Packer France Paris Mission Blog 42
Packers in Paris Blog 42 – December 26th – December
30th, of 2018
WHAT MAKES YOUR FAMILY
HAPPY/JOYFUL?
JOY IN OUR VISIT WITH THE CONLINS FROM THE FRANKFURT AREA OFFICE
We have been staying in touch throughout both of our missions. The Conlins began their mission in August and what a humbling one at that. They were called to serve in Frankfurt, Germany, with Elder Conlin serving as the Executive Secretary to the Area President, President Paul Johnson. Sister Conlin is his amazing right hand person who also has her plate full. It was so fun and interesting to learn all about how the Area Presidency’s office functions for all of Europe.
THE MIRACLES AT THE
CENTER AFTER HOURS!
Approximately 39 years ago, the church changed their Sunday meeting schedule from split meetings to a 3-hour time block, which was quite different from before. It has worked well for its purposes, but recently it was announced that starting next Sunday, our church meetings will be going to a 2-hour time block with an integrated schedule, allowing more time for family teaching at home from the manual, Come Follow Me, for Individuals and Families. Knowing that families need to integrate more gospel instruction at home rather than thinking the church will do it all, is vital to helping families become strong and bound by eternal truths. It’s purpose is to build a strong foundation of values and principles that will bind families with gospel teachings and more direct teaching with families. It was truly inspired! This home based instruction can be in addition to Family Home Evening.
A BELATED CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO BRING IN THE NEW YEAR!
Through the ages of time, millions have sought this Christ child, and followed their own journey down the lonesome and narrow road, to seek and know this little babe, the Savior of the World.
75004 PARIS
FRANCE
Email address: Renée: srpacker10@gmail.com
Steve: wf-packer@hotmail.com
You may still text or FaceTime Renée at 801-564-1332
We are 8 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time
GIFT FROM CHINA!
Last week, we received a glorious gift all the way from China from
my sister Janine! It was hand delivered by our dear friend, Tristan Mourier,
who came to the center to deliver the gift. We first met Tristan in YSA last
summer and got to know him well. We were so impressed by the wonderful person
he is. Then, right before my sister Janine left from Paris to go to China, she
met Tristan to find out that he too was going to Nanjing for a semester of
schooling within a day from each other. They ended up in the same branch and
got to know one another well. I think we’ve both adopted him as another son!
Scarfs are a big deal here in Paris (something to do with freezing
weather and a fashion statement when it’s not cold), so Janine sent a beautiful
and warm scarf for me and a very handsome scarf for Steve! With the cold chilling
our bones here during the winters, they are a must! Thank you dear Sis! The wonderful
thing about a gift that you wear often, is that your thoughts are always on the
giver of the gift, more than even before!
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| Two beautiful scarves from a beautiful sister! |
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| Sister Packer with Tristan Mourier - the gift carrier |
MISSIONARY DEPARTURE DAY
Unlike most departure, arrival and exchange days, this was just a
departure day for missionaries leaving at a needed time to get home for college
this next semester. Steve was gracious to help monitor this event and take a
few pictures. I must be rubbing off on him. Hope that’s not too bad!
We rarely know all the departing missionaries, but Elder Cheng,
our District Leader was one of them we knew and loved well. Each night when our
district members report via Messenger that they are home and report on how many
contacts they had made that day, this last Thursday as each reported in on the
day of departure Elder Cheng wrote Thursday night, stating, “Home!” It touched
my heart deeply to see these words! Bless these missionaries for their immense
service for 18-24 months. We are grateful for the view we have from this side
of the mission field to see and feel and experience the emotions of all that
goes with serving a mission. It is life changing and gratifying to say the
least!
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| Departure day - a familiar and sad but exciting day! |
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| Elder Cheng on the right - we will miss him! |
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| SHOES no more needed, or literally trashed after much good use! |
THE EXPERIMENT CONTINUES
Having had such a successful experiment last week with the
missionaries helping us at the center, we were excited to jump into another
week using missionaries again. We had sets of missionaries on Thursday and
Saturday of last week and both were great! We found that weekends near holidays
may not be so prosperous, because people are more in the party mode.
Thursday was our day with Elders Pickard and Johnson. They were so
excited for this opportunity to help us out. We gave them brief instructions
and they were off, as they only had a short time to help. Before we knew it,
they were signing someone up for Family Search all on their own. They had other
great conversations with those from outside. Since their time was so brief,
they are looking forward to next week to help us out again.
We were so happy that one of the people that the sisters met last
week, from Morocco, came in to learn more with the sisters and then went to see
the Paris Temple Visitor Center. She has loved it all!
Saturday was when the sisters came again, and though they didn’t
have a lot of time, this is when they found out that there was not much interest
to coming in, because there were parties to go to and their minds were on other
matters. But there were those that at least stopped to visit about the question,
“What makes your family happy?” Everyone who stopped to talk to the
missionaries received a pass along card, and perhaps may return another time!
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| Elder Anderson & Pickard - the sign is not a chapeau (hat) |
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| Elder Pickard helping our visitor sign up for FamilySearch |
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| Sister Bell and Sister Jensen are amazing with their love and approach to those passing the center |
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| Sisters, Bell, Carter and Jensen (Sister Carter is waiting for her new companion to show up this week) |
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| The crazy busy of our little Saint-Merri street |
As we’ve been thinking about this question these past couple of
weeks, it’s easy to come up with the typical run of the mill answers which are
all very true, but sometimes we forget that there are deeper areas that bring
us so much more lasting joy and happiness.
For us it’s when a family draws together, perhaps for family
prayer, family scripture study, family gatherings, during family tragedies as
we help pull together to console one another, when we serve one another, when
we cry together, when we laugh together, family vacation for over 3 weeks
crammed in a RV seeing historical and church history sites, when we do hard
things together, or help someone when going through hard times, when we share what
we believe in with others. These planned or unplanned actions or events bring us
a beautiful spirit of love, unity and eternal joy that cannot be replaced any
other way! PHOTOS FROM THE INTERNET!
JOY IN OUR VISIT WITH THE CONLINS FROM THE FRANKFURT AREA OFFICE
It’s a treat to meet up with friends from home, but it’s even a
better treat when you meet up with friends who are serving in a nearby mission
and have time off to come to visit us in Paris!:) Scott and Geri Conlin, are
from Layton, UT. Several of our children went to school with some of theirs,
who were all in the school choirs together. Even though we didn’t know them
very well, we knew their kids and what a great family they are. Scott and Geri
are such wonderful and enthusiastic people.
We have been staying in touch throughout both of our missions. The Conlins began their mission in August and what a humbling one at that. They were called to serve in Frankfurt, Germany, with Elder Conlin serving as the Executive Secretary to the Area President, President Paul Johnson. Sister Conlin is his amazing right hand person who also has her plate full. It was so fun and interesting to learn all about how the Area Presidency’s office functions for all of Europe.
Friday afternoon, Scott and Geri showed up at the Center to come
and see what we’ve been writing all about in our blog. We enjoyed our visit so
much that we ended up talking more than showing them all the fun things our
center offers, but it was fun nevertheless for them to see the center.
After we closed, we met them at Notre Dame and walked over to a
nearby restaurant for more time to visit. We so enjoyed getting to know one
another better!
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| The Packers and Conlins |
Often the missionaries teach people in the center, even if we are
not there. Friday evening after we left, Elder Pickard and Johnson who had
served for the first time with us the day before, were waiting in the center for
a friend to come and be taught. As they waited, they noticed two women looking
through the window and the elders went out to talk with them and shared with
them what the center offered. These two elders confidently welcomed them in and
helped them sign up for a free account with FamilySearch and then exchanged
their contact information to keep in touch if they want to know more about how
the center could help them. They were pleased by their ability to use FamilySearch
to help introduce these great tools we offer with passers-by.
TEMPLE BLESSINGS – VISIT
WITH BISHOP CAUSSÉ
Getting up early, readying ourselves and take all the necessary
trains to get to an 8:30 a.m. session, but needing to be there by 8:00 a.m. took
some real planning, but we made it by 7:45. Our regular transit wasn’t running,
so Steve’s intuitive skills mapped out the way for us to get there in plenty of
time. We may have been tired from getting up so early, but it was such a treat
to finally get back to the temple. It had been a month since we were there last
during our area wide mission conference. We were grateful it worked out to be
in the same session with the Conlins. It did our hearts good to be there and to
also see some of our dear friends from the Paris area, some from our ward and
even our gift carrier, Tristan Mourier and his dear Mom whom I have always wanted
to meet! Afterwards in the Celestial room I gave her a big American hug for
raising a wonderful son. We then found out that we had been communicating with her
for a while concerning our interview with the Television station, Canal +, last
October. We finally made the connection that we already knew one another, at
least via email and the phone! The temple will be closed for 5 weeks while it has a need for a few needed renovation projects.
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| A simple flee market on our way to the temple - mouth watering! |
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| The beautiful nativity at the temple. for the last week prior to the temple's 5 week close |
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| The Christus in the dark prior to our entering the temple |
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| Scott & Geri Conlin - Scott is the Executive Secretary of President, Paul Johnson - Area President over all of Europe |
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| Elder and Sister Packer |
Once we were finished, we went out to the inner foyer where the
grand staircase and beautiful stained-glass window ceiling is located. I suddenly
spotted Bishop Gerald Caussé, who is originally from Paris and is the presiding
bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since October 9, 2015
and now resides in Salt Lake City, UT.
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| Bishop Gerald Caussé, who is originally from Paris and is the presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since October 9, 2015 and now resides in Salt Lake City, UT. |
He apparently was with his whole family here in Paris for the holidays
and had gathered to do all the work for his grandmother, involving his whole family and
for various other family names. I took the liberty to go and speak with him briefly, letting
him know what we were doing at Saint-Merri, since he was the Stake President
over that area not that long ago, and knew our building well. He was so
grateful to have heard that this was happening. We also mentioned that it was
our cellist son, Austin Packer, who would be playing in a quartet with him come
this spring. He knew there was a cellist playing with him, but he was glad to
make connection that it was our son. Austin is looking forward to playing in
this quartet.
HISTORIC CHANGES WITH
SUNDAY MEETINGS
Approximately 39 years ago, the church changed their Sunday meeting schedule from split meetings to a 3-hour time block, which was quite different from before. It has worked well for its purposes, but recently it was announced that starting next Sunday, our church meetings will be going to a 2-hour time block with an integrated schedule, allowing more time for family teaching at home from the manual, Come Follow Me, for Individuals and Families. Knowing that families need to integrate more gospel instruction at home rather than thinking the church will do it all, is vital to helping families become strong and bound by eternal truths. It’s purpose is to build a strong foundation of values and principles that will bind families with gospel teachings and more direct teaching with families. It was truly inspired! This home based instruction can be in addition to Family Home Evening.
SUNDAY FAMILY HISTORY
CENTER VISITORS
Today was one of those holiday slow days, and so we were grateful to
have three visitors who came into our center. These three all served missions
in Quebec! One was from Paris, one from Lille, France, and then we asked the
woman where she was from, and she said, “Utah.” Of course, we said, “where,”
and she said, “Syracuse,” and we said, “which stake.” and then she said finally
mentioned the very name of our stake. Her name is Sade Roush, and her family is
in the Legacy Park Ward. We know many people in her ward. Such a small world!
They had come to our ward to hear one of the missionaries from their mission, who
spoke today in our Sacrament meeting. We were grateful for the bright smiling
faces that entered our center and felt we had received the needed blessings
from visitors!
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| Sade Roush and friends |
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| Antonio (3rd from the right), went to the temple for the first time to do the baptism of his deceased father. He met this wonderful family who enveloped him with so much love as they helped one another in he baptistry! |
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| One of our favorite families in the ward from Brazil - The Mauvromatis Family |
MOTHERS MATTER, BUT DAUGHTERS CAN INSPIRE
This past week I was grateful for the chance to visit again with our
youngest daughter, Becca who fills my heart with so much love and joy each time
I speak with her! We try to visit often when we can! As we spoke, she mentioned
to me about her new procedure for keeping goals, which inspired me to want to do
and be better. She spoke of the importance of her eternal goals that matter
more than things of this earth. She is a strong woman who has had to deal with many
interesting and at times hard challenges, be it with work (she works with
troubled teens), getting back to her college studies to finish her degree by this
summer (Family Therapy), with finances, boyfriends, and with the fun (not) of being
single 😉! But more importantly, she desires to fill her
life with goodness! She is amazing, she is a fighter and she makes a difference
with everyone who knows her. She’s optimistic and her smile and words of wisdom
and love are what help others get through their bad day. She loves her ward and
they love her! It has been 4 years since she has returned from her mission in
California and she has grown so much since then and has learned what really matters
in life and it doesn’t come without a price, without effort and yet knowing it’s
all worth it! You inspire me Becca!
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Becca - our youngest, and most think is our favorite! 😉 We adore them all equally! 💗
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FAMILY VISITS TO MY
PARENTS & STEVE’S MOTHER THIS PAST WEEKEND
This last Saturday, our two oldest daughters and their families went
to Burley, Idaho to see my parents and then some went to visit Steve’s mother
who as his sister’s Suzanne this past weekend. Nathan and Camille were able to
go visit Gma Packer and then Janine skyped with her as well. We’re so grateful
when our children keep a good relationship with our parents, which is such a
blessing for both sides.
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| Hunsakers and Gma and Pa Wood - Adam (the Hunsaker dad was unable to join them that weekend) |
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| Gma Wood's studio - which she still teaches from for free at age 88, and Gpa singing with her! |
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| Playing games with Gma Wood |
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| Duckworth Family |
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| Nate and Dixie Packer Family with Grandma Packer visiting at Suzanne Stott's home in Salt Lake City, UT. Gma Packer lives in Farmington, New Mexico |
A BELATED CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO BRING IN THE NEW YEAR!
Below is a Christmas message that I wrote several years ago and
then used for a Christmas Pageant I wrote last year. It seems to have use for
our upcoming year and might even resonate for some of you. Please forgive me
for any of you who have previously read this from a previous year!
Our
Personal Journey to Find the Babe, the Savior of the World
In a time of immense wealth and pleasure, the world is moving
towards a well-traveled road of ease and comfort, often forgetting the road
that is less traveled, the dusty road that finds the humble seekers of truth
and righteousness.
Each of us has been placed on this earth to seek out and follow the
Savior, Jesus Christ. Our journey is personal, a lifetime in its pursuit, while
helping to lift and bring others along our way.
Through the ages of time, millions have sought this Christ child, and followed their own journey down the lonesome and narrow road, to seek and know this little babe, the Savior of the World.
The shepherd, the innkeeper, and the weary traveler are but a few
of those who sought to find the Christ child, knowing of His forthcoming
purpose here on earth, to redeem mankind. Angels heralded the news throughout
the world to those who would hear and follow the star.
Would we have searched diligently to find Him? Would we have left
all behind joyfully, to journey the lonely road to seek for a little babe and
learn of His divine call? Are we now willing to follow where the Christ child
has beckoned us to go? Have we laid aside worldly pursuits to find the babe in
a humble and lonely manger, where surely the poor and meek will find rest?
As each of us walk our personal journey to find the Babe, the
Savior of the World, no matter how difficult, how lonely, or how far, we can
find joy in our path. As He has promised, …
“… there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be
on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and
mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” D&C 84:88
A NEW YEAR AND NEW
OUTLOOK!
We are looking forward to this New Year, to new experiences and to
making necessary improvements in our lives to continue to grow day by day to
become as He would have us become! It may seem slow, but joy comes from
striving! We wish you a wonderful coming year with good health and joy in your
journey!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bénédictions pour cette merveilleuse
nouvelle année (Blessings for this wonderful New Year),
Elder et Sœur Packer
Grandpère
et Mémé Packer (Please be sure and use the last name on any mail, or
it will get returned)
Our Address:
4 quai du Marché Neuf75004 PARIS
FRANCE
Email address: Renée: srpacker10@gmail.com
Steve: wf-packer@hotmail.com
You may still text or FaceTime Renée at 801-564-1332
We are 8 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time
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