Packers Paris Mission Blog 95

Packers in Paris Blog 95 – Dec 30th – Jan 5th, 2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020 A YEAR TO INVITE CLEARER VISION

As I age, I clearly am not seeing as well, though I had been spoiled with 20/20 vision for a bigger portion of my life, it’s not so much so anymore, for the past 20 years or so. I had never equated my vision necessarily, though, with my life and how I can use its analogy more beautifully until Rachel’s post.

Our good friend, Rachel Cole Walker wrote a beautiful and insightful message on Facebook. No matter if the improvements in our lives are minute or grand, each of us have the privilege to make necessary adjustments that are personal just to us. It is one of the main purposes for our time here on earth.  This life is a test and I’m not about ready to fail or just barely get a passing grade! I want to succeed and live my life to it’s fullest to glorify God! AND, as we’ve learned throughout our lives, salvation is a personal matter, but exaltation is a family matter. We’re intent on this family matter quest!

What's your vision for the future?
I’ll put Rachel's message at the very end….

WE ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM CHALLENGES IN THIS LIFE!

This week, and even this last year or two, have come with many challenges in our family and extended family and dear friends in a myriad of ways. It breaks our heart to see the challenges that we and others may go through, but as we all know, none of us will pass this life without experiencing some sort of trials and most likely many at that. There is always hope during trials, after loss, heartaches and so on. If I could testify of this one thing, it would be to hold on, stay faithful, keep praying, love others through their trials even while going through your own, and remember that He is aware of you. He has gone through your heartaches and trials and you are NOT alone! I believe one of the best things we can offer is to genuinely be the Savior’s hands during other’s times of need, or feelings of loneliness or helplessness!

If you or I ever feel we do not have time to be His hands, I can personally testify that when I am the busiest, and I stop and take time to help another, is when the Lord compensates our time. 

THE DUCKWORTH’S DAY – FEELING JOY WITH FAMILY!

Last Tuesday, after getting through a difficult week for the family of our son-in-law Duck, having lost his father, Steve Duckworth, and the funeral, the family was given a special gift. Steve Duckworth’s brother in-law, Scott Van Leeuwen, owns a large warehouse that houses a large Gymnastic/Trampoline Recreation Center. He invited the Duckworth’s to gather their extended family to spend a couple of hours in the center. We were put on Facetime with them and then videos were sent one by one of the wonderful time they had. This certainly brought some needed healing and bonding during a difficult time. Thank you, Scott Duckworth! Our true Gymnasts, Ben and Johnny Packer turned a few heads because they do this day in and day out and are amazing! We love all the fun talents and abilities of everyone of them! 
Maliyah Duckworth - awesome for her first time! 

Becca Packer Lattin - impressive for her first time! 
Ben Packer at his first meet winning 2nd all around! This is one out of several skills they competed on.

Johnny Packer at his first meet winning 3rd all around! This is one out of several skills they competed on.
The Duckworth family left that night right after the midnight stroke of the New Year and headed home to Oregon to miss the incoming storm. Bless them during all the travels!

A NEW YEAR AND MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO

It’s getting a bit exciting, scary and insane here as we near our return. But, nevertheless, there is much to look forward to and we know that being with family is most of all what is in our heart and mind right now as we scramble each day to get things accomplished on our end before we can truly think of coming home. We get a bit melancholy, though, with all that we will be leaving here and know that somehow the Lord will comfort us in our departure!

Standing in front of the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) during the holiday festivities!
This morning I listened to a beautiful message presented by Lloyd Newel in the weekly tabernacle choir broadcast for the New Year. It was another timely recharge! It was a glorious message for this new year!



Since this wa a live event, begin at the 1 hour mark for the 30 minute program and at 1:14:20 for this particular message by Lloyd Newel
Lloyd Newel - voice of the Spoken Word


TEMPLE SQUARE BEGINNING TO GO THROUGH MAJOR CHANGES

While we were in Utah in November, it was our intent to make sure and walk through Temple Square and take a few photos as a special keepsake prior to the major changes on temple square! I’ll post a few that I took and also one from our friend, Dan Ritchie, who often will take photos of the temple from his work place. This last one he took just after the new year, prior to the beginning of the major construction. His view is awesome!

Salt Lake Temple and grounds

The North Visitor Center - will NOT be torn down! I have gone to this center since I was a little girl!


Front of Salt Lake Temple

Beautiful photo by Dan Ritchie - taken from around or at his work place! Not a bad view!
BLESSINGS AND MIRALCES

Last Wednesday, Steve and I went to a friend’s house so Steve and the Elders could give her and her children blessings. They have not been well for some time, and this was a much-needed help and comfort to them. There was no doubt that the blessings that were given were inspired. Later during the week, we began to see healing and as this woman began to put into practice some things guided by the spirit to help her, she has been truly blessed and has seen the Lord’s hand in her life.

PARIS ZONE CONFERENCE

This most likely will have been our last Zone Conference! We enjoy these conferences immensely and will miss not only meeting with the missionaries in our Zone, but the inspired messages of our Mission President! We were asked to share our testimonies and thoughts. I went first and shared my thoughts and testimony in French. I love the French language and though I openly admit my irregular French errors, like not using perfect conjugations all the time, I felt the Lord guiding my thoughts! Steve followed me and I could not have been more proud of him and his ability to speak in French. He spoke with humility, love and confidence in the Lord. He has come so far, and I am humbled by his great efforts these past 2 years as we started with a French tutor from the MTC just prior to our mission. He spoke his pure testimony with confidence, looking up the whole time! This is a very tender and sweet miracle of the gift of tongues that he has received. 

President talking about his family at the Paris temple 
Paris Zone! Taken on 1-2-20
The Paris District - The amazing District! 1-2-20


Capturing the Zone Conference that we love!
ZOOM CONFERENCE WITH MEDIA TEAM

We were grateful to have another meeting with the Media Team that will be coming in a little over 2 weeks. There is still so much to do, but it’s coming along and we pray for their safe journey and that all goes well in this little time frame they have with us in Paris!
The Packers, Roland Lepore, Mike Madsen and David Clare - The three that will be coming to Paris from Salt Lake in 2.5 weeks
SEARCHING FOR A PRINT SHOP

We are finally ordering a removable, translucent door sign. We were given an unofficial go ahead to at least have a removable door sign. It’s not exactly what we wanted, but I think it’ll work until we get a better solution figured out!

Finding what you want in this big city and dealing with the transportation strike is a joke! But, I will admit that my husband is a genius and he helped us navigate the transportation mania and found the print shop to make our order. 



Print Start! Great customer service! 
LONDON ROOTSTECH REBROADCAST – CANCELLED

Friday, we had a zoom conference call with our team in Salt Lake and Frankfurt to discuss the London RootsTech rebroadcast in Paris coming up on January 11th. We were concerned that the number of registrations was small, and that it could be somewhat caused because of the strike and that no one can commit for various reasons. We knew we needed to make a quick decision to cancel and postpone or just plain cancel.

We learned much in this whole process of preparing for this rebroadcast and we were grateful that we did cancel, as the very next day it was announced that a second national strike would be on that very day that we had scheduled the broadcast, along with a similar strike two days prior. It’s the longest strike here in France since the 60’s. We’re ready for it to be done! 

This is the insanity of the manifestations from the Transportation Strikes! 
DORSAF – A SWEET ENCOUNTER AND NEW FRIEND

Last Friday, a woman, named Dorsaf, entered the center and I met her at the door. I invited her in and we had a lovely visit so that I could get to know her better. She was very interested in many of the resources that we had to offer and signed up for several courses, and also to know more about the church. She was quite a remarkable and kind woman who has such a pure heart. She’s originally from Tunisia but has lived in Paris for about 12-15 years. She has no real religion, but is very interested in Christianity.

The next day we had a meeting with the sisters to teach her and I sat in on the lesson and joined the sisters in teaching her. I have had the opportunity to do this several times in the past and enjoyed it immensely!  She was so receptive and such a genuine woman. We look forward to continuing our friendship with her! 

Renee and Dorsaf

Me, Dorsaf and Sisters Lofgreen and Moon
THE PASSING OF SETH HARPER – RENÉE’S NEPHEW

This last Friday evening, my sister Ann’s son, Seth Harper passed away unexpectedly, most likely from a heart attack. We got the call on our Saturday morning, but their late Friday night, as it had just happened a couple of hours previous. Seth and Becky Harper live in Billings, Montana and will have the funeral in Declo, Idaho, where both parents and family are close. 

Our hearts were deeply saddened by this tragedy. Seth was born with a closed esophagus (repaired at 3 days old) and lived his whole life with health struggles and yet found the strength to fight on. When he had cancer as a 10 year old, the radiation killed all his fat cells and he was never able to put on weight, yet he was strong and such a good man. He passed away at 43 years of age. He left a wife, Becky and four children between them.

We are grateful for all the love and support being given from all around and know that they will be comforted during this difficult time. Seth was a special and loving individual who cared deeply for others and everyone loved him. May his family be comforted to know that Families are Forever!

Seth and Becky Harper
SUNDAY VISITORS FROM UTAH

Sunday we were grateful to see our friend from Utah, Lestelle Greenwalt Schwab and her new husband, Jack Schwab, of a month. This was our first time meeting him and they are so very happy and an amazing couple! I was grateful for the good weather, making the cold somewhat bearable. 

It was a wonderful day, all in all, and we were so grateful for the spirit and love we feel from attending our meetings and visiting with new and old friends!
The Packers and Lestelle and Jack Schwab (from Layton, UT)
The two Renee's - Renee Hall who moved recently to DC with her husband and 6 children, after living here almost 20 years here in Paris, and came here for the holidays!
MORE SAD NEWS DURING THE ZOOM CONFERENCE WITH ENTIRE MISSION WITH PRESIDENT AND SISTER SORENSEN

These happen periodically to help motivate the whole mission, but at this one, there was some sad news that brought the spirit of the conference a bit somber and our hearts reaching out with compassion and many prayers!

After sharing the sweet news of their oldest daughter getting married in the Paris Temple last week, President Sorensen then turned the time over to his wife.

     Sad news shared!
Sister Sorensen began to tell all 180 + missionaries in this special call about their sad news of having just had a miscarriage. No one knew she was pregnant, but just two days prior to the wedding (the day after Christmas) she miscarried and was not well and no doubt feeling emotional, but held up strong during their special day!

To have the sweet emotions and joy of your first and oldest daughter’s wedding, to then be dampened by the miscarriage, was not easy, but she is amazing and I’m sure held her best! She was sweet and yet quite emotional while sharing it with us, but then she shared something that really caught my attention. She had asked her children if she should share this news with us, and her oldest daughter said yes, and then said that, “When we are vulnerable with others, it strengthens their confidence in us.” I loved this thought, because it’s so easy to be so stoic about everything and never letting our guard down. But honestly, when others see your pain or sorrows or vulnerability, it really can help and strengthen our relationships and love with one another.  

President and Sister Sorensen and their five children and new son in-law
DESERET NEWS ARTICLE ONLINE AND PRINTED VERSION

My parents had an original article written about them by the church several months ago, and it has now been put in the Church News online and in the printed version this past weekend. Here is the online version. As it became available on Facebook, I shared it and was humbled by the sweet comments of those who knew my parents or our family.

The Church News - 1-4-20 with their article inside 

A portion of the article in the Church News!

~~~~~~~~~

At the close of this week's blog, our hearts are so full of gratitude for this amazing past year, and actually last two years! Closing out a decade is hefty, but closing out a two year mission is amazing and life changing.

I will not bore you with any details of our last 10 years, but the last two years are recorded in these blogs. If you have been so daring to read our blogs we honor you, we love you for sticking this out with us, even if it was part-time. This record will stay with us and be our special keepsake.

Read Rachel’s special 20/20 Vision lessons below!


Sonner des cloches sauvages (Ring Out, Wild Bells),

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

RACHEL COLE WALKER’S 20/20 VISION LESSONS

“I've been thinking a lot about the New Year lately and what it means. Although it's just another day-- quite literally just another rotation of the earth on its axis--I'm so grateful we annually have this checkpoint to pass through. For me, it's a great time to regroup, look back, and assess my progress....and most definitely my many failures.
I'm not a typical resolution setter. I try to set goals and milestones for myself throughout the year, so midnight on the 31st of December doesn't resemble me in a crouched runners position, the gun loudly sounding, and me taking off at the starting line of the race. For me, I'm halfway through the marathon on some goals, nearing the finish line on others, and panting from sheer exhaustion on those that have been decades in their execution. It is however a wonderful chance to look ahead. New Years for me is like standing atop a tall mountain and looking over the valley of possibilities below. It's a beautiful sight--opportunity, possibility, and hope reside down there. So too do trials, tears, battles, and growth. 
I've decided that "20/20" will be the year of improved VISION. I think for most of us, there isn't a complete course correction needed. For the vast majority of us, I believe there is simple tweaking that needs to occur. Just like a phoropter--that nifty little machine your optometrist uses to determine the prescription you need--small and simple clicks will slowly bring your sight into focus. 
I have many areas in my life where I'm nearsighted. That is, I'm unable to see things clearly unless they are relatively close. I need to improve my faith, my patience, and my perseverance so that I can see clearly the things that are still a ways off, residing in the distance. Some of the most precious things in life have to be waited for.
By contrast, I also suffer from farsightedness. Namely, I am sometimes unable to see things clearly, especially if they are relatively close. So many of us have so many blessings that we often miss them completely. I love the question once posed, "What if tomorrow I only had the things I thanked God for today" I don't know about you, but I'd probably wake up naked, cold, sleeping on a dirt floor and utterly alone. I am most guilty of taking those closest to me for granted. My family is at the very tip top of my gratitude list and I don't tell Him or them nearly enough how absolutely elated I am to have them by my side. Even more troubling, I certainly don't show them enough by my actions just how much I love and adore them. 
As if this isn't enough, I suffer from lazy eye. I tend to get lackadaisical and complacent in my daily view of things. I don't take advantage of the incredible opportunities all around me at times, and I allow my vision to become stagnant and compromised. This condition leaves one eye doing all of the work. We all have areas in our life that are very unbalanced and some parts of us that are simply overworked and fatigued. Humans, like their retinal counterparts, need to rest and sometimes retrain muscle groups. It may be necessary to protect the part of us that is simply exhausted by covering it up for a bit. Let the other parts learn their own strength and in turn restore complete vision, allowing us to be a more fully functioning WHOLE human.
Cataracts seem to plague us all. They cloud our vision and cause parts of our eyesight to be obscured or blocked all together. This too requires treatment--sometimes scary and invasive. But the result is a beautiful, vibrant, clear, crisp view of things. 
In the year of "20/20" I will focus more intently on my miracles! I will look more adoringly at my children, my husband, my friends, and my family. I will study the details of the tender mercies that comprise my day to day existence. Specifically, I will concentrate on the gentle hands of the Carpenter that seem to astoundingly guide me at every turning point. I will try to look through the lenses of others as I consider their points of view and their opinions. I will sharpen my vision to the possibilities and zoom in on the small and simple tweaks that will make a big difference. I will change my focus from farsighted to nearsighted when needed, so I can understand when things don't always turn out the way I plan. 
Most importantly, I will strive to improve my myopic view of things. For those of you as nerdy as me, here's a great practice. Go outside tonight and hold a dime in between your fingers. Reach your arm up and extend that dime up to ellipse your view of the starry skies. 
At arm's length, a dime blocks out the light of about 5,000,000 galaxies, each galaxy consisting of about 100 billion stars! If you hold that same dime edgewise, it would still block out 500,000 galaxies. Do you think we can get caught in the thick of thin things?!?! Incredible, isn't it?
When I get particularly discouraged and my troubles seem too heavy or too complicated, I find myself doing this very thing. (So if you see me outside with a dime in my hand, you know I'm in a tough spot!) I gaze up at the breathtakingly beautiful canopy of stars and just re-center. It is as if heaven taps me on the shoulder, reminds me all these things are His creations, and then after gazing at the works of His hands, He turns and says, "Yeah, I can handle this for you" 
He can handle yours for you too, my friends! May this year be a year of improved vision for you...not perfect, but corrected. May you stand atop your mountain and view the many possibilities and dreams below. They are many and glorious! Happy New Years!!!”


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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts