Elder Michael James Packham: February 2016

2/22/16 - Letter from Mission President

22 February 2016
Dear Harris Family,

This letter is to inform you that your son, Elder Michael James Packham , has been assigned to fill the position of Zone Leader in our mission. Elder Packham has the responsibility to train, lift, inspire, and motivate the missionaries in the Prados Zone.

There are high expectations of your son in this new assignment because "as go the zone leaders, so goes the mission". A Zone Leader must be the leader of the zone in every regard; in his work, in his own area, in his worthiness, and in his obedience. The missionaries of his zone will follow his example and I'm sure that it will be a good example. I'm confident that your son will inspire his zone to follow his lead and to rise to the high expectations and standards that the Lord has for them as His representatives.

I congratulate you on having such a fine son and thank you for having helped prepare such an excellent missionary. Please continue to pray fervently for him so that he will be able to fulfill his responsibilities in a manner pleasing to the Lord. Know that your son has my full confidence, love, and support as he continues to grow and develop as a servant of the Lord.

Sincerely,
President Todd Titensor

2/15/16 - Miracles In Our Zone
So this week was a super week for our zone! Our zone leaders had a family that made the decision to get married so that they could get baptized. It was super special to see for myself such a big miracle in the missionary work this week. Also something truly special happened the Elders that are in my district and the Sister both baptized so we have 5 baptisms in one day! It was super great to see how truly happy they are to have made the change in there lives so that they might come closer to the lord. Ohh and we got invited to banana splits in an ice cream shop that was pretty awesome!

I want to share with you all something that I learned this Sunday. We were in our ward council and we were talking about what we needed to do so that we could visit the members better as an Elders Quorum. To be honest I got a little frustrated because we have been talking about this same talking for about 4 weeks and I haven't seen any progress. So I shared my testimony and stated the need that we had in the ward and why we had that need. One of the sister missionaries invited me to read 2 Nephi 31 and see how many times it says things lovingly. I got the message clearly that I wasn't showing enough love I felt bad and to be honest my natural man said to get upset and not listen. I tuned out my natural self accepted the advice and as I participated in the sacrament I knew without a doubt that I could change and I will change.

My feelings during testimony meeting were real I know that I might not be perfect or even close but I have to do my best to try. I love the savior and all that he has done for me and each and everyone of us. I know that it might be hard that we might be super critical of ourselves but that doesn't mean we are to far away from the savior for him to help us. I know that in our weakness we will be made strong. We all are sons and daughters of a loving heavenly father that doesn't put conditions on his love. Never in this life are we alone it doesn't matter where we live or what we are doing.

Forgiveness. Forgive ourselves and then forgive every single other person that has ever offended or hurt us. That's a statement and an invitation if you didn't catch that. I love you and the savior loves you and we both are going to forgive you for what you have done to us, to be honest the Savior forgives faster than I do but I'm working on thinning the German resentment haha. Never forget to forgive and you will live a happy life.

All he love that I have,

Elder Packham

2/8/16 - It's Not About You
So we had our first service project as a district and it went super well! We helped paint a house in the sisters area and it was literally the whole house. So about the title this week we had a training and presidents wife shared this song and I absolutely loved it! Its how we feel as missionaries the more we work the more that we lose ourselves in what we are doing the greater we find the lord in our lives.

I want to share with you all that I know that with faith all things are possible when we have faith. I was reading in Exodus the other day about the time when moses was leading the people and the lord sent poisonous snakes to bite the people and help them learn a powerful symbolic lesson. The only thing that they had to do was look at a staff where moses had placed one of these snakes and they would be healed, something super easy. Yet due to the easiness of the way many died and refused to be healed.

Something really simple that we can do to help those around us is to serve them. We can be the little miracle that they need to keep on going. I would like to testify that its probably the people that its hardest to serve that need it the most. ITs not about us in the least its about the impact that we make in the lives of those around us. I remember what it was like when my dad passed away it wasnt the great accomplishment that had people come to the service it was the service that he had rendered in his life.

I know that the lord sees me and you personally. I have no doubt in my mind that he has a plan prepared for you. DyC 78:17 states that he has that plan for us. Sometime we like to think that we know what he is going to do or how he is going to do it but thats not true like it says in the bible his ways are always higher than our ways.

I love you all so much!

Elder Packham

2/1/16 - Never Been Taller
So literally I seem super tall here in mexico sometimes! However thats not when I put the title that I did. This week I went to my knees, its not something new for a missionary but I poured out my soul to the lord more than ever before. The lord answered louder than ever before, we have seen an outpouring of miracles these last few days. Maybe they dont seem to big to other people but they have been a world of difference in our lives.

I would like to start by talking about one of the miracles that we witnessed in our service this week, please see attached fotos. We were able to help this sweet family change homes. After doing so quite rapidly the neighbor said I feel impressed that I should speak to you when can you come by our home. That ladies and gentlemen is a miracle I dont care who ya are haha.

Things here in the mission and in life change so often but the lord and his ways are always the best for us. I would like to invite you all to read the story of Jared and his brother this week and think about yourself in the "boat" of life. Sometimes the same wind and waves we experienve are bringing us closer to the lord.

I would like to share the real love that I have for you all!

Elder Packham

1/25/16 - 1 Year
So I feel like I kind of left everyone hanging last week with my letter. Some days are hard on the mission but they are as hard as you let them be. Its really about perspective. In my last letter I mentioned that we don't always wake up eager to share the gospel and do missionary things but that changes by the time we finish giving the lord a sincere prayer. I truly know that the lord didn't create us so that we could have anything less then complete and real joy in our lives. 2 nephi 2:25

I want to testify to you that when we are doing our very best to do our very best the lord is helping us. I know that sometimes we get discouraged and feel like we arent making a difference at all but thats not true, every decision that we make has an impact at least on ourselves. I really want you all to know how much the lord can do for us if we let him do it. This week I was thinking about the plan that we have in mexico for all of mexico as a church. A large part of this plan is preparation and what we are doing so we might come closer to the lord. In Doctrines and Covenants 38:30 it says,"...if ye are prepared ye shall not fear." I believe that applies to all things in our lives.

If we would do what it takes to be prepared for the lord to lead us and help us be a happier people he will take us there without fear. I truly love that the lord only invites us to do things that he knows we should do. He will never force us to change anything just wait patiently confident in our ability to do the right thing. The lord gave us a promise after he invites us to prepare he says, "And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless."

The lord has great blessings in store for us. All we have to do is try our very best to give him what we can in exchange. I trust in the grace that the lord gives freely i know that it isnt a cheap experience that doesnt require anything of me. I know the true grace that the lord offers us gives the power to not only be free of our past but to hopefully look and work toward a better future.

Something that I hope every week is that you can all feel the love that I have for you. However I hope its more than the love that I can offer I hope you really feel the love the savior can offer you.

All my heart,

Elder Packham

1/18/16 - He Will Lift You and Carry You
To be honest I´ve been struggling with a few things the last few weeks and its been interesting to see how the lord has helped me to overcome them. Sometimes in our lives we like to think that we know what we are capable of without even bothering to ask the lord we think, I know me Ive known me my whole life. We forget that our father in heaven knows us since before this life!

Some tender mercies that I have seen this week... First is that we had two new investigators come to church and two sweet sisters helped them the whole time without us saying or doing anything unusual to facilitate it! The Second was that I really felt wiped out and that I couldnt teach our gospel principles class but before you knew it the lord had me in his arms and was doing everything through me. I really felt the spirit so strongly in this moment.

I would love to invite all of you to think about in what ways you can change to be more like christ. Something that we always talk about as missionaries is preparation and how we can better prepare. I know that if you can see what things that you need to change and do all that you can to be prepared the lord will change in exactly the right moment.

There are days in our lives that we wake up and we dont have a huge smile on our face ready to tackle a new day. Does that mean that we have failed? No! That means that we are human, there are days that missionaries wake up and the first thing they want to do is go back to bed. Its on our hard days that we show the lord how much we love him, if we can feel super happy we can do all in our power to help someone else.

I love you all so much. Rely on the lord,

Elder Packham

1/16/16 - Different
I want to do something different today than I have done before. I want to tell you that its been an incredible week and I have learned so many wonderful things. Instead of telling you all what I have learned this week I want to invite you all to share with me what you have learned. I really love you all and I think of you all often.

I will share with you a little thing that has really stood out to me this week.

Abraham 3:23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

This is a scripture that has been on my mind a lot lately. I hear a lot in the mission that I dont feel ready for this that or the other but I think this scripture is a great answer to that feeling that we may have. The lord has been preparing us since before we were born we just have forgetten it. We were and are good souls and have made the right decisions to be here on the earth at this time. I hope that you all know and understand your divine potential and what are your right to have a conversation with him.

The lord loves us so much thats something that I can testify to with all my heart. You are all loved sons and daughters of a father in heaven who knows who you are down to the hair of your head. I loved a talk that I heard from Elder Holland called,"bitter cup and bloody baptism." He described God as a surgeon that the more he loves us the more he goes on cutting and cleaning so that we can be physically and emotionally clean and live healthy lives better than we were before. If he didnt love us or didnt care he wouldnt keep cutting and cleaning. The lord heals us like the world cant.

I love you all so much,

Elder Packham

1/11/16 - Letter from Mission President
11 January 2016

Dear Harris Family,

This letter is to inform you that your son, Elder Michael James Packham, has been called to fill the assignment of Trainer in the Mexico Mexico City North Mission. He will have the responsibility to train, lift, inspire and elevate his new companion, Elder Avalos, to a level acceptable to the Lord.

“And if any man among you be strong…let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also.” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:106 emphasis added)

I cannot over emphasize the impact a Trainer has on his companion. We congratulate you on having such a fine son and thank you for having helped prepare such an excellent missionary. Please continue to pray fervently for him so that he will continue to seek, find and follow the guiding influence of the Lord.

Sincerely,
President Todd Titensor

1/4/16 - A New Year
So this is 2016 What are you going to do with it? Thats something that has been on my mind a lot this week. I will spend this whole year in the lords service what will I do with this time that I have? I know that I will do my very best this year so that in the next year I will have nothing to look back on and regret. I know that even if I make mistakes and am not perfect I will have perfect help from the only perfect person that ever lived.

I really want to share with you all something that I have learned this week. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what is love. These dates mark 15 years without my father in my life, I dont exactly know why but this year I was more aware of it than ever. Maybe it is because Ive heard it said that as missionaries we are the only father figures that people will have the chance to see in there lives. It was a day filled with a lot of emotion and I couldnt help but think about the idea of love and what that really is. In the mission you learn to love. I can say that with my whole soul you learn to love the people, your companions, the members, and most importantly the lord.

My heart has been changed this past year and I know that it will keep changing. I hope that all of you can think about what you can do with this wonderful gift we have, another year. The lord loves you all so much! As you set goals this year I want you all to remember that the lord doesnt expect you to be perfect just try your very best.

I really want to send you all fotos but I left my camera in the other pueblo where we live so that will have to wait till next week.

Love you so much,

Elder Packham

12/28/15 - The Christmas Week
So this week has been super neat! I got to see my family that was amazing! Also I learned a bunch of things from the members and the missionaries that I never have thought of before. I hope that you all had a merry christmas and were able to show your thanks for the savior in some special way. Something that my family does that I really love is every year we think about what gift we are going to give to christ. I want you all to think about this invitation and see what you might be able to give to christ.

So this week I was given the opportunity to teach our gospel principles class about agency.

Something that I found that I really liked was a scripture in Revelations 3:15-16

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

I believe that this refers to us as people. We decide what kind of temperture we are going to be whether it is hot cold or somewhere in between.

Its a short letter this week but I hope you can all ponder about what temperature you are as a member.

I love you all,

Elder Packham

12/21/15 - Jesus the Christ

So this week was a truly wonderful week not because of the things that I did but because of the things that I have learned. I have learned so much throughout my mission but this week was special for a couple of reasons. The first was something that I learned from the spirit and how when we feel something we must act up on it. So something that I felt this week was that I needed to prepare a talk for church but I thought that the bishop would call me or I would hear about it from something so I started to put it off. Then Sunday came and after the sacrament the bishop asked me to get up and give a talk. I hadnt prepared something on paper but it had been something that I had been thinking about. It was amazing to hear that the bishop had felt a prompting and I as well had felt it and in that moment we could see the lord working.

One spiritual experience that I had this week was visiting a family that had recently returned from the hospital with there grandfather. One of his grand daughters was there and we started talking to this 12 year old girl and she expressed that she wasnt a member but she wanted to be. Her father wouldnt let her, we didnt want to be insensitive to a delicate situation so we congradulated her and invited her to keep preparing. As we finished the lesson with this family we asked her to say the prayer I have never heard a more genuine and moving pray in my life. I hope to one day she we see this dream she has come true.

I want to share with you all how much that I love you and how much the lord loves you and is in your lives. Sometimes we think that he doesnt know whats going on or is picking on us but that isnt the case. I love in Mosiah when it talks about the people of Alma who didnt have there trials removed until after they were strong enough to carry them. Thats how the lord will work not for what we think is best for us right now its what he knows will be best for us in the long run.

I invite you all to watch this video about the birth of Christ.

https://youtu.be/xCxV9CbC180

Love,

Elder Packham

12/14/15

So I love it here its a lot of work for us to do but I have faith that we can do great things here. I know that the lord puts us in our areas because even before we came into this world he was preparing people for us to visit in every area. Here there are a lot of people that have talked to us before but this is the first time they have talked to US and thats all im focusing on haha!

We really have been working on as a mission to find out what we can do to be consecrated and be better. This week really helped me to understand how because we got to witness the dedication of the tijuana temple and wow what a cool experience that was. I want to share with you all my testimony about the temple I want you all to know that there we can be healed we can find something that doesnt have any equivalent in the world today. What makes to temple so special for me is that I think its there we can find true light or truth. In a world where there is so much false light that can attractively seem like its something that we need to temple provides us with a perspective that is outside of all that.

I want you all to watch this video. I could feel the spirit from the very beginning of this short but powerful clip. What would the world be like if the savior wasnt born? Thats something that I dont even want to spend to much time thinking about, he has come and he has saved us from the finite grasp of justice.

http://bcove.me/udwybwn3

I hope that you all know how special christ is to me. I was worried that this time of year would be super hard for me not being home and to be honest it has been a little bit difficult but I want to share something with you. I have never felt the spirit so strong as we have talked about Christ in every contact these last few weeks. Wow how incredible it is to think about the implications of that moment on my life. I really would not be the person that I am today if it wasn't for that moment in history and what that little baby would do for the lives of every single one of us.

I hope that you all are having a great christmas season! I want to invite you all to study the new testament these weeks and see how you might feel different this christmas season.

All my love,

Elder Packham

Elder Michael James Packham

Monday, February 22, 2016

Fotos from Last Couple Months~

Changes, Miracles, Learning, Growing, Becoming - All About My Savior (Months of Updates!)

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