Bed Bugs and Big Miracles

When I read the subject line on this email, I immediately thought "EWWW!"

So this was a really eventful week. i hope that is evident by the title haha! We have had some great success and hard times this week but that's what makes a mission interesting. I have been working a lot on myself this week. Every week we talk about how teaching about the Savior is our central purpose but I find myself asking more and more am I teaching like the Savior. I have been turning to Him more and more every day because I am weak. And I am only a young adult with the responsibility to share and invite others to come unto Christ. I know that He strengthens me every day and I hope that every day I am changing little by little.

Every day we have huge plans and we think that we will take on the world but that really isn't possible. We end up teaching maybe one to 3 lessons but they are so powerful that you cant deny the hand of the lord in this work. We thought that we would have our first baptism this week but it feel through. The family is having a really hard time so it might not happen. We did find these two kids that had been waiting for permission and finally got it! So we will be hoping for that in the first week of next month. I don't know if I shared this but here in Mexico you need the person to go to church for 5 weeks because we want converts in the mission not just baptisms.

We have been working on our companionship unity this week. Its amazing how much I see that this is preparing me for a marriage in the future. We have to work together with the spirit if we hope to accomplish anything and that is so true in a family. I hope I will learn how to be an amazing teacher for my family in the future. I realized when you teach doctrine and principles and let people chose for themselves that's when they truly change.

Our calling is to invite and it's heartbreaking when people don't accept the wonderful gift of this gospel but I feel confident when we teach with the spirit they at least have the seed in there hearts. I would encourage everyone to study preach my gospel it isnt just a magical manual for missionaries ans]d instructions for our whole life on how to be better.

So I have bed bugs and thats fun for my whole time here I have thought that I was immune because one night I had to sleep on a bed with bed bugs but nothing happend. I was sadly disappointed when I found out that bed bugs like guiro blood and latino blood. On another funny note I tried to pray in english yesterday and my thoughts were in spanish and it was suprisingly hard! The 5 of may is going to be interesting family!

My spiritual thought is that we are written on the hands of christ literally. When he completed the atonement he chose to leave the marks in his hands, feet, and side. He did that to help us know that we are always with him that he recognizes our needs and challenges. Never think you are beyond the aid of the savior because he is always looking for an opportunity to help us and reach out.
Psalms 23: 1-4

Love,
Elder Packham