Packers France Paris Mission Blog 79

Packers in Paris Blog 79 – Sept 8^th – Sept 15^th, 2019

WARNING: ENGAGEMENT EXCITEMENT READ FURTHER BELOW!!!

I will share the story further below, but our youngest, Becca Packer just got engaged!

FAREWELL GATHERINGS:

With transfers happening this week, we started to get together with our district! Even though we had them over for dinner, last week, we finally found out who was leaving and spent extra time with those who were able to! It touched our hearts to have a final visit with them. We will miss Sisters Scofield and Doughman terribly!!!

Sisters Tabiliran and Doughman (Sister D) was transferred! 

Me with Sister Scofield - transferred! 

Me with Sister Doughman - transferred! 

Last district photo minus the Seniors! - How we love this Dream Team!

TRANSFERS

Last Wednesday was transfers. We had a great group of new missionaries that we met and some of our dearest missionaries were either leaving to go home or receiving new assignments with new missionaries. We don’t usually see those who have transferred to other areas.

Sisters Morrison and Gustafson

Elders Purdi and McGrew

Missionaries become dear friends! Some are departing, others transferring!

New Missionaries just walking into our courtyard for training!

Sister Maxwell with the new Sister Tuhoe

New - Sister Turiano-Turoa & Sister Maxwell

CHINESE FAMILY HISTORY EXPERIENCE FOR THE CHINESE

We are grateful for our new Chinese Family Discovery experience used only by those who speak Chinese! Every time we share this with those who do speak this language, they are so enchanted, and it also engages them with a great interest in Family History. That is our whole desire.

Chinese investigator with Sisters Jenkinson and Petersen

Chinese FamilySearch Discovery Experience - she found this so interesting and could see that she knew quite a bit of the things she found on each experience. We hope to do more with her next time! 

BRIAN LATTIN ASKING FOR OUR DAUGHTER’S HAND IN MARRIAGE

We knew all along that the pot was being stirred for a proposal sometime soon, but honestly, we didn’t really know when, knowing it could possibly happen for a wedding in November, December or even after our mission. We were all on pins and needles waiting for the call from Becca’s boyfriend, Brian.

I woke up Thursday morning to a text from Brian wanting to call us later that night to ask for permission to ask her to marry him. I quickly showed it to Steve and we were so grateful for the arrival of this anticipated text. We are so pleased and grateful for with this wonderful man and his goodness. She could not be choosing a better husband to marry. And, we think she is such an amazing and beautiful soul inside and out!

The scheduled time for him to call via video messenger, was at 5:00 p.m. our time in Paris last Thursday, the day the we got the text. Those in the center who knew this was happening and were rather excited for us as well.

Our visit with Brian could not have been more joyous and heartfelt! We knew he was a remarkable man, but this video call indicated so much more of the intents of his heart and his dear love for Becca! We whole-heartedly said, YES! He then proceeded to tell us of his plans of how he was going to ask her, as he had previously asked Becca if she had any special manner of wanting to be proposed to. Her response meant the world to us! She said she really didn’t have any grand ideas BUT would love it if her family could be present! Bless his heart, his desire was to please her big time!

As we spoke with him, Steve requested one thing and then I shared with him a special Steve and Renée Packer experience. First, Steve asked him if he would always put God first in their marriage and put Becca second and with that order all else will fall into place as it should. We have a strong and fervent testimony of always putting God first and our spouse next. Our family falls right afterwards and we are most thankful for this direction that has blessed us and our family.

Next, I shared with him our story of how we set specific goals prior to our marriage. Three days before we were to be married, Steve and I sat down in the backyard of my parent’s home and wrote over 20 goals for our marriage and family, that we would review monthly. The goals we set and our reviewing them monthly has produced the foundation for our family and has blessed us immensely.

Brian video via messenger asking for our daughters hand in marriage! Screen shot!

Brian and Becca last summer on a trip to CA with his parents

CONFERENCE CALLS

Before our video call with Brian we were on a Zoom meeting with Brother Léporé and then later with Brother Ware. Along with Brother Léporé, Brother Ware was helping us get set up with additional tools we could use with the referral system. He is so excited to help us with managing this new ability for the purpose to help our missionaries receive referrals easier from our center. It will also save us a lot of time!

BYU MANAGEMENT SOCIETY CONFERENCE

We had previously been asked by Brother Alain Kheeroo if we would prepare and present a presentation at the BYU Management Society Conference for this last Saturday on Self Reliance. We hope that what we shared was of value.

Steve was the one who prepared the PowerPoint presentation and I just helped! We certainly aren’t the experts by a long shot on Self Reliance, but our work in the center helped to prepare us with this presentation that could always be used again if needed to share with others.

We attended the class just previous to ours by Dominique Calmels, a former Finance Director of the Accenture Group for France for over 18 years and a string of other business accomplishments in his lifetime. His presentation was fabulous and really inspired me with direction on how to be more proficient in accomplishing personal goals. In brief, not specifying what my goals may have been, this is in part a general summary of his message that I received specific for me.

     My takeaway:

Know your target, formulate your desires, make reachable goals, make steps, set dates for accomplishments, organize goals, have daily and weekly goals, what you should or shouldn’t do to help you accomplish your goal, how will you make this happen, have friends and family to help and support you.

There was much more that he shared and not all of the above is in the perfect order, but it was inspiring!

Some of those who attended the Seminar

Steve giving his first of the presentation ! His felt much more prepared than mine! 

Alain Kheeroo, BYU Management Society Committee head!

Dominique Calmels - also on the BYU Management Society Committee

PROPOSAL BLAST OFF FOR A NOVEMBER WEDDING! HERE’S THE VERY BRIEF STORY

I will unashamedly admit that I could not sleep Saturday evening and decided to stay up for the long haul and told my family to video/facetime me allowing me to view the proposal live! Tears of joy were flowing freely and I finally went to bed and got a few hours of sleep when it was all over. It was well worth the loss of sleep! Thankfully it was on Marco Polo, so that Steve was able to basically later get what I saw, but he got the good night’s sleep! 😉

We all agreed that recording this up close and personal with secret cameras would be priceless for years to come. Several boys got the go pro cameras set in varied places and had them turned on in time for the special event. Brian had everyone secretly show up in his home, as Brian was in his backyard under the gazebo with Becca.

She was not expecting anything to happen prior to her coming to Paris, at least, but maybe not even for several more weeks. So, when he changed his mind by not going to Maddox (restaurant in Brigham City), he had his parents first bring the table settings and flowers to the table (with one of the go pros inside the flower pot turned on) (she didn’t think much at this point, because she sees his parents all the time), she still did not suspect.

Then one by one, our children and some of their spouses would bring part of the dinner out (of course then she started to figure it out). The biggest surprise was that of our son, Jordan, who flew in from Denver (he wasn’t going to miss this for the world). The final thing that was brought out was a letter and the ring box.

He then knelt down to propose to her and of course she said, “YES!” It had us all crying and I was so grateful to be in the moment when it happened.

Brian is a keeper and that our family adores him and that when he beckons for help on a proposal for their baby sister, Becca’s family magically shows up, even all the way from Colorado to help out. Two of our children though were not able to be there because of prior major commitments (they were super bummed), but Brian’s plan came off like a rocket into space.

Most importantly, we are grateful for Becca and Brian and for their love and commitment for each other and the Lord. We don’t have an exact date, but it’s either Saturday the 23 or Tuesday the 26^th of November!

Brian and Becca, just engaged!

Jordan Packer on the left, the surprise brother who showed up from CO, with the party crew who helped Brian pull off the well thought out proposal! Brian's parents are in the very back We also have Jaron and Vanesa Packer, Austin Packer and his son Bowen, Brent and Shal Packer and their three fun children, Ayden, Olivia and Allen and Janine Hunsaker on the far back right! 

Janine and Becca 

Janine's cheesecake special - she made enough for everyone!

SUNDAYS CONNECTIONS AND BLESSINGS

We were pleased to meet a couple, Kenny & Lori Arritt, from Burley, Idaho but originally from Rupert, who knew our friends, Kevin and Robyn Luke and the Mackay family and who knew my parents as well.

Brother and Sister Arrit from Burley, Idaho

Our English Sacrament meeting is coming to a close at the end of this month. We will miss this particular Sacrament meeting immensely, because by the time it starts back up in the spring we will be home from our mission. What makes this meeting so unique? It’s definitely not because it’s in English, but mainly it’s because of the visitors who come from all over the world, that bring their unique spirit and love of the gospel with them. Most speak English, and since it’s a testimony meeting each Sunday, some feel impressed to stand and share their expressions and love of the gospel of Jesus Christ! These testimonies are always heart felt and sometimes filled with a brief story of something they gained during their travels, and felt the Lord guiding and blessing them even when a difficult situation occurs! Their presence has blessed us and taught us much from the lessons of life they have shared.

Steve has been amazing to prepare a beautiful message each week and I will miss hearing those.

These two sisters were sad that they were very late in going to church, but had such a lovely visit in the center! Their names are Solange and Charlene Kathalay from Canada! The one on the left just returned home recently from serving on Temple Square in Salt Lake City! They were amazing women!

AVARZED AND THE GREAT LESSONS OF LOVE

This story of Avarzed has become a story and evolution of love with everyone who meets her. The story I could share about Avarzed is long and filled with lessons that the Lord is trying to teach of each us. But I will keep this brief!

We are grateful that our Relief Society President has taken over caring for most of Avarzed’s temporal needs, as it needed to be done through the Ward. We are still very involved, but less than before. Anne Berberovic, our Relief Society President has said this… “This situation with Avarzed has become my hardest challenge at the beginning of this new calling (3 months ago), as a Relief Society President here in Paris. I questioned the Lord WHY He would give me such a hard challenge near the beginning of this new calling. The Lord very clearly told me that it was because there would be many more difficult challenges yet to come and that by giving me the most difficult challenge right off, it would help prepare and teach me what to do with the others.”

Avarzed is filled with so much love, gratitude, faith, and is an extremely hard worker, that we are learning from her more than anything that we could be giving her. We are having faith in Avarzed’s plan for her, instead of what we think is best. The plan is to support her temporal needs until it’s apparent what she needs to do or become able to provide for herself. It will happen. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With our hearts so full of joy and gratitude, it’s hard to think of anything else, but we will continue to accomplish the many desires for our mission! We are looking forward though to our daughter, Becca, so newly engaged, to come to Paris this coming Wednesday for a week! We pray all of you feel of the Lord’s blessings in your life as you seek Him, seek His ways and seek His desires for you.

Le jour heureux est enfin arrivé (The Happy Day at Last Has Come Hymn #32),

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 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