Merry Christmas!

Letter from December 26, 2016

Hello everyone,

Christmas was awesome.  Face timing never lasts long enough but it was awesome talk to all y’all again.  I’m glad Grandma and Grandpa could be there!  I sure miss you all!:)  Also on Christmas day we had lunch with a Ghanaian family and a nice (semi-normal) American dinner with the bishops family.  That one was the most interesting.

 

Jace and Jess got a little choked up seeing each other – Evidence of some of the sacrifices to serve.  It will be 3 years since they parted ways – Excited to see their reunion in July.

I had a great christmas! Although, not gonna lie, the holidays are probably the worst time for missionary work. Nobody really wants to meet with you because they are with their families. So it was a slower week for us.

We had dinner Christmas Eve with a gracious family in a tiny house that they somehow squished over 50 people into it.  It was insane.  We had a Mexican feast with them.  I’ve never had enchiladas, tacos, tamales and pie for christmas before!  We also went caroling that night at one of the hospitals and it was such a cool experience.  One lady we visited requested O Holy Night and the second we started singing she burst into tears.  We didn’t teach a lesson, or testify of any principle, but listening to a song about her Savior deeply touched her in her struggles. 

Since this is my last email of the year- I thought I would do a little recap of my year. This year was the greatest year! 

In January I started the year off living back home with my family after a semester at Utah State.  I probably bugged my parents a little too much by being home 24/7.  I felt and started to understand the blessings of the temple by attending many sessions as possible with my mom to prepare myself for a mission.  Then on Febrarury 3rd I entered the MTC and became a MISSIONARY! My first area was the Casas Adobes ward and definitely had some miracles there.  I was companions with Sister Smith and Sister Daun (best mothers evvveeeerrrrr) and learned so much from the both of them.  I learned the importance of loving the people and working hard.  We saw Precious and Mathew get baptized and met and taught Tammy Weiss who was also baptized in July!  Right before that though I was transferred to my second area- Sierra Vista!  Wow so much of the year was spent here!  I started there with Sister Brooks and our crazy miracle was sweet, sweet Anna! 

Then life got wild as I hit my six month mark.  I started training for the first time. The dream team was born when I got Sister Waldron as a companion!  Wow we had some awesome times and taught some amazing people. Jacob Springer, Joseph Heckert, and Angel were the most fun kids and we were lucky enough to teach them and see them make covenants with their Heavenly Father!  Sister Waldron was such a trooper.  By mid -September, Sis Waldron had to return home with major medical issues (doing much better now).  It was hard to see her go and then I got my second trainee, Sister Ray!. Ahhhhh love you so much.  We had an amazing three months together and definitely had some crazy miracles including the Hammond family.  We were also able to work with Branden Clark who is about ready to send his mission papers in, which catches us up to December where I have now returned to Tucson! 

This year I have learned so much from each companion, and every lesson we’ve taught.  I have studied the gospel more in-depth than I had ever thought possible.  Heavenly Father is continually blessing us and teaching us.  We had the privilege this year to learn from Elder Holland, Elder Foster, and Elder Robbins as well as all the training we continue to receive from our awesome mission president and sister prez. 

Sister Squire and I have thought up some pretty good goals for this next year. I have a goal to learn to do the splits and  to beat box. I accomplished the heel click this past year so I guess its time to move on to bigger and better things!  Expect miracles.

Love, Sis Packer

Arizona Tucson Mission Christmas Party

Exchanges with Sister Smith

Got the Christmas decorations up just in time!

Nice to relax and snuggle up to the fire place and christmas tree on a cold night after Christmas caroling!

Lot’s of beat boxing to tunes of our own making

Bright Lights in the Big City

Letter from December 19, 2016

HEY HEY HEY!  I hope everyone is having a FANTASTIC week because I sure am.  First of all, leaving Sierra Vista was so so hard but I am loving my new area.  It is wonderful to be back in the city of Tucson.  I am just trying to get used to all the cars and people and missing my Sierra Vista mountains.  Good news it is warmer here than it was there!  My new companion is Sister Squire and she is from Boise, Idaho!  Holla at your Idaho girl’s workin’ it in Tucson!  And oh my goodness have we been working!  This area is so awesome and we have been so busy.  Probably because there are a lot more people to talk to in Tucson… I am serving in the Pantano ward and Bear Canyon ward.  So last transfer the Sister’s pink washed Pantano so the ward is still adjusting.  And then this transfer, President decided we should also pink wash Bear Canyon so everything is really new.  There have already been some crazy miracles happening.  We found three new investigators in three days… I LOVE TUCSON!  (Pink washing is white washing but done by Sister’s, hahaha.) 

Sneak Peak at my new companion, Sister Squires!

The ward mission leader really fulfills his responsibility in trying to find people for the missionaries to teach.  He decided to pray specifically that he would know who he should invite to hear the gospel that could meet with us the next day.  The next day at work he saw his co-worker and felt prompted that she was the one, but he got scared and didn’t approach her.  So that night he prayed for courage and two days later he invited her.  Kathryn, the co-worker, is incredible and so prepared for us.  We have met with her twice already this week and she has a baptismal date! All because last weekend Bro ther Flannery decided to extend an invitation. It was such a powerful lesson for us and for other members to see how overcoming fears and inviting friends can bless everyone!!  It also reinforces the truth that Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives.  He comes to our rescue and will use those who pray to be helpful to Him.

This week we invited Kathryn to be baptized she was like, “well, yes, I have always wanted to get baptized.” Again this whole experience has taught me that we never know when someone is ready or when they aren’t but God does. God gives us opportunities and sometimes we take them and sometimes we don’t.  We met with a less active lady this week and her name is KeyIn.  In the middle of the lesson I felt I needed to share the parable of the lost sheep.  I began to pull out my scriptures and looked over at Sister Squire who had just turned open her scriptures and guess what she had them open to – THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP.  It was so inspired.  As we shared the story with KeyIn, it immediately softened her.  She teared up and told us she was ready to come home.  It was a powerful moment.

Other fun facts of this ward- TAMMY. Anyone remember Tammy from my first area?? Guess what she is now in the Bear Canyon ward and I am her missionary again!!  So stoked for that!

Funny story.  We met with a dude named Vince who was attempting to “read” the Book of Mormon.  He could not get very far because on the contents page (haha yes he only made it that far) he saw the word, Omni, and decided that made it illegitimate.  We attempted to testify of the truth of the BOM, but he interupts, trying to guess my astrology sign and what country my ancestor’s are from because my eyes were crazy.  SO IRRELEVANT VINCE. 

Hope you are all having a fantastic week. It is Christmas so you better. Enjoy the snow.  It did happen to get below freezing the other night and we had some frost on our window in the morning- so it is cold here too! Love ya.

Sis packer

Sister Ray is ready to leave the nest!

Pday activity:  Egg Roulette

Hard to Say Goodbye

Letter from December 12, 2016

Time to say goodbye! (sung in opera voice by Brother Rawling’s in your head).  So Good news first.

Okay Best news first!  We happen to have all of the stake presidency in our wards and so we got to have dinner with President Haw’s family Wednesday night. He mentioned that Elder Dube from the quorum of the seventy was coming to speak for Stake Conference.  He also said that one of the families he wanted to take Elder Dube to meet was the Hammond’s.  And then he invited us to come out with them!!  So Saturday afternoon we went to a lesson with the Stake President and Elder Dube. WOW!  It was so cool.  It was a short visit and the Hammond’s got to tell Elder Dube how they came into the church.  Near the end of their story Brother Hammond turned to Elder Dube and said that we were their 3rd or 4th set of missionaries, but that what he felt really made a difference was the fact that we could relate the priesthood in terms for women and that we had also brought members to every lesson.  Wow, right after he said that Elder Dube just turned and gave us the most proud look Iv’e ever seen.  I won’t ever forget that.  It was like the look you get from your dad when you finally get up on a pair of water ski’s, or bring home an A on a test.  To top of the visit, we got a picture with Elder Dube…. IN SANTA HATS!  He is one cool dude.

Elder Dube… in a santa hat!!!

And now for the sad news next.  I’M LEAVING SIERRA VISTA.  And my heart has broken so many times this week.  I didn’t realize how close I had grown with so many of these people and I love them so much!  I don’t want to leave them!  I am so very grateful that I have had these four transfers in SV.  I have grown and learned so much from my companions, from the members, and from those we have taught.  Last Sunday as the Hammond family got confirmed, I knew I was done. The spirit whispered to me that my work here was done and it was time to move on. As hard as that is, I know its time.

I am headed back to the big city!  Central Tucson here I come – holllaaaaa!!!

I don’t have much else to say this week- not much time! More next week for sure.   I love you all!  Lot’s of pictures to share of all the great people here.

Love, Sister Packer

*From Lisa:  We also got a letter from President Passey today.  He has called Jessica to be a Sister Trainer Leader in the mission.  “She will train and support missionaries in her district as they seek to invite others to come unto Christ.  She will be an active part of the leadership council.”

The Rawling’s Family

Had dinner with one of my mom’s childhood BFF’s – Amy Johnson

Sister Passey

President Passey

This Way to Salvation

Letter from December 5th, 2016

Hey fam!

I’m sure you have all been waiting on the edge of your seats to hear the rest of the Hammond’s story.  Did they get baptized?   

On Saturday at 12 pm the Hammond FAMILY was baptized!  Their Uncle Mike came into town all the way from Florida to perform the baptism and confirmation! It was such a special day.  It was one of the most beautiful baptismal services I have ever attended. There is nothing more amazing or more wonderful than seeing a whole family progress together!  Watching Darla enter the waters of baptism truly felt like witnessing a miracle. The whole room was packed with support from this wonderful ward here in Sierra Vista. The young women sang a musical number and Darla and the girls bawled their eyes out. Jeff even gave the closing prayer and it was the first time we have ever heard him pray. 

Sierra, Darla and Jordan

The next morning they were all confirmed and received the gift of the holy ghost.  I felt the spirit so strongly.  I know that Heavenly Father has been preparing this family for a long time and things finally all came together. 

I’m really not the best at describing things but it has been one of the best weekends of my mission and words cannot express how happy I am for this family. 

Grandma and Grandpa Hammond, Jeff, Heidi, Jordan, Darla, Sierra, Mike and Maya Hammond

After the baptism Saturday night, Darla had a big dinner at their house and invited like, half the ward.  It was so much fun.   She was talking to us and Bishop Evershed and she says, “The sister’s are my trail guides. They stand there with big signs that say ‘This way to Salvation.” Hahaha, it was a funny moment but as I thought about it I realized she was right!  We really don’t do much but stand there with signs and hope that the people we talk to will notice and follow the signs.  And Darla is a perfect example of following the signs.  Their family has found true happiness and now have a goal to get to the temple! 

The closing song we sang at the baptism was Silent Night.  It wasn’t a normal baptismal program type of song but it was so perfect.  I got choked up as we sang it.  I know that it’s because of the miracle of the birth of our Savior that we are able to have these modern miracles as well.  We are able to use and be blessed by the priesthood power and holy ghost because of our Savior’s atonement.  The third verse call him “The son of God, Love’s pure light.” His gospel is one of love. We witnessed so much love this weekend it was almost overwhelming!  The spirit was present all weekend to remind us of his love and the light that comes from it. Keep sharing the light everyone! Love ya

Sister Packer

P.S.  I will most likely be transferred out of Sierra Vista.  We find out what is happening this Saturday night and then next Tuesday I will be gone from here!  Thank you for the fun birthday stuff!  We made the cupcakes and gave them all away!  

I turned 67 years old at the Rawling’s House

Roadkill you don’t see everyday back home:  This is a Havelena