A double double take
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SANTIAGO, Chile — The scene one recent Monday in the hallways of the Church offices here had onlookers doing a double take. Not only did they see identical twin brothers Von and Lon Packard, former and current mission presidents in Santiago, but two sets of currently serving identical twin missionary sisters and elders.
Von Packard, who served as president of the Santiago North Mission 1993-1996, visited Chile with his wife, Ann. They live in Los Altos, Calif., where he is an attorney and partner in a law firm with his twin, Lon, and another brother, Ron.
"It is a source of strength and joy to know that your brother or sister is serving the Lord alongside you, even though they may be in a different mission or a different country," said President Lon Packard. "It's one of life's sweet blessings."
Identical twin sisters Melissa and Lydia Barton were just a couple of weeks away from heading back home to Blackfoot, Idaho, after serving 18 months as missionaries in the Santiago West and North missions. They're scheduled for the same flight, although their missions ordinarily have different schedules. They received their calls the same day and began their missions the same day.
The 19-year-old Van Vranken twins — Nathan, serving in the Chile Santiago North Mission as his brother, Tyler, serving in Chile Santiago West Mission— received their calls the same day and entered the Missionary Training Center Oct. 11, 2006. They arrived in Chile in December, a day apart.
Also serving in Santiago are the Tapayuri brothers, Edward, 22, and Moises, 24, from Iquitos, Peru, who are both serving in the Santiago West mission. Elder Russell Ahlberg of the Santiago East Mission and Elder Keaton Wagner of the West mission are step-brothers serving from Riverton, Utah.
