It was the most challenging transfer of my entire mission.

Hey!                                                                                                       Nov. 24, 2014

Well this week was AMAZING! I cannot even begin to explain all of the miracles I was able to see this week. I am about to cry just writing today. 

Yesterday I had transfers in the middle of sacrament meeting. It was the worst feeling in the world. I had 16 people in church. I really felt like we were exploding Boyacá. It was the most challenging transfer of my entire mission. I did not want to be transferred. This next week we had planned the baptism of Jose and well to be honest not being there kills me. 

But something I learned this morning in my studies is that the Lord has a reason for everything and there is a reason why I was to be transferred. I have been chosen to be in a choir for Christmas for the mission. It is a select group of missionaries who will be touring the mission and singing for Christmas time and we are getting to sing Christmas music. I have been also chosen to sing some chosen solos. I wasn´t very excited at first but after talking to the president today I have gotten a lot more excited. Really I know this is a really great opportunity. I have been chosen to share my talent with others to help them bring them unto Christ. But wow this transfer was really hard.

But as another heads up I think for the next month by letters are gonna be a little short sorry.... just  because my time is gonna be cut short. Sorry. I love you all dearly and please keep me updated. I love you all tons and right now my companion is Hermana Alvarado and I am in Guayaquil and I am getting a really great opportunity to sing every day! 

I love you all tons!

Hermana Pack

                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                               Dec. 1, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

I am so grateful for all of your letters!! Thank you so much!

Being in this choir of the mission has been the most amazing thing in the world. I have had some really amazing experiences. I have been chosen to sing a huuuuuuuge solo. I am singing the song "His Hands" by Kenneth Cope. It is GORGEOUS. But all of it is obviously is in Spanish hahaha. But really it has been amazing to have the opportunity to develop my talents. I am so grateful for this chance. This last week we were able to go to the house of the president and sing for the president and for his family and for the president of the North Mission. We have been so so so so so blessed. Because seriously it is over 80 pages of really hard music to learn in one week. Tomorrow we perform. We will get to know all of the mission. It is sooooo cool. 

I am also blessed to be with Hermana Alvarado. She is from my group from el CCM. I love this girl so so so so much. But seriously this week has been crazy nuts but she knows how to make me laugh hahaha. I love her to death. But man I sure have been blessed. These people are great. SO MUCH TALENT. What is great our mission president had no idea that any of us knew anything about music before he asked us to be in this group. We just had to do it. It has been amazing to see how quickly we have been able to learn. 

We have a flute player, two piano players, and a violin player with 3 elders and 6 hermanas singing. It is great. I am singing Alto hahaha it is a good time :) 

Mom I am sure you are glad to hear that I am actually getting to use my talents :)

Thanksgiving at the house of the President :)

Hermana Nazer, Hermana Alvarado, Hermana Murri and I for Thansgiving with the Mission President!

I wish I could have been with you for Thanksgiving but I was able to eat with our president and it was a great and HUGE meal. Gigantic. So much food. But man I love our president. It was quite the privilege. 

Anyway I love you all with all my hearts. I wish you all the best and I hope all is well. Miss you tons!

Hermana Pack

This Hermana was the companion of my aunt Sarah in her mission when they both served in Ambato. She now lives in Guayaquil and we were able to take a picture together!! It was a really great opportunity!!!

Eating lunch in the car.... our crazy lives in the choir.....

Birthday of Elder Martinez, our amazing director of the program.... and flute player.

 

 

Hola!!!                      Dec. 8, 2014

Well I would just like to start off by saying how much I love you all and how proud I am that you all are performing and keeping up your talents :)

Mom and Dad I would like to thank you for all of your money and time and devotion for helping me learn music. I am so beyond grateful. I love to sing. I love it with all of my heart. and this week has completely changed my perspective of music.
This last week we had a performance every night in a different stake center here in Guayaquil and it was so spiritually uplifting and amazing. I am so grateful for this opportunity. We were also blessed with the opportunity to go to an orphanage and sing for children who had disabilities and it was the first time I had cried while singing in a really long time. We sang the song "I am Child of God" and it was amazing. I truly felt the Lord's love around them and around us and we were singing. There were tears streaming down our cheeks as we were singing and it was just so powerful and it was so amazing.

I know that it was beyond inspired for us to be in this choir. I know that the Lord always has a plan. I am so grateful to be here in this mission. The music really can change lives.

I love how much I can feel the presence of the Lord in my life. I love how in every moment I can feel him touching the people I know and the people we teach. He has such a huge impact on our lives. He is real and he loves every one of us. I challenge ever one of you to watch this video this week it is so powerful :)

www.christmas.mormon.org

I love you all a ton. and I wish the best week ever!

Love,

Hermana Pack

Aunt Juliet!!! I got your package!!!! Thank you soooooo much!!! I loved it so much!! Thank you for the peanut butter :) My absolute favorite hahahah ;) But most of all thank you for the letters!

We were able to see some really amazing miracles this week!

Hola all!!!                                                                                                      Nov. 10

We had an amazing week!!!

We were able to see some really amazing miracles this week! It was so cool to see the hand of the Lord in our work this week! To start off the week the mission president came to Machala and he had the 4 zones of Machala and Santa Rosa come and we had a huge conference. It was kinda crazy. But it was super super inspiring. But what was great was it really inspired all of us.  I am really grateful to be here with my companion because she really is fantastic. We were able to find some great families this week.

Cristmas lights what.....? Yeah we are getting excited ! We found christmas lights in the house and a chirstmas tree and tree bulbs hahahahaha we both know we`ll probs get transfered before christmas but it is a nice setting to  the house hahaha and our pants from Ecuador and our jerseys hahaha YES !! ECUADOR!!!

This past Sunday we were able to bring a family to church who was a reference for us from members in the ward. Boyaca is such an amazing ward. Seriously. Such an amazing ward. I am so blessed to be here. I am cherishing every moment I have to be here. Ya mismo vamos a tener mucho bautismos aqui. jajajajajaja This last Sunday we had 10 people in Church. It was a miracle. It was all through the hands of the Lord. Honestly we could not have done it without him. We needed his help. It is impossible to do his work here without him.

We were able to meet such great people this week. Seriously it has been such a good week and I am looking forward to another great week. My companion has so much faith. She only has a few weeks in the mission but she has taught me so much and I love it. I feel like she teaches me more than I teach her. I love it. Being in the mission has taught me so many great and wonderful principles. I love being here. I have also learned the importance of the leaders here.  I hadn`t ever realized the importance of ward council but wow. It really has such an influence. Dad I know that you had to make a sacrifice for the missionaries this Sunday, but you will be blessed your your sacrifice. I promise  you that. I truly feel that there is a spot saved in heaven for those who help us Sunday mornings with investigators and maybe just maybe because you were helping the elders in our ward dad for your service I was being blessed herein Ecuador.
So really thanks Dad :) Love ya! hahaha 

But really this work is not just for the missionaries and I am so proud of you guys for helping the elders out! You guys rock! thanks hahaha!

Love you all tons!

Hermana Pack

The birthday cake had pineapple and almonds on it because the elder is allergic to almonds and pineapple hahahaha it was too great!

                                                                                                                                     Nov. 17

Hello Everyone!

Well I just would like you all to know I love you very much and that this has been a very good week for me! Thank you for all of your prayers and love! :)

I GOT YOUR PACKAGES!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

Well this week has been absolutely amazing! We have been able to see some really great changes here in Boyaca. I know that you wanted me to tell you if I was able to see a change here in Boyaca and I really have. I love it here. I don`t think I could possibly love a sector more. Because this sector is a truly chosen sector. We were able to have a member working with us at every single moment during this past week. We were able to have over 30 lessons with members in fact there were times when we were over booked with members. It was amazing. We have built up such an amazing relationship with some of the members. It has amazed me. I have seen such a HUGE change in the last two months. This last Sunday we were blessed to have many many investigators in church and many less actives that we have been working with as well. We almost had over 200 people in church on Sunday it was amazing. In fact they didn`t fill enough cups for the sacrament and they had to re-bless more cups for the sacrament. Never in my life have I seen that done before. The bishop was grinning from ear to ear. It was marvelous! haha.  It was just a great week. Friday my companion and I fasted so that we would be able to bring these people to church and that the people would accept baptismal dates. And we were again blessed with tons of blessings. It was a great improvement from last week.

Birthday dinner for Elder Bichsel so good !!! Man I love the family Matamoros!!!!

I want to share a quick story this past week we were walking down the street rather quickly because we were overbooked for a lesson and we were trying to make to the lesson on time and we were trying to walk to it on time without having to take a taxi. When a little elderly lady asked us what the name of the street was and then we found out she was blind. So we called our appointment to tell them we were going to be late and we helped her to her house and then she came to church on Sunday and accepted a date of baptism. It was a miracle! This week was jam packed of miracles.
I know that this is not through our efforts. I know that this is all because we put our confidence in the Lord. He provided us the means of making this happen. We have people who really want to change their lives and the members are excited to help us. It has been great to be a part of this process. I am so thankful to be here. I truly love Machala and I would love to be here for the Stake conference that is coming up.
I am so grateful for the opportunity I have been given to be here in el Oro and for the time I have been given to be a missionary. I also am extremely grateful for my companion and for all of the great things I am learning from her. She is amazing. She is going to make an amazing leader one day. She already knows so much.

Anyway I love you all tons!

Until next week!
Hermana Pack

Hermana Campbell!!! I was so happy to see her!!!! It was during a capacitacion with the president this week!

I know that the family can be eternal.

 

Hola,

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We carved Oranges instead of Pumpkins hahaha

 

Waba Fruit

I absolutely loved loved loved all of the pictures!! Seriously photos are my favorite things!!!! Mom I also love empenadas you have to learn to make them! They are totally different in Ecuador and a whole heck of a lot easier than in other countries!! 

So sorry to keep it short but this week we had a meeting with the president as leaders and I can only write for a bit! And I literally have the AP´s over my shoulders hahaha.

Mom I want to assure you that my head has gotten a TON better! I have been super super strict with my diet and I have gotten a lot healthier! I am doing much better! Thank you for your prayers! I still have headaches but I am doing better.

Zona El Oro!!! WOOOHOOO! This Zone really is the Best!

Birthday Cake for Hermana Apaza :)

Niños...... We share a ward with these guys here in Boyaca. Elder Alvey and Elder Bichsel both from Utah.

I had transfers again!! My companion is Hermana Hash!!!! I love this girl!!! I am training again!! :) She is from Utah from the Logan area!! She is so great! ;)

So dedicated and hard working! I love her to death! I am so grateful to be with her! I am still in Boyaca in Machala! I seriously love Machala with all of my heart there are so many great people here.

Man I just love so many people here in Ecuador. Every day I wake up with fear that I might not have the opportunity to return to this wonderful country... It breaks my heart.. So many amazing people.

Our lunch today. Grandpa would be proud of me I descaled it and gutted it and then fried it and then we ate it for lunch today and it was delicious! :) Yummm The things you learn in Ecuador :) 

But hey this week we found a great family a mom and her three children they are so great. I just love teaching them. This last week they came to church and it was amazing I am just so blessed to have the opportunity to teach them the gospel and share this happiness with them. hahahaha

Well, I would love to tell you all how much I love you and how happy I am that we have the opportunity to live together forever. This week I have done a lot of thinking about how the family can be together forever and how blessed we are to be sealed in the temple of the Lord. But how that if we don`t keep the covenant we have made with him we can`t be sealed with him forever. How terrible that would be. I want to be with you guys forever. Especially with my brothers and sister. You guys mean the world to me. This week we were given the chance to meet three kids whose parents are members and the kids are not baptized but their parents are inactive in the church and they are ages 15, 14, and 11 years old. They came to church with us this last week and they loved the church and our goal is to activate the family.

I know that the family can be eternal.  How amazing is that. We are so blessed. WOW! We are so lucky. But this can only happen if we go to the temple and are worthy to enter the temple. So we always have to be worthy to have a temple recommend.

Family, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brothers, there is no excuse to not be worthy to enter the temple...... We must be worthy at all times. So I challenge all of you to look into your own lives to see what you can do be worthy to have a temple recommend and enter the temple. So that our family can be eternal. Because there is no other blessing greater in this world. I bear testimony of this. I know this to be true.

I love you all.

Hermana Pack

HEAVEN!

Happy Birthday Elder Alvey..... YES we had our mission leader make hamburgers..... best birthday lunch for an elder if I do say so myself hahahaha it was soooo goooood :)

We came home and found a cockroach in my shoe...... awesome... and nasty.....

Our house in Boyaca

Rice rice and more rice hahahaha

Fruit Market :)

Meat Market. Look at all those EGGS!

 

"Angels We Have Heard on High"

Empenadas yummmm :)

With our cute little member,Sandra, who goes out on her mission this next month!!

The cutest fuzziest cat!!!

Mission life.....

Hola,
Well first off congratulations Uncle Lance!!!! I wish I could have been there for the wedding! I am sure it was beautiful!!

All the single Ladies!!!! hahahaha the best zone!! ZONA EL ORO!!! :)

Hey so sending pictures took forever but I tried to send them as fast as I could. And I love ya all tons. But I wanted to tell you all a really funny story of the week.

The baptism of Clarita España and her friends from Aurora who introduced her to the church Elias and Nelly

Hermana Arellano and I with Herman Clarita

So this week we had the baptism of Clarita and we had the recent convert Carlos baptize her and he was beyond nervous and so was she but during the baptism the person has to be fully immersed in the water. Well the water was really low and as you can see in the photos Carlos is really tall and well it just didn`t turn out as planned and she had to enter the water four times haha. But after the second time we had to take a pause in the baptism and fill the font a little more and she had to wait in the water freezing to death and the people had to wait another 15 minutes and while they were waiting another sister started leading hymns and sang songs but for some reason they felt the need to sing hymns for Christmas...I almost died laughing. So here we are pouring water in the font as fast as we can while Clarita is freezing to death while they are singing angels we have heard on high. I almost died.... Hahaha best baptism of my mission... But it all turned out well and the spirit was good.

With the Aguilar Family this past sunday! Man I love this family so much!

Anway I hope you all have a good week! Love ya tons!

In our sector there is a huge ship hahaha and we had some fun taking pitures :)

Hermana Pack

ESO! My name finally spelled correctly haha! See above me!

Man are we so LUCKY!

A turtle hahaha! the member just had their pet turtle roaming their house like a pet cat or something haha! it killed me!

 Hey!                                                                                        Oct. 6

What an amazing weekend we all were able to have no? Conference was great. The last session this Sunday really just had an amazing impact on me. I just am grateful that we have a living prophet and apostles. We are so blessed. I really felt that the theme of the conference  was the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Man are we so LUCKY!

A parrot that kept repeating " Que rico!" hahaha it was so cute!!

Right now I am in Boyaca with Hermana Arellano still in Machala and I love being with her! She is great! She is from Chile. She is my first companion from Chile and she is always cracking me up. She knows a ton of English hahaha and her accent kills me. She goes home in this next transfer! I would love to be her last companion here in the mission but I am not sure if I will get to have the opportunity to do so!

This last week I was able to do exchanges with the other hermanas of my zone with Hermana Garcia and it was really fun. I got to see Guabo which is a little city outside of Machala and it was a really great experience. While I was out there we were able to teach a family whose father was less active and it was really cool to feel the spirit pour out throughout the lesson. The spirit was so strong. It strengthened my testimony of the small things like family prayer and family home evening.

 The Women's Conference here in Machala, with some of the people I taught while I was in Lilian Maria that got baptized after I got transferred. It was bitter sweet to see them:)

This weekend I was able to see a lot of my converts in Lilian Maria and in Aurora here in Machala for the conference and it was such a great blessing. I am so grateful to be here. I love the mission so much. It amazes me how many people we have had influences on and often times we don`t even know how much of an influence we are. I just love how great God is. 

He has such a huge plan for all of us. He knows what we need and exactly what we are going through. I hope all of us are able to understand this. Often times we have no idea what the plan is. and Sometimes we never will know what he has instore but we can never forget that He is in everything. 

I am so grateful for my time here in Ecuador and it is crazy to think that this was my last conference here in Ecuador totally in Spanish. It made me cry to think about it while I was sitting in the stake center in Machala.  I just love it here so much. Thank you so much for your prayers and sorry for those whom I haven`t written individually! I promise next week! And please forgive me!

Love,

Hermana Pack

The baptism of Livia Soto hahaha this girl just cracks me up!

With Elder Moya and Elder Baird and Hermana Herrera in Guyaquil for consejo.

Hey,                                                               Oct. 13

How has everything been??

This week has been an adventure with my companion! I love being with Hermana Arellano! She is great. haha. But this week has been good one. We apparently haven´t paid our light bill in three months so we have been without light for three days so that has been fun. We have been living with the other girls in Aurora for three days. haha But today we went back to our house to clean it and our fridge and freezer had unthawed and well that was great.... Our house was flooded...... Awesome..... so it has been a day of cleaning hahaha but we also went out and explored our sector today and we found some sweet stuff it was soo cool!! We found an adorable dress for my companion for when she gets home. Which is in a couple of weeks. I can`t believe how fast the mission blows by..... AHHH. haha.

My lunch in Guabo when I went on exchanges with Hermana Garcia to get to know her sector this last week!

So this week has really been crazy. It has been centered on the plan God has for us the Plan of Salvation. God really does have an amazing plan for all of us.  Because death isn`t something sad. Because God has made a plan and a pathway in which we will be able to see all of those who die. It is amazing. I have done a lot of research about life after death this week. Because we have an investigator who has been really interested and it has been really cool researching this topic. Because you know what?? EVERYTHING depends on what we do here on this earth. So we die and then we go to the spirit world. But there are two places of waiting. (Sorry I am not really good with all of the words for explaining this in English) Paradise and Spirit Prison. And those who accept Christ and have faith in him repent, and are baptized then receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end of this life are in Paradise but those who don`t complete these steps are in prison. The Book of Mormon explains this perfect in Alma 40. I would love it if you guys could read this as a family. It really has been interesting to me as well as 2 Nephi 9. But really the interesting thing for me was when I got into it much deeper. When I researched D&C138, Mom and Dad I would love it if you guys could study this together, anyway I just don`t have the time to explain it all. But man! my mind has been blown. 1 Peter 4:6 also talks about the ministry of Christ when he died and went to the spirit world. So much yet to learn and how so many are waiting for the second coming of Christ and the resurrection. It is going to be so amazing. I just can`t wait!!

Anyway I love you all tons!

I hope you have a good week!

This week is the baptism of Clarita España! I would love it if you guys could pray for her! She has been kinda sick this week!

Love you!

Hermana Pack

Hahaha Life of transfers with Hermana Arellano!

Weekly planning..... How much I get tired of weekly planning.

Hermana Arellano :)

With the Elders that are in our ward with us in Boyacà  Elder Espinoza Elder Bichsel and Hermana Arellano

P day comida yummm tacos hahah

Best lunch without rice. Heck yes!

Dad!!

I hope you have the most amazing Birthday TODAY!!!!!! YAY!! I just want you to know you are the best dad in the entire world and there is no other person who has inspired me as you have. Thank you for your example and love. I love you so much! I hope you have an amazing day. I cannot believe I am not able to talk to you or call you! But just think that next year I sure will be able to! I love you so much dad. I know that you have been such an example to me and my siblings. thank you so much for your sacrifices for me and the family. I love you!

Emily,

Your loving daughter and hard working missionary:)