Happy through Rejections! (SP)

Dear the rest of the family,

This little town is so cute and full of wonderful people.  Not everyone wants to hear about the gospel, but at least they're nice about it.  It's been interesting the last few days because NO ONE has accepted a Book of Mormon until yesterday even after persistant effort and testimony bearing.  The other day this one lady with stroller was SO cute and kept smiling and telling us, ''Wow you just radiate and seem so happy!  You can just see it in your faces.''  We bore sincere tesimony that the Book of Mormon was the reason.  She said as nice as barbie, ''Ah, well, have a good day.''  Us confused and not about to let her slip away: ''Hey, this happiness can be yours.  It comes from this book.  We'd love to give you this and come by another time.''  Her:  ''Oh, no thanks.  I'll stay in my religion.''  WHAT??  HOLY COW.  We were blown away.  People SEE THE DANG LIGHT coming off our faces and STILL say no.  WHAT kind of SLIME is Satan putting in these people's heads??  Then last night our district leader Elder Phillips laughed and as we asked about people we could pray for, he said, ''You can pray for Johnson.  Pray that he'll answer his phone and actually show up to appointments! :)''  My favorite was that his reply was all positive and cheery.  Haha, poor missionaries.  The work still amazes me and I love it more and more despite days of rejection.  My testimony is ever stronger!  Each rejection is just a chance for me to tune up my testifying and question skills for those that really are ready and need a specific response. 

I'm so grateful for the knowledge of the gospel.  Sometimes I look around and wonder how so many people could truly be allowed to live in darkness by the hand of the Lord especially when we are doing what we can to help them.  But the Lord gave me comforting words yesterday.  All things are in Order.  All things are in His hands.  All things happen for wise purposes that I may not understand.  But God still loves His children.  He still has provided a way for ALL, not some but ALL of His children to return and be saved.  ''For behold this is my work and MY glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.'' (Moses 1:39)  I trust in that!  It can only start with me!  I can't choose for other people, and I can't sit and cry all day about all the darkness everyone sits in.  I can mourn for them, then pick myself up, brush my tears, strap on my boots, deepen MY knowledge and get to work.  What an opportunity for me to learn that.  The Lord loves me even more.  I leave my testimony that this work is true!  How could it not be?  How could Joseph Smith write the Book of Mormon?  It's either from God, or it's not as Elder Walker put it in conference.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Nat!!!  CONGRATS!!  I LOVED THE PICS!!  Lyd and Jess, so fun to sing at the Tabernacle again!!  Tell Bro Eggett and Suanne and Jodi I say hi.  And I love them and miss them so much.  I think on my UVCC and LDC experiences OFTEN and tell ALL my companions about it.  Those mini missions prepared me for THIS moment!  They are doing an inspired work!

Items of business:

Could I get Julian Kurcher's email?  I think it's somewhere in my sipyourcoco email.

I think I want to go to BYU-I when I get home.  

Love you all!!

Love,

Sister Co Packer