Hello from München Deutchland!

Hello from München Deutchland!

OH MY GOODNESS IM HERE! 

      First, I owe my companion the right to be mentioned first.  She is a straight miracle and tender mercy from Father.  Her name is Sister Rebecca Smith and comes from Logan.  She's 22 and has been here 12 weeks before me. She was a fast track missionary!  I've never been so loved by a stranger before.  Whoever my future husband and kids will be even more blessed by how much I'm changing with her!
     Second, I'm in Europe.  It is UNreal here.  The moment I came off the plane, It all turned into a dream.  We landed safely in Amsterdam, Netherlands, all I heard was Dutch.  I just had the biggest grin on my face.  Couldn't understand a thing, but it was real!  People do live in languages other than English!  Haha, but seriously.  Seriously.  It's so incredibly, indescribably, breathtakingly, insurmountably BEAUTIFUL.  Everything is older than all of America combined and it has this grand Disneyland, but older, kind of beauty that cannot be described.  Ya, mom it feels just like a place with so much history and personality.  Everywhere we go, I'm in awe at what I see.  Ok, Jessie.  I'm pretty sure if I'm dying to take pictures of every leaf and fence here, you'd be dead.  

     I am assigned to work in the München 3rd Ward!  Uncle Scott, you will be the first to hear if I go to Österreich later!  I spoke in church yesterday WOOT!  I was shaking like a leaf haha but I spoke on patience which has been the theme of my life these past 7 weeks.  I love speaking!  In German its a little different but just as beautiful.  Haha guess what?  I guess it's been record breaking temperatures here this past week (about 35 degrees C, 95-100 degrees F) which may not seem that hot, but with humidity, we melt :).  Everywhere we go.  Our skin is great!  And ha fun fact!  AC does not exist.  And neither does ice.  Both are unhealthy :).  So I'm apparently in better health than you all.  Even right now sitting in a puddle of sweat in this lovely internet cafe.  Haha, but hey, fans exist!  I don't bathe by bucket or have bugs crawling in and out of my hammock :).  I'm very grateful!  I actually said again to myself last night with Sister Smith, "Oh, man, I'm actually a missionary.  I've only seen videos of missionaries walking up streets like us.  But we're actually here doing it."  

Miracles this week:

     My first day here, Sister Smith and I are rolling my suitcases to the apartment in the blazing heat and we meet a black man and an Italian woman.  They came up to us and asked if we could help the woman who had severe depression.  We said we'd love to try!  We promised to meet them back at their apartment in 15.  We get there and teach a lesson while she's having a really hard time sitting and focussing.  They were Stanly and Valentina.  The lesson was great!  We talked about the Book of Mormon and that if she read it, she'd get help.  We told her we'd come back the next day and give her an Italian one.  We're trying to get a hold of Stanly, but he doesn't seem to have as much interest.  We've visited with Valentina 3 times and made progress!  She is very bright.  I am familiar with ADD or ADHD and we just played the game you play with some kids where you keep em interested!  I'm so grateful for the examples in my life who have gone through depression.  It doesn't make people ANY less capable of understanding faith, prayer, and trusting in God.  She totally gets it and was right there with us.  So exciting!!  First, I asked myself, what are her needs?  She was scared to find a job and not be liked in Italy.  I pulled out the story when Lehi and the family left Jerusalem.  We got right to her level and talked about it.  We read 1 Nephi 2:15-20.  It was hard for Nephi too to leave it all behind.  Same emotions as his brothers.  The difference was that he asked for the Lord to show him why it was important and to understand.  The Lord answered and told him he would be promised a choice land and prosperity.  We taught Valenina about prayer and doing what's right and how it brings prosperity.  She sat and listened and got it!  1+1=2 :).  If people are open, you find out what they need, link that to the gospel and it makes sense.  Not always that fast, but it was neat to see that.  She went back to Italy yesterday and we don't know what she'll do with the church, but she's got a Book of Mormon, knows about lds.org and mormon.org, knows how to pray, wrote down what she learned with us, and knows a little bit about Nephi and Lehi :).  We're plantin' those seeds! 
     SO many other miracles.  This work is marvelous and there's no place I'd rather be, no language I'd rather learn, no people I'd rather talk with every day :).  That's another thing I learned.  People are people wherever you are.  It's not so scary when you put it that way :).  

     Loves to you all!  Bis nächste woche!

                    Sister Packer

p.s. THANK you so much mom and fam.  I know I ask and sometimes communication is not always clear.  But Im doing perfect.  The Lord is with us.  Ive never felt so safe.  It was so so good to talk with you last week.  Im praying for you all! 

p.s.s. I uploaded some pics on drob box finally!