Packer's France Paris Mission Blog 12

Packers in Paris Blog 12 – May 28^th – June 3^rd of 2018

GRATEFUL EVEN IN DIFFICULTY

Grateful for a slower week doesn’t always mean that everything is calm, but that we aren’t bombarded with so much we can hardly keep up. It hasn’t been near as busy of a week, but our hearts have turned to our dear family back home.

     Maddie Packer – continued prayers

Maddie is our second grand child and second granddaughter, turning 14 in 5 weeks. She doesn’t ever ask for attention as she is often quiet, but very kind, thoughtful in her listening skills and very loving and a wonderful friend. She and I have had many long talks as we would drive to the temple and back month after month. She has great ambitions in life and all of them are filled with zeal to becoming her best. She is a beautiful ballroom dancer, loves to sing, act and have fun.

Maddie May 2018 

Maddie had colectomy surgery this past Friday to remove her colon. They have tried for a very long time to do all they could to help her fight this disease through diet and supplements, but it kept getting worse. The inflammation in her body had gone everywhere, causing other issues as well.

Our family held a special fast for her on Friday, the day of surgery and all went well, though it's still a rough recovery and will take about a year to fully recover. She has been very brave. Prior to her surgery she was even the one comforting her mother. That is just her, always thinking of others. She is recovering as well as can be expected and putting on her brave face as usual.

Maddie just prior to surgery

Maddie after surgery

     Brigham and Hunsaker Family update

After having quite a scare a few weeks ago, Brigham (grandchild # 24) had been life flighted to Primary’s hospital from Monticello, UT, where he was stabilized. He was having an adrenal crisis and they thought they would lose him. Primary’s knew this was an urgent matter. This all has to do with his battle with cancer, but I can't explain any medical terminology!

Brigham being life flighted to Primary's 

Brigham 

His family is moving to Hyde Park, UT, near Logan, next week where Adam will continue his teaching at Utah Stake in nursing, all while getting his PHD. Janine, will be grateful to be nearer to Primary’s for her continued frequent trips with Brigham. We are grateful they will be closer to family as well.

     Jacob and Joshua Packer

Jacob finally got his neck brace off last Thursday and we’re all praying he holds back for 20 years from doing summer saults off the trampoline. He seems to be recovering well from his major neck fusion surgery.

Jacob Packer just prior to having his neck brace removed

Joshua, their youngest boy, has really not been well.  They don’t have any diagnosis, but has caused them great concern and the doctors aren't sure yet. 

Joshua Packer

Thank you for all of your prayers in their behalf!

WHY WOULD GOD ALLOW SUFFERING TO THE RIGHTEOUS AND INNOCENT?

President Spencer W. Kimball offered the following counsel for when we witness suffering:

“If we looked at mortality as the whole of existence, then pain, sorrow, failure, and short life would be calamity. But if we look upon life as an eternal thing stretching far into the premortal past and on into the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be put in proper perspective.

“Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified?

“If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.

“If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil--all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.

“Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life and godhood” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1973], 97)

     Renée’s thoughts from above

This gives us such clarity to the bigger picture, the great Plan of Happiness the Lord has set in place for us. I have often heard those who have suffered more than I can even imagine, and have stated that they would never change what they have gone through because of who they have become in the process. Their views of the bigger picture is one of hope, faith and eternal joy. I know this is true, not that it makes the pain easier at the time, but we begin to feel the tentacles of divine help from angels above and here on earth. We also begin to appreciate how we can increase our hope with faith and love in Christ who has suffered all in our behalf. 

PROJECT UPDATE

We found out this past week that because the contractors had been put off for so long, they will not be available till this coming August at the soonest. It will only take them 4-6 weeks to complete. Though we were saddened at first, it will give us time to put together more of our plans for the Family Search/Discover ‘type’ Center. We don’t even know what name it’ll be up and running, we’re just grateful we can move forward.

DISTRICT MEETING

Very soon our District group will change, as transfers will occur next week. Some remain and others will transfer to a new location and others actually are ready to fly home as their mission has ended. We have grown to love these elders and sisters and will miss them. During these intimate meetings, you learn to open up, share personal and missionary experiences and also be a listening ear to the one who might need a mom or a dad moment. We’re grateful to love them and help however we can.

Our last district picture

DISCUSSIONS WITH PRESIDENT SORENSEN – PROJECT UPDATE AND MISC.

It is always good to be able to discuss your assignments with your Mission President. For us, it is often as he’s walking towards his car, his bus stop or in between meetings, but no matter, we’re always grateful for his undivided attention to what is at hand.

This was our first chance to visit with him after the project miracle meeting last week, as we were walking him to his train stop. He’s so grateful for the final decisions, though he’s still hoping there will be possibilities for further improvements at that. He knows it was a miracle.

We had also just found prior to talking with President Sorensen that our project won’t begin till sometime in August, making it much later than we had planned to be completed. They think it will take 4-6 weeks. There will be set up on our end after that as well. We’re learning that patience is still a virtue! 😉

     PowerPoint Presentation on Family Search

Several weeks ago we were asked by President Sorensen to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to be given at Zone Conferences. This presentation is to help instruct the missionaries with the importance of how to use Family Search in their work and to help new members prepare to bring family names to the temple.

As we’ve been preparing this presentation, we were grateful for the many who assisted us (Tara Scott and President Léporé) to keep us on the right track. We have also been most grateful for the powerful help from above. It’s an exciting work and we love all that Family Search entails. We are learning something new each day!

 I PROMISED NOT TO GIVE A FOOD LOG – PLEASE FORGIVE THIS ONCE! 😊

Once and a while we are asked to prepare the meal for Institute, when Elder and Sister Bonny aren’t able. We are grateful for all their hard work, even when we come in and help prior, they are the ones to usually plan, purchase and do most of the preparing. We are side help.

Last Thursday, they were teaching Institute and needed our help by purchasing, preparing and presenting the meal. On Tuesday and Thursdays, the YSA’s are only served a cold meal, like salads, baguettes, meats and cheeses and desserts, where on Monday’s it’s a hot meal cooked usually by one of the YSA’s. Trying to think of something slightly different and using left over cooked potatoes, I made a good old American potato salad, egg salad, and kept with the norms of meats and baguettes. BUT, I surprised them though with homemade crêpes!

Stake YSA leaders - these two are married to one another ;) 

 I was quite pleased that they liked the American potato salad, but they weren’t expecting homemade crêpes. Crêpes are a comfort food here in France and we weren’t sure how excited they would be because everyone eats crêpes, like they do peanut butter and jam. Well, they disappeared rather quickly and we were told that they tasted very ‘French.” It was a win win!

TEMPLE AND FLEA MARKET – Great places to make more connections

This morning we left earlier than normal to get to the temple, so that we could attend the nearby flea market in Versailles before it closes by 4. How grateful we were that even on a strike day, we were able to make it in a little over an hour from our apartment to the temple. Since we got to the temple earlier than needed, we walked out to the gardens and by chance met one of our old missionaries and his brother.

Former Elder Antzbach was there with his little brother. He was one of the AP’s who helped us move into our apartment and finished his mission five weeks ago and then returned back again with his family.

Elder Antzbach and his brother on the left

     The temple gives us peace, reassurance and hope

After an amazing experience in the temple, for tender reasons because of the emotions I was feeling about our grandkids, I left having felt such love, peace and comfort therein. I know the Lord and angels above and on earth are watching over our little and big ones. How we love them!

 

Just us!

     Sister Georgette Lalaus formerly from the West Indies

One of the sister ordinance workers in Initiatory who had assisted me was absolutely the most kind and generous spirit filled woman I’ve met in a long time. She was a woman I knew that I wanted to meet again. Well, the Lord heard my desires, because we met several times on the way out, and then again in the garden, where we took pictures and conversed for a while. The younger woman on the far left is Stephanie from England who was doing temple work at the same time.

Stephanie, Georgette and Renée

Sister Lalaus is formerly from Guadalupe in the West Indies, a convert of the church and is in the process of writing a book about her conversion story. I showed her the book my sister had written of my parents, and where my father had served as a mission president in the West Indies and we suddenly felt even more connected. What enticed me the most was her conversion story. I can’t remember all the details, but it was so uplifting. She is such an amazing and courageous woman whose ability to connect with people is remarkable.

Georgette Lalaus and her little friend - My new Paris Temple friend

     Excitement with the missionaries

We also met up with our dear sister missionaries in the temple garden who had come to do baptisms with their new converts for the first time in the temple. It was such a joyous experience for them.

 

Newly baptized married couple having just done baptism in the temple

     Flea Market Connection with Brother Frank and Sister Poznanski

Though I had been looking forward to the flea market, nothing could really compare to what we had just experienced at the temple.

Flea Market in Versailles - just a small section

Just as we thought we were about done walking through with no purchases in hand, we ran into Bro Frank and Sister Poznanski. Brother Poznanski is director of Seminary and Institutes for all of Europe. My parents knew them from one of their missions in Lyon, France. Steve had met them recently at the Institute Building, and we also heard them both speak at a Face to Face in Versailles. They live in Frankfurt, Germany. Very warm and lovely couple.

Packers and the Poznanskis

SPECIAL EUROPEAN CONFERENCE SESSION

This last Sunday we attended a special European Conference session for all the Western European area. Every church building in Western Europe was given access to watch. The speakers were Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, Sister Joy D. Jones, Elder Patrick Kearon and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

 Cell phone picture of Elder Uchtdorf

Even though I took notes, I could hardly keep up with their profound messages of hope. Here is a little snippet of each of their talks.

     Elder Hallstrom finalized his message with, “Look heavenward and outward.”

     Sister Jones concluded with a quote from Pres Benson, “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.”

     Elder Kearon taught us, “Listen is good, but Act and Do is best!”

     Elder Uchtdorf, inspired us with, “Commit ourselves to God and great realizations will come.”

Kristin Sampson Family from Orem - Visitors to Saint Merri

2018 WORLDWIDE DEVOTIONAL FOR YOUTH - SURPRISE

We were anxious to watch this on Monday, knowing we didn’t really feel like we should be getting up at 3 a.m. We did wake up though to a string of Group Me’s, Facebook Posts and texts from family and friends, of pictures and comments of this devotional, since Jaron, our son, was one of the choir directors. He had never once mentioned this to us, and we were in awe of the powerful devotional, beauty of the music and proud of our son, Jaron, for his beautiful efforts with the choir and his tender emotions with the congregational hymn. It was a welcomed joy to our Monday morning. We were also so inspired by the talks given by our Prophet and his wife. Their messages were certainly not for just the youth. We are all enlisted!

Jaron Packer

 Avec notre beaucoup d’amour (With our great love),

Elder et Soeur Packer                                                                                                  

Grandpère et Mémé Packer (Please use our last name on any mail, so they don’t return it)

Our Address:

4 quai du Marché Neuf

75004 PARIS 

FRANCE

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

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