¡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

Well, I wasn’t here this weekend for my preparation day, because Elder Fillerup, one of the assistants, finished his mission Friday so President sent me to work with his companion for the weekend. I had a great time in Ixtapaluca with Elder Christensen. We baptized there and in my area Aragón and have a baptism for next week too in Aragón, however tomorrow are changes [transfers] so I won’t be here.

I am so excited to have changes and just be a normal missionary again, even though I loved my time as a [financial] secretary. Yes, that means my preparation days will return to Monday and I won’t be driving in traffic, etc. I don’t know where I am going yet, however I know that I am going to be a District Leader again. That will be good because Elder Cambria (my replacement) will be able to call me with the questions he will inevitably have. I know—I was there!

Well, that’s about the only little time I have to write today, I just wanted to let you all know I am happy and excited and that I love you all so much!

-Elder Packer

P.S. Thank you all for writing me… I haven’t been able to read your letters yet… it is the most email I have ever received in one week. [Bryce's birthday is today.] Pretty crazy, I’m 25, Huh? We are capacitating [orienting] the new missionaries so we are going to La Onda a tacos restaurant like always, so I’ll even get a b-day dinner!

It was great to be able to talk with all of you! It was an experience that has enlarged my joy and renewed my determination to do my best. I truly feel blessed to have such an amazing family!

This has been an unforgettable week! I have had several special experiences that have helped me to remember all of the great blessings that have come because the Savior and the decisions I have made to follow Him. One of them was being able to spend the evening with President Bulloch and his family; another, which I feel is the greatest, was being able to share the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ with many willing hearts that have been softened to His good word. This week we worked hard and were blessed to find and teach many who have been prepared to receive the Lord into their lives. It has helped me to remember how the Lord has snatched me from my lost and suffering state and lead me to the still waters, and how we have the power to do the same for others. Could I have received greater joy from any other gift? No! I love the Lord and being part of His glorious work!

May the Lord bless us all with more determination and success is my desire and my prayer. I love every one of you so much!

~Elder Packer

Well this is going to be a short one as I’ve been trying to prepare a small package to send you all for Christmas.

First of all the Christmas call… you can call me on the 25th in the morning at my office number. I’ll confirm the time with you next week.

I’m sick with a sinus/throat infection, however it hasn’t been too strong.

This week was our Christmas conference and we got to enter into the temple with President and Sister Bulloch. It was AMAZING. I learned and forgot so many things, not having entered since a year ago. I love the temple.

The mission Christmas conference was split into two days, so I was in charge of organizing the transportation for the parts of the mission that are a little far, like Pachuca. I also rented rooms in the CCM (MTC in Mexico). Then the President asked if I could spend the night to make sure that everything went over well. 64 Elders and 11 Sister missionaries for a Christmas sleepover. Yah, you can imagine—it was a night.

Oh, I also finally bought a new suit! It was a really good deal and is great quality.

Well I love you all and you are in my prayers…talk to you soon!

-Bryce

Hola querida familia! Hello dear family!

Wow it’s been a busy busy amazing week! We had our Zone leaders council meeting this week in the mission house; it was over the course of two days. One of the most spiritual and amazing things that happened during the council is we studied the Book of Mormon together with President Bulloch. He was one of the 7 head people in CES [Church Educational System] before he was called to be a Mission President, so to say the least he is a very spiritual man who really knows his scriptures, how to ring them dry and apply them to himself. Something I have been trying to work on.

I just bought the new Bible in Spanish, which is really exciting for the members here. Although I don’t know how much I’ll use it since we try to focus on the Book of Mormon with all of our investigators. Still it truly is an amazing time to be here in Mexico serving the Lord and building His kingdom! “Now is the time for Mexico” is what the brethren of the church have been saying.

I love you all so very much, I am so grateful that we have the Restored Gospel to guide our lives. I know that Christ lives, I have experienced His profound love in my life. He is the only way to true freedom and that is what everyone really wants and needs! Live a week that worth living. May God’s grace be upon every one of us!

-Bryce

So, everything went well as far as receiving and training the 16 new Elders and sisters that came into our mission this week and the transfers meeting (of which I was in charge of arranging the bus transportation for the whole mission). It has been a weeeeeeeeeeek! We haven’t had a lack of rain either! Actually, the highway and streets have flooded almost every day and has caused so much TRAFFIC!!!! The other day I was driving in traffic and we found out it was caused by protesters in the street (protesting for water). Pretty ironic since it was raining. So anyway, because of that we got home that night at 12:15 am. :/

Well, here is the email I sent to President Bulloch last week. I also wanted you to read it.

What a week! As you know we’ve been all over the mission: opening houses, arranging the buses, going to the airport… While driving, I had a whole lot of excess time to think and reflect. While doing so, I remembered earlier in my youth how I almost constantly felt lost spiritually and emotionally. I didn’t understand so many of the questions that many youth seem to have and remember feeling so much confusion and bitterness towards life. I also remember when the desire began to want to make a positive difference, but not knowing how, which in turn created feelings of helplessness and discouragement. None of those feelings exist anymore and I know when the turning point happened, a little before my 22 birthday when I started reading The Book of Mormon for the first time. I remember after reading for the first time a strong doubt, could this be true? Reading once lead me to read again, which lead me to pray (for the first time in my adolescent life). A little time after and I began attending church, every Sunday. I began attending institute, where we were studying The Book of Mormon. The more I studied that book the more I began to comprehend and consequently my life began to change and fall in harmony. I began to create a relationship With my Father in Heaven and Savior. All of those feelings and doubts began to fade from my life.

When my mother and brother asked me what made me come back to the church, I couldn’t explain, I just told them I knew it was right. Now I know it was a result of reading The Book of Mormon, feeling the spirit and the love of God contained within, finding the answers I longed for. That’s what made me come unto Christ; that’s what began and continues the change in my life. The fruit of the word of God. That book is a miracle and I have lived many miracles because of that book. It is because of The Book of Mormon that I know to what source I may look for a remission of my sins. And nothing brings greater peace and joy than that.

I love every one of you and all of you individually are in my prayers. I know that God also loves you and through the Book of Mormon he will bless each of your lives in profound ways. It was written for each one of us and our individual needs. STUDY it prayerfully every day!

Love -Elder Bryce S. Packer