Packers France Paris Mission Blog 75
Packers in Paris Blog 75 – August 12th
– August 17th, 2019
INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT
SORENSEN
Each
time we visit with the President, bless his heart, we go with an agenda of all
that we need his help with or approval for. Each time he is more than willing
to offer help, listen to our concerns and offer great suggestions. He’s always
so generous with his gratitude for the progress that occurs from the efforts at
the center. We leave buoyed up and ready to continue on with more zeal! That’s
the sign of a great mission president!
One
of our greatest needs is additional help, meaning more senior couples or
members who are willing to help at the center or to help with extra
responsibilities or with upcoming activities.
This blessing came to us later on in the week that I will share!
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| A week late Tri-Zone Conference photo! |
PDAY – PÈRE
LACHAISE CEMETERY – SAINT-SULPICE – A FULL DAY DATE!
We were unsure if we really wanted to walk through
such a cemetery, but after more reading, we knew that we couldn’t pass up the
most visited non-secular cemetery in the world, established in 1804. It was all
that was advertised and much more! The photos shown here can’t begin to give it
justice as far as its size and extraordinary uniqueness. Besides the fact that
it is now 110 acres large, with graves literally back to back everywhere, it
has 3.5 million visitors annually and is the most visited necropolis in the
world. “Records show that, within a few years, Père Lachaise cemetery went from
containing a few dozen permanent residents to more than 33,000 in 1830. Père
Lachaise has been expanded five times: in 1824, 1829, 1832, 1842 and 1850.” There
are now over one million interments. Good luck trying to visit all of them!
We only searched for a few that interested us, but
not that they were all famous for anyone else. But, the one that is seen the
most is Fredrick Chopin’s site. For me, this was a sacred one. His heart is
actually buried in Warsaw, Poland and his body at this site! Famous people
galore are buried here, but that doesn’t mean we know more than a few.
We also visited the Crematorium on site. We could
not enter, as it’s only for those who have family members or loved ones
attending a cremation. There was definitely a somber mood surrounding that
area.
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| A bereaving family! |
Saint-Sulpice
–
After the Cemetery we headed over to Saint-Sulpice,
the second largest cathedral in Paris, completed in the 18th
century. Just a month prior, this cathedral also had a fire (minor in
comparison to Notre Dame) that occurred during a Sunday Mass. The fire was
still quite a scare and could’ve been much worse! They do not know the cause!
It is beautiful and has some similarities to Notre Dame! The organ pipes are
magnificent and are a treasure all on its own.
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| Saw this small garden on our walk to Saint Sulpice |
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| Another cathedral our walk to Saint Sulpice - loved the green! |
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| Saint Sulpice |
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| Love the art work on your way walking anywhere! |
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| Famous Shakespearean Book Store - right by Notre Dame! |
On Thursday
we had a visit with a senior couple who has been serving in the archives,
capturing images day in and day out. The dust and mold was starting to affect
his health and so they needed to have their mission here in France changed. We’re
still waiting to hear what it will be, but we have petitioned to the President
for the Maxwells to help us out. They were trained in Family History, but as we
shared with them what our center was about, they said they would love to help
if the President allows. Please pray for the thing that is best to occur. We
will accept the Lord’s will. Meanwhile, they have offered to help out as needed
before that assignment as been made.
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| The Maxwells came to visit and learn more about the center |
FRIDAY’S MIRACLE HELP CAME IN MULTIPLES
Nadia
Kemiche from our Paris ward has been graciously helping Steve and I prepare for
our upcoming talks we have been asked to give in Stake Conference. She offered
to come by last Friday to the center and listen to us read through the talks
and see where she can help with pronunciation. We were more than happy to
receive her help.
Also,
I had received a message a couple of days ago from our friend, Carmen, who now
lives in Frankfurt, Germany but had moved with her husband from the Paris ward
last year just after the opening of the new center. She was trying to surprise
me by saying she had a friend from Germany who was coming to visit us this last
Friday. I was so grateful when it was actually Carmen who was the surprise
friend who came. She and Nadia came nearly at the same time, and it was most
helpful to have both of them listen to us and help make any needed corrections.
There are so many varied rules, liaisons, and so on and we want to get it as
correct as we can. They were a tender blessing to us.
After
their great help, they then wanted me to share with them more of what has been
going on with the changes since last March with the center. Our goal is to
launch and reveal more with the Ward in September. Though we’ve been going
strong since last March, many still do not know or understand what it is we do,
that could actually really bless them and their friends of other faiths.
As
I went through the whole story, they were extremely captivated with the
concept. They could clearly see that this not only will be well accepted once
we share it with our Paris ward, but that we need extra help and that our many
needs and desires exceed our capability to get it all done. Since we have Salt
Lake tracking our efforts in many areas it was apparent we needed additional
help. We have missionaries who are sharing the message of the center at the
center and as they are out meeting people, but the ward has not really heard
much about it, other than the Ward Council and the Bishop, who is very ecstatic
to get this going in the Fall.
Nadia
then jumped in with so much enthusiasm. She offered to instruct the new
Addiction Recovery course at Saint-Merri (which we weren’t sure who could do
this) and then offered how she could call on and form a committee of Single
Adults that would be willing to help. She is the head of the committee for the
Stake Single Adults. She knows this age group (over 30) and knows who would love
to serve and who are the committed kind. She suddenly became a huge resource
for us and we knew things would get done if she was on our side. We needed
someone French who had contacts and she is a perfect resource. This work is of
enormous value and can’t be handled by one couple if we want it to move
forward.
Carmen
also had great ideas of others who could help us in the center that we had
recently met who are in another Stake but we didn’t know their situation.
Suddenly within a couple of hours of our discussion, this huge weight was
beginning to be lifted knowing there were more answers and help on the way.
I’ve
always known the great benefit of forming committees, but it’s not so easy in a
foreign land and what we’ve needed is someone like Nadia. If we have the
committee to divvy out responsivities we will accomplish an enormous amount of
work. It will grow and flourish at the rate that is needed. Also, it will allow
us to accomplish more of our desires prior to our leaving in about 6 months and
as we hand things over to the next Senior couple.
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| Nadia, Me and Carmen |
SUNDAYS
BLESSINGS WILL SHARE NEXT SUNDAY
Since
we leave Sunday right after church to go to Strasbourg and Colmar for a few days,
I’ll share the rest of our story next week!
HAPPENINGS FROM THE PACKER CLAN BACK HOME!
Forgive me for the length of this last section,
please pass over if you don’t care to be updated on our family! It’s always so
fun to hear of events or accomplishments and happenings back home with our
family.
Nathan’s family has had quite a year and
have done amazingly well as they have gone through a long battle of Dixie’s
mother’s cancer and then her passing and all that goes with continued help for
her father and Nate’s help with our home! Then they have had ongoing challenges
with Maddie, their oldest and our second oldest grandchild, with her major
illness. This has been going on for at least two years or longer. She’s still
not through but handles her challenges with grace and courage!
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| Grandpa Lang with Nate and Dixie's children and other grandchildren of his! |
Camille and Duck have had a full summer
and yet, Camille with her 6 children have been traveling throughout the state
of Washington with her children. She plans wonderful adventures with her
children and sometimes her husband is able to join them, but they’ve had so
many other times when he’s gone for family trips or Europe that he just
couldn’t do this one! They are planning an upcoming trip to Hawaii with their
family. Each of the family have worked so hard to earn money for this and other
trips.
Jaron and his 4 boys and little
princess, Aaliyah, have done amazing with their health challenges, that they’ve
turned into triumphs. Their oldest will always have to deal with his MPS 6
disease but has been a remarkable young boy who has fought bravely to stay
positive! His gift is golf! Posted is his last score, but he often does nearly
this well. He has been taking lessons for several years and has a natural gift
from a lot of work with his skill. Their second and third boys are remarkable
with gymnastics at the competition level. Jaron and Vanesa are teaching online
English to Chinese students early in the morning to earn money for the lessons.
Aaliyah is such a bright light of joy in their home. The boys have learned to
treat her like a princess and she pretty much feels like one and makes everyone
radiate with happiness! Vanesa is an amazing trooper for all she does to keep
the ball rolling every day, while Jaron teaches seminary, while working on his
master’s degree in Religious Education. He’ll finish in a year!
This is Jaron and Vanesa's youngest and only girl! Keep listening to the end, as it only gets better!
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| Any of you golfers, eat your heart out! This is from our grandson, Jacob, who is fast to become a pro golfer. He's only 10 years old! |
Janine and her crew continue to hold
down the fort while Adam is finishing his degree as a Nurse Practitioner. The
four oldest children are in school full time and the fifth, Brigham, who is
doing quite well with his health after being pronounced cancer-free but still
deals with his OMA, is in part-time preschool. Janine is starting part-time
college at Utah State! Wow!
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| Adam's 14th birthday and his Harry Potter cake by his mom! |
Brent and Shalamar Packer have put
their home up for sale, after much work to prepare their home and 1.5 acres of
land to ready it for the market. They live in Francis, UT, near Park City and
the homes there aren’t cheap, but we are praying all goes well. Brent plans on
building their own home, smaller in size and with his new business workshop on
top of the garage. If anyone can do this project, Brent can!
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| Their sweet home for sale! |
Jordan and Larissa have done much with
their brand new home, finishing the yard and inside their home. Now with their
oldest, Lydia, is starting second grade and Lincoln is in his last year of
preschool. It’s giving Larissa some time to herself and doing some side editing
jobs. Jordan is working hard with his new job at Visa, as a Technical Product
Manager in Cybersecurity Engineering! He’s also been running and doing triathlons.
Austin and Emma are excited for the
arrival of their little girl next January. They were just in Florida visiting
family and Bowen could not have been on a happier planet while going to Disney
World and other fun activities as well. Being spoiled by Emma’s parents I’m
sure was the best! Emma has been putting extra hours at work as a nurse in the
postpartum unit at the hospital. Austin still working at ACompany and Jackman
Music with my sister and her husband’s company.
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| Emma and Austin's (Austin behind the camera) family with her parents, Dan and Wende Howes and Gardner in Florida! |
Becca will be coming here in 1 month to
visit us for a week. We’re not sure who is more excited, her parents or her!
She is working hard and getting paid a little more now that she has her degree
(yea for graduation), and still loving her time with her amazing boyfriend. She
is always ready to help her family whenever she can, for their special needs.
She has always been the one who has gone to everything for all of her family
and here she is, still being there for them. We’re so grateful for her kind and
generous heart! She is hugely loved by all who know her!
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| Brian Lattin with our daughter, Becca, China Town in San Francisco with his parents! |
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| Becca, getting ready to come to Paris? |
We now have grandchildren attending High School this
year and can’t believe how they all are growing so fast while we are away! Thank
heavens for video chats, but they never happen near as often as we would like
them to! There’s something about the time change and our busy schedule and
theirs that don’t always mix, but we need to do much better! We love it when we
connect with them!
Their summer was filled with scout camps, girl’s
camps, reunions and vacations, and even family gatherings just because! How we
love and admire each of them!
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| Packer Family Reunion in Rexburg, ID - July 2019 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We pray that
each of you have had a fulfilling and safe summer! As each of you get back into
the routines of the Fall season, know that there’s only One who is aware of
your every need, your every thought and your every heart’s desire, and that
through prayer and coming nearer to Him we can plead our case and then with
faith know that His will will be what is best for us! We know this is true and
that we can have peace after all that we can do! Steve and I are so grateful as
always to be serving together and going through this experience with not all
the answers, but we know who does and that all will be well!
Sincèrement et
affectueusement (Sincerely and lovingly),
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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