First things first… ¡Feliz cumpleaños a Emily! [Happy birthday to Emily] I hope that it will be a great one! I know as an adult they’re not the same, but for me I enjoy reflecting on all the things that have past… and you have more of a past to reflect on than I do. he he he I love you, Emily.

This week has been well, I had a reunion on Thursday at the temple for mission leaders, which happens every 6 months. It was great. I went with Elder King and Elder Galiana and my companion worked with the missionaries in our district for the day. So there was only about 35 missionaries there and one of the area authorities came and spoke to us as well as the mission President, the director of the visitors center and the assistants to the Pres. I was also asked by the visitors center Director to share about the open house we held last month in our church and how we baptized one of the families that came and 2 other families came to church several times and went to the visitors center in the D.F. It is the only visitors center in Mexico and Latin America, so the area authorities are working to try and help us take advantage of this great missionary tool we have in our mission.

Elder Carbara, who spoke to us in this meeting gave a great example about repentance and how sometimes we grow accustomed to bad habits we need to change. Ex. Have you ever walked into a house where there was a little bit of gas leaking? You can notice the strong smell instantly, however if you stay in its presence your senses grow accustomed and you stop noticing the smell. When we allow ourselves to stop doing thing we should (like praying sincerely, taking the time to study the scriptures every day and enjoying it, going to church, etc.) we grow accustomed and stop recognizing that there is a problem. However, just because the gas is no longer smelt doesn’t mean that the hazard isn’t real, in fact with more time the gas collects more potent and is all the more dangerous. Is there anything that you can change in your life? Yes… of course there is! What are 5 of them? The first step to repentance (a sincere change) is to RECOGNIZE there is something wrong.

I pray that we can all better our lives by “awakening our senses” and looking for the things we need to change, and doing it. Repentance and change is one of the most spiritual experiences we can have. God is happy when we repent, we are happy when we repent, He will help us, the sacrifice of Jesus enables us to change. Without repentance we cannot accept nor apply His sacrifice in our lives. I know that repentance is necessary for our personal progress and is made possible through Jesus Christ!

I love you all so must and am truly grateful you are my family!

-Bryce

It sounds like things are [happening] all over there. Heather and mom improving the everything, dad in Seattle [visiting Emily's family], and Kerry and Ceci getting ready to go to Peru. What excitement!

Nothing too crazy has happened in the past week. This week we are marrying a couple, and on thursday, we have to go to Mexico D.F. for a conference for all of the leaders in the mission.

Today I got a call from the Mission President, telling me that the grandfather of one of the missionaries in my district died (luckily I was in the church with that missionary when the Pres. called) so then President talked with him and told him. That was kind of rough, because his grandpa lived with him his whole life so he was like his dad. We went for a walk together and talked and he seems to be handling it well, which is good.

We also had a zone council in the morning, brainstormed together and made some great goals for the zone and our districts. I’m pretty excited to start with that. Tomorrow is our last day in our program to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days… I’m a little behind; however, its been great. I have found answers to so many interesting questions while reading El Libro de Mormón [The Book of Mormon] this time and strengthened my testimony of this book so much. I hope all of you take time every day to study it… if not, start now; it will make a difference that will bless your life. Several times while studying, later in the same day someone would ask me a difficult question that I answered with scriptures that I had read that same morning, questions I didn’t know the answer to previously (little miracles). It has also been an amazing guide and director in my life helping me understand what I really want and guiding me daily to accomplish those things…

¡Ya me voy! ¡Cabó el tiempo! [I already have to go! It's time to end!] I love you.

-Bryce

Okay, so changes [transfers] happen tomorrow and neither I nor my companion have changes…it will be the longest time I will have been with one companion, however I am excited, we are having lots of success.

Yesterday, we baptized a woman named Matilde Noyola and her 17 year old daughter Gabriela. They are great and have family that live near and came for their baptisms; so now we will start working on the family.

I love you all!

Bryce

This week’s been very exhausting… We just got back from Teotihuacan (the Pyramids in Tecámac, MX). They are pretty nuts and huge. Someone told me they are the largest west of the Nile. (I’m not sure, however they are basically man made mountains.) So some time soon you’ll get pictures of that.

Also we had our baptismal service on Saturday which freed us up to go to el Districto Federal [Mexico City] to the Temple Visitors Center with two of our investigator families and one of our recent converts. It took a long time to get there with traffic and seemed even longer since we fit 14 people into a Dodge Caravan… which means I rode in the trunk with one of the kids. The ride we had to go canceled so we looked and finally found a member with a van from another ward and asked for the huge favor of bringing us. And so that was a little miracle. The Visitors Center was a big success with everyone so its great that it worked out well. We’re hoping to baptize the two families this Sunday!

Well, I haven’t much time and am hoping to email a photo to you so I’ll go… til next week.

I love you!

Bryce

[Wikipedia link about Teotihuacan]  [Map of Teotihuacan]

Photo of The Mexico City East Mission - May 19, 2009

Bryce is on the 3rd (middle) row, 6th to the right of center.

Countries and number of missionaries

• Argentina:  2
• Bolivia:  1
• Canada:  1
• Ecuador:  2
• Guatemala:  2   
• Honduras:  1
• Mexico:  100
• Panama:  1
• Peru:  4
• Puerto Rico:  1
• Uruguay:  1
• USA:  67

Row 1 (front row)

1 E Perez E
2 E Galindo A
3 E Nucamendi
4 H Garza L
5 H Mendoza V
6 H Rojas B
7 H Lagunes R
8 H Suaste Z
9 H Zavala H
10 H Paredes C
11 H Ramirez C
12 H Meza R
13 H Saldivar L
14 E Foley
15 H Foley
16 E Stewart
17 H Stewart
18 H Morgan
19 H Bulloch
20 P Bulloch
21 Ryan Bulloch
22 P Parra
23 H Garvin
24 E Garvin
25 H Brunt
26 E Brunt
27 H Rivera C
28 H Salcido P
29 H Rivera R
30 H Baca M
31 H Obeso G
32 H Fong A
33 H Ribeiro A
34 H Meza V
35 H Guevara C
36 H Torres O
37 E Lechuga V

Row 2

38 E Ramirez R
39 E Hernandez P
40 E Coyotl C
41 E Reyes F
42 E Crisostomo A
43 E Juarez R
44 E Tzab C
45 E Matta
46 E Segura H
47 E Lara R
48 E Peña T
49 E Guzman P
50 E Garcia S
51 E Guzman C
52 E Gomez V
53 E Guttierez G
54 E Lopez V
55 E Aleman Q
56 E Guzman R
57 E Torres G
58 E Lauterio P
59 E Pastrana F
60 E Hernandez O
61 E Cortazar B
62 E Panoaya R
63 E Juarez L
64 E Cab G
65 E Carrillo O
66 E Puch T
67 E Alcala G
68 E Tadeo C
69 E Stogsdill
70 E Draper
71 E Peterson B
72 E Celaya E
73 E  C Alpuche
74 E Galeana G
75 E Jaramillo G
76 E Monroy H
77 E Reyna S
78 E Ruiz G
79 E Chan C

Row 3

80 E Gomez O
81 E Renteria S
82 E Moreno A
83 E Demke
84 E Dunn C
85 E DePlacito
86 E Sanchez E
87 E Hernandez D
88 E Low
89 E Wray
90 E Nicholas
91 E Nuñez DA
92 E Cardenas G
93 E Ramos H
94 E Perez M
95 E Rojas G
95 E Vasquez C
96 E Valdez H
97 E Salazar B
98 E Vargas G
99 E Camacho O
100 E B Olalde
101 E Mays
102 E Haro C
103 E Herrera G
104 E Lopez R
105 E Alcantar U
106 E Vasquez M
107 E Packer
108 E Alfaro B
109 E Spencer
110 E Israelsen
111 E Perez Albela
112 E Medina P
113 E Tanner
114 E Howard
115 E Salazar O
116 E Castro V
117 E Arguelles D
118 E Cottier G
119 E Valderrabano
120 E Mendoza G
121 E Fuentes T
122 E Gregorio V

Row 4

123 E Rodriguez I
124 E Bryan
125 E Alvizo C
126 E Muñoz A
127 E Olson
128 E Dunn N
129 E Welch
130 E Armendáriz F
131 E  King S
132 E Snook
133 E Rhoten
134 E Pluim
135 E Wilson
136 E Acuña A
137 E Hunter
138 E Hurst
139 E Kartchner
140 E Anderson
141 E Archibald
142 E Lopez H
143 E Lee
144 E Reed
145 E King K
146 E Duce
147 E Sandoval R
148 E Reyes A
149 E Salazar A
150 E Lopez C
151 E Hilario A
152 E Zapata M
153 E Puga B
154 E Inalef A
155 E Livingston
156 E Delahunty
157 E Lauritzen
158 E Farmer
159 E Wright
160 E R Carretero

Row 5 (top row)

161 E Moake
162 E Petersen A
163 E Pickup
164 E Fillerup
165 E Pickard
166 E Hunt T
167 E Berry
168 E Rodriguez G
169 E Heward
170 E Winters
171 E Magdaleno P
172 E Flores N
173 E Miller
174 E Butler
175 E Magdaleno M
176 E Heredia R
177 E Sander T
178 E Mora F
179 E Chavez C
180 E Covington
181 E Knox
182 E Hunt W
183 E Larsen
184 E Boone
185 E Scott
186 E Cambria
187 E Rasmussen
188 E Bertin
189 E Fulton
190 E Ellars
191 E McArthur
192 E Peterson C
193 E Lembke
194 E Given
195 E Christensen
196 E Kowallis

Not in photo

E Morgan
E Bailey
H Bailey

Hola! ¿como están todos? [Hello.  How are you all?]

Estaba reflexionado mucho este semana en las Palabras del Presidente Monson, y buscando gozo en el trayecto y como a veces tenemos el habito de pensar todo va a ser mejor y mas fácil en un tiempo futuro, y no vamos a tener problemas y desafíos como tenemos ahora. El nos dijo que, estas pensamientos son mintieras y este tiempo es una  ilusión nuca va a venir y debemos seguir adelante con dificultades, si no nuca vamos a ser felices. Estés es verdad y recuerdo pensando “todo va a ser bien cuando estoy en la misión” ja ja ja y ahora entiendo mejor que la vida y la misión nunca van a ser bien o fácil, y que necesito hacer lo que necesito hace ahora y disfrútalo porque así es la vida y así progresamos. Es difícil en verdad, pero es posible si confiamos en el Señor, El nunca dijo que “va a ser fácil” pero “va a ser posible” y va a ser para nuestro beneficio. Yo se que este es verdadero y en las palabras de un Apóstol “venga que lo venga, y disfrútelo”. [This week I have been thinking a lot about the words of President Monson, and finding joy in the journey, and sometimes we have the habit of thinking that everything will be better and easier at a future time and that we will not have problems and challenges like we do now. He told us that these thoughts are lies and that (this future imagined) time is an illusion and that it is never going to come, and we must move forward with difficulties. If not we will never be happy. This is true and I remember thinking, "everything will be fine when I am on the mission." ha ha ha And now I understand better that life and the mission will never be good or easy, and I need to do what I need to now and enjoy it, because thus is life and thus we progress. It is difficult and true, but it is possible if we trust in the Lord. He never said that "it would be easy" but rather, "it would be possible" and it will be for our benefit. I know that this is true, and in the words of an Apostle, "Come what may and love it."]

Adversity is always present in life and its always necessary. Two examples I’ve been reflecting on and trying to work out in my head the past few days are these… One is the kite. Wind is what causes the kite to have lift. The string, however is what keeps it down, with out the opposing force of the string the kite will fall (or can not fly in the first place). The same can be stated if there is not wind. The string can represent difficulties and adversities; the wind represents faith (including actions, hope, etc.) Our faith can never be put to the test, or will become dormant (cutting the string) without opposition. And if there is not wind (or faith) to give us lift, our trials will only bind us down. However, if we have faith sufficient, its lift will overcome the drag of our oppositions and we will rise (or progress). The more oppositions we have and are overcome by sufficient faith, the higher we fly (like letting out all the string in a strong wind).

I’m still working on it… and forgive me, Spencer, if I don’t use the most correct terms.

I don’t have time to get to the other, sorry… However, I hope that we can all remember that the difficult time will always come, but we must be determined to blow strong, and remember it is all for our benefit. Look for what there is to be gained from every experience, especially the hard ones! I love you all so much and this is my prayer for you!

-Bryce