Bryce’s parents maintain this website for him while he is on his mission in Mexico City.

When Bryce sends digital photos home, we add a page to his online photo albums. His photos are in albums—one for each of the areas where he has served. There is also an album of the movies he has made. We have just added more photo albums. The current albums are:

• Mission Prep
• MTC (Mission Training Center)
• Pachuca (first area)
• Chimalhuacán (Ciudad Alegre)
• Mission Office (as financial secretary)
• Movies (last 3 areas)

Bryce will soon be transferred to his final area in Feb. 2010. When that happens, we will add an album for it.

Click here to see Bryce’s latest mission photos albums. You can always get to his photos by clicking on “Mission Photo Albums” on the right sidebar.

When Bryce writes letters or emails, we add a blog post. [Our editorial comments are enclosed in square brackets.]

- Shayne Packer (Bryce’s father)

Dear Family & Friends,

It is a great pleasure and a nearly an impossible task to try and communicate what I have experienced in the past year.

As a missionary and a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ I have struggled to know Him better, and what it is He expects of me. Central in this process has been sincere personal prayer and a daily study of the Book of Mormon. Through the written word of God and personal communication with Him I have been able to understand more fully what the Savior has done for us and what it is that He expects of me and each one of us. And for that I am profoundly grateful!

“With saints of old in joyful cry
I too can testify:
This is the Christ.
This is the Christ,
The holy Son of God,
Our Savior,
Lord,
Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ,
The Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.”

We can choose to accept the great gifts He has to offer us, and obtain great hope, peace and even eternal life as we seek to follow Him, as we repent and obey His commandments and are washed clean and born again through baptism.

One of the greatest truths I have learned this year is that this really is a choice, it’s voluntary. The Lord has given us our free agency and will never obligate us. He has said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”

My prayer and invitation to you, is that in a season when we tend to reflect upon that which is good, may we do more than reflect, may we answer the Lord´s call and “open the door” unto Him, that He may abide in us and us in Him.

With great love,
Elder Bryce Sterling Packer

Querida Familia y Amigos,

Es un gran placer y una tarea casi imposible de realizar el comunicarles todo lo que he experimentado en este año pasado.

Como misionero y representante del Señor Jesucristo, he luchado por conocerle mejor, y por saber que es lo que Él espera de mí. La sincera oración personal y un estudio diario del Libro de Mormón han sido centrales en este proceso. Por medio de la palabra escrita de Dios y la comunicación personal con Él he sido capaz de entender mas plenamente que es lo que el Señor ha hecho por nosotros y que es lo que Él espera de mí y de cada uno de nosotros. ¡Y estoy profundamente agradecido por eso!

“Con santos de la antigüedad en gritos de alegría
Yo también puedo testificar:
Este es el Cristo.
Este es el Cristo,
El Santo Hijo de Dios,
Nuestro Salvador,
Señor,
El Redentor de la Humanidad.
Este es el Cristo,
El sanador de nuestras almas,
Que nos rescató con amor divino.”

Podemos elegir aceptar los grandes regalos que Él tiene para ofrecernos, y obtener gran esperanza, paz, e inclusive vida eterna a medida que nos esforcemos por seguirle, que nos arrepintamos, que obedezcamos sus mandamientos, que seamos limpios y nazcamos de nuevo a través del bautismo.

Una de las verdades más grandes que he aprendido durante este año es que esa realmente es una elección, es voluntaria. El Señor nos a dado nuestro libre albedrío y nunca nos obligará. Él ha dicho “He aquí, yo estoy a la puerta y llamo; si alguno oye mi voz y abre la puerta, entraré y cenaré con él, y él conmigo.”

Mi oración e invitación a ustedes es que en esta temporada cuando tendemos a reflexionar sobre lo que es bueno, hagamos más que solo reflexionar, que podamos contestar la llamada del Señor y “abrir la puerta” a Él, para que Él pueda permanecer en nosotros y nosotros en Él.

Con gran amor,
Elder Bryce Sterling Packer

It’s been a crazy week. Where to start? They had a three day multi-stake youth activity here and me and my companion went to help one of the days. The coolest thing is I saw two of my converts from Pachuca and three of my converts here went, too!

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).

Photo of The Mexico City East Mission – May 19, 2009

Bryce is on the 3rd (middle) row, 6th to the right of center.

Countries and number of missionaries

• Argentina:  2
• Bolivia:  1
• Canada:  1
• Ecuador:  2
• Guatemala:  2   
• Honduras:  1
• Mexico:  100
• Panama:  1
• Peru:  4
• Puerto Rico:  1
• Uruguay:  1
• USA:  67

Row 1 (front row)

1 E Perez E
2 E Galindo A
3 E Nucamendi
4 H Garza L
5 H Mendoza V
6 H Rojas B
7 H Lagunes R
8 H Suaste Z
9 H Zavala H
10 H Paredes C
11 H Ramirez C
12 H Meza R
13 H Saldivar L
14 E Foley
15 H Foley
16 E Stewart
17 H Stewart
18 H Morgan
19 H Bulloch
20 P Bulloch
21 Ryan Bulloch
22 P Parra
23 H Garvin
24 E Garvin
25 H Brunt
26 E Brunt
27 H Rivera C
28 H Salcido P
29 H Rivera R
30 H Baca M
31 H Obeso G
32 H Fong A
33 H Ribeiro A
34 H Meza V
35 H Guevara C
36 H Torres O
37 E Lechuga V

Row 2

38 E Ramirez R
39 E Hernandez P
40 E Coyotl C
41 E Reyes F
42 E Crisostomo A
43 E Juarez R
44 E Tzab C
45 E Matta
46 E Segura H
47 E Lara R
48 E Peña T
49 E Guzman P
50 E Garcia S
51 E Guzman C
52 E Gomez V
53 E Guttierez G
54 E Lopez V
55 E Aleman Q
56 E Guzman R
57 E Torres G
58 E Lauterio P
59 E Pastrana F
60 E Hernandez O
61 E Cortazar B
62 E Panoaya R
63 E Juarez L
64 E Cab G
65 E Carrillo O
66 E Puch T
67 E Alcala G
68 E Tadeo C
69 E Stogsdill
70 E Draper
71 E Peterson B
72 E Celaya E
73 E  C Alpuche
74 E Galeana G
75 E Jaramillo G
76 E Monroy H
77 E Reyna S
78 E Ruiz G
79 E Chan C

Row 3

80 E Gomez O
81 E Renteria S
82 E Moreno A
83 E Demke
84 E Dunn C
85 E DePlacito
86 E Sanchez E
87 E Hernandez D
88 E Low
89 E Wray
90 E Nicholas
91 E Nuñez DA
92 E Cardenas G
93 E Ramos H
94 E Perez M
95 E Rojas G
95 E Vasquez C
96 E Valdez H
97 E Salazar B
98 E Vargas G
99 E Camacho O
100 E B Olalde
101 E Mays
102 E Haro C
103 E Herrera G
104 E Lopez R
105 E Alcantar U
106 E Vasquez M
107 E Packer
108 E Alfaro B
109 E Spencer
110 E Israelsen
111 E Perez Albela
112 E Medina P
113 E Tanner
114 E Howard
115 E Salazar O
116 E Castro V
117 E Arguelles D
118 E Cottier G
119 E Valderrabano
120 E Mendoza G
121 E Fuentes T
122 E Gregorio V

Row 4

123 E Rodriguez I
124 E Bryan
125 E Alvizo C
126 E Muñoz A
127 E Olson
128 E Dunn N
129 E Welch
130 E Armendáriz F
131 E  King S
132 E Snook
133 E Rhoten
134 E Pluim
135 E Wilson
136 E Acuña A
137 E Hunter
138 E Hurst
139 E Kartchner
140 E Anderson
141 E Archibald
142 E Lopez H
143 E Lee
144 E Reed
145 E King K
146 E Duce
147 E Sandoval R
148 E Reyes A
149 E Salazar A
150 E Lopez C
151 E Hilario A
152 E Zapata M
153 E Puga B
154 E Inalef A
155 E Livingston
156 E Delahunty
157 E Lauritzen
158 E Farmer
159 E Wright
160 E R Carretero

Row 5 (top row)

161 E Moake
162 E Petersen A
163 E Pickup
164 E Fillerup
165 E Pickard
166 E Hunt T
167 E Berry
168 E Rodriguez G
169 E Heward
170 E Winters
171 E Magdaleno P
172 E Flores N
173 E Miller
174 E Butler
175 E Magdaleno M
176 E Heredia R
177 E Sander T
178 E Mora F
179 E Chavez C
180 E Covington
181 E Knox
182 E Hunt W
183 E Larsen
184 E Boone
185 E Scott
186 E Cambria
187 E Rasmussen
188 E Bertin
189 E Fulton
190 E Ellars
191 E McArthur
192 E Peterson C
193 E Lembke
194 E Given
195 E Christensen
196 E Kowallis

Not in photo

E Morgan
E Bailey
H Bailey

Hello my lovely family!

So I was working under the refreshments tent at the Mexico City Temple open house on Saturday, and I saw someone I thought I knew. Weird right, so I stopped and thought if it could really be this person and figured, should I go over and find out? sure!, If it’s not them they will think I am a weird gringo, esta bien [white man, but that's okay]. It was who I thought is was!  So I saw Bro. John Marin from Merrimack, he was my Young Mens President. It was crazy, and we were both a little emotional.

The open house has been really busy, but successful; and the Temple is really beautiful. ahhhhh I am out of time. The internet has been having problems today.

Lots of Love, Bryce

[Editorial: John Marin emailed Shayne and sent a couple of photos.]

We came to Mexico City for the Temple open house and ran into Bryce, what a surprise. I was a great joy to see him as a missionary. Here are the pictures we took with Bryce Saturday. I’ve subscribed to Bryce’s blog… John

Bryce and John Marin

Bryce and John Marin's family

Here is Bryce with one of his teachers at the MTC.

Click here to see more of Bryce’s photos from the MTC.