Grand Missionary Adventures: December 10, 2012 Letter

Hey there familia and amigos!!

Well, there really isn't that much to say about this week. We've been taking it really easy with Sister Khaled feeling so down and out. So Monday we went to Dr. Laufer - this fancy schmancy doctor who's the leading in his field to try and figure out if this really is what we think it is. He gave Sis. K some pills to help but after almost a week of not getting any better, we made another call to Sister Hatch who then arranged to do the surgery next Wednesday (in 2 days now). So, she's going in for a laproscopy on Wednsday and if it's Endomitriosis like we think it is they'll be able to take care of it while they're still in there diagnosing. We'll rest up in the hospital for a couple hours after, then head home. She'll be on some heavy meds for a couple days and they said the full recovery is about 5-6 days. Most people can go back to work or school the following Monday. That's great news for us - I really hope this does the trick!

Sister Packard was pretty worried about Sis. Khaled and decided to have us come to the mission home - so we came here on Tuesday and we've been kickin' it here ever since. We've only been home once since then - kinda weird but really cool. It's been good for me because being here makes it a little easier to deal with the down time - for starters there's not as much here. There's always something to do! Michael LOVES playing Monopoly and the Packards love playing games and there have been lots of things to do to help with the Christmas conference coming up. So we're keeping a little bit busy with busywork.

I love being with the Packards. They are such a great family - there's always something to learn from them and from their examples. President is constantly throwing out future family advice to us - "Now don't forget that when you have kids it's important..." and "You're husband will always be...." sorts of things based on his own experience. The whole family is just overflowing with Spiritual knowledge and insight. The best part of the week has been sitting in on the Packard scripture study sessions. has definitely redefined the way I look at the scriptures and helped me to really understand and not just skim them. We've gotten to hear all of President Packard's plans for his big Christmas talk at our Christmas conference on Tuesday. He's been reading up about the story of Christ's birth and has realized, with some help from a book that he's reading, just how humble and even humiliating the actual birth of Christ must have been. It was really very humble circumstances. And either Mary didn't tell her family that the baby she was carrying was Christ's son or they certainly didn't believe her. Think about it. If they had known and believed her, there is NO WAY they would have sent her off on a donkey to give birth in a barn with no midwife "no nothin!" as President Packard says. It certainly was a humble circumstance. As I have learned more about it it has driven me to be more humble and to be more meek and lowly. I know that as to my strength I am weak. But I will boast of my God and of my Savior because in them I can become strong.

I am so grateful for this time of year - for the joy and the peace that the season brings. I got the chance to go to a Christmas concert last night for a Relief Society choir that has been practicing for several months now. It was amazing! There is a lot of talent here. It definitely got me excited to get back into practicing the piano. This week I've had a few hours when we've been here alone at the Packard House to just play to my hearts' content. I do love music and the happiness it brings me.

Our district is amazing - they know that we're stuck here in Needham for our p-day so they're going to come and play board games and just chillax here :) It's going to be fun!!

Much love ya'll!!

Sister Palmer