Wow, this area is GIGANTIC!!

I just want to start by saying that my other area walking it was maybe an hour to get from one side to the other. This area it’s a good two hours. The good part is that we have a lot of neat things in our district that my companion and I are planning on seeing when we have money.

So this area just got done baptizing about 5 people and my companion and I are now in the process of looking for new people to teach and help receive their own personal conversion. We have been blessed to have an ex-missionary that is a perfect example of how we never stop being missionaries. Basically all of his friends are new people for us and they all want to be baptized and have been to church a bunch of times it’s just a matter of finding the courage to be an example to your family.

This leads me to my study this for this week. I have been thinking a lot about what it takes to have the desire or courage to change in our lives. I want to invite you all to study this week and share with me what you find. I have find that it all starts with our motivation and what we want in our lives. The lord will supply the mediums in our lives to accomplish it. So I went to the topical guide in the bible to see what scriptures connect to desire and it connected to the words motivation and purpose. I found some really amazing scriptures in this study and one of them was in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that says: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. I know that sometimes in our lives we want certain things to happen. In this case we want everyone to accept the decision that we have made to be baptized but sometimes we need to have faith that the lord has a plan for us and when it’s right they will accept your choice and maybe be baptized at first. Sometime when we stand up for our faith we stand alone.

We have amazing power as sons and daughters of god we have the ability to control ourselves and our attitude no one else can tell us what we are thinking or how we feel. There are two scriptures that I really love in 2 Corinthians 10: 5, 7 The first talks about how we have to power to control our thoughts and by extension how we feel because we have this potential. In the second scripture it asks an amazing question and makes the statement that we are Christ and if we are Christ we will not look at other people as any less than we are because we all belong to him.

I love that every day I have a chance to serve people. We don’t just teach people we help people in whatever way that we can. There are days when I feel that I have nothing in me and I am completely exhausted these days I feel that I have done everything that I could to serve him.

I know that this church is true and I know that it can and will change your lives if you let it. All you need is a sincere desire to find out for yourselves if this is true. I have seen the changes in the people here I could give you a million examples and share a million testimonies about how I know these things in my very core but I invite you all to find out for yourselves. In the first book of Nephi he gives us a promise that I want to extend to you:

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

I love you all! Seek for yourselves.

Elder Packham

Transfers!

July 20th

So this week was transfer and it finally happened I will be the one changing this week. The surprising thing is that it won’t just be me but it will be my companion as well. I will be headed to the Culmena and he will be going to Valle Dorado. We both are really sad because we love this area so much the people here are incredible I hope that I will continue to love every area like I love this one. Ohh by the way we had another baptism this week. This family is so amazing and I hope that I don’t lose contact with them we have had so many great moments together spiritual, ridiculous, and sometimes awkward.

I have been learning a lot about real love this week and my entire mission really. I have learned what it means to really love the people that you are serving. With my companion this transfer we have had so many chances to serve-both planned and unplanned. It’s really true what it says in Preach My Gospel that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The days are hard and long but every single one of them is worth it.

My companion and I were talking the other night and we had an interesting thought. Does heavenly father have faith in us? I think that he has more than just faith in us because he knows us perfectly he sees us as a whole person. He knows what we were before and knows what we are going to be. So why does he let us make mistakes why does he let things happen to help us grow, because he loves us perfectly. Its so simple but so profound it just hit me like a ton of brick the love of god for me. There is a peace that we can find that is stronger than anything in the world. John 14:27

I want to challenge all of you to pray for a way that you can serve others. The best and quickest way to feel the love and peace of God is to serve your fellow man. I have been filled with this love on my mission but you don’t have to be serving a full time mission to serve God and your fellow man. In the world today Satan tries to attack us by placing us in our own little bubble where we don’t have time for others or our own relationship with God. POP THAT BUBBLE! Go out and serve someone and you will change your perspective and it doesn’t even have to be that big of service.

I love you all!
Elder Packham

 

 

 

Maintaining an Eternal Perspective

July 13th

So this week has been an interesting one. It’s amazing how much your personal study of the scriptures can influence your whole day. I have been studying what an investigator needs in order to have the courage to change and accept the gospel in their life. This is something that we all must find-not just people that are interested in the Church. Elder Bednar said that if we aren’t changing we aren’t progressing and it’s true. The Lord’s plan for us is to change and to be better for the purpose of eventually returning to live with Him. If we choose to just maintain the status quo and not push ourselves to be better we will wake up tomorrow unchanged, unimproved, and ultimately unfulfilled.

I love this gospel and I know that I am changed from what I was years ago. I love that when I feel like I am alone or struggling that I can pray and receive the comfort of our savior Jesus Christ! I want you all to feel that same peace so that is why I write this email. I hope that I don’t come across as preachy but in reality that is my job every day, to declare the gospel. 

So back to eternal perspective. What is eternal perspective? It’s realizing where we came from, why we are here and where we are going. Most importantly it’s realizing that Heavenly Father sees us from the principio into the eternities, complete. For example a truth that I know that helps me every day is that before this life I chose the plan of Jesus Christ and I accepted that he would be my Savior. Along with that I accepted that this life would be in my own hands that I have the ability to choose liberty and eternal life or temporary happiness in the now. I have faith that God knows and loves me and He will do everything in His power to help me reach my eternal goals.

Sometimes we get sucked in to Satan’s plan and start to stress the chooses that we are going to have to make. The trick is that we shouldn’t worry! I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do anything I’m saying that we should do all we can and turn our worries over to god because they won’t profit us anything. I want to share with you all Philippians 4:6-9 do all that you can praying to god and look for the best things and do what Christ did and you will find your guidance in that.


Here is a link to a talk entitled:
Maintaining an Eternal Perspective

Open Hearts!!!!

So this week was a week of work and man was it fulfilling. We did great with all of our goals and we had a blast laughing and teaching. When we are walking and laughing its so much easier to talk to people because they can see that light that is in us. I know that this message changes lives for the better I see it in the lives of the people here. The people that the lord prepared and we were able to baptize have changed in amazing ways.

This week was hard. I know that I have so many things to change and so many weaknesses. One of the hardest things that I have found on the mission is finding the things that I have to change and the talents and abilities that I have to grow on the mission. I feel so imperfect sometimes and I don't know why the Lord would chose someone like me to come here to share this message at this time. I know that there are so many people smarter, better in the language, and more in-tune with the spirit but he chose me. I was reading old issues of the Liahona that we have in our apartment and I came across one that really made my day.

The spiritual thought that I have this week is about this Liahona. The story is about a jade lettuce in Taiwan and how this applies to our lives. So basically the price of jade is dependent on the purity of it but this piece of jade is different because one master carver decided to take a chance on this piece. Sometimes I feel like this is me I have a lot of faults and flaws but I was chosen to be worked on. I know that I can become perfect in my imperfections through the Lord.

I love you all so much I would encourage you all to read 2 Nephi 10: 23-25.

Love,
Elder Packham

Mayan Spa!!

No Time Today!

Last week Elder Packham had no time for his email so we got pictures instead with this message:

So I dont have time to write so I wrote yesterday. We had our first baptisms!!!