[A fast note]

Bueno tuvimos otro bautismo esta semana y tenemos dos por la siguiente!!! El bautismos era una muchacha se llama Laura que estaba viviendo con un miembro. :/ Entonces tuve mi primer matrimonio en la misión. Y como testigo ellos ponen un nombre falso por mi porque soy gringo entonces yo firme Gerardo Lopez Salazar como 6 veces! Bienvenidos a Mexico!

Mil disculpes no tengo mas tiempo. Todavía estamos en proceso de cambiar la casa, etc.

Les amo tanto!
Bryce

Well, we had another baptisms this week and have two more for next week!!! One of the baptisms was a girl named Laura who was living with a member. :/ And I had my first marriage on my mission. [Some couples just live together in common law marriages but they must be legally married before baptism, so the missionaries usually help with this process.] I was one of the witnesses but I had to put a false name because I am a gringo, so I signed my name as Gerardo Lopez Salazar like six times. Welcome to Mexico!

A thousand apologies but I am out of time. We are still process of changing houses, etc.

Love you lots.
Bryce

[Tacos al pastor yummm. You want to learn Spanish? I hope so!]

¡Hola mi bonita familia!

Todo esta muy bien aquí. yo y mi compañero están trabajando duro y tuvimos nuestra primer bautismo ayer. voy escribir todo de esta carta en español para ser chistoso y ayudarles aprender y sentir mas como siento diario. suave ¿si?

Bueno hoy cambiamos nuestra apartamento porque el apartamento interior era bien chafa (¡este es Mexicano) si la luz esta pirateado con una cable y era muy baja… pero el nuevo es chidicimo!!! (mas Mexicano) entonces por el momento estamos muy contentos. Este semana tuvimos nuestra conferencia de zona y entrevistas con el Presidente, que siempre me gusta. Después la conferencia compramos (la zona) 15 kilos de tacos al pastor. estaba llenísimo!

Algo raro que paso aquí es el templo (capilla) de Los Testigos de Jehová es en el mismo calle de nosotros, son copiones. y mucho de gente aquí nos confunden con ellos.

Tuvimos discursos en la semana pasada y en este semana voy a empezar a dar clases de Ingles en la capilla en los miércoles en las 7 pm. ojalá todo va a ser bien porque nuca di clases antes, sin embargo estoy animado!!!

Bueno ya es tiempo! Ojalá ustedes disfruten este carta y no están confundidos o enojados …muchas gracias por sus cartas! ¡Les amo muchísimo!

con amor
-Elder Packer

…Oh, también recibo su paquete de mi cumpleaños (en 26 papa, pero no tu carta) muchísimos gracias por todo!! encanta todo! espero que voy a recibir el paquete de Kristi de navidad pero no creo. también recibí una carta de navidad de la Familia Smith y El Obispo Arnold. Gracias eran muy bonitas.

[The following was translated by Kerry in its entirety, except for a couple of slang words, which Cecilia figured out.]

Hello my beautiful family!

Everything is very good here. Me and my companion are working hard and we had our first baptism yesterday. I am going to write all of this letter in Spanish to be funny and to help you all to learn and feel more of how I feel every day. Cool huh?

Well, today we changed our apartment because the inside of our other apartment was ghetto, yeah, the light was pirated from another apartment with a cable and was hanging really low… But our new apartment is sweet!!! So, for now we are very content. This week we had our zone conference and our interviews with the President, which is always a pleasure. After the conference the whole zone bought 15 kilos of Tacos al pastor. I was super full!

Something strange here is that the chapel of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is on the same street as our chapel, they are copycats. And many people confuse us with them.

We had some discussions last week and this week I am going to begin to give classes for English as a second language at the church on Wednesdays at 7 pm. I hope that everything will be okay because I have never given English classes before, although I am excited!!!

Well, that’s time! I hope that you all enjoyed the letter and that you are not confused or upset. Thank you very much for your letters. I love them very much!

With love,
Elder Packer

…Oh, also I received your birthday package (on the 26th, but not your card, dad). Thank you very much for everything. I loved everything! I hope that I receive Kristi’s Christmas package, but I don’t think so. Also, I received a Christmas card from the Smith family and Bishop Arnold. Thanks, they were very beautiful.

Quick letter to my family… sorry there is not much time…

Well, this has been an interesting week and a very exhausting one. We finally got a map of our area and our are is huge. I am sure its one of the biggest in the mission. They will be dividing our stake soon which has 12 very large wards, and I am sure when they do they will divide our area as well.

So some of the Elders in my district did something dumb and one of them got sent home, and the other transfered so right now our district is combined with another district until the next transfers, and seeing as I don’t have a district right now, I won’t be getting a cell phone again until the next cycle [transfers]. We also are guarding the empty apartment. Lots of fun.

A mariachi band is playing right outside the door, we’re not sure why but this month is full of festivals here in Chimalhuacán and there are fire works every hour, dancers in the street, and lots of festivals.

The work is going okay we have our first baptism this Sunday, which will be nice. My companion is neat and we are learning how to work together & live together, which is always a challenge!

Well once again time is up, so until next week…

I love you.

-Bryce

Oh yea thanks everyone for your letters and birthday wishes!

¿Quen sabe donde estoy? [Who knows where I am?]

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.]