New Companion - Elder Pack (12/17/12 Letter)

Hello family and friends !!!

This week went well.  I keep learning that patience is not my strongest attribute. I do have to say that it is a lot better than at the beginning of my mission, but it is still very far from being perfect.  This week I have been trying to figure out why all of our investigators and also the less active members have stopped progressing. I know that all I can do is invite them, but at the same time I should and need to be able to identify the problems that they have and help them knock them down.

So Cesar is having problems still, and I think that it's because he has basically reached a peak and now is rolling backwards. It is sad that this happens.  I want to help him but it hasn't occurred to me how we can help him.  This goes for many of our investigators, but that won't make me give up because really there is no time to be crying about what could have been.

We had changes today and even though I thought with all my heart that we were not going to be getting new companions, I was wrong.  President always does things that I don't expect.  I have a new companion from Honduras.  I'm his second companion.  This is the 3rd person that I have been the 2nd companion to.  I think that president is telling me something ha ha ha.  His name is Elder Espinal.  I haven't gotten to know him at all yet.

Being with Elder Nicholson was good.  It made me learn self control, and I got to see the advancement of my Spanish.  I saw many other things that have progressed.  I hope that I can feel and see a bigger change at the end of my mission to tell you all the truth.

I hope that you all have a great day and week!!!

LOVE ELDER PACK

VERY HOT!!!! - Sister Pack (12/17/12 Letter)

Hey Fam,

So to start off, today has been extremely hot.  We didn't have lights for about 2 hours.  I took a shower to try to cool down but I wasn't sure if the moisture in my hair was from sweat or the shower.  That was a lot of fun. I had a lot to write but because I fried my brain pretty good in the last few hours, I'm not sure what I am going to write lol. So this week has been extremely tough like really tough, but I am really surprised at the way I have changed, and how I can support situations that hold out forever.  God is teaching me lots and lots of patience. We didn't end up having the baptism of Alejandro.  It's really sad because he is really rocking and wants to be baptized (but his dad went from saying "we will see" to "no").  The worse part is when we try to pass for his dad he doesn't want to talk to us... ahhh... but its ok patience lots of patience. Well this week was a great week in the church.  There had been a hermana who hasn't been coming to church. We eat with her every Thursday.  On Saturday, I got the distinct feeling to bring one of my skirts to her. We did that and on Sunday there she was with the gypsy skirt mom sent lol. It's a testimony that god is really intent about his children. We have a busy week this week. We have the baptism of Roberto.  Let me tell you how prepared this grandpa is.  He said to us the other day, "Hermanas, why are we waiting for my baptism?  Just throw me into the water."  I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EARS.  He then said, "If I am going to be Christian, let's just do it."  So to say the least, Heavenly Father gave us a huge present this Christmas. I know prayers work.  He was the fastest response to my prayers.  Well, I will be talking to you guys this weekend. I cannot believe how fast it is going.  I have news but you guys have to wait till I talk to you hahahaha.  Well, love you all.  Hope to hear from you guys and pray you are all safe this Christmas.

Love you all,
Hermana Pack

Christmas Hymns - Elder Pack (12/10/12 Letter)

Hola Familia y Amigos!!

This week was fun.  I had to go on divisions with another missionary.  It was a great time.  We talked about all sorts of things.  He is from Mexico City and his name is Elder Camarillo. He's avreally good missionary. He helped me a little.

So I need only one thing from the people that read this letter! Please include Cesar in your prayers.  He is having a hard time quitting tobacco, and he is stopping his progress. It's making me a little sad.  I really like this sir and I want him to make the change in his life so as to make everyone happier in his family and also himself happier.

This week went by very quickly and I am having a great time singing the Christmas hymns.  Last year I didn't sing many and I am asking myself why not.  I want to sing them more and more!!! I'm really quite happy that we are in this time of year once more. Its a great time to show someone else love and help them...showing them charity!!!

We found new people that we will be teaching.  It makes me sad that we have to let go the ones that don't want to progress but it's necessary.

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

LOVE ELDER PACK

Lesson on Patience - Elder Pack (12/3/12 Letter)

Hello family and others!!!

I love the way in which the Lord works.  It makes little sense to us sometimes, but it happens to happen just at the right time and in a way which we can never comprehend.  Today we had to learn a little about patience which was interesting, but He made everything work out just like it was supposed to.  We had our activity for the district, and it was little but we had a good time.  The activity left us with little time for much else, so we came back after going and buying things for the week and found out that my companion forgot the keys to the house in the house of the other elders.  He got really angry but the funny thing is at the beginning I didn't feel anything.  I knew that there wasn't much that we could do about it.  I wasn't really frustrated the whole way riding back to the Elder's apartment, but when we were on the way back I did start to feel that my patience warring out a little because I was thinking about what time it was and then about the other things that we had to do before it was time to go out and work.  We had only 20 min before our first lesson.  We were a little far away from our area, I hadn't been able to write my letter or even finish washing our clothes. When I realized that these thoughts were starting to affect me in a negative manner,  I had to stop and say a pray for strength so as not to lose my patience. I know that the Lord was ready to help me and He did...haha!!

So we had some success.  Some people are going well and starting to show fruits of repentance. We are working hard and trying to help others!!!

I had to go on changes with another missionary and try and help him this week.  It was fun.  His name is Elder Calpulalpan and he is form Puebla Mexico. We had a good time and I think that we both took things from our time together.

I have no time sorry!  I love you all and I hope that you have a great week.

ELDER PACK

Roberto - Sister Pack (12/3/12 Letter)

Hey Family!
   So this week has been awesome.  Some really amazing things are happening here in the heat of Formosa.  But first off, there is some news! I have a new mission president. Elder Di Giovonni from the 70´s is my new mission president at least for right now. The Hermana Heyman had a stroke a few months ago and was in Buenos Aires for a while.  She recuperated enough to go back to the states.  They went back so she can get better and then after they are going to return I believe.  Not too sure but I think it will be after I get released. This week we found a miracle.  His name is Roberto. Everything was falling through last Monday like how it goes usually on fediados.  No one wants to receive us because they are with their family. But we saw a man sitting outside, and I was about to walk pass him when the littlest nudge pushed me towards him. We greeted him and sat down and it was like a miracle.  He wanted to be baptized on Sunday, but we told him that we needed to help him a little bit more in understanding the gospel of Christ.  He is committing too, but let's just say we will be having an amazing baptismal service for Christmas.

Also this last week I celebrated my one year mark here in Argentina in CORRIENTES with Hermana Lythgoe.  It was an AMAZING experience. We talked, laughed, cried, and saw how much more grown up we are. I am so grateful, and so in debt to my Savior for the things He is doing with me everyday. I am so grateful for my mission and the person it is creating me to be. I love you all very much and CONGRATS to CHARITY! and the twins! I absolutely love info like this. Well, till next week!

                                                                             Hermana Pack

 mistake letter telling Dena that she doesn't come home until June....ha ha!!

Follow the Spirit - Elder Pack (11/26/12 Letter)

Hello People of Las Vegas,

How are you?

This week we have been having good times and have been trying to find new people.  We had a meeting with a 70 and he helped our stake see that they need to do more because really they haven't been doing what they need to be doing. On Sunday Pres came to our ward and got some references out of the members.  It worked well.  We just got 9 references and now president is pushing us to get our work done hahahaha!

I learned something about myself the other day.  Sometimes I still let my thoughts take preference to my feeling.  I haven't become 100% reliant on the communications that i receive.  I need to become better at this to tell you the truth!!!!!!  I'm working on that.

A sister, who is a really good member and person shared a personal experience with us about not being obedient to the word of the spirit.  She helped me understand more fully that the spirit will give us warnings to try and help us stay away from places that we shouldn't be near.  I was happy for her testimony and experience.

Well I hope that everyone has a great day!!

LOVE ELDER PACK

Week of Miracles - Sister Pack (11/26/12 Letter)

Hey family!

This week has been a week of miracles.  First off, Yoselin got baptized! whoot whoot! I cant believe it.  We had a few hard moments right before her baptism, but I know that the Lord is a lot stronger than the diablo (satan). Hermana Colque and I have been here for a whole month together!  Time is flying by so so so fast. I remember when I got here to Formosa again. We didn't have a thanksgiving.  I actually forgot that it was thanksgiving! That's what happens when your here in the heat! haha.  See you guys in alguno meses!

Love Hermana Pack

New Companion - Elder Pack (11/19/12 Letter)

Hello!!!

So this week went well.  We found some new people and got more people to accept baptismal dates.
We had a meeting with president and it really went well. I learned many things and I am trying to apply them to my area.  I am trying to help the other elders apply them in their areas. With the change of not working through contacts and only through references, we have to learn how to work better with the members. So this is our goal to try and make the lessons with members more unified and help the investigator feel the spirit stronger in the lessons.  We are also trying to prepare the missionaries for the changes that are going to happen next year with all the new missionaries that will be coming in. The mission has changed a lot since I entered almost 22 months ago. There is more faith and there is also better missionaries.

I was given changes of my companion.  The truth is that it makes me a little sad because he and I really got along great. But my new companion is elder Nicholson, he is from Connecticut. He was actually born there in New York. I’m going to try and get to know him and become good friends with him because really I want a good friend from the states. I haven’t made all that many…hahaha.  I have a few but none that were my companions.

We have a few people that have been listening to us. Cesar is one and his sister Dalia is another.  They are the only ones with baptismal dates up till now. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to give up trying. We have to do more work is all!!!! So the time is coming to an end even though I still have 10 weeks or so in the mission.  I want to do the best that I can. Some may say that this is the time that is for figuratively dying in the mission. Or retiring. I have no intention of doing such thing.

Well I hope that you all have a great week and that everyone has a chance to have spiritual experiences!!!

LOVE ELDER PACK

Dia de Gracias - Sister Pack (11/19/12 Letter)

Hi family!

So this week has been a great week here in Formosa! We have been working hard! It has been hot as ever but I just keep counting my blessings that it isn’t enero yet... hahaha.  That is when it is going
to get really really hot... So this week we had divisions and I was with Hermana Parker again! It was sooo much fun and seriously I can’t believe the Lord has blessed me with so many awesome companions in my
mission. I learned so much from her when we had our transfer in Resistencia, and she continues to surprise me. We ate crapes and chocolate milk for old times.  That was always our breakfast in Barrio
IV. lol.

On Monday we made a peach cobbler and it turned out so good! I was actually proud of myself and I am happy that por fin (finally) I am learning how to cook! The only problem is they are all Argentine meals where we can’t find ingredients in the states... uh oh. lol. but grateful that I finally have the ganas to learn.  I guess it’s what happens when you don’t have your mom with you!

Yoselin will be getting baptized this week and Yadira is progressing a lot also. The other week we had a really spiritual moment. Back ground story of Yadira is that her husband is adventista. He didn’t want anything to do with us because of the Book of Mormon.  But one day he brought Yadira to the church and we invited him in.  Ok basically pushed him in and did a tour.  The spirit was really strong and he loved the church.  He left and we thought... at least he had a good experience and will help his wife now.  But it gets better.  Hermana Yadira was praying at the end that if this is the correct church that she would like to see a change in her husband.  Guess what... 10 minutes later he came with his cousins and basically was a better missionary than us.

God lives and answers prayers. I couldn’t believe my eyes.  I couldn’t believe what was happening.  A man who wouldn’t even say hello to us now is meeting and learning and feeling the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We also ate in their home the other night empanadas de Colombia! SO GOOD
reminds me of tamales from Mexico. AND HOT SAUCE! I haven’t had anything hot in ages and it was absolutely amazing! It made me miss Mexican food a lot!  Mayones just isn’t the same like hot sauce with
tacos... lol.

But things are great and in honor of dia de gracias I want to just say I am so grateful for the gospel and the way the Lord has been shaping my life in the last year. I cannot believe how much love the Lord has shown me.  Well, that is all.

Love you all!
Hermana Pack

New Companion! - Elder Pack (11/12/12 Letter)

Hello all!!!

This week went well.  We said good bye to some and hello to others (making new friends).  In my new area, we are trying to help the members to be strong and help us. Our ward is shared with 2 missionary companionships. It’s very interesting that when we got to church on Sunday, I didn't know half of the ward because they live in the other half of the area.

My new companion is elder Alarcon and he has 18 months almost 19 in the mission. We get along great because we are both oldies in the mission. Our teaching is also good for the same reason and also we have plenty of things to talk about.

So we have changed many things in the mission and it makes it a little hard to baptize but in the long run the people should be better converts into the church. So I hope that everyone is trying their best to help others accept the gospel.  This week I have been trying to understand and apply not judging unrightfully. It really is a tedious work to tell you the truth. But judging through the light of Christ really is the only way to see others. I think that if we all tried to learn about charity, we will all learn many new and marvelous things.
I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week!!!!

LOVE ELDER PACK

The Atonement Makes us Whole - Sister Pack (11/12/12 Letter)

Hey all! 

  So this week I really enjoyed our zone conference with Elder Viña. He is a special witness of Christ. I learned so much about how to apply the Atonement in my life.  Seriously, it was one of the coolest experiences in the world. We had a few investigators in the church  this Sunday and it was awesome because the Temple president talked about the temple. I could actually feel the temple through them and it put me a little trunky. I miss the temple so much! After they talked about marriage, one of the girls that was with us was really moved. She wants to get married in the temple! Anyways that was our week and I am doing great…getting more freckles that is for sure! lol. Well I love you all tons and pray that you guys are learning more about the Atonement every day because that is the way to become better.

Love, Hermana Pack

Dia De Muertos - Elder Pack (11/5/12 Letter)

Hello my friends and family!!

How did Halloween go? I hope that everyone tried their best being scary creatures from the movies or something of that sort! Also another holiday was Dia De Muertos. It’s such a strange holiday to tell you the truth.  Everyone goes to the cemetery.  For dinner, they eat the favorite food of the person they are remembering and it’s said that the dead come in the spirit to dwell with them to eat.  That makes no sense but that what is said hahaha.  Outside of that, it was fun to see people celebrate Halloween.
So on Wednesday we had a meeting and President has changed many rules.  It is like always….haha pres changing rules and all that.  They say that the form in which we are working is functioning but I guess that it’s because I was in ranchos that I didn’t see the change.  I am hoping that in this new area I will see the difference.  To tell you the truth, I want to see something happen!!!!!! So that means that I had changes…yes, I'm back in Torreon after 17 months of being all over the place haha and the funny thing is that I’m close to the area in which I started  my mission. I’m actually in the same stake as my first area. I feel bad for my companion because he had to stay in our area and he already had 6 months there..... pour thing....
But in the meeting that we had, someone came to give us a presentation and they put a giant emphasis on listing to the spirit.  It was interesting.  I’m not going to get into details because the truth is it was things that had to do with the mission and safety.
So something that I have been seeing and feeling is spiritual death. It’s interesting that people can let that happen to themselves.  It seems to hurt to tell you the truth. I have felt it and it’s not the best feeling in the world.  It feels for me as if my heart were being ripped slowly out of my chest, but there is a way to make those feelings go away.  It’s only through the atonement. So if anyone feels like this, implore you to figure out who Jesus Christ is for you and then let him make a change in your life.
I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week!!!!!!!

LOVE ELDER PACK

New Companion and LOTS of photos - Sister Pack (11/5/12 Letter)

Hey Family!

So we have started another transfer here in Formosa and it is just getting hotter and hotter as we go. lol. I have a new companion now! Her name is Hermana Colque.  She´s from Bolivia. I am so grateful for so many latina companions.  They have seriously blessed me with their language and culture. Hermana Colque is great.  She is still a bit new in the mission, so it’s giving me lots of animo. I am starting to feel how old I am in the mission. I was talking to Hermana Lythgoe the other day (mi mama...lol) and we were talking about how our bodies seem to just be giving up basically. lol. But, my heart is still young.  I am grateful for that.  Nothing too new has passed this week.  I have a new comp.  It’s so crazy that I had Hermana Lopez for less than 1 transfer, and the rest of my companions have been one transfer!  I swear I must have broken the record... I am pretty sure. lol. I guess the Lord wants me to learn to be ok with change. 

So in church yesterday I learned about eagles. Did you know that they live to be 100 years old... that is insane but that isn’t the craziest thing that I heard.  At the age of 40, their beaks are old and weak.  They can’t use their fingernails and their feathers are too heavy to fly. So what do they do?  They hit a rock with their beak until their beak falls off.  Then they wait for their beak to grow back strong.  After that, (with their new beak) they take off their fingernails until new ones grow back.  Then when they have new fingernails, they take off their feathers so they can have new lindo feathers to fly.  This process takes 57 days, and in these 57 days they are solo and without food.  Thinking about this makes me feel bad for the eagles. Could you imagine going through that excruciating pain?  I realized that they are probably stronger and wiser after moments like this. I have been thinking about the scripture in Ether 12:27: “And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

Our inabilities really hurt…but with time and a lot of practice they can become a blessing.  For example, I was really bad, I mean really bad at inspired questions when I first got here. I absolutely hated that was part of my studies, but I followed faithfully and practiced and I have messed up a lot... a lot on questions in Spanish.  I still remember when I took almost a whole study session trying to think of good questions and sweating like a pig by the end because of the hard work, but I am now seeing the results of my prayers and hard work. I am finally getting better at questions! It’s a huge thing for me because I know inspired questions will be a part of my life always, but it really did hurt to push myself.  However, now with all the frustration I have learned a lot more wisdom. This is only one example of the weaknesses.  I have helped others on the mission to deal with more personal matters, but as I take them through the same process of turning to our Lord, I have seen miracles.  I hope all will take their weaknesses, embrace them, and change them.  It is the best thing in the world!  The hardest but the best.  Anyways, I have to go back to work.  Tonight we will be having an FHE with a bunch of young single adults, and it should be really awesome. ALSO Emilia that got baptized will be going to the temple this coming month and a few other inactives we are reactivating!  So, we will be doing a field trip to the stake center to help them with their genealogy! Do your work!!! BE SAVED! lol Love you all!                                         

Hermana Pack

Baptism and New Pictures - Elder Pack (10/29/12 Letter)

Well hello all!!

So how have we been? I have been well and I love the mission just in case anyone had that question.
We had a baptism for Christina and her husband came to see her get baptized.  It was great.  The spirit was strong and everyone was very happy.  We are hoping that the baptism has a good effect on her husband and that he starts to change his life so that he too can be baptized one day.

Something sad happened here this week.  The church was broken into.  They broke a few windows and dirtied the whole building. It’s sad that people can be so stupid as to break into these buildings. There really isn’t all that much that you can rob (a few paintings, a few chairs, a computer).

I’ve sent a few pictures that I hope you enjoy!

Love you all and I hope that all have a great week!!!

LOVE ELDER PACK