[from Bryce]
Today we got our hair cut. My companion called his family (in México, Mother’s day is always on the 10th).

I also did some last minute shopping. I also started to dejunk some stuff and packed. Tomorrow is District Class, so I still have to prepare that [Bryce teaches the class]. On wednesday, we will be working hard, and on Thursday, we will work and visit all my converts to say good bye and take pictures.

Friday morning, I will go to the temple in the morning with a brother from the ward and my companion will stay here with the Assistants. All of my generation [missionaries going home Saturday] will enter the temple for a session, and [afterwards] we will have some activities and a class on the perpetual education fund. Then in the evening [with the mission president] we will go eat tacos at La Onda! mmm… TACOS!!! I probably won’t sleep at night, and early Saturday — like around 5:45 AM — we will head to the airport.

I know that this week is just going to fly by so I am going to work harder than ever to do all I can while I’m still here, and in my last few days of full-time service!

Have a great week! I love you all and I will see you are talk to you soon!

-Elder Packer

Hola Familia,

Here I am, very happy out in Bautizaluca (Ixtapaluca)! [Pronounced eextapalooka. South-east of Mexico City.]

San Francisco is the name of my area which is a soon to be branch of the ward Los Heroes (which is the Assistants area). And it is amazing here! My companion, Elder Alacantar, and I are working harder than I have ever worked in my whole mission! It is his last cycle in the mission. He is a really exceptional missionary, we’ve been running in the mornings, studying hard together and have contacted thousands! Really I feel great and can say with 100% there is nothing more I could have done! I love being able to give that type of an accounting to the Lord at the end of every evening! And that’s what we’ll keep doing everyday!

Our district is the “dream team”; two of the best zone leaders are in my district as trainers. Ixtapaluca is the most successful part of the mission and President just wiped it clean and put in some of the best missionaries to just explode the place. It’s just nuts, nothing like this has ever happened in the mission before. Our district includes: Elder Carretero and Elder Padget in the Aylotl ward, and Elder Winters and Elder Cordova in the Izcali ward. [Bryce is the District Leader.]

“Todo por el Señor” [Everything for the Lord] is my theme for this cycle. I will stay humble and 100% focused and know that the Lord is going to support us in our goals and give us the strength and the inspiration to complete them.

Well, take care all, we’ve got to get back to working! I love you!

-Elder Packer

Okay this will probably be short, SORRY. However I have to finish packing and visit all of our converts today.

Wahoo! I have changes [transfers]. My zone leaders told me at about 4:30 pm yesterday, however I thought they were joking and still didn’t know who had changes yet, then right as I hung up with them the Mission President called me (which isn’t too often) telling me that the zone leaders were going to call me and tell me had changes, then my heart almost stopped as I prepared myself to hear that I wasn’t going to have changes, however he hold my that he was calling me to tell me that I was going to have changes and to tell me what I would be doing (which he normally doesn’t do). He said that the Lord wants me to be the Financial Secretary for the mission and that it is one of the most trusted positions in the mission, that I will be handling the funds of the mission, and that it is by far the person who works closest to the Mission President (even more that the assistants). He said it is something that will help to prepare me for a life time of church service and that he wanted me to keep this confidential until he announces it tomorrow (but that I could tell my family.

I have to say that wasn’t a call I was expecting. :/ However, I am super excited. I don’t know all I will be doing, but I think my area is in Mexico City which is cool because that’s where I wanted to go. Before, when I was in Pachuca, I told everyone when they asked me that I wanted to come to Chimalhuacán… and that’s where I am and have been for the past half year… so I guess I need to be really thoughtful of what I want, because it seams to become reality. Amazing how these things work out, huh? Well, I’ve got lots to do! I love you all very much, you are all in my thoughts and prayers, and I thank you for you prayers and support!

Les Amor! [love]
- Elder Packer

The two photos are of the leadership training about a month ago. (I am standing next to my cousin Elder Reed, on my right, in the brown suit).

Entonces ¡cambios eran un poco loco! [So transfers were a little crazy!]

So I am in Ciudad Alegre (friendly city) which is in Chimalhuacán in the state of Mexico in the outskirts of Mexico [City]. It is very different here, however that is good! There a lots of people and guess what… they whitewashed [two new Elders] our area so both me and my new companion Elder Tadeo have no idea where we are! The first day we got here we walked from our house to the church to figure out where it was and where to invite people. The second day I had a leadership training and the rest of the day we pirated, that is we were working out side of our area or in the area of other missionaries. Oh well, it’s been fun learning and being lost together.

[Editorial note: Bryce is now a district leader, after being in Mexico for only 6 months.]

Our district is a newly formed district too, so thats another new thing to learn. So the real bad thing that happened, as a leader I get a cellphone right and my second day I lost it in a taxi! Sorry I think it’s $30 and I have to pay for a new one, however I think we will be able to accomplish a lot more with a phone.

My companion is great; he is from Oaxaca, y se una persona muy buen [and is a very good person]. We were in the same district my first cycle and he is also from my same generation.

Okay well there is much to be done. We are going to try to go into the city to get my new cell and a fridge (because we don’t have one right now). I love you all so much and look forward to reading your letters, thanks for always writing!

Love Bryce

[As always, you can contact Bryce using the methods on the Current Address page.] 

Things are well here in Pachuca. My area is so far from Mexico City. So last miercoles [Wed.] we took a bus to Mexico City at 5:45 am to the Temlpe and MTC to hear Elder Jeffery R. Holland who came to our mission to speak. It was amazing, I love how he speaks with such great boldness and authority. He started by telling about how Preach My Gospel came about and ended by talking about the importance of having obedience to do the Lords work His way.

We went to Mexico City again on sabado [Sunday] with 6 of our investigators to El Centro de Visitantes at the Temple. It was good, we watched Testaments and took a short tour.

Mexico is interesting the houses are all concrete and stucco and they don’t really creen en la basura [believe in trash cans] :6 The food is great, and I haven’t gotten really sick from it or the water yet

Any hoo, hope to hear from ya’ll soon. Adios.

Love

-Elder Bryce Packer

[Pachuca is a city about 40 miles NE of the edge of Mexico City]

Any mail you sent him at the MTC must be there by Monday or they will return it to you. Please send mail to the Mexico City mission home now. (See the Current Address page for details.)

A couple of days earlier, he had a picnic with relatives in Utah.

Be sure and read the About Bryce page.

Bryce’s most recent mailing address on his current address page.