One Year DONE!!!!!!

Hola,                                                                             Sept. 8, 2014

I hope all is well this week! My life is super great here. I am still in Machala with my companion Hermana Teban. She kills me. So funny. Super quiet but when she talks she is hysterical. 

Mom thanks for the photos! You guys looked great!

Dad I loved the info about the car. I am super excited to see it. I love that car so much. So many good memories with that car. Thanks for keeping it up for me dad. I also hope you have a good trip and fly safely. I am sure mom is excited to have you home for a bit afterwards. 

This week, I have been able to learn a lot about life. But something I have really put a lot of thought into is the act of gratitude. So this past week I have really been trying to read general conference talks from this last conference. And I only have them in Spanish so hopefully I can think of all the words in Spanish. But the talk that I was in love with is by Dieter F Uchtdorf. He talks about the act of gratitude and I absolutely love it. There are so many things to be grateful for in this world and Especially in the mission. I am so grateful to be here. I am grateful to have this true and living gospel upon the Earth. I am grateful for all of the support I have at home and I am so grateful to be here in this mission. I know that it truly is inspired for me to be here. I love this gospel so much!!

Birthday breakfast for Hermana Mann

With Hermana Mann again :) Love this girl.

This past week was the baptism of Vanessa Castro and we have been teaching her boyfriend as well and had many really deep conversations about the teachings of Christ and I can honestly say that for anyone who doubts if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints really is the true and living Church of Christ, all you have to do it read the book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true. This really is the key of our religion and can save you from any pain and sorrow you have in your life. This book brings so much happiness into 

 

a person's life.

Anyway, talk to you next week.

One year..... What.... Where did the time go.....?

Love you all tons!

Hermana Pack

 

Heyyyyyyyy,                                                                             Sept. 1, 2014
I love you all tons and this week has been super good.

I have had a great time working with Hermana Teban. I really do enjoy working with her. She is pretty fun. She is super super quiet and pretty timid. But I like working with her. She has had more time than me in the mission and it has been an adventure. This sector is really great. The members are really loving and I really appreciate it. 

Mom I started crying this week while talking with the relief society president because I told her that you wrote me saying that every time you feed the missionaries that you hope that someone is helping me or feeding me. And honestly she is like our mom here and she is so willing to help always. I told her that she was an answer to my mom`s prayer. And let me just say she started crying and then I cried. And well it was a good time. Hahaha! So I just want you to know that I constantly receive love here. The relief society president looks exactly like Aunt Tammy. It literally is a Hispanic version of Aunt Tammy. hahaha it is kinda crazy.

But I really do love being here. This week we have a baptism with a girl named Vanessa Castro, her mom got baptized this last week and she is so excited. She cannot wait. She is 18 years old and wants to serve a mission. I have loved teaching her. Her brother  is preparing for baptism. It has been so difficult teaching him. But it has really kept me up on my bible reading hahaha. 

I would love it if you guys could pray for her this week! Thanks!

I hope you all have a really happy Labor Day! Dad I loved your story. It makes me want to write in my journal more.

Love you all tons,

Hermana Pack

Another amazing week here in the life of Ecuador.

August 18
Hola,

Well I would just like to start off with saying how much I love you all and how grateful I am to have you all. I wouldn`t want another family ever. I just love ya all tons.

I loved the pictures of back to school. How sad. I can`t believe it is already another school year. 

Hey mom speaking of school year. I have done a ton ton ton of thinking and praying about what I am going to do when I get home. Mom I don`t think I am going to extend the mission. I will only do it if the president asks me. Which means there is a slight possibility, but I am not going to personally ask. Which means I will get home either the last week of February or the first week of March. Hopefully I`ll be back for your Birthday Danielle :) But this also means I will be back for the new school year. But I will only have a few weeks to prepare. Mom I would really appreciate it if you could talk to BYU and tell them that I won`t be going back in the spring semester. I need to work to have the money to go to school. I won`t have any when getting back and I will need to work. So I would appreciate it if you could let BYU know that I won`t be returning until Winter 2016. Thanks.

Anyway I have been meaning to write that forever but haven`t had the time. thanks.

The store I have used in basically all of my sectors here in Ecuador. Tìa. haha

Oh and I was transferred again. Right now I am in Machala again :)Yay!! I was excited to come back to Machala. But now I am in the ward Aurora. Like the street name haha. But it is a really great ward. And not only that I am in a trio with Hermana Carollo and Hermana Teban.Hermana Carollo for only a week in Cuenca. She is from Colorado and Hermana Teban is from El Salvador. I am so excited to be with them. I thought being in a trio would be really difficult and not any fun. But I love it!! It is so chill... :) But this week we have 7 baptisms. I am so lucky to have been a part of their conversion process. There is a family of 4 that are going to be baptized. I am so happy for them. I couldn`t be more excited to be here in Machala!

Check out all of these birds.... SO MANY!

Anyway life has been so good to me here. I was grateful to have been transferred and to be here with these amazing hermanas. 

I love you all tons and appreciate all of your prayers! And for everything.

Love,

Hermana Pack

Hermana Teban with the cutest little kitten

 

 

 Hey everyone,                                                                                         August 25

The most amazing famliy I have ever met. I love every single one of them so much. Veronica her husband Claudio and their sons Cristopher and Jean Pierre and the little one Matias

Blanca Castro :)

Well we had cambios (transfers) again.... UGH. Hermana Carollo got sent to Santa Rosa. Poor thing. All I know is that she was so sad and did not want to leave here. But now it is just me and Hermana Teban. Man I love this girl. She is great. I love her. She is super quiet. She has had a little more time than I do. I will be right at one year this week.... It is crazy to think that this time last year I was getting on a plane to head off to Mexico. Man time is so so so fast!

But this week was CRAZY. Probably on of the most crazy of my life. well of my mission life. Preparing 7 people for baptism was absolutely crazy. I felt so overwhelmed but luckily my companion is super chill. All went well and the baptism was amazing!!! The ward really pitched in. It was the first baptism in about four months here.

But we were able to baptize 7 amazing souls. It was the first time I was able to be a part of a baptism of an entire family. I felt so so blessed. This gospel really blesses families and I could really feel it as I have been able to teach them. I love every single one of them with all of my heart. I couldn`t have been more excited to be here.

I was also able to work with Daniela Soto and her family. Her family is a little less active but she is just loving the gospel. She loves it so much and wants to help her family along. I have loved being able to teach her.

Along with Maria Elena and Blanca. I just can`t believe how blessed I have been. I just couldn`t be more grateful. This ward is really amazing. We had over 75 people in the baptism I couldn`t even believe it. And they also pitched in and bought food for afterwards. Which is of course rice and chicken hahahahaha. too great.

But it all is good.
I love this mission so much. I love being here and that I have been able to be here in Aurora. 

Mom I wasn`t robbed here in Machala that was Cuenca hahaha. But yeah life here is good. Oh and guess what I live with Hermana Mann again hahahahaha. Good times. I was so excited to see her again.

I just hope I don`t get transferred any time soon.

Anyway I love you all tons and please pray for me and my companion! I wish the best for you all!

Hermana Pack

The family Ruiz again!

Dayron and Ainoa the cutest little kids! Grandkids of Maria Elena Naranjo.

Hermana Maria Elena Naranjo. Man I love these people so much.

Daniela Soto :) All of her family are members, and she was one of the last to get baptized.

Happy Birthday to me!!

In Guayaquil with the zone leaders of Santa Rosa Norte!

In Guayaquil en consejo de lideres con Hermana Mosley

Love them so much!!!

 

Aug. 4

Hey,

Steven Jimenez and his Mom for his baptism!!!

Steven with Marcos and Gorge Allen. They are practically his older brothers! So cute.

I am in Guayaquil for a meeting of leaders and this week has been really good! We had another baptism this week of Junior Bohorquez. It was the most adorable little baptism. He is a brother of Yamilet and Yulecxi and it was a really good baptism.

This week we have the baptism of Melanny Ramirez and I would love it if you guys could pray for her! I am super excited for her. She really is excited for her baptism.

The baptism of Melanny Ramirez and all of her family!! She was baptized by her Uncle who was baptized a couple weeks ago!! It was such a great baptism. :) This family has so much of my heart. I love every single one of them so much!!!

Cumpleaños de Junior!!!

This last week really has been crazy the assistants to the presidents came to my sector to meet my investigators during the week and let me tell you, boy lots of pressure... la plena. But it has been a good week.  I just would like you all to know how jealous I am that you guys were able to be in Idaho all together. I wish I could have been there with everyone. Wahhh!! But let everyone know I love them.

Hey so today we had a huge meeting as leaders and I would just like you to know how much I love this gospel and that I am here in Ecuador. I love love love it here. There is nowhere else I would like to be. I know that I was called to be here for a reason.

Life with Hermana Angulo!

Headed off to Guayaquil with the Zone leaders Elder Ucharima from Peru and Elder Kindred from San Diego.

Cumpleaños de Elder Ucharima hahaha Comprabamos la torta... que rico.... :)

With Hermano Marcos and his sons!

LOVIN MISSION LIFE!!

Love ya

Hermana Pack

Hey just thought I would let you know I`ll be 20 the next time I write....WHAAAAAT????? So old.

 

Aug. 11

 

Hey,
SO this is gonna be another short one sorry. But I love you all tons. THANK YOU SO MUCH! for the birthday wishes. It was an amazing birthday. Don´t worry I ate enough food this day to feed 10 people. SO MUCH FOOD.

Pizza for my birthday yummmmm!!

But we also had two baptisms this past week of Steven and Melanny. It was so good. I felt the spirit so strong and there is nowhere else I would like to have spent my birthday. I know this is the true gospel.

I am glad that everything went well with the trip. Dad you sure had me scared about my car. I was thinking it was done for. I will probably cry when that day comes. Man I love that car. I am also happy to hear Neil wen to Nauvoo. I am totally jealous. I can´t wait to go to the temple again. I sure miss it. It has been a long time since I have been to the temple.

Probably my favorite soup in Ecuador Caldo de Bola and we made it :) We finally learned how to do it. I am so making it when I get home.

The cake they bought me. It is alled tres leches It was pretty dang good!

It is the custom here to have the birthday person take the first bite of the cake and then they smash their face into the cake.... Gracias to my companion.

Birthday Cake that the zone leaders bought me :)

I am still in Santa Rosa and I love it here. I will be so sad when I have to leave here. I love this city so much. I love the people here so much as well. I have made some pretty amazing friends here. There are definitely people I will never forget here. I just know that a lot of the people I meet here I have met at one time before this life. It just makes me so happy to see the change in so many peoples lives.

Thank you for all of your love and prayers.

My lovely shoes of which I have now thrown away. Man I loved these shoes......

Mom the only thing I would totally love in a package is peanut butter. :) And letters from you guys. That is definitely my favorite part!!

Baby colored chicks :) Such vibrant colors!!!

Love you all tons!

Hermana Pack

I hope you all love my photos for this week :) I tried to capture and send everything!