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3-2-09

Dear Family and Friends,                                                                   

 This week was a good one. I was on exchanges on the other end of the zone for a couple of days and then the rest of the week I was back in Mt. Vernon. One of the guys I’ve been working with for a while now had made more of a commitment to trying the church out a couple weeks and since then he’s been doing great. His name is Ralph and in the last two weeks, he’s seen his life get better as he’s been taking lessons and coming to church. He was always willing to listen, but not very interested, and in the last two weeks, he’s become solid.  He’s a lot happier and random things for him have lined up lately so he realized he’s doing a good thing. It’s been neat watching him see the blessings and his countenance change. But the best part was the last two days when he was baptized and confirmed. He even heard about Fast Sunday and fasted yesterday. He’s awesome. The blessings from living the Gospel have been so apparent in him. He’s happier and much more driven than when I first met him. Yesterday was the last day he could stay at his old place and yesterday a recent convert in the other Mt. Vernon ward took him in. It’s great.

 The sister missionaries in the zone are on fire and baptized three people the other day and a few hours earlier, a husband and wife were baptized in the same font. That day we had six people baptized in three baptisms throughout the zone and luckily I got to be at all of them. 

At church yesterday, after Ralph was confirmed at Sacrament Meeting, I saw Jesse and Mallory both in the congregation, as usual, but it hit me what an individual difference I had helped make for them. It was awesome. Jesse’s great. He’s at church every week, and Mallory’s dad has become active. We went to Ralph’s place tonight and he’s so solid. He wanted to make sure he fasted right. He’s happier than I’ve ever seen him, and he said he wanted to serve a mission. If he did, we could be out at the same time. He’s the man. 

Missionary work has blossomed my testimony. I’ve seen the powers of Satan every day working on those we’re teaching and on me, but the things I’ve seen the Lord do have been incomparable. Nothing that I’ll ever do will be as meaningful and impacting as missionary work. It’s the best. The more I lose myself in service, the more I grow and learn. The message of the Restored Gospel is so important. If we aren’t sharing it, we’re doing those around us a disservice that the Lord has placed in our path. (D&C 88:81: Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.) 

 MISSIONS ARE THE COOLEST THINGS EVER!

Thanks again for everything. I LOVE YOU ALL!

 

Elder Packer