Thankful for Our Prophet - Elder Pack

Hello family,

This week, well we had almost no success finding new people but it was a good week in all.

So Tuesday we had a fun time discussing with a Christian that prophets can’t do things contrary to the will of our father in heaven.  To finish our discussion, see did a funny thing in asking us to pray with her.  She made us pray out loud repeating the things that she said.... hmm not anything out of the normal with this.... well, it was very interesting.  I heard my companion choking back laughter as he repeated the prayer.  That was quite an interesting experience that I’m not going to forget for some time hahaha.  

Wednesday the president came for zone conference.  It was a good conference and really he wants us to exercise more faith. 

Today we went and played soft ball.  It was fun and well funny to see all the contention that passes through missionaries as they play hahaha!!  We are a little competitive!!

So that would be my week.  I love you all and hope that you have a great time watching the prophet.  I know I will!!!

Love Elder Pack

Summer is gone and Fall begins in Argentina - Sister Pack

Hola to Mi Familia!

Things here in Formosa are armosa!  Lots of rain and good weather!  Finally!  It has been a really hot summer!  We are now in Fall here, and I am so excited to wear my sweaters and be able to sleep with sheets!  AND NO MORE BUGS!  Hahaha  These past few weeks have literally flown by!  My companion is so awesome, and we have so much fun and hard work of course together.  We are seeing some fruit from our diligence now and are excited for the next transfer (which we think we are together  but you never know). However one thing I have learned during our hard times is how important it is to push forward and to not lose faith in the Lord.  He gives us hard times so we can grow closer to Him!  Some people here make me real sad when they say things like, “Well this bad thing passed through my life so obviously God wants me to stop going to church!”   That is completely opposite!  It´s like what it says in Ether 12 that He gives us weaknesses so we will humble ourselves and come to Him and then He can make them strengths!  One way He helps us is mediante our PROPHET, who we get to hear from in this weekend!  Just so if you didn´t know. I am so so so excited it´s like Christmas for missionaries.  We are working really hard to bring people to conference both inactives and investigators!  I have a challenge for everyone that reads this! I would like to see everyone first off go to conference and LISTEN to the prophet but second INVITE someone!  Think about it in this way, God loves us so much He gave us a prophet that gives us guidance to conquer this life, but how does He feel when we as the brothers and sisters don´t invite others to listen to THEIR prophet too... just food for the mind. SO invite your friends! invite all! I would like to know after also how it went!  So this is the compromiso de hermana pack!

 Love you all and enjoy conference.  I know I will!

                                                                                                Hermana Pack

Museo Bebeleche - Elder Pack

So hello people of the world how are today??!?!?!?!?

This is elder pack saying that this week had been very strange, and well I’m going to leave it as strange.

This week we had a baptism and it went great.  The only sad part is we had to redo the baptism 1 time for the foot and well another because elder pack forgot 1 word.  How exciting right?!!!!  But, I think that she had a great experience.

One of the members of our ward passed away.  He wasn’t that old and was in good health.  He died from his appendix erupting.  It was a very sad thing to happen to the ward and his family.  It was a time to remember that we can have Eternal Families.  I’m sure that the family and friends will be a little sad for some time, but when they really internalize the plan of salvation they will come to a realization that they can live with their family members again. 

Today we went a place called Museo Bebeleche.  It was fun and funny to be there because this place is really for children and not adults hahaha.  So we acted like children some.  Well, I’ll let you imagine how a bunch of 18-25 year olds can do that isn’t very mature.  They had some cool things to look at and do.  It was pretty cool to go but the truth is going with 15 missionaries doesn’t allow you to experience all that there is to see.  But that would be life right? haha

So this week I have been trying to get answers to some of the questions that I have like why the Book of Mormon is the stick of Judah.  I found the answer in the study guide for institute.  It doesn’t really say it in other locations and well the Book of Mormon doesn’t have the explanation in it.  I might have been taught why it was before but I forgot or didn’t pay attention hahaha.  But I’m glad that I found the answer and I didn’t have to go looking very far.  I am looking for information on the tribe of Ephraim so that I can learn more about the blessing of my tribe.   

So I love you all and hope that you all have a great day!!!! and well week also!!!!!

LOVE ELDER PACK

Loving Argentina and the People - Sister Pack

hey!

This week has been really well good hard but good.  We dropped one of our investigators who has 4 asistencias en la iglesia.  Yes, the elders were not very happy with that, but hey when the lord speaks we follow right?  Right now we are having a lot of first lesson visits. It feels like no one wants it here…kind of sad.  My companion is awesome and we are having tons of fun!

I love Formosa, but it is so hard!  However, I have found my Argentina family.  Their last name is Cabañas.  Seriously they are so awesome, and their daughter is like my sister from heaven.  Like I knew her before….it is really awesome.  She started coming back to church when I got into the area, and she has told me it was because of us. It made me feel good and know that I have more of a purpose than just to baptize here, but to help others too. I am doing great and divisions were awesome.  I learned that I have a lot to learn, but I know I can with the Lord’s help. I am doing well.  This work is really really hard, but I absolutely love it.

I’ve learned what an amazing mom I have.  It is inspiring for me to see how she shows others so much love and support even when it takes sacrificing of her own time (and health)!!!  This is where I have learned my love from!  She is a ROCK STAR!!! 

Well, I have to go and get back to the work.  Tonight we are having a surprise party for Hermana Cabaña.  She reminds me soooo much of my mom!  Hermana Van and I are doing choc covered popcorn!

Love,

Hermana Pack

Capture the Flag - Elder Pack

Hello Friends and Family,

Well this week my letter is going to be very short because I hurt my wrist, and I can’t concentrate very well.  It was awesome how it happened but well it hurts a lot.

Today we went to play capture the flag in some ruins of a building (no worries it wasn’t illegal or unsafe... well not supposed to be that dangerous).  The first game went great.  The other team kind of cheated by putting the flag in a spot that forced us to climb up the building.  But it wasn’t too hard to do as I got it down and we won.  The second game was very different.  We were trying to win the entire game, but the other team was constantly in defense.  I tried to find a good way in, and well I made my decision, and it wasn’t the best direction to go.  I couldn’t turn back and get caught (of course not….my pride won’t let me hahaha), so I did something that would probably have been a little safer if i had been going slow, but I was running.  I was jumping from rock to rock and well miscalculated one of the rocks and slipped hard and jammed my wrist a little or a lot (I haven’t really decided yet).  All I know is that it hurts haha.  So that was my experience from today. 

It has been a very slow and hard week with finding those who are ready to hear our message.  But, we have a baptism scheduled for next week.

One of the people in my district knows Elder Brunner.  Why didn’t anyone tell me that he got his call?  

Well that is all I can think about at the moment.  Love you all and hope that you all have a great day.

Love Elder Pack

Festival Celestial - Sister Pack

Hey Guys,

Here are some pictures!  The first few are of an activity we did at the church!  It was basically a carnival, but we can´t call it that here so its name is “Festivál Celestial!”  My companion and I did a cake walk with all the commitments and commandments such as read scriptures, pray, go to church, baptism, and so on, and the name was the correct way!  It was a lot of fun and the kids loved it!!  They loved the candy!  This week we are doing a Noche de Rama, and we are doing skits on how to make right decisions.  My companion and I cut up shields and put HLJ (choose the right), and the kids can now color them and put stickers!  We are so excited!   The other pictures here was the cake we bought at Chango Mas for our anniversaries!  HNA Van had her one year, and I had my 5 months!  Time is passing by so fast!!  AHHH! The next two pictures are of a service project.  The last few pictures are of this flour game that we played at a member’s house.  I cut the flour and the modelo fell, so I had to find it with my mouth!!! ahhh!  Anyways I hope you enjoy!  

Love you guys! 

Elder Pack goes to WalMart

Hello my family and friends!!!!

This week was interesting.  It was like I started a new area because well my companion didn’t really have any plans or appointments, but we had a fun time contacting a lot.  It was hard at first because we weren’t seeing any results.  People didn’t open the door for us and no one wanted to listen to our message, but as we went through the week, we found that people started to open up some (not much but some).  When it came to Saturday, we had a few appointments and well a lot of them fell through, but we just kept on working and trying to find the people that are ready for this message.   In the afternoon one of our appointments fell through and well we decided to just contact the houses that were close by.  One of the people we talked to actually let us in and well we learned really quick that her mother had recently passed away and before that her father.  That opened up the door for us to teach about the plan of salvation.  I do believe that she felt the spirit, and at the end of the lesson her sister came over and the lady we had been teaching told her sister to listen to our lesson so we taught the same lesson again for her sister.  It seemed to go all well and we felt good about it all.  They said they would read, pray and go to church with us.  We passed by early Sunday morning to remind them about church, and they didn’t answer the door, so it didn’t seem as though they were going to make it.  But when we got to church, they were already sitting waiting for the services to start.  They even brought one of their daughters with them.  It was supper awesome now just to do the follow up and see how they liked it and if they felt the spirit.  They didn’t get to go to all the services because they had to go home, but it was awesome to see them in the church.

Today we went to WALMART!!!!!! but they didn’t have all the things I wanted from the states like mountain dew!!! I know I know sad day... but life will go on!!!! I think... today we went and played soccer!!!! I am tired from well not doing anything the last 4 months and then going out and playing hard but that’s life and well I loved it!!

Well my head hurts right now and it’s hard for me to concentrate.  I have like 4 Catholic churches in my area and they really are beautiful on the outside.  I think I will take some pictures.

Oh and something that was even cooler was that I received a package from a women I love very much. My grams.  Thank you Grams for sending me the package and all your love!

Well that’s all that I can think of right now but love you all and hope that you all have a great week.

LOVE ELDER PACK

New Companion - Sister Pack

Hey!

Everything is amazing as of right now in my area.  Well my companion rocks!  There is a huge difference when you have a North American and a Latina.  One thing that I really miss about a Latina companion is that my brain was starting to switch over into Spanish and now it´s kind-of in between.  We are trying really hard to speak in Spanish but since we have moved in with the other Latina sisters we find ourselves speaking more in English! ah!! lol.  I am focused on my mission.  I have a lot of responsibility right now because we are both North Americans (Her Spanish isn´t much better than mine) and I know this area, so I am pulling double duty! 

 

Yesterday, I got so scared because the Zone leaders pulled me in for an interview and I thought they were going to baja la caña (a phrase meaning give it to me) over our baptisms for this month but they ended up telling me how impressed they are with my language and how I have everything under control in our area.  They said that all of the elders in the zone talk about how my Spanish is well over 3 months in the field.  This made me feel good and feel like I am doing a good job in LISTENING to the Lord lol. I know this isn´t me.  I know that my faith in the Lord is the reason I am becoming the missionary I want to be and for that, I am extremely grateful to Him. In the MTC, Elder Christofferson said that we should come back saying that we are now more greatly in debt to our Lord than before our mission, and that is EXACTLY how I feel!  I am so grateful for Him.  I know He is always there for all of us.  Well I got to go! 

Love you,  Hermana Pack

Elder Pack Transfers to Durango

Hello all that are reading this letter,

If you are reading this letter it shows how much you love me, so I would like to say I love you too!!!!!!

I would like to start by saying that I have left my rancho, and I’m now in the city of Durango.  My area is close to the central a little close to the Sam’s club, Mall, Walmart, and all of these things.  I’m a little happy because well I had been in an area with a lack of all these things for the last 4 months hahahaha. But, I am very thankful for the experiences that I had in that area. I have learned many new things that I hope to be able to apply in my new areas.  Elder Cortés was my favorite companion to this point in my mission.  We had such a good time working together and it was never like one of us was trying to be better than the other.  I am also hoping that I can keep this type of relationship with my future companions.  I would like this because it didn’t put all the work on my lap or on him.  We did everything together if we could. I learned how I can help the members return to church and how to help run the branch if it comes to it.(I really hope that I don’t have to do that again because I can’t ever focus just on working) I learned also to multi task a little better.(Well that’s to say that I’m not completely helpless now and well I’m not going to really be like mom in that field…trying to balance so many things would drive me crazy!!!!!) So I have learned many things and really I love that area even though it was by far my hardest area that I have had.  I’m now happy that I will have comida (food) a little more reliable!!!!!!!!!!!! A change from my other area! haha

So this last week, I was a little sad because well our new member Hugo was going through many trials. He lost a cousin in this week from an accident that dealt with a tractor, so we were only able to see him 1 day last week and well without a supportive wife I felt a little more sad for him.  Satin does not want Tlahualilo to return from the fallen state it is in to tell you the truth.  This makes me sad because I would really love to see Tlahualilo be a lot better and well maybe have a stake combining the little ranches surrounding it.  We had a little success in getting less active members to go to church this last week.  We had 31 in the church, and well I hope that it proceeds to grow like it has been.

So I’m thinking right now about the time I have 13 months in the mission and really that’s nothing. i have 8 changes more in the mission and well I’m scared.  I thought that the mission was longer than this hahah.  It seems as though really the mission is nothing in time and I’m really thinking about extending my mission 1 month.

I’m happy to hear that I have a NEW nephew.  I’m happy for Travis and Emily.  Maybe a little more for Travis so he will be able to teach him to wrestle and well keep the family tradition going!!!!!!!!

I’m happy to be here in Durango and with my new companion Elder Astete.  He is from Peru!!!!!!! My first!!!!!

Love you all and hope that you all have a great week,

LOVE ELDER PACK

Here are some older pics of Elder Pack....

3 Companions in 3 transfers

SO I think I have set a record here in the mission! I have had three companions in three transfers. My new companion here is Hermana Van Waggenen. She came from Misiones to Formosa. We are working really hard to make the best of this area.

Remember Carlos my new convert from last month? Well he is really firm in the church! He is always there and it is really nice to not have to worry about him! He is now helping out in the Rama. SO COOL! My other convert Omar and his family had us over for FHE, and it was literally a blast! I could not believe it but the girls, Tamara and Andrea had planned the lesson and everything else.  We just came, and they had it all for us!  It was a treat and a half! We are now in search for another family to baptize!

It is extremely hot here, but the work is still the same! Fun! My Spanish is coming along, and I am learning how to use the words better.  Only 5 more years until I am perfect in the language. =p We are in the middle of moving pensions. We are now living with the other Hermanas of our district. It should be fun because it is the last transfer of one of the hermanas, so we are making the most out of it. Well it´s about to rain and I don´t have my umbrella, so I need to go and run for the bus!  Love you guys and pray for you often!  I hope all is well in the states! and Have fun because I am enjoying every moment here in Argentina!

Love, Hermana Pack

Here is a picture of our district!