"I LOVED the package!" (SP)

Hey all!

     K seriously.  Another full week that feels like a year has gone by.  So cool!  Days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days.  THE weirdest feeling ever.  But I love being a missionary!
       Family, I LOVED the package!  Danielle, THANK YOU for the cookies!!  I loved them :D.  Oh, family, you'll also be "proud" to read that I've had more sugar in the MTC than probably any time of my LIFE.  I'm enjoying my food haha :).  Ok, and anyone reading this, send missionaries packages.  It's better than Christmas as many RM's know :).

     Story for you.  Two days ago (June 24) was busy as usual, but especially hard because I'd felt the prompting to make a change that was seemingly unimportant.  You know that feeling that you get when things and the "flow" of your day/week just doesn't click?  Like you get up, do everything, but you just forget a few things that are SO important etc etc?  Monday was like that.  I was very obedient, but could STILL feel this "off" feeling.
      I thought back to that thing I needed to change and finally decided to take action and shift.  I talked to one of my German teachers about it for like the third time and, NOT kidding, SECONDS after we talked, I hear from our district leader (who picks up the mail) that there's a small package for me.  I go back into our classroom and find a small envelope package from Sister KING from Espania!!  Of all people, your best friend who's also on a mission is one of the best you can hear from.  I knew immediately that it was a sign from the Lord that choosing to follow that ever so slight prompting was another puzzle piece of being exactly obedient.  Father knew that I was testing out and learning exactly WHAT being exactly obedience entails.  I was overcome with joy and peace.  Ok, for the LIFE of me I couldn't find that scripture that says, As soon as you follow the spirit, He doth immediately bless you in D&C.  But THAT one is what came to mind.  I know the Lord wants us to see and understand that being obedient is a HAPPY thing!  It's not to aggravate us.  I knew that, but I'm now seeing it in the woodwork.

     But there's more!  We went and retrieved a package that I'd been waiting to pick up for FOUR days.  If you are ANYONE, that's an eternity.  But me and my two comps seriously could not find the time to go and get it.  That's not an accident.  I know that the work and our lives run with a fluidity that only the Spirit provides when we're doing exactly what WE KNOW we should do.  He teaches us along the way and expects nothing more than that.  There's a quote by Cecil something (used to be a president at BYU) [President Samuelson] that basically says, 'Just as we're not entitled to lower the standard the Lord has set, we're also not entitled to raise it.'  Do what you can, pray, and have HOPE that you never need to put on that face that everything is ok but it's really not.  

     Fetching, if you're trying to do everything yourself, cut yourself some slack and take a chill.  That's what the Atonement's for.  And God's Grace.  I've known that, but I'm seeing it again in finer print.  I'm definitely not pushing myself to do more than I'm able and the work is not overwhelming.  It's like every person has a certain distance in a race that's unique for them and they try to run more or less that what that race entails.  Sometimes we run slower than the race demands and sometimes we're kicking our butts to run a 100M race that is really 400M.  I love the Gospel :).

     So, companionship inventory?  Remember how I said I thought I could get along with pretty much everyone?  MAYBE I just said that to myself.  Um, HOLY backfire.  Hahahahahaha!!  I have two comps like I said earlier, Sister Lewis (from Orem) and Sister Kirvenen (from Finland).  Me and Sister Kirvenen were NOT the best of friends after a week.  Last Thursday was the peak of it and I KNOW it was divine help to have a third companion added before this happened haha.  We had a comp inventory that night and OH mama.  Tears, emotions, frustration, fear, deep depression in fact!  (butchered, but quote for Lydia from Chicken Little)  Haha Mom, I don't know WHAT the English or even Irish had against the Fins back a bazillion years ago, but I think it came up at our comp inventory.  Hahahaha we talked, got out our judgements, moved on, and I'm not kidding, we're all three the BEST friends I've almost ever had.  Hopefully some ancestral past fights were cleared some.  It was bad but we talk and laugh about it now.  It is a witness that you could marry ANYone that has the same standards and make it work.  Oh man.  Heavenly Father has a sense of humor like no one I know.

     Jake!!  Congrats on going through the temple!!  I wish I could have been there.  I'm working hard in the ranks waitin for ya :).  Broadcast on Sunday??  SO good!!  So so so good.  It was a sweet experience for me to see Grandpa Packer speak!  I totally bawled when he spoke.  So much power and exactly what I needed to hear.  I know that the best place I could be is HERE.  I'm not missing out on anything at home.  It's fun to hear about it and yesterday was actually the first bit of homesickness I've felt this whole time.  But I know I've got other experiences for me here.  Oh and Janice Kapp Perry came to speak last night at Devo (devotional).  Bawled my eyes out.

     The church is true and the book is blue.  Viel Glaub!  Til next woche!

            Sister Nicole Packer

Sister Kirvenen, Sister Lewis and Me!  Love these girls!