2/15/16 - Miracles in the Zone
2/8/16 - It's Not About You
2/1/16 - Never Been Taller
1/25/16 - 1 Year
1/18/16- More Pics
1/18/16 - He Will Lift and Carry You
Monday, February 22, 2016
Fotos from Last Couple Months~
2/15/16 - Miracles in the Zone
2/8/16 - It's Not About You
2/1/16 - Never Been Taller
1/25/16 - 1 Year
1/18/16- More Pics
Changes, Miracles, Learning, Growing, Becoming - All About My Savior (Months of Updates!)
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
12/21/15 - Jesus the Christ
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!
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.
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
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Baptism, Interview, Sabbath, Changes(Transfers), Cerrito... Oh My! (LOTS OF UPDATES- Fotos Too!)
12/7/2015 - What Lack I Yet?
So this week has been a super interesting experience for me as I have been pondering all the things that I could do better. I have been doing a lot of thinking about the law of consecration that we have as members of the church. It's not something that we have simply in a monetary sense --we have been given it as the opportunity to encompass all aspects of our lives. I love that if we all live this law and give our best effort we will never have to ask what could I have done better.
This is from a conference of Elder Uchtdorf-
“Sometimes we think that those we help are the ones who receive the greatest blessings, but I am not so sure,” President Uchtdorf shared with the audience. “Something happens within us as we extend ourselves to others. We become more refined, more charitable, more humble. Our hearts become more receptive to the Spirit, and the windows of heaven can be opened to us.”
I want to invite all of you to study D&C 88: 77-79 and think about what the doctrine of the kingdom is. I could tell you but I think that you can all find that for yourselves. I can only tell you that I have a testimony that if we all live this that the world would be a very different place and the people would be a lot happier.
I had an amazing impression this week. We were passing an elderly woman that was herding her sheep, as we passed by we said good afternoon. Her reply wasn't something that screamed for us to go and contact her, but as I continued walking the spirit whispered to me, "remember the shepards." As I pondered that thought I found myself turning around--- I've never felt the spirit so strong in contacting as we talked about the birth of Jesus Christ. I love this new initiative!!
I really love you all and hope that you are having a great holiday and that you are feeling the spirit of Christmas in your hearts. I love this time of year when all thoughts turn to our Savior and redeemer.
Sincerely,
Elder Packham
_______
11/30/15 - Cerrito 1
So I have officially moved from cuidad to pueblo and I love it!!! I can't help but think about growing up in a small town ---its so nice to be out in the open air (choking on the dust, sometimes haha) The town is small but I believe that there is huge potential here that hasn't been realized just yet. Things here have been interesting -- its like my companion and I are both learning the Γ‘rea so we will see what we can find here in this lovely Little town.
So this week I have spent a lot of time studying service and how it relates to us as a law of god. Something that I cant get over is that we have so many things that relate to service in the gΓ³spel. I invite you to find something in the gΓ³spel that invites you to do something that wouldn't benefit someone else. I could bet that you wont find something that cant be applied one way or another to helping other people.
An experience I want to share----is something that I learned before the misiΓ³n that made a huge impact in why I am here today. When we serve we feel good! It's that simple! When we serve we change the perspective that we have and we can and will feel better. I learned that in institute--the more that I served, the less worried I was with all the things that I had to do and the better I did the things that I had to do when it was time to do it.
When we serve others we experiment on chapter 11 of Matthew verses 28-30. We are given the opportunity to see for ourselves how easy His burden really is. I want to invite you all to read the Psalm that is referenced in these verses and think about what its promising us if we apply the principle of service in our lives.
I really love all of you I hope that you know and can feel that. I write these letter not for just one more thing to do Monday but hoping that you are reading applying and progressing with these spiritual messages.
Con todo cariΓ±o,
Elder Packham
_______
11/23/2015 - Changes (Transfers)
I;d like to start by asking you all to pray for my brother I don't know how many of you know but he is in the hospital right now and could use all the love and support that you can give him. I love him a bunch and right now he's going through a hard time so all I can ask you all to do is be with him through your prayers.
So its that time again for us to see what the Lord has in store for us. I think this time is always interesting for missionaries because we really don't know how to feel before or after our changes. When we get to our new areas we start working like we know how to do but its always an interesting experience. I will be going to an area called cerrito 1 and Elder Saldivar will be staying here. My companion asked me the other day how I felt about my work here in this area and I said with confidence that I feel good about the work that I have done here.
Something that I want you to do is to think about the impact that you are making in the work of salvation in your area. I want to testify to you that you can be missionaries like those guys with a name tag all you have to do is share what you believe with those around you. I have had special experience with the Holy Ghost when he tells me to talk to someone in the street and I do it. I'm not saying that they will accept what you have to say what I'm saying is that you will have a special experience with the spirit because you did what he asked and he will continue talking to you. How often do we receive impressions like this but we pass it over saying that it isn't anything?
This week we had a really cool experience with a member that was helping us with a visit. We got to the home of the investigator like we always do but the investigator wasn't there like sometimes happens, so what did we do? We went contacting with this member and his wife! We started talking to a gentleman but something really special happened a women passed by us that was a friend of our member so they started talk, we said good bye to the gentleman and went with this lady. Before you knew it we were teaching a lesson in the home of this lady and she came to church this week!
MEMBERS CAN DO MISSIONARY WORK!!!!
I love you all with all my heart, pray for my brother,
Elder Packham
______
11/16/2015 - Baptism
So what can I tell you about this week! We had the joy to baptism part of the Chacon family so I hope that you know that all those that prayed for them those prayers were answered. I really love this family they are so strong and I don't have any doubt that they will continue strong and firm in the gospel.
This week I have been pondering the Hymn 221 "Dear to the Heart of the Shepard" I have been so touched by these words as I think about my own call and amazing opportunity that I have to help Him in this work. I know that I might be here for a little while but I will not act like a hirling I will be a Shepard. I want to invite you all to study the words of this hymn I can not help but feel the love the He has for me and all those members that have lost there way.
4. Green are the pastures inviting;
Sweet are the waters and still.
Lord, we will answer thee gladly,
"Yes, blessed Master, we will!
Make us thy true under-shepherds;
Give us a love that is deep.
Send us out into the desert,
Seeking thy wandering sheep."
I think that the Lord wants us to learn how to love. Not a superficial love but how He would love those that we serve. What He is asking is that we change, and we will independent of that invitation, what we decide is how much we change.
I don't have a lot to say this week I just want to invite you to read this hymn and think about what you can do to help your brothers and sister come back to the fold. I would love to hear your comments. I really do love you all and hope that you are experiencing all the joy that the gospel offers.
Love,
Elder Packham
Foto: The baptism they aren't smiling but they are happy I promise.
______
11/9/2015 - My Sabbath Day
What is the Sabbath day? You could put a profound definition on that or say that it was a day in which the Jews reverenced by strict observance to a code of conduct, or you could simply say that it is the Lords day. But what is the Sabbath day to each and everyone of you? We had the amazing opportunity to see our attendance double in our sacrament meeting this week and 7 of our investigators made it to church (they were even early). It was our fast and testimony meeting (where we can share our testimonies).
I was sitting there in the church thinking about all the less active members that we helped come to church that week and I couldn't help but think about the sacrament. They started the ordinance and I wanted to do something that would better help me focus on my Savior Jesus Christ and I went to my bible. I was looking at all the scriptures that I had marked about repentance through out my mission and thinking about why we take the sacrament. I found a scripture that really spoke to me that I later shared in my testimony its in Mathew 9:12-13 Its when the pharisees are talking to Christ and "ask the question" about why he spends his time with sinners and publicans. His response was how I feel about the church and all of us. We come to church because we need this medicine we need to partake and the bread and water and truly repent of what we may have done during the week.
I know that I'm not perfect and I know that I have a long way to go but I know that every week I go to church and really think and put my trust in the Lord that I can change. I love you all and I hope that you all know how great a gift it is to participate in the sacrament every week. I hope that this week you might read about repentance and the Savior as you participate in the bread and water. I hope that doing this it might change this ordinance for you like it has for me.
I love Sunday its the lords day and I hope that you will all be able to enjoy it as much as I do. The scripture that has captured my attention and will have me thinking is Ezekiel 44:23-24 I invite you all to ponderize this scripture this week and share with me what you think.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Packham ππ
______
11/2/2015 - Fotos
Our zone without the sisters (sorry kind of)
Our inactive that started coming to church again ( recieved melchezedik priesthood)
FHE we had with our investigators and a family in the ward
______
11/2/15 - Interview
When was your last interview with our lord Jesus Christ? For you member I would hope that it was last week and something that you are doing every week. Its something so special that we have the ability to do this, every week we can know how we stand with our older brother Jesus Christ and god our eternal father. This week my companion and I have had the opportunity to ask the baptismal questions to our investigators and see how prepared they are to take the name of Jesus Christ upon them.
I want to share with you all that during these interviews the spirit is almost palpable in the air as you hear them share there sincere testimonies about these gospel truths. One sister we were interviewing shared with us how she had lost one of her babies before it was born and you could see the sadness in her eyes. It was something that she hadn't shared with us before. I was able to bear a powerful testimony about the experience of my mother and I found in this moment a testimony that I didn't know I had about babies that return to our heavenly father before there time.
With one of our other investigators we were able to see how much she needed to repent and feel free of the load that she has been carrying most of her life. She began to cry as she shared that she needed to be clean and new. I will never forget this special moment we had with this sister. I want you all to know that you can repent and change your lives. I love you all so much.
I would love to hear from all of you the moments when you all found your testimonies. It could be about anything from prayer to tithing anything but do you have a moment or story about how you found that testimony.
Also I would invite you all to read DC 20:37 its one verse I invite you to think if you are prepared to be baptized?
Please pray for: Josefina, Romina, Itza, Aldo, Martin, Cinthia, Camilla, Gabriel, Mylin, Mary Cruz
Con todo mi corazon,
Elder Packham
_____
10/26/15- Repentance
My companion and I have been study the doctrine of Christ: Faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. I have been impressed by how interrelated all of these principles are something that was really amazing to me was repentance and enduring to the end. Something that I saw was that if we expect to endure to the end we must expect and use repentance in our lives every day.
I found some scriptures that I would really like to share with you all. The first one is because so often we hear that we have failed or that we continue to fail what is the point of even trying. I want to tell you all that its a trap that Satan is trying to use against you. The scripture is in Proverbs 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:but the wicked shall fall into mischief." In this what really brought my attention was about the what it takes to be a just man its not that he doesn't fall its that he keeps getting up. Just keep trying that's all that He asks of us.
On the other hand sometimes we encounter people that say that we don't need to repent or that they are fine without that. I would like you all to look at 1 john 1:7-9. I love that if we are are walking in the light we will realize that we must repent and that we have faults. I want to tell you that the lords lights will illuminate our flaws not to discourage us but to help us be better.
I would like to ask you to pray for Itza, Aldo, Josefina, Romina, Cinthia, Camilla, Gabriel and our area. Please if you can :)
I love you all and I invite you all to put this divine principle into practice,
Elder Packham
So this week has been a super interesting experience for me as I have been pondering all the things that I could do better. I have been doing a lot of thinking about the law of consecration that we have as members of the church. It's not something that we have simply in a monetary sense --we have been given it as the opportunity to encompass all aspects of our lives. I love that if we all live this law and give our best effort we will never have to ask what could I have done better.
This is from a conference of Elder Uchtdorf-
“Sometimes we think that those we help are the ones who receive the greatest blessings, but I am not so sure,” President Uchtdorf shared with the audience. “Something happens within us as we extend ourselves to others. We become more refined, more charitable, more humble. Our hearts become more receptive to the Spirit, and the windows of heaven can be opened to us.”
I want to invite all of you to study D&C 88: 77-79 and think about what the doctrine of the kingdom is. I could tell you but I think that you can all find that for yourselves. I can only tell you that I have a testimony that if we all live this that the world would be a very different place and the people would be a lot happier.
I had an amazing impression this week. We were passing an elderly woman that was herding her sheep, as we passed by we said good afternoon. Her reply wasn't something that screamed for us to go and contact her, but as I continued walking the spirit whispered to me, "remember the shepards." As I pondered that thought I found myself turning around--- I've never felt the spirit so strong in contacting as we talked about the birth of Jesus Christ. I love this new initiative!!
I really love you all and hope that you are having a great holiday and that you are feeling the spirit of Christmas in your hearts. I love this time of year when all thoughts turn to our Savior and redeemer.
Sincerely,
Elder Packham
_______
11/30/15 - Cerrito 1
So I have officially moved from cuidad to pueblo and I love it!!! I can't help but think about growing up in a small town ---its so nice to be out in the open air (choking on the dust, sometimes haha) The town is small but I believe that there is huge potential here that hasn't been realized just yet. Things here have been interesting -- its like my companion and I are both learning the Γ‘rea so we will see what we can find here in this lovely Little town.
So this week I have spent a lot of time studying service and how it relates to us as a law of god. Something that I cant get over is that we have so many things that relate to service in the gΓ³spel. I invite you to find something in the gΓ³spel that invites you to do something that wouldn't benefit someone else. I could bet that you wont find something that cant be applied one way or another to helping other people.
An experience I want to share----is something that I learned before the misiΓ³n that made a huge impact in why I am here today. When we serve we feel good! It's that simple! When we serve we change the perspective that we have and we can and will feel better. I learned that in institute--the more that I served, the less worried I was with all the things that I had to do and the better I did the things that I had to do when it was time to do it.
When we serve others we experiment on chapter 11 of Matthew verses 28-30. We are given the opportunity to see for ourselves how easy His burden really is. I want to invite you all to read the Psalm that is referenced in these verses and think about what its promising us if we apply the principle of service in our lives.
I really love all of you I hope that you know and can feel that. I write these letter not for just one more thing to do Monday but hoping that you are reading applying and progressing with these spiritual messages.
Con todo cariΓ±o,
Elder Packham
_______
11/23/2015 - Changes (Transfers)
I;d like to start by asking you all to pray for my brother I don't know how many of you know but he is in the hospital right now and could use all the love and support that you can give him. I love him a bunch and right now he's going through a hard time so all I can ask you all to do is be with him through your prayers.
So its that time again for us to see what the Lord has in store for us. I think this time is always interesting for missionaries because we really don't know how to feel before or after our changes. When we get to our new areas we start working like we know how to do but its always an interesting experience. I will be going to an area called cerrito 1 and Elder Saldivar will be staying here. My companion asked me the other day how I felt about my work here in this area and I said with confidence that I feel good about the work that I have done here.
Something that I want you to do is to think about the impact that you are making in the work of salvation in your area. I want to testify to you that you can be missionaries like those guys with a name tag all you have to do is share what you believe with those around you. I have had special experience with the Holy Ghost when he tells me to talk to someone in the street and I do it. I'm not saying that they will accept what you have to say what I'm saying is that you will have a special experience with the spirit because you did what he asked and he will continue talking to you. How often do we receive impressions like this but we pass it over saying that it isn't anything?
This week we had a really cool experience with a member that was helping us with a visit. We got to the home of the investigator like we always do but the investigator wasn't there like sometimes happens, so what did we do? We went contacting with this member and his wife! We started talking to a gentleman but something really special happened a women passed by us that was a friend of our member so they started talk, we said good bye to the gentleman and went with this lady. Before you knew it we were teaching a lesson in the home of this lady and she came to church this week!
MEMBERS CAN DO MISSIONARY WORK!!!!
I love you all with all my heart, pray for my brother,
Elder Packham
______
11/16/2015 - Baptism
So what can I tell you about this week! We had the joy to baptism part of the Chacon family so I hope that you know that all those that prayed for them those prayers were answered. I really love this family they are so strong and I don't have any doubt that they will continue strong and firm in the gospel.
This week I have been pondering the Hymn 221 "Dear to the Heart of the Shepard" I have been so touched by these words as I think about my own call and amazing opportunity that I have to help Him in this work. I know that I might be here for a little while but I will not act like a hirling I will be a Shepard. I want to invite you all to study the words of this hymn I can not help but feel the love the He has for me and all those members that have lost there way.
4. Green are the pastures inviting;
Sweet are the waters and still.
Lord, we will answer thee gladly,
"Yes, blessed Master, we will!
Make us thy true under-shepherds;
Give us a love that is deep.
Send us out into the desert,
Seeking thy wandering sheep."
I think that the Lord wants us to learn how to love. Not a superficial love but how He would love those that we serve. What He is asking is that we change, and we will independent of that invitation, what we decide is how much we change.
I don't have a lot to say this week I just want to invite you to read this hymn and think about what you can do to help your brothers and sister come back to the fold. I would love to hear your comments. I really do love you all and hope that you are experiencing all the joy that the gospel offers.
Love,
Elder Packham
Foto: The baptism they aren't smiling but they are happy I promise.
______
11/9/2015 - My Sabbath Day
What is the Sabbath day? You could put a profound definition on that or say that it was a day in which the Jews reverenced by strict observance to a code of conduct, or you could simply say that it is the Lords day. But what is the Sabbath day to each and everyone of you? We had the amazing opportunity to see our attendance double in our sacrament meeting this week and 7 of our investigators made it to church (they were even early). It was our fast and testimony meeting (where we can share our testimonies).
I was sitting there in the church thinking about all the less active members that we helped come to church that week and I couldn't help but think about the sacrament. They started the ordinance and I wanted to do something that would better help me focus on my Savior Jesus Christ and I went to my bible. I was looking at all the scriptures that I had marked about repentance through out my mission and thinking about why we take the sacrament. I found a scripture that really spoke to me that I later shared in my testimony its in Mathew 9:12-13 Its when the pharisees are talking to Christ and "ask the question" about why he spends his time with sinners and publicans. His response was how I feel about the church and all of us. We come to church because we need this medicine we need to partake and the bread and water and truly repent of what we may have done during the week.
I know that I'm not perfect and I know that I have a long way to go but I know that every week I go to church and really think and put my trust in the Lord that I can change. I love you all and I hope that you all know how great a gift it is to participate in the sacrament every week. I hope that this week you might read about repentance and the Savior as you participate in the bread and water. I hope that doing this it might change this ordinance for you like it has for me.
I love Sunday its the lords day and I hope that you will all be able to enjoy it as much as I do. The scripture that has captured my attention and will have me thinking is Ezekiel 44:23-24 I invite you all to ponderize this scripture this week and share with me what you think.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Packham ππ
______
11/2/2015 - Fotos
Our zone without the sisters (sorry kind of)
Our inactive that started coming to church again ( recieved melchezedik priesthood)
FHE we had with our investigators and a family in the ward
______
11/2/15 - Interview
When was your last interview with our lord Jesus Christ? For you member I would hope that it was last week and something that you are doing every week. Its something so special that we have the ability to do this, every week we can know how we stand with our older brother Jesus Christ and god our eternal father. This week my companion and I have had the opportunity to ask the baptismal questions to our investigators and see how prepared they are to take the name of Jesus Christ upon them.
I want to share with you all that during these interviews the spirit is almost palpable in the air as you hear them share there sincere testimonies about these gospel truths. One sister we were interviewing shared with us how she had lost one of her babies before it was born and you could see the sadness in her eyes. It was something that she hadn't shared with us before. I was able to bear a powerful testimony about the experience of my mother and I found in this moment a testimony that I didn't know I had about babies that return to our heavenly father before there time.
With one of our other investigators we were able to see how much she needed to repent and feel free of the load that she has been carrying most of her life. She began to cry as she shared that she needed to be clean and new. I will never forget this special moment we had with this sister. I want you all to know that you can repent and change your lives. I love you all so much.
I would love to hear from all of you the moments when you all found your testimonies. It could be about anything from prayer to tithing anything but do you have a moment or story about how you found that testimony.
Also I would invite you all to read DC 20:37 its one verse I invite you to think if you are prepared to be baptized?
Please pray for: Josefina, Romina, Itza, Aldo, Martin, Cinthia, Camilla, Gabriel, Mylin, Mary Cruz
Con todo mi corazon,
Elder Packham
_____
10/26/15- Repentance
My companion and I have been study the doctrine of Christ: Faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. I have been impressed by how interrelated all of these principles are something that was really amazing to me was repentance and enduring to the end. Something that I saw was that if we expect to endure to the end we must expect and use repentance in our lives every day.
I found some scriptures that I would really like to share with you all. The first one is because so often we hear that we have failed or that we continue to fail what is the point of even trying. I want to tell you all that its a trap that Satan is trying to use against you. The scripture is in Proverbs 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:but the wicked shall fall into mischief." In this what really brought my attention was about the what it takes to be a just man its not that he doesn't fall its that he keeps getting up. Just keep trying that's all that He asks of us.
On the other hand sometimes we encounter people that say that we don't need to repent or that they are fine without that. I would like you all to look at 1 john 1:7-9. I love that if we are are walking in the light we will realize that we must repent and that we have faults. I want to tell you that the lords lights will illuminate our flaws not to discourage us but to help us be better.
I would like to ask you to pray for Itza, Aldo, Josefina, Romina, Cinthia, Camilla, Gabriel and our area. Please if you can :)
I love you all and I invite you all to put this divine principle into practice,
Elder Packham
Thursday, October 22, 2015
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
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)
Sunday, October 11, 2015
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?
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
Elder Packham
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. πππ
Elder Packham
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)