The Week of Tears :(

Oct 22, 2014

The feedback about my arranged marriages was........entertaining, but Nana's response certainly takes the cake! "I am glad you have such a variety of husbands to choose from; that always helps....."

Ugh it's so hard to say goodbye! I'm moving back here.......I WILL live in this Ward at some point.

This week has been CRAZY and I had my first experience with the Holy Ghost yelling at me. Wanna hear?

It was about 8:00 and pitch black. We've been really struggling finding good uses of time when our plans fall through, and it's so dark and not very safe. But we had the bright idea to go visit less-actives, perspective Elders, and part-member families. We started driving to a home and I thought out loud,

"It's probably not the best idea for us to be going this late to homes that we don't know anything about."

2 more minutes up the road we both get this feeling of absolute unsafe-ness. I don't even know how to describe it. We both hear

"TURN AROUND." 

So we look at each other and say,

"Let's not go there."

So we turned around and pulled over to talk about where we should go instead, and at the exact same time we both hear, 

"MOVE NOW." 

And that same crazy scared feeling came, so we started driving pretty fast. But it was only about 8:15 at that point so we headed towards an investigators house because we wanted to be good misisonaries. As we pull up we get that same feeling and this time it was, 

"GO HOME." 

So we got home, turned on all the lights, prayed, turned on happy music, and called President :)

I've never had an experience like that. And I will never forget it.
The Holy Ghost protects us from danger. We will never know what we were being protected from, but from the feeling I got I'm really glad we were :)

Everyone just makes me cry and not want to leave! I'm going to miss Juniper's baptism by 3 days!!! But that's ok.

Oh yeah! Wanna hear where I'm going?????? It's just a little different from Pulaski. I'm headed to one of the nicest areas in the mission. It's the nicest apartment in the mission. I'm headed to Forest, Virginia in Lynchburg! A nice rockin family ward. It's also right next to a Baptist college. So that'll be fun. I'll be serving with a missionary who came out right after me and supposedly we're very similar and should get along great.....that's always nice to hear.

But Dublin will always be dear to my heart. The Morgan's sent me off with a bonfire of course! And the Martin's came :) Cuz they love me too. And they're all best friends now :)

Kathy's brother Sammy is awesome!!!!!! We spent some time teaching him this past week and a half and he wants to be baptized! I'm sad I won't be able to be there for the rest of his teaching and growing, but I'm excited for them all. Kathy is jumping out of her seat every lesson and so excited to share what she knows :)

Michele and Joe sent me off with a bang. I GOT TO RAKE LEAVES FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE! And then the yard was full of leaves again 2 hours later (we drove by and checked). Everyone makes fun of me but it's not my fault! Leaves don't fall in California.

I also have been using and umbrella and wearing boots. Like a lot. It's COLD!

(Brother-in-law)   Spencer was in Blacksburg again and dropped off a goodie bag at our door :)

Which brings me to my next point. People. I love sweets, we all know that. I'm getting fat. I don't want to get fat and then with 6 months left be a standard missionary and have to think "6 months to sexy." It's a real thing. Missionaries starve themselves. Don't make me fat! No SWEETS! Please? We all know how I am. I can't just eat one and have moderation. I sit there and eat until I'm sick, then I eat a piece of bread or something, wait 15 minutes, then shove it in again. They're just so delicious......

But if anyone wants to send anything the address is

888 Oakwood Rd Suite 310, Charleston, WV 25314.

Anything sent there will get to me.

LOVE YOU ALL!

-Sister Packard

Best:
1. Kathy's deep fried oreos (it's a problem people).
2. First Saturday night session of Stake Conference EVER.
3. I'm pretty much all packed.
4. I lost my scriptures, but because of that a less-active gave me a brand new pair and I know that sounds weird, but it was big for him. His daughter told me later that I had to take them because she's never seen him care about anything like that so it's important.
5. I RAKED LEAVES.
6. Everyone in our zone except the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders will be training brand new missionaries this next transfer. Because it's rocking and rolling here!

Worst:
1. I'm leaving Pulaski.
2. Kathy's driving me to the bus tomorrow and going to make me cry.
3. My head hurts....... :(