10/12 & 10/19 Updates - Endure to the End and Divine Potential

10/19/15
So as missionaries something that we see a lot of is people that are still learning how to endure. To endure means many things but more than anything is that it doesn't matter what is going on they are going to stay firm. I have been spending more of my time pondering my studies and ways that I could make my studies better. So I want to share with you some of the scriptures of which I have been pondering in regards to this concept of enduring to the end.

First I want to share with you the story of the 2000 stripling warriors and there captain Helaman. Something that Helaman said has truly resonated in me about these 2000 youth. In the scripture he says that they are my sons but makes the comment about its because they are worthy to be called his sons. Its something that I think I have read a bunch of times but in this moment it really hit me. What am I doing so that I could be worthy to be called his son? We make choices every day but how many of those choices at least have the idea of showing him that we are his children. 

Second scripture is in 2 nephi 31: 14-20. Some things in these scriptures really stood out to me that I want to share with you. The first is 16 in this verse I couldn't help but be drawn back to chapter 38 in Alma when he is talking to his son Shiblon there is something that we all must do to keep growing closer to him. WE MUST STRIVE TO BE LIKE CHRIST. Its something that is so hard but so possible for us. I also was drawn to the story of the rich young ruler, what am I doing to leave all that I have to serve him what fault I today? 

Another of the scriptures that I fell in love with in the chapter was verse 2nefi 31:19 he asks a rhetorical question that struck me to the core, "Is all done?" I know for a fact that I might be here on the mission but I could do more. I want to invite you to think about what more you could do?
I had another talk this last Sunday and chose to talk about conversion and missionary work. I hope that you all are converted or are in the process of conversion and taking part in this great work.
I love you all so much,
Elder Packham
PS - Forgot my camera whoops next week!!

10/12/15 - Our Divine Potential & Invitation

I have been meditating a lot about the commandments and what they mean to me. I was reading today thinking about why we keep commandments. I couldn't help but think about a chapter that I had found this week its in proverbs 4: 1-13. 23-27 

 
That's just a few of the verses that stood out to me. As I read this chapter I couldn't help but think about my loving heavenly father feel as if he was talking to me directly. I want to share with you how much I love you and how I have a testimony that he love each and every one of you. I truly stand all amazed that he loves us enough to give us these protections. Something that I have learned as missionary is that each and every one of us must understand and find for ourselves the reasons for what we do. This week I have taught about the love of a mother about every lesson because I think it is those mothers that truly understand the love of the Savior. I know how many times my mother has given me a mothers commandment that I have disregarded or ignored and how always I end up saying that she knew what she was talking about. I will be trying to avoid that same response with my father in heaven I don't want to have to humbly kneel before him and say that I wish I would have listened.

Another scripture that I found that helped me to understand my divine potential and why heavenly father is asking me to do these things is in Psalms 100:3. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
It is god that has made us and who continues to make us every week of our lives. We didn't just happen to live, to breath and to die. We were made with a specific purpose and are here on earth to complete that purpose. 

I love you all and hope that you are studying and pondering the scriptures looking to learn not to just read. I can testify that you will find him in those words as you read them and that by finding him you can come to find yourselves. 

Elder Packham
Pictures

We didn't have lights in our house for 2 days
Its a custom here to smash faces in cakes on birthdays ( I was saved this year)

General Conference

So what did you do during General Conference?? This week was an amazing revelatory week for me I learned so many things and I am so excited to learn more things about this gospel. We have been working to help our ward in any way that we can to improve the spirit of the ward and that has been interesting. We also had the opportunity to hear from our zone leaders and receive an exhilorating training. Then to finish this week we were able to hear from our beloved prophet and apostles. 

First I would like to touch on the amazing training that we had. I hope that those of you who saw conference will see how inspired this training was. We were talking about commandment and started by talking about how we feel as we keep the commandments. Do you enjoy keeping the commandments? Why do you keep the commandments? I want to tell you that got me thinking.. What is my attitude as I keep the commandments and do I really understand why I am keeping them.

There are many reasons that we can do the commandments but to keep the commandments in the way the lord wants can only be done through love. I want to love the commandments and profoundly understand why we have them. Something that I have been pondering is the story of the man that finds the treasure in the field and buys its. I cant help but wonder about the person that had owned the land before why hadn't he found it. I have come to the conclusion that its because he was tilling the ground superficially and wasn't really looking to fulfill his duty. How often do we work superficially and not see profoundly?

Secondly as our beloved prophet said so simply in the priesthood session of this general conference, Keep the Commandments. I love this message it was simple, bold, but requires so much of us. I know that we can do the commandments but to really keep them will ask of us our time our faith and our understanding. I want to invite you all to study the talks from this general conference and see the beautiful harmony that it has with our prophets of old.

I would like to encourage you all to study the talk from Elder Maynes and think about what your are willing to sacrifice for this gospel. Do you know that eternal life has more worth than any worldly thing that we can find here.

I love you and hope that you can all feel that as I write you.

Elder Packham

A couple more pictures

So this week in the life of Elder Packham

So this week.. I've been pondering what I want to write to you all about this week and have decided to talk to you about what and I decided that today I would talk about member missionaries. I know that it seems like a large task to share with your friends, family and neighbors but I can testify that it is so much better than not sharing this great message that we have in our day. 

I was reading in the Book of Mormon in Alma this week and seeing such amazing examples of what we can do as missionary/converts to the word of god. Are you converted to the lord? How can you demonstrate that you are converted? One thing that I have learned here in Alma is that if we are really converted we have the strength, courage and boldness to share this message with others. In Alma 19: 33-36 we see a great example of this. I know that we can do it! It will not be easy that is the adversary trying to get us to stop sharing this amazing message that we have. Keep trying the lord is testifying right along side of you. I love you all and I know that each and everyone of you is capable of sharing this message with at least one other person this week. I want to invite you all to share this message with at least one new person this week and write me telling me how it went, I will do the same I promise you that. 

What to do before you share this message with someone in your life? I would have to say that you should be praying for this moment and the person that the lord wants you to teach. By praying you will be prepared in the moment to act conforming to what the lord wants of you. Two scriptures I would like you to read to help you prepare are: DC 42:61, DC 62:3. As you read these two scripture I hope that you will realize that you don't need to know everything to share the gospel. You just have to have it in your heart and share that with those around you. 

I want to ask you all to pray for the Chacon Family: Romeo, Josefina, Romina, Itza, Aldo, Naya. As well for the Reyes family in especially, Gael Salvador Reyes Molina, who is a 12 year old boy battling cancer again (hes been fighting since he was 5) 

This is my letter for this week I love you all. 👔😁📜

Elder Packham

More Pictures

Visitors center

1 Romeo, Josefina, Romina

2 Itza, Aldo, Naya

3 There family from another mission I cant remember the name of whoops

Niche Mexicans

So this week was super interesting it was Independence day here in good ole mexico so of course its time to party! Missionary translation we have to be in our houses 3 hours early to avoid all the party! But it was still super fun we had a shaving cream fight (that's the best translation of what it is but it isn't exactly shaving cream) and we took our mustaches and went to see if we could see the fireworks. Unfortunately we couldn't see any but it was funny to try it out. We also were able to have interviews with president which was really great to talk to him about what we hope to accomplish in our mission and what plans and goals we have.

I have been studying a talk by Elder Packer entitled, The Candle of the Lord. In this talk it speaks as if to missionaries but it applies to everyone. There is a difference in knowing something as knowledge and having it written in your hearts. I know that the church is true not because I have intellectually debated it out in my mind but I know because I can feel it in my heart. I want to encourage you all to look to feel that these things are true for the first time or like its your first time. Something that I really liked from Elder Packer was when he said, The Spirit and testimony of Christ will come to you for the most part when, and remain with you only if, you share it. In that process is the very essense of the gospel.

Is not this a perfect demonstration of Christianity? You cannot find it, nor keep it, nor enlarge it unless and until you are willing to share it. It is by giving it away freely that it becomes yours.

It has really helped me this week as we meet with some opposition to the work here in this area. We have an investigator that is strongly Christian who constantly says that we are blaspheming but we were able to help him to start reading the Book of Mormon. He made it two pages before his "research" clouded out the message of the book. He came prepared with a 10 page written review of the book he had read two pages of. It was hard to sit there and listen to him laugh and attack the things that we held so dear but what I found so special that it didn't change the way I felt about the book. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that I don't need to find where is every city to know that the words and teaching in the book are the words of god. I bore my testimony fervently that I know these things are true and though he laughed repeatedly in my face in my heart I felt a peace more profound then what the world can offer.

I want to invite you all to read 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and think about how you can receive a spiritual witness of these things.

Elder Packham

I had a dream and I couldn't stop smiling!

I just want to start by saying that I'm so glad for everyone that has been praying for me and the lords investigators that I have the pleasure to teach in this area. So this week I have been studying the atonement and I have been amazed by the heart touching lessons that I have learned. It was really cool how it didn't hit me until I was in a lesson yesterday teaching about the ability that we have to change. 

So to start my story about this atonement experience I just want to preface that I have taught the lesson about the word of wisdom about 20 times. This time I learned more in one lesson than the other 19 in my mission. I was looking at the pamphlet in my hand and thinking about how hard it would be for this person to change and I couldn't help but see myself as well. I am weak I have so much that I would like to change and sometimes I feel that maybe its hopeless, discipleship isn't easy. 

There was a little square that said something that changed my thoughts forever. It reads, "Keep trying! As you apply the atonement in your life, the lord will help you, even if your progress seems slow." In that moment I knew that I could do it because someone else had already suffered like I had suffered. We are NEVER alone in this life. We like to think sometimes that we are doing things solo and that we have all the power but that isn't true.The spirit was amazing in this lesson.

About the title, so the title has to do with this lesson above. We were teaching and the investigator pause and said elders I want to tell you something. I have been praying about an answer and last night I had a dream about being submerged in the water. I couldn't stop smiling she said I will do everything that I need to do even if it takes time. 

I want to invite you all to read Mosiah 14 and think about everything that Christ has done for you. I also want you to ask yourself this question, I am who I want to be? What is my standing with god in this moment? 

I love you all and I want to bear my testimony to all of you that the power of prayer is real. I want to share with you that every time that we read the scriptures they can be new and refreshing for us. I know that we have the fullness of the gospel and that we have the prophet on the earth. I know that if we didn't have this priesthood that we would have the hope that we have now. 

Ohh and write me!!!

Elder Packham 💪👔

A week of repentance and experience

So this week has been a really great week for us. The family that we have been teaching made it to church! They are so great! The father has been a member all his life and just has been a member in private almost the whole time. Eventually (last week) his wife decided to go to the temple and see a little bit about this church that her husband is in but doesn't assist to. Its amazing how they are so receptive to everything! They are really looking for answers. I want to tell you that it's so much easier to be an example in every moment then to try and play catch up like this brother. Its hard to change the habits of yourself let alone your whole family and that is now what they are trying to do together. If you guys could please pray for them Fam Chacon: Romeo, Josefina, Romea, Itza, and Aldo.

Alright so about the week of repentance. My companion and I have been studying about repentance and what it means to us personally, as missionaries, and for our investigators. What do you think about when you hear repentance? Is it something that you apply in your life ever day over and over? I have always thought about repentance as a process that's painful and necessary but its has always been just that. The thing that I have learned about repentance is that it isn't the reason for the pain its the reason for the freedom that we feel afterwards. If we aren't repenting, if we aren't changing, we aren't progressing. Do you want to progress? I want to progress! I want to be closer to God today than I was yesterday. I invite you all to read a talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-divine-gift-of-repentance?lang=eng&cid=email-shared

Ohh about the picture. We were so sick this week that we weren't able to do anything for part of the day so that was interesting haha.

I love you all.

Elder Packham