Family,
This work continues to amaze me. Every day I think, I have not done one hundredth part of missionary work here in Europe as the Lord has done on me. I can hardly express the gratitude I felt this week looking at the person I've become. I am definitely not the same Coco as when I first came out!
It was super windy this week. SO WINDY. We were talking to an older gentleman and, besides his very thick Vienerish accent, the wind was going craaazy. I couldn't understand everything, but he asked if we could pray for him. We said we would.
Sister Friedrichs are just chugging away with English and German. We had two English speaking days to give her a chance to practice. She's getting better!
Sometimes when we accomplish something, we deserve to tell ourselves we did a good job. I'm working at working out more consistently and to celebrate, ate 2 oreos in my cereal for breakfast.
This week we learned something at Zone Training that I thought was cool! Two Elders taught us a principle and used an analogy. I would like to use this same one. First, think about your favorite amusement park. Disneyland, Six Flags, California Adventures, Disney World...etc? When you'd go to Disneyland, like my family did, what was your favorite ride? Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, the Screamer? Did you use fast passes like we did? How do you plan as a family to go through the whole park? I know we wanted to use the time we had in the park the best we could because it could be another year or two before you'd go back. Think now to how you act in an amusement park. Would you take naps at Disneyland? Is that a question?? Would you walk slowly just gazing off into the distance wishing the day would go faster? Would you take time to ride on one ride that was the busiest when you could ride three in the same time? You'd plan it out right? You'd scope it, fix it, alter it. Or else wish you had after the trip :).
Now, think about your life as an amusement park. How do we treat our privilege of living our lives? How do we treat the privilege of being a mom? A dad? A grandma? A grandpa? A sister? A brother? How do we treat our lives after serving a as a missionary? How do we treat our lives while being a citizen of the United States? A free citizen? An English speaker? How do we treat our lives as being a free receptor to revelation? To being a member of the church? How to we treat the privelge of being able to actively partake of the Sacrament? Of being a witness to the change that takes place through through this sacred ordinance? Through the miraculous power of the Atonement? I learned a new perspective this week. If I, as a missionary, lived in the city of Vienna, Austria (THE Vienna of Austria), how would I treat that differently if I understood what that meant, where I served, what I do? How would I treat my time here differently if I treated it with the same enthusiasm I would in a theme park? Would I count the time? Heck no! I savor every moment! I'd plan my guts out to see every member in the ward, get to know them, serve them, love them. I'd see that the work here is the same work as every other mission just in a different setting. I'd see that every mistake made is an opportunity to learn! I'd see that every companion, missionary was here for me to teach me and bless me! I'd know all this because of one thing Because of one thing: The Atonement of Christ works! I want to simply bear my testimony about the Atonement and of the Love of our Savior and God. They LOVE us. They always will and listen to every prayer. I realized that sometimes I forget that their will IS the happiest way to go. I learned again that what I do shows that love I have for them. I keep the commandments when I pray and truly give all those hard times to Him. I'm so grateful for that. I know He lives and comforts me when faint. He lives to hear my soul's complaint. He lives, my hungry soul to feed. He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. In His name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Sister Nicole Packer
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