Packers in Paris Blog 60 – April 29th
– May 5th, 2019
TUESDAY’S ZOOM
CONFERENCE WITH BRO DJEMAI AND THE BELLESSA’S
We’ve looked forward
to our zoom conference to meet Elder and Sister Bellessa, with Momo Djemai.
Brother Djemai is over all self-reliance throughout Europe! He lives in Tours
and is helping us specifically with Self-Reliance with the new direction in the
Family Resource Center.
Elder and Sister Bellessa,
who are located in Lyon and serve with Brother Djemai, are going to be coordinating
all who sign up for Self-Reliance courses in our center. They will make daily
calls with those who have signed up on our electronic registration and put them
in the right class nearest them. The Balessa’s are an answer to our prayers, in
how we will make this function more effectively. We are hoping to handle it
similarly with the other courses we are offering.
WATER HEATER FIXED
AGAIN!
Just when you thought you were done hearing about our broken, then fixed
water heater, yes it happened again! Finally, this last Tuesday it was repaired
after 6 days of our not being with hot water, leaving us with a cold shower and
cold apartment (heaters are radiant heat using hot water). Nothing feels better
than a warm shower and getting into a warm bed! They say that the third time is
a charm and we’ve been told it should be replaced very soon and not just fixed
each time!
VAN GOGH, LA NUIT ETOILÉE: PARIS ATELIER DES LUMIÈRES
Last Tuesday we had planned a PDay
outing with our friend, Linda Simmons, to see
Van Gogh’s, La Nuit Etoilée at the Paris Atelier des Lumières. It is a
limited exhibition. Steve had bought tickets for the three of us, but as we
were getting close to leaving the proprietor texted Steve that the technician
would be coming soon! You don’t mess with not being around when a technician is
coming to fix our water heater problem. Steve kindly offered to stay! I was
able to sell his ticket when we got there and he and I might just have to go
together another time! 😉
So what is it? Watch 1:40 minutes below of a video to capture a small taste!
It was fascinating how they take art
from varied artists, though the biggest focus was on the paintings of Van Gogh,
and make it into moving art, and have it projected on the walls, floors and
ceilings! When you combine art with music, it makes it rather mesmerizing and inspiring!
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| Linda, videoing! |
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| During this moment, the water was in motion and shimmering! |
It's worth watching this brief video - especially past the first 45 seconds!
It was another lovely and final day
with Linda and grateful for this time together with her! She headed home to the
states the following day! She has had amazing travels the past couple of months
seeing many parts of the world! Such a wonderful time to catch up with her!
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| Linda Simmons getting ready to say good buy! It was so heart warming spending a little time with her reminiscing about our families! |
FINAL DISTRIC COUNCIL
I’m
always sad when we don’t get a complete photo, as some were missing. I ended up
taking random photos of those who were either there or at other times, to
highlight those in our district at this time. Elder Sun has been a fabulous
leader and the missionaries in our district this last transfer have been
amazing! They have been very dedicated on a daily basis! We love and will miss
those who will be transferred elsewhere or those leaving for home!
At
our last meeting, Elder Sun had previously asked the two Senior Couples to
share some of their tips on how they study the scriptures. As Steve and I
personally pondered this assignment, we realize that we have continued to enhance
our abilities through the years and will do so forever! We have found, though,
through the years that writing our impressions and thoughts from our personal
study has been a great blessing to feel the Lord’s personal revelation for us
and our understanding has increased!
Also,
studying together as a couple has been something we’ve always enjoyed through
the years and continue here on our mission. We both testify that there is such
strength in your relationship when this becomes a part of your daily devotion.
It has enlightened our study and is so unifying with not only the two of us but
with our Father in Heaven!
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| Elders Kiene, Jones, Sun, Ovard, Ballard and Layton - Conquerors! |
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| Sisters Shropshire and Amott |
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| Sisters, Mattice and Scoffield |
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| Sisters Tabiliran and Jensen (Sister Jensen has finished her mission after 11 months here in Paris) She has brought a sense of joy and love that is so contagious! We love you! |
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| The Magic Squad! |
REACHING BEYOND OUR BORDERS OF THE CENTER
Wednesday
we launched our first trial with having a few sets of missionaries from the
Paris ward to use our online registration for the Family Resource Center on
their phones. The goal will be to help others by introducing about the center
as they are out contacting and literally let them sign up for the courses on
the mobile devices of the missionaries. They have been instructed not to give
anyone their phone, but instead the missionaries will hold on as others fill in
the form. Being electronic it sends the information right away! This should
work beautifully!
We
first started with Elder Kiene and Elder Ballard and then continued through the
week to share with two other missionary companionships to start using these
tools in the streets! As we see how well it’s going, we then will open it up to
more missionaries in the Paris area.
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| Elders Kiene and Ballard - first to launch this program outside of the center! It was a hard time to start this right before transfers! Elder Kiene will be transferred! |
AMERICAN VISITORS IN THE CENTER
On
Wednesday we had a string of visitors, mostly former missionaries, some recent returned missionaries, and others who served in the past 3-5 years. It
was so fun to see them connect with one another! Not all are pictured below!
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| Elder McGrew was taught by this woman at the MTC! She served a French speaking mission! |
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| The Smith couple! Celeste Smith served here in Paris |
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| Former Elder, Burgoyne and Elder McGrew - Elder M was Elder B last companion |
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| Former Sister Samantha Nickerson - She'll be here for a 6 weeks BYU Study Abroad in Paris, that she knows so well! She served here at least for 3 transfers! |
FAMILYSEARCH BLESSINGS!
Along
with all our visitors in the center, the sisters had invited a woman, Léandre, that
they have been teaching to learn more about FamilySearch! I was grateful to see
the sisters show her the fun findings on the large screen and then we brought
her to the computers and helped her sign up for a free FamilySearch account.
She was incredible and so quick to learn. She looks forward to start adding
more names in her own home and also come in when she has questions or want to
do more research.
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| Léandre checking out the big screen! |
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| Léandre checking out the big screen with Geneanet - one of our several partners! |
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| Léandre - singing up for a FamilySearch account! |
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| Léandre - feeling pretty good with her accomplishments - With Sisters Carter and Mattice |
FAMILYSEARCH WITH CLOTILDE
I
was grateful for the opportunity to help Clotilde sign up for FamilySearch last
Thursday! She has gone through very hard times with the passing of her husband
three years ago, and then challenges with her youth! She is often sad but finds
joy as she comes into the center and meets with us! As we conversed about her
situation, I asked if she was now ready to receive the discussions form the
sister missionaries. She said that she was! We set up a time for the following
day!
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| Clotilde - singing up for FamilySearch! |
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| Clotilde and me! |
MISSIONARY LESSON WITH CLOTILDE
Our
lesson on Friday with Clotilde went very well! She loves to talk and would
often get off topic, but the sisters were fabulous and taught her about the
restoration! She had many questions, which were beautifully answered, and she
accepted the challenge to read some passages from the Book of Mormon. We also
taught her how to give a simple prayer! She then closed our lessons with a
sincere and heartfelt prayer. I was so proud of that woman!
DATE NIGHT KEPT SIMPLE!
After
a busy week, we kept to our apartment with dinner, games and then watched
Legacy! My kind of relaxing evening with my most favorite and only companion!
VISITORS FROM LEBANON
Saturday,
I had the sweetest experience to meet three people who all originated from
Lebanon. Roula Akiki and her husband and son still live in Beirut, Lebanon, and
the husband is now serving as the Branch President. Only Roula was present. She
recently was the District Relief Society President. As I spoke with her, she
and I connected and felt such a great love for one another. She is a remarkable
woman of faith. Her friends, Brother and Sister Borderie work in the Paris
Temple but are originally from Lebanon. They too are such delightful and
incredible people. Sister Jourmana Borderies is an accomplished artist here in
Paris, as was her father who has passed away.
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| Roula Akiki and me standing with her! |
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| Jourmana Borderies with her husband and Roula Akiki |
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| Art by Jourmana Borderies |
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| Art by Jourmana Borderies |
EMMA’S BAPTISM!
Last
Saturday our sweet Emma Duckworth, was baptized in Tigard, OR by her daddy. We
were able to Facetime with them for the program and loved hearing the sweet
girl’s duet with Savannah and Maliyah and then a beautiful talk by Kyson! We
are so proud of Emma for her desire to be baptized. We have seen her smile
continually glowing more brightly as she prepared for this day!
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| Brandon and Camille Duckworth family - celebrating Emma's baptism! |
MORE TO COME ON MADDIE PACKER’S MARY POPPINS JR. MUSICAL!
MALIYAH AND KYSON DUCKWORTH IN LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST
Maliyah
and Kyson Duckworth were both performing in the Shakespeare production, Love’s
Labour’s Lost. These students come from the CommonWealth group, who are home-schoolers!
They had such an amazing experience it sounds like! So proud of you two!
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| Maliyah is second from the left and Kyson far right! |
OLIVIA’S CHORAL CONCERT
Our sweet granddaughter had her
concert a little over a week ago in Frances, UT. She loves singing and this was
her last concert in grade school. I didn’t have a photo of her, so I posted one
of the latest I had of her! She’s such a beautiful and special girl!
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| Olivia's concert - I think she's on the top row, right of the tallest girl in the middle! |
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| Olivia Packer - such a beautiful angel! |
SUNDAY’S SERVICES AND CONNECTIONS
I
was so grateful that our friend, Danielle who came to church with us again! She
was able to witness again where testimonies and convictions of faith in Jesus
Christ and the gospel are expressed by those in the congregation (this week was
our testimony meeting). It’s always so edifying to hear from total strangers or
those you’ve known longer, stand and share their thoughts. Of course, the most
important part of the meeting is that of renewing our all of our covenants
through partaking of the sacrament, which stems from our baptism and each of
the covenants we make at baptism. There is no greater purpose of our meetings
than this!
The
English meeting is a similar meeting where we do the sharing of testimonies
each and every Sunday, since they are all visitors and we can’t call in advance
to ask them to prepare a talk. We had a total of 66 visitors in attendance this
time! It’ll only grow from here on as the tourist season gets into full swing.
We
met such lovely people. Some of them are from Arizona and knew, once again, our
dear brother and sister-in-law Brent and Sandy Packer from Gilbert! Everyone
who knows Brent and Sandy loves them! As do we!
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| Brother and Sister Heward and John and Mindy Shirts - Steve and I with Max! |
PHONE VISITS WITH FAMILY BACK HOME
We
always enjoy when we’re able to visit with any of our children, siblings and
parents during the week! We come to realize how amazing it is that we can do
this at very little, or no cost, and hear their voices or see their faces as if
we were in the same room with them! For this reason, we are able to serve more
devotedly and know they really are, as they say, “Just a phone call away!”
Personal hugs are kind of special and so we are grateful for those who are able
to visit, and we look forward to our reunion with everyone when we return in 9 months!
Thank
you to each of you for your faith, your prayers and your goodness! We know that
much of what we are experiencing in the form of blessings and comfort is coming
from each of you as you pray in our behalf. They are making a difference!
Toujour reconnaissants pour la famille et les amis (Forever grateful for
family and friends),
Elder et
Soeur 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 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
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