¡¡¡Happy Birthday Heather!!!

I hope you are doing great!

…and to everyone, Happy Easter!

It is SO hot!!! I am sweating like a pig! And to think it’s only going to be getting hotter…

It’s been a strange and busy week. I have been serving with Elder Padget (a new American missionary in my district) since Thursday and it has been a pleasure, even though he can speak very little Spanish and can not pronounce the “R” to save his life, the people react in a special way to his warm spirit and positive attitude. I’ve learned a lot from him, and one of those many things is what pure motives really means.

So… I am going to get a greeny! Yep. I’m going to be training my last cycle! I’m excited, and nervous, because I know that means that I will be even busier and that means the time will be going by even faster. However I am grateful for this new opportunity to serve, teach and learn. As before, I am sure I will learn more than I teach. I often wonder why the Lord is so good to me and all of us.

General Conference was wonderful and I am grateful for the guidance I and others received. It is incredible how the Lord can answer my specific prayers and those of millions of other in the same moment. I love the Lord! I also found it incredible how all of the talks where so in line, even though there were no assigned themes. I felt that two of the strongest themes were prepare the children and protect the youth. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my notes with me right now to share all of my favorite thoughts, however I do remember a few.

Joy and happiness don’t come from circumstances, but faith in the Lord. That is a lesson that I am learning more and more, its not where we are, who we are with or the blessings or trials that we are going through that determine our state of happiness. We need to be creators of circumstances not creatures of our environments. As Elder Bednar clearly stated, we are to act not to be acted upon, and faith is not merely believing, but acting. It is our works, that are in accordance with the teachings of Christ that determine our state of happiness! I love the clear example stated that if we are struggling and turn instead and focus on the needs of another rather than our own needs, than we will quickly become happier and our burdens will become light. I know that  this is the truth and that we will be happy and at peace in any season in any place and with anyone as long as we follow the teaching of the Master!

I am grateful for the teachings and the works of Jesus! For his perfect example and mercy. May we all exert ourselves to be more like Him is my prayer and hope.

I love you, my family! I pray for you and desire your well being!

-Elder Bryce Packer

Hello my lovely family!

It has been another glorious week in the work of the Lord, in the which he has blessed us greatly. My companion and I worked diligently and hard the past two weeks, however at the end of last week our overall impression was that we needed to be more humble and rely more on the Lord, so that is what we’ve been striving to do this week. The Lord blessed us greatly this past week in being part of the baptisms of two amazing people, Laura and her daughter Susi. They are wonderful people who have received a true conversion to the Gospel. He also blessed us in being a means by which 14 investigators attended church services yesterday. I feel very grateful! Actual its funny our ride fell through and we had to rent a public transportation van, so everyone could come. I’m sill working to recognize that success in this work comes from the Lord and rely on Him for guidance and strength.

Coming to this area, I’ve just felt blessed and full of energy and excitement to work hard and make the Gospel flourish here like it never has before. My initial excitement is what got me going, however the Lord has been showing me along the way what it is I need to do (change) to keep going. Being humble and relying on Him is part of it, now I have felt what I need to do is work hard to just really truly love the people and desire their salvation. I love the two people who were baptized yesterday and am so happy to see how the Gospel has made them happy! And that is my motive, that was (and is) the motive of Christ and His mission, the great cause of the Gospel.

When we allow pure motives (the well being of others) to motivate us to act (service) and we repeat these actions to the point that they become habits, our deepest desires become converted to that which is pure, righteous and godly. The strength, energy come as needed and God teaches us along the way what more we must do (change). What we love we will seek, and what we seek we will obtain.

I know that Christ lives and that He loves us. May we seek Him and His pure love and may it motivate us to loose ourselves in the service of God’s children even as He has done.

I love you all and pray that God will bless and keep every one of you!

-Elder Packer

¡Bienvenidos al campo misional! [Welcome to the mission field!]

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

I wanted to share the letter I wrote to President Bulloch.

We’ve been having some pretty difficult days where our appointments have all fallen through, and I’m not going to say it wasn’t difficult. Especially so since we’ve been working hard every day these past weeks to become “misioneros de exito” [missionaries of success] and not just working hard and being exactly obedient, but going the second mile, hablando con TODOS [talking with ALL] testifying of the truths of the restored Gospel, exercising at 6:30 am on preparation day, etc.

Yesterday all eight of our lessons fell through, however we contacted in the street, knocked doors, asked for and contacted references, even visited part member families… and at the end of the day—nothing. It was frustrating and I thought maybe we’ll go eat tacos or I’ll go to bed early, I was a little discouraged and ready find a little comfort in something.

After a comment my companion made, I remembered part of the letter I wrote myself: “Trials come that they may prepare you for the blessings or spiritual experiences you are working for. After the blessings come trials, that we may be prepared to receive again greater blessings.” As missionaries, we teach every day that one of our purposes in life is to be tried, to prove to the Lord that we are really His children. Isn’t it the same as missionaries? Now I know it. If we are obedient, working hard and love the people when everything goes well, great! Who doesn’t? However, I believe it’s when everything goes wrong yet we still give our best, that determines if we are truly “misioneros de exito” and representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that the Lord has great blessing in store for me, blessings that He cannot give if I don’t pass the test. I’m going to do it!

-Elder Packer

Hola Familia,

Well, it’s been another eventful and busy week (just like I like them). Among the many things that have happened are: First, we received 12 new missionaries on Monday and spent the day training them. Tuesday was the big changes [transfers] meeting; all went well with the busses so I was relaxed. I also bought new pillows for all of the missionaries, so they were really happy to receive those.

On Thursday, we moved the assistant’s house to Ixtapaluca (which is really far away) then closed and opened two houses. So I was driving and hauling all day. During this long travel we experienced a miracle as I almost got into a serious car wreck, however I don’t know how, we did not wreck with the car who abruptly stopped in front of us, or flip the van, or hit the bridge, or run over a man selling food in the street… all of which almost happened. I thank you all for your prayers and know that, YES, the Lord is protecting us!

Thursday I completed 20 months in the mission! And that’s helped me realize we need to be wise how we use it. The same day I got a letter I wrote myself on the 16 of July 2008 (18 months to the day). I wrote it in the MTC and my instructor mailed it to me. It’s pretty interesting! And if I can later, I will share some of it with all of you.

The other thing that happened is because of some special changes that need to be made. I received my replacement as Financial Secretary! It’s Elder Cambria from Philadelphia, PA. He’s a really excellent and humorous missionary! So that’s going to be exciting! In 5 weeks I’ll be out in the field full time again!

Well, last and best of all is we have a baptismal service today at 5 pm, His name is Gerardo and he is a miracle conversion… he used to be an Evangelist preacher, and is a very knowledgeable, but sincere and humble follower of Christ. I am grateful to have been able to be part of his conversion!

I love you all and thank you for your love and support! May the Lord continue to bless and protect you!

-Elder Packer

Duh duh duh duh! Happy birthday Kerry! How old are you now? Wow you’re a geezer! … It’s a good thing I’m still a young’un! How does it feel to be 27? It feels a lot more, huh? … in your back, neck, and possibly even your knees. No really, I can’t believe your 27, that’s almost 30. Soon you’re going to be bald, but that’s okay, I’ll be bald with you!

My companions call me “ruco” because I’m older (actually they call us “rucos” because Elder Lauterio is 24 as well) But that’s okay… I really do feel the difference though!

Well, I hope that you all had an opportunity to do the activity I sent, and are working to complete the goals established. As we focus on what is most important, with a specific desired result, the actions we must make every day become clearer, easier and more meaningful. And that’s a blessing in such a diluted world that has yet to realize its purpose.

As I’m sure we have all realized in one way or another, the time is short, and even more so when filled with activities whose end result is undefined or unestablished. We must cherish our time by planning what is desired, then acting. By doing so we will be able accomplish great things in short periods of time, filling the time we have been given with fond memories and events, which will have contributed to the development of our personal success and happiness as well as that of them whom we serve.

I love serving as a missionary and all the challenges that includes! I am grateful for the blessings I have received and the services I have been able to provide. I am proud of the person I have been able to become through the Lord’s help and by diligently living His Gospel. Elder Lauterio and I have been having great success in the last few weeks and have had two great baptisms and more on the way.

I love you all and pray that God be with you!
-Bryce