Packers France Paris Mission Blog 55

Packers in Paris Blog 55 –March 25^th – March 31^st, 2019

TEMPLE TUESDAY

It was so refreshing to attend the temple this last Tuesday! There is always such renewal and sweet blessings that come from our attendance. We come away knowing we can conquer the next steps of our mission and life in general. We also feel our effort blesses our family back home and those here in our mission we are working with.    

Blossoms at the temple were breath taking!

Elder and Sister Campbell on the right, have completed their 18 month mission as Temple Visitor Guides! They are exceptional and wonderful people!

The Chamberlain family visiting the temple from Utah!

Sister McOmber - new missionary in the Visitor Center

Erin Meeker Family we met on the RER! Such a lovely family from Boise, Idaho

TRANSFERS, HOMEWARD BOUNDERS AND NEW MISSIONARIES

We often cry a little, laugh a lot and hug and give our farewells or hellos to all of the above happenings every six weeks.

We get to witness this beautiful scene every six weeks because it takes place at our church, next door to our center and we are the senior couple who lives the closest, so we are asked to help.

With all the luggage that comes from those going home, transfers, and new missionaries, it could be a mess if there wasn’t a little bit of order. They do very well and Steve is the one who monitors and helps with the order. On the other hand, I take photos, laugh, give hugs, and cry with these great missionaries. I get the better end of the deal!

New arrivals! 

Elder Morrison from Burley, Idaho, my parent's hometown! What a great smile and missionary!

Sister Jensen and Sister Tabiliran - officially companions

Sister Barraclough and Sister Ramirez 

Sisters Barraclough and Ramirez and Elders, Ellsworth, Payne and Hayes - departing

 VISITORS FROM THE FAMILY HISTORS FAIR IN PARIS

We were thrilled on the same day to have two couples come from having attended the local Family History Fair come back to visit us to receive extra help. They were thrilled for what they were able to receive!

Steve helping visitors from the Family History Fair recently

COUSINS IN ÉVRY, FRANCE, A WELCOMED BLESSING

If it hadn’t been for the grateful blessings from our trip to Évry last Wednesday night, we might have been a bit more disheartened by our evening’s crazy happenings. Read on!

We left shortly after closing at 6:00 p.m. to take our trip to Évry to meet with Michael and Fanny Thia Soui Tchong. Michael is my first cousin twice removed. His great grandmother (from his mother’s side) was my mother’s sister. His family lived many years in Lyon France. Fanny and Michael though were both born in the Reunion Islands. Because Michael’s mother, Darlene (my cousin’s daughter) grew up in Utah, he was brought up speaking English and French, and I found out that Michael also speaks Tahitian from his mission, and also Spanish.

Sweet Fanny is so adorable. She is a convert to the church and was one of the missionaries who was caught in the Brussels Bombing three and years ago. She had been in the Paris mission, awaiting her visa to go to the Kirtland, Ohio mission. What a dear and delightful couple they are. I believe they met in Lyon.

We wanted to make a special request to ask them to help us with our center. We had come to realize that having 7 secretaries was much more difficult than we had time for. From this we learned what not to do, and yet are anxious to put these willing people to work in other areas!

We felt directed that Michael and Fanny would be a perfect couple to do the needed secretarial duties from their apartment. They met us at the RER train depot and drove us to their quaint little apartment. We drove through crazy streets to get there, but we were grateful we didn’t have to walk and especially in the dark.

These two were absolutely so willing and happy to help us out as our main secretaries. They understood fully what to do and will be a tremendous blessing to us.

We enjoyed getting to know them a little better and are grateful that in their busy lives, they are still willing to do this great work.

They basically will be following through email with those who sign up through our Family Resource Center, and will send them important information about where their classes are to be held. We left feeling such gratitude for this great blessing to move this work along.

Fanny and Michael Thia Soui Tchong

In their small but cute apartment!

     Going home was another story…

Michael and Fanny drove us back to the RER depot and then we went to see when the train would arrive. We saw that it would be quite a wait and had no other choice but to wait it out. On the other side of the tracks was a young woman who told us that there wasn’t a train coming, and that a bus would be coming that could take us to another train depot. We had no other choice than to believe her! She was our quiet angel! Two other girls from India happened to need this same information and so we stuck together.

It took quite a while as we waited and then we boarded a coach bus to take us at least 30 minutes to where we could meet another train. The drive on this nice coach bus was one that left me quite nauseous. It took us through winding roads and frequent stops, and I couldn’t wait to get off.

The rest of the story was just as insane, but it took us till midnight before we got home, tired and still nauseous, yet still feeling grateful. But nothing a warm bed couldn’t cure!

Two girls from Nepal - students here for 6 months

TERESA DIX – AN ANGEL FROM UTAH

I have been in contact with Teresa through Facebook since the beginning of February, knowing she would be coming this way (thanks to our mutual friend, Linda Simnons). We finally met a couple of weeks ago and she has been attending our ward during her time here in Paris. She has such an amazing story and has a heart of gold, loves the gospel and loves people and has no fear of talking to them about her beliefs!

We were grateful to have the chance to meet for dinner Friday night and enjoyed getting to know her even more. She became a widow over 7 years ago and has lived such a full life. She and I found out that we were born in the same year. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her.

Teresa and myself with Steve behind the camera at one of our favorite restaurants 

This dish is one of the reasons it's one of our favorite! The chicken melts in your mouth, the potatoes Au Gratin is divine! We won't mention the sorbet dessert! 

SATURDAY AT THE CENTER

Last Saturday, Charlotte texted me to tell me that she could not make the drama class that she teaches, as Max had been sick. She asked her best friend, Natalia, who has become very dear friends with Teresa as well, to see if she could take over the class.

Natalia also told Teresa she wanted to learn more Family History and wanted to meet Teresa after the Drama class at the center to start her family history. When she walked in, she asked me why we were there. Somehow, she must have forgotten that’s what we were doing here on our mission.

Ironically, she remembered coming to this very center 3.5 years ago, when she and her mother walked into the center when it was much older. She couldn’t believe the change that had come over the place.

I was so excited to show her all the things that she could do in the center and with FamilySearch. After showing her some of our activities, we got her signed up for FamilySearch, and couldn’t believe the ensuing dialogue we had as we learned more about her family. She became so excited to start this journey and has felt the need to start for some time.

Steve helping Natalia with further FH questions

I shared with her the many reasons we feel strongly about families and doing family history. I also shared with her the quote about three deaths. I then asked her if she had ever seen the movie, Coco? She lit up, as if it was almost weird I had brought that up. Her ancestors are from Mexico and her cousin happens to be Carlos Rivera, who recorded the cover version of the song, titled, “Recuérdame” (“Remember Me”) for the film’s Spanish-language soundtrack album, picked by Disney. 

 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO HER COUSIN SINGING

Her story seemed so fitting with the movie, Coco, for many reasons, and Natalia also has a beautiful voice, as a singer song writer. She later performed for us before she left! We LOVED her voice!

We had a most intriguing discussion following our helping her with her family history. She has a lot of questions and Teresa with her many yeas of teaching seminary, began to answer and share many things with her that helped to answer questions about the gospel. She hopes to come and visit us when we return. She has family in Arizona also!

Natalia, full of joy! This is how she shares her light!

THIS WEEKS CONTACTING BY THE MISSIONARIES

We had some great experiences with contacting with the missionaries this week. They come so willing to jump in! The week prior, a set of sister missionaries who aren’t from this area, even asked if they could contact for us, as they had heard what an awesome experience it was!

Here are a few pictures of this week’s great efforts! Our numbers of sign ups on our online digital form continues to rise and we are grateful to see the blessings it will bring.

Elders Jones and Sun - our Mandarin Elders and Elder Sun is our District Leader

Sisters Andreasen and Morrison

Helping a visitor with FamilySearch

Elders Durant and McDougal - AP'S

SUNDAY’S NEVER SLOW DOWN! WE LOVE IT!

This last Sunday, we had another load of visitors and in two weeks we’ll be starting up the English-speaking Sacrament Meeting again, to help normalize the numbers in the French-speaking meetings.

For Sunday we saved a seat for Charlotte and Max, just in case, but since Max had been sick we didn’t know if she would stay home. Not Charlotte! That girl! Max was fine at this point and these two were there on time and it was so lovely to have her next to us! Teresa sat with us as well and after the second meeting, held Max! She too was in love! We can’t get enough of these little ones in our arms!  

Charlotte and Max! 

Max has a hold of our hearts!

Teresa holding Max, but I think Max is looking at his mother! Do you think?

After a very busy day at the center, we were ready to go home to our apartment! We have been in a constant state of preparing more digital organization for tracking all our efforts. It’s been a bit mind blowing to think of all that we are trying to track and then continue to move forward.  

We have further plans in using our online registration form that will get it in the hands of the missionaries in the streets. They frequently find people who could use help with classes on how to become more self-reliant, direction with addiction recovery and also improving their family/marriage, learning English/French, etc. How wonderful it is for them to have this resource to share with those they meet. The missionaries are elated for this resource in this area.

ELTON BULUMEME’S VISIT  - A STORY WORTH READING

At times there are people step into our center and you can tell they have a story you’ll want to hear! Elton Bulumeme comes from Nice, France, but originally from the Island of New Caledonia! He joined the church with his mother and is driven to do Family History work and attend the temple wherever he can go. As we went onto the large screen and started looking through the “My Origins” for my family, he then began to show me on the map all the places where he lived and the stories that brought him where he is now. We were honestly so honored to meet this great man! There's so much more than he shared with me about his life of faith, but the story he shared Steve below is the most inspiring. 

ELTON BULUMEME

This is the story that Steve wrote about his experience with Elton!

”Elton told me that after he had moved from New Caledonia and had been baptized in France he attended a national conference in France for Young Single Adults.  During the 4-day conference, he was walking past some of the exhibition booths and Brother Léporé (who was his current Stake President) invited him to sit down at the FamilySearch booth and that he would be able to find a family name for him to take to the temple in 2 minutes.  Elton said he had heard members talk about going to the temple and doing temple work for their ancestors, but he did not have a testimony of it or its importance.  He thought, "OK, let's see what he can do in 2 minutes."  

As promised Brother Léporé found a name of one of his ancestors that needed to have temple work done in less than 2 minutes.  Elton said, "As he handed me that card, I felt the Spirit of the Lord wash over me in a way I had not before experienced and I knew at that moment how important this work was for my ancestors."  Since then he has been flying to Paris every 3 months to do temple work for the names that his mother (still in New Caledonia) continues to find for him!”

Vivre la vie avec joie! (Live life with joy!),

Elder et Soeur Packer                                                                

                                 

Grandpère et Mémé Packer (Please be sure and use the last name on any mail, or it will get returned)

SCENES OF PARIS - SOME YOU HAVE SEEN MORE THAN ONCE!

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Police line the street often during the yellow vest riots! It was pretty mild this last Saturday!

Suddenly a festival parade for women (though men were involved) erupted out of nowhere came down our street of the center with hundreds of parade participants. There were about 6 different groups much larger than this with their drums and extreme loudness and some pf them with very queer costuming! 

Our Address:

4 quai du Marché Neuf

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