Hola Familia,

Things are going very well here. We have two baptisms for tomorrow (Serge Miguel, and José Carlos) and many for the week to come. Serge is 11 and Carlos is 21, they are both great! It’s amazing how we’ve seen so many miracles since I’ve been in the offices. As you know, we have less than half of the day in our area so it can be a challenge to find and teach people. However the Lord has blessed us to be able to find and receive the people that are truly ready to change their lives and make and keep covenants!

How about General Conference? A few of my favorites were: Dale G. Renlund, who talked about maintaining your healthy spiritually changed heart. Brent H. Nielson, and the story of his son on the mission. Jorge Zeballas, “God will not require more than we can do…neither can He accept less…” However I think of all the great things said, my two favorites were during the Priesthood session: Walter F. Gonzalez, The Book of Mormon was never intended to be a bestseller, but how we can turn The Book of Mormon into the best read, and the best applied book; and Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s two important principles that sustain us in adversity — 1. WORK. 2. EDUCATION. Truly everything said in the conference was amazing and we’ll have to go back and study it again and again!

I am grateful that we have living Prophets to lead us, to help us in the process of perfecting ourselves and to help us to always do the best we can. Most of all to witness of the truth of God and His Plan of Redemption through Jesus Christ!

I am happy with how the Lord has blessed our family and know He will continue to do so as long as we continue to make our best efforts and humbly put all of our trust in Him. I pray that you all continue to do so and that the Lord blesses and protects you! I love every one of you!

-Bryce

Hola,

Well, another interesting week. Last Saturday we went to the National Anthropology Museum which was amazing! They have artifacts from all over Mexico and it was very intriguing to see just how diverse the Mexican culture is.

This week we were supposed to have our zone conference, however President Bulloch had a kidney stone, :/ so he was several days in the hospital and they eventually had to remove it surgically. Not very fun I imagine.Later he showed us the stone (he had it in a little plastic bag, it was funny shaped and quite large). The other thing that happened was that he couldn’t leave the hospital until the medical bill was paid, so we had to make a forum and bring it upstairs to the [Church's] General Financier for all of Mexico to sign it.

Our area is starting to improve drastically…I don’t know if I explained that when I came here the President changed our area so we started the cycle without investigators and we didn’t know anyone in the ward. So we created a member based mission plan for the area and it is going great; we have one family, a part member family, and a young adult who are all progressing, as well as various other. The young adult’s name is Vicky and is going to get baptized next week. She has had some form of abuse in her past and it has been amazing how quickly and thoroughly the Gospel of Jesus Christ heal people emotional and spiritually. I love being a missionary!

Have and amazing week! I love you!

-Elder Packer

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

Well, I’ve passed the peak and completed a year and four days as a missionary… its been long, but gone by fast. I can’t imagine what more there is to learn or experience. However, I guess that’s why life is so hard and exciting, because there is always something more we need to learn and always experiences we lack (most of them not easy.)

That’s why the Gospel is such a blessing! Without the hope of obtaining mercy or obtaining the peace that comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and without knowing or understanding our purpose in this life or throughout the moments of our life, the trials and burdens that come are more than difficult, but nearly unbearable and can destroy us. However the beauty of Christ’s Gospel is not only that we are enabled to change from who we once were, but He has shown us how we must change or who we must become, by His own example. Obtaining freedom from a bondage that is very real and is only the first miraculous part in itself, however maintaining our liberty is as equally difficult, made known and possible by disciplining ourselves to become like Christ, developing the attributes he possesses. It takes time and is very difficult! However, He never promised it would be easy; He promised it would be POSSIBLE! I know that anything of TRUE value is difficult to obtain. Therefore, the miracle of forgiveness, being the thing of greatest value (and the greatest of all miracles), is the most difficult thing to obtain!

More than anything, these are the things I have learned in the past year. They are of priceless value and I know that they are true! I believe, I hope, and I pray that we may all receive continual liberation through the power and mercy of our Deliverer, our Savior from everlasting bondage, Jesus Christ.

I love you all, and this is my greatest desire for every one of you.

Elder Bryce Sterling Packer

Hola everyone,

I just mailed letters, but I want to let you know all is well. Things are going great, the Manns should be here tomorrow I’m going to try and find them. [Bryce's cousin Justin Mann is going into the MTC.]

So I’ve been thinking you guys have a Spanish Himno [Hymn] book and that you should sing in Spanish for family home evenings, I’ll send you the name of one of my favorites every week. Ceci can help you guys out with this, they are so beautiful and help to learn Spanish. This weeks is himno #42 “Jesus es mi Luz” [Jesus is my Light]. I hope you enjoy it!

We had an amazing fireside on Sunday about repentance, how it is the best gift made possible by the Atonement and how it shouldn’t be a bad or negative thing that we need to feel sorry but that we should enjoy repentance and repent often. As taught in Mosiah 4:5-7, repentance should be motivated by the goodness of God. This has helped me to have a new outlook on our ability to change and be forgiven. In fact, the original Greek and Hebrew words for to repent mean “to turn” “to have a change of mind: a fresh outlook about God, oneself and the world”.

Well time is up. Thank you all so much.

Love you,

Elder Bryce Packer