Happy 4th of July this week!

Romel Chiliquinga with his friend Luis Olivos who baptized him!

June 23, 2014

Hola,

So we didn´t have time to leave early to print and I had to read and type at the same time and it got a little rough. And now I am a little short on time but this past week was super super good.

I am still in Santa Rosa with Hermana Roncal. And I love it here. It has been a really good time. I love this branch. The members are super smart and helpful. We had the baptism of Romel Chiliquinga this last week and it went really well. He was really prepared for baptism. He has been going to seminary with is friends and brother who is a member for the past month. (He first started going for the girls hahaha:). But now has a testimony) It really is cool to see how the Lord puts people in our paths, who are really prepared to live the gospel and hear about Christ. He was definitely one.

Romel and his friends in seminary. :)

This past week has been one to test our ability and work ethic. We have been working hard with getting the members to go out with us. Mom and Dad, I hope the missionaries never have this problem in our ward with you guys. They need your help. How awesome that you now have the AP´s in your ward. That just means that you guys have to work that much harder because they do a TON for the mission. Our AP´s are some of the most brilliant guys I know. They both at one point were my zone leaders.

Man I love this mission! SO many great things happen all the time. This past week I have been reading in Alma and I just want you to know that Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah are my idols and I just love reading about their mission experience. When times get going hard I can always think well at least my mission isn´t like Aaron or Alma...... Hahahaha always a comforting thought. Anway I love you all so much and I hope you all are reading your scriptures and you guys should read the stories about Alma and his mission :) Give you a nice little perspective on the mission life!!

Ben I am proud of you having a job!! Brilliant kid. Save all the money for the mission :) It is the best decision you will ever make :)

Danielle I cannot freaking believe you are in Germany during the World Cup! CRAZY!

This week plays Ecuador on Wednesdays and we all received permission from the president to watch it what???? This last week when Ecuador won we all got sent home to our houses because Ecuador got crazy  and our mission president sent us home for our safety. People sure love their futbol..... haha
Love you all tons!

Hermana Pack

The granola that we seriously eat like candy:):) with Hermana Foster and Roncal

June 30, 2014

Hola Familia!

Well life is so good and looks like it is super good for all of you as well. I cannot believe that dad is in Japan I am in Ecuador Danielle is in Germany and Mom and the boys are in the US. CRAZY STUFF. hahaha but really how crazy is that??? Crazy how life is. I hope you all are having a great time. Dad hope you get to go out and see some cool sites. Danielle take a TON of photos because it will be a trip of a lifetime. Man I love Germany I would love to go back. It is also super special that you get to be there for the World Cup... Crazy I can imagine that Germany is just as hyper about it as Ecuador was. Ecuador sure has chilled out since we lost and aren´t in the running anymore. But the US still is fighting strong!

Happy 4th of July this week. I am so so so so sad I won´t get to be there for it. I bet it will be pretty lame here. Just another average day. 4th of July is probably one of my absolute favorite times of the year. Sad day.... But eh life here is pretty good. :)

We have been working hard with the family of the last baptism we had with Romel and his family. His uncle lives with him and his name is Javier. He has been quite the character and it has been great to be a part of the change he is making in his life. He is going to be baptized this Sunday in the morning before church because he has to work all throughout the week and won´t be able to be baptized Saturday. Crazy stuff. But he is so ready. We also for the past month have been working with his sister Melany. She had the discussions and was taught a while back by the Elders and read the book of Mormon to 3rd Nephi and never felt that she got an answer to her prayers and had no clue if the church was true or not and this last week we finally got her to come to church and after the classes we asked her how she felt and how she felt towards baptism now, and she turned to us and said, "It is crazy. I know this church to really be true!"
I wanted to cry. I just thought of how if those Elders who had been teaching her before would be so happy to see that she finally got her answer. God works in his own time. Every person has their own time and a plan that God has in store for them. God knew that Melany wasn´t ready before, but that now she is prepared and we just happen to be called to this sector right now to be a part of it.

Man the church is just so true. So many miracles every day. I love this gospel. I know it to be the only true gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope all can come to this knowledge. I love being here in Ecuador. Yes I am sad to be in Ecuador for the 4th but there really is no other place I would want to be.

Mom and Dad I just want to thank you so much for your example to me and all that you have done for me. Thank you. Keep being the best parents for all of us. Love ya tons.

Until next week,
Hermana Pack

My zone :) Santa Rosa Sur

In Ecuador the World Cup is HUGE! Hahahaha!

Dear Mom,

 I wanted to take a lot pictures and send you pictures for your birthday but yeah..... that didn´t happen. Lack of cameras down here. But luckily someone had a camera for me to take pictures of the baptism this week.

I hope you had an amazing birthday!! I was thinking of you a lot! I miss you tons and hope you had an amazing day. You mean the world to me and there is nobody else that I respect more. I want you to know that I am the person that I am because of you. You are a the best mother in the entire world and I want to one day be as amazing as you are.

There are a lot of things I have grown to really appreciate while being on a mission and you and Dad are definitely one of them. Your examples have been something for me to strive for in my life. I can´t imagine being anywhere else and I know you are a huge part as to why I am here. I just remember the many times you had said that if you had the opportunity to go on a mission you would have done it in a heartbeat. At the time I thought, "Gosh she doesn´t even understand what kind of decision this is." But, now at this time I am grateful for the pressure. Every person needs to serve a mission male or female. There is just something about serving a mission that makes you appreciate the church and the gospel so much more. Thank you.

I hope you had the best birthday ever, and I am sorry that I wasn´t there to celebrate it with you. Don´t worry, there will be next year :)

 

Everyone,

So I would just like you to all know that the world cup is going on. Hahahaha! I am sure, Dad, you probably knew that, but other than that it isn´t a huge thing in the U.S. But I can promise you that it is huge here. H.U.G.E. haha! Ecuador played Sunday of course, on the Sabbath. It was such a challenge to get everyone to church. People really love their soccer here. It is crazy to me how much they love it. hahaha!

But this past Saturday we had two baptisms of Yulecxi and Yamilet. They are cousins and their brothers were baptized the year before. I just love these girls with all of my heart. They truly are two amazing girls. They have so much faith and such a desire to follow Christ. It was cool to see their knowledge of Christ change. They honestly had no idea who Christ was at first. But their knowledge sure changed and their love of the Book of Mormon surely grew. They were also able to go to the temple on the ward temple trip. But they weren´t able to enter because they hadn´t been confirmed yet but it was definitely a great experience for them. This week we have a baptism for Rommel Chiliquinga. 

Sorry everything is always so short. Time here just blows by. I love you all so much. Remember to always say your prayers and read your scriptures. God blesses those who are obedient. :) Love you all tons from the pretty little city of Santa Rosa.

Love,

Hermana Pack :)

Feliz Día del Padre!!

Just some typical P day shopping hahahaha!

That day when we ate with a monkey....Just chillin on the back of my chair!!

Hey everyone!

SO first I wanna give a good shout out to dad for Fathers Day of which I am going to miss. Sorry I am going to miss it. I bet it is going to be amazing. If I were home I would buy you a nice big bag of Peanut M&Ms hahahaha!! So I guess you will just have to wait and I´ll bring home some yummy stuff from Ecuador. But Dad I want you to know how much I appreciate you. You really mean the world to me. I don´t know what I would do without you. I have learned so many important life skills from you and I am so grateful to have been blessed to receive you as my father. There isn´t any other better dad out there for me. I want you to know you have had a huge influence in my life and I am so grateful for all of the sacrifices you have made for me and for my siblings. Thank you so much and I hope you have an amazing Fathers Day!

I just love reading all about your lives. I am glad to hear all is well. I miss you guys tons and I am glad to hear all is well.

Just a great scenic view of Santa Rosa

Ecuador and Peru!!!

This last week I got transferred. I am now with my new companion Hermana Roncal from Lima, Peru. She is super super brilliant and has been such a blessing to have. We both work super differently but it is really cool to see us just fill in the spots where we lack.
I was super sad to get separated from Hermana Mann. She was amazing and meant a lot to me and still does. But she is still in Lilian Maria and I'm sure she's being super successful. My new sector is in Santa Rosa. It is really close to Machala where I was just at but it is a lot smaller. But my sector is just as large. It is a branch. Santa Rosa 3.

Hermano Martin with his two boys Junior and Oliver. I just love how happy they actually look!

  It isn´t a stake yet it is still a district. But something President Torres has really focused on is how he wants to strengthen the wards and branches. We all have a goal as members and missionaries to have 300 people regularly attending church and at least 25 active priesthood holders who pay tithing. This is a huge goal. This last week we had 143 people in our branch. The biggest thing is active tithe paying priesthood holders. It really blows my mind how much work there is to do here in the work of the Lord. He has so many plans for all of us.

This last week as Hermana Leader I was asked to go on exchanges with another set of Hermanas and it was super crazy. I loved it. It gives me time to meet their investigators and to see how they are doing and how their program is. It was a good opportunity for me. I have learned so much already about training from my companion. She has just a couple more weeks than me in the mission and I am so grateful for her. One day I seriously wanna go to Lima. It is crazy how many missionaries are here from Peru in this mission. SO MANY. Wayyyyy more than Utah haha! Peru is like the Utah of South America.

Anyway this last week I was lucky to be here for the baptism of Martin Narveaz. It was so cool to see his baptism. He was so excited to receive the Holy Ghost. It was adorable to see. I love seeing people excited to change their lives. His sons were baptized one year ago and at that time he had some problems with some of the commandments but he's now ready to be baptized. It was so cool to be there for it.

Right now we have a ton of investigators. I love it. I am so grateful to be here in Santa Rosa. Everyone has always talked about how awesome Machala and Santa Rosa are and now I get to be a part of it. Ahhhh! I am just so excited.

Yes this last week I hit 9 months.

Half-way! That is some crazy stuff right there. But hey everybody has got to take a 9 months picture :)

It kills me. It has passed by so quick. I hope the next 9 months go by slowly. I am not ready for it to end. I have SO SO SO much to do. I would love to have the opportunity to be here for 2 years like the boys. But the cool thing is getting to see the changing of lives.

Anyway I just want you all to know that I love you and most of all that God loves you. He wants all of you to know this and honestly that is why I am here. To preach the love of our dear Savior and Father in Heaven. I know this to be true. God sacrificed his Son to die for us out of the true love he has for us.

I miss you all and wish you the best week ever!

Love,

Hermana Pack

Hahahahaha I was dying because he literally was just chillin on my head and had just barely moved to the chair again!

PS- Oh and Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!! One day I hope to have the kind of love you guys have and for it to last as long as it has for you. Keep living strong and remember we are always given more time to become more and more closer to Christ and his loving attributes. I hope you are reading the Book of Mormon every night together. :)

Thank you for all that you guys have taught me!

Love you both!

A pretty humbling week for me.

Hola everyone!

Monkey lunch with Hermana Mann haha such good times!

 So this week has been a good week for me. A pretty humbling week for me. I saw parts of the sector that I had never seen before.

This is the typical house of Machala!!!! Our friend Marcos lives here!

Banana trees! This literally is our sector. LOVE it.

We have talked with some really great people. Right now we are working with a less active family and I just love every single one of them so much. They all mean so much to me. I just want the best for all of them. Something about sharing this happiness that I have just makes me so at peace and with joy. I love this gospel so much there is no other place I would want to be. Serving the Lord has been the best decision of my life. I feel like I have come to truly rely on the Lord in a form that I have never done before. Putting my confidence in the Lord has been so important for me. I really do want everyone I know to have this happiness. This really is joy. This plan that God has for us really is a plan of happiness. I know that my Savior lives and loves me so much. I know it to be true and that God wants the best for all of us. Each one of us has a purpose in this life and only God can show us what this purpose is and how we can achieve it. Every single soul is precious in the sight of God and sometimes we just have to figure it out. I know that God listens to my prayers and wants the absolute best for me and is always watching out for me.

Our weekly water. IT IS SO SO SO HEAVY! hahahaha!

Thank you all for your support. I love you all tons and wish the best for you.

Hermana Pack

Free Watermelon!! Gringa gratis :)

Our bat friend haha!! NASTY!

So we thought we found a dead bat in our sink when we got home one night..... 

little did we know. It wasn´t dead.....

Yeah my compaion is holding the ALIVE bat.

 

 

 SHE TOUCHED IT!!!!

The best Zone in all of the world. Zona Machala!!!!

The goodbye party for Elder Arriaga.

The pet of the house. Hahaha! He is always just chillin in the kitchen.