conversion story. Many of them are the only members of the LDS faith in their family, and yet they stand strong against all odds and have seen the strength from God as they do.

Tuesday, March 20^th – Zone Conference – In the heart of Paris, right here near our center, was our Zone Conference. The zeal from these Elders and the Mission President and his wife was electrifying! These missionaries are so valiant, and you can feel of their love of the Lord and the people in Paris. Steve and Renée were asked at the beginning of this meeting to stand up and bear their testimony in French. Emotions flowed from our hearts as we each stood up and shared our deep feelings of the gospel, in French. We know who is with us and who is sustaining us during this time when we need Him each and every day.

We are so blessed to have President and Sister Sorensen, an inspiring mission president and his wife, who lift and inspire us at each of these training meetings. They are a younger family in their mid 40’s, and are filled with such goodness! They are very supportive on the vision of the new center we have been asked to create.

Friday, March 23rd – New Missionary Training – Not knowing what to expect with this training, we were grateful to be in the room with this new group of young missionaries and their more seasoned companions (trainers). We sat in amazement at how well the new missionaries were speaking French already from their short stay at the MTC.

Friday Evening YSA Multi-Stake Weekend Conference – After our all day training, we left for home biefly to prepare for the evening’s event to begin a Multi Stake YSA Conference over the weekend. These YSA’s come from all over, not just from Paris! This is a big deal to these YSA’s and they need the association of like-minded people who are about the same things, have similar goals and aspirations for goodness. They are all as different as the sands of the sea, but are similar in needing one another and the Lord.

Before the YSA dance event, we met for dinner with Elder and Sister Bonny, the YSA Senior Couple assigned to the 3 Paris Stakes, and with Elder and Sister Skoubye, who were visiting from Germany as the Area YSA Coordinators for these YSA conferences all throughout Europe. They are wonderful with these YSA’s.

The YSA Event went amazingly well. The YSA’s had done a fabulous job putting it all together.

Saturday, March 24^th – Paris Temple/Meeting at Visitor Center – Early this morning we left to go to Versailles to see the new Temple and for a meeting with the Paris Visitor Center Directors. We had planned on this just taking us 1 ½ hours to get there, but instead it took us about 3 hours because of some lovely detours! Ok, yes, we got lost, taking the wrong RER and metros. But, we think we know what to do right next time! On our way to the temple, having gone the wrong way, we walked past the Versailles Palace to our LDS Palace instead!

The Paris Temple is exquisite, elevating and filled with light. Oh my, it was an experience we absolutely loved. Hearing the session in French for Renée was emotionally exhilarating. Steve listened this time in English. He’ll be in French in no time.

After our beautiful experience inside the temple we went right to the next section of the temple which is the Temple Visitors Center/Family Search/Discovery Center. We met with Elder and Sister Woods (Bill and Renée Woods – I know…my name and maiden name, plus an 's'). They are incredible and left us with a vision and ideas we could incorporate in our center. The Paris Visitor’s Center is the only Visitor Center to be attached to the temple all under one roof. It’s so inspiring and filled with light and vision of what the temple is about. In another room was the Family Search/Discovery Center area. It is not huge, but they’ve had great outcomes from it.

We loved our many connections with them, with one of them being that Elder Woods was a dentist in Mesa, AZ and had worked together with Steve’s brother, Brent Packer in Gilbert, AZ (also a dentist) on many councils.

YSA Conference in Versailles –

We later went over to the Versailles Chapel to the Face to Face with Bro and Sister Posanski (head of all Seminary and Institutes in Europe). The YSA’s again loved their time together and for instructions as their questions were answered and discussed with the Posanski’s. 

Sunday Meetings –

Attending three sacrament meetings, one after another was a bit exhausting, as we’re finding out that jet lag can last quite a while and sitting for long periods of time doesn’t help. The regular French Ward meets at 9:30, then the English meeting started at noon, and is mainly for all visitors who come for Sacrament meeting. It is a time for bearing of testimonies and is always inspiring. The Third Sacrament meeting was the YSA Conference Sacrament meeting (at 2:00). There was about 170 in attendance! The love and devotion from these YSA’s were so tender and sweet! How we love and admire them! Their voices, their testimonies, their devotion is so strengthening to each other and to us!

French Speaking – Letting go of our pride! – We’ve loved getting to use our French frequently every day with the young missionaries, Senior couples, members of the church and passers by all the time. Steve has been more bold to speak out no matter the errors he may or may not speak, he’s putting forth great abilities and the Lord is blessing him. Renée will get choked up just listening to him speak beautifully in prayer and testimony. Renée continues to work on her fluency, as she once had, but it’s been a great experience to speak it each and every day. 

We love you, appreciate your prayers and support and pray for your well being!

Avec beaucoup d’amour (With much love),

Elder et Soeur Packer                                                                                                  

Grandpère et Mémé

Our Address:

4 quai du Marché Neuf

75004 PARIS 

FRANCE

You may still text or FaceTime Renée at 801-564-1332

We are 8 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time