Hello Family

English really doesn’t make sense, however I like it anyway (except when it comes to spelling, by the way I am a great speller in spanish)! So I don’t know what is going on as far as calling you all. Another missionary said we can talk for an hour and that I will call you real quick with the phone number to call (probably of a member’s house) and then you will call that number back. And it might be cheaper too for you to use a calling card? We will find out everything on the 17th when we go to Mexico City.  We are going to have a reunion with the Mission President and go through a temple session (which I am really excited for). I am afraid however that I will fall a sleep because we have to wake up at 3 am to go to Mexico City :/ because of traffic. Then we are also going to eat fillet minion in the Temple for an early Christmas dinner mmmm… real steak! Our preparation day is changed to the 24th so I will give you all the details then… and that might be the day we call too?

All is well here, it was a little tough the last week because it was the celebration of the Virgin Guadeloupe, which is a really big deal. Every day large groups on bikes, walking and in cars, trucks, tractor trailers (with framed pictures and statues of the Virgin Mary strapped to the front and sides) have been on a pilgrimage to a specific church in Mexico City.  So it was a little crazy the last week and people haven’t been too receptive to us because of the other religious events going on. Good news, however an old investigator who disappeared several months ago has returned (we were sure they had changed houses). It turns out that they were in Mexico City with their family for a while (3 months?). All of our plans fell through last night and we had nothing. We were searching everywhere and were close to this house, I had the feeling to go by and there they were, just returning that night with their suitcases and all. They were happy to see us and we had a short lesson to end the day. Pretty neat.

Well we’ve got work to do. I love you all so much and I am extremely excited to be able to talk to you all.

Bryce

¡Feliz Cumpleaños Mama! [Happy Birthday Mama]

Perdón por la semana pasada, el Internet no servia… no tengo la culpa [Forgive me for last week there was no internet service....it is not my fault] ¡La casa abierta fue increíble y la programa cultural en El Estadio Azteca también! [The Temple open house, dedication was incredible so was the cultural event at the Aztec stadium] I’m sure thats enough Spanish, so we sang “Somos Hoy Llamados” (“Called To Serve” in Spanish) and part of “We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet”. We weren’t allowed to take pictures but that okay because we are going to receive a DVD of the program and I will mail home a copy.

Things are going well in our area and with my companion. We have a baptismal service next week for a family (well a mother and 4 of her children) Mireya Sanchez, Brenda, Axel and I don’t remember the name of the other two :/ WE had a Zone conference last week with Elder Grow (who is an area authority) and Pres. Bulloch. It was great and I learned a lot. So WE didn’t have transfers this cycle…which is good. Elder King, my roommate from the MTC, is my new zone leader. They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving and actually I forgot all about it, however I hope everyone has a great time! That’s great that so many of you will be together! I’m going to avoid thinking too much about that otherwise I’ll wish I was there too!

What are you doing for your birthday mom? Are you going to be in Heather’s? I hope it is great and not too hectic. Give every one hugs for me …and tell them all to give you spankings for me!!!

I love you so much, you are all in my thoughts and prayer, and I am so grateful for everything you are all doing for me and the Lord!

Love Bryce

Hello Family,

Sorry I don’t have time to write but its not my fault!!! I really want to. Quickly, Happy Birthday Colby!!! I can’t believe how old you’re going to be when I get back!

You’ll never guess this. I was eating at a members house this week and they were saying they knew someone that was renting the apartment of President [Boyd K.] Packer (which had birds painted on the wall) when they lived in Utah in 1980-83. [Boyd painted them. He is quite an artist.] Then they said that the name of the family that was their friends in Provo is “Fugal” hmmmm…and he was studying Law and She was the Relief Society President. She helped René (the father) learn English. I asked if their son’s name was Spencer… they said yes and that Spencer and their son Parley (who was older) were good friends. Weird huh! It is the Family Valdez Rabi and they are René and Maria. They said to say Hi to Spencer and his parents. They are doing well, Parley is married to a woman named Vanessa and they have a daughter also named Maria

This week is the rededication of the Temple I am sooo excited!!

Oh I got the Bishop’s letter please tell him hi and thank you.

So…Not so funny language error that happen a few weeks ago… we were teaching and I was saying that Christ paid the “punishment” for our mistakes. Well actually I said “castidad” not “castigo” which means punishment. Casidad means chastity and I didn’t just say this once but 3 or 4 times without my companion correcting me :/

Yeah …ahhhh got to go… I love you all so very much!

Bryce

Dad, Thanks for writing me every week, I really enjoy ready your letters. You are such a great dad and granddad, I admire you so much for your sacrifices for all of us. General Conference was great! …I have some exciting news, that I’ll tell you in the letter to everyone. Well I’ll right more in my letter to all. I love you very much Dad, and I’m grateful you are my father! Have a great week and… EXERCISE!

Love Elder Bryce

¡Hola mi familia maravillosa! [Hello my marvelous family]

¡Conferencia General fue increíble! ¿no? I wasn’t able to attend all of the sessions but I saw part of the first in Spanish and the last two in English I was able to understand more or less the message in Spanish but really enjoy hearing the voices of the leaders. The night before conference I was reading the discourses by Pres. Monson from April, titled “Treasures of Eternal Value”. I really liked two things he said —

“Success is the progressive realization of a WORTHY ideal” [Earl Nightingale]

“Preparation is hard work but absolutely necessary for our progress” and “This is the day of our opportunity…” [Thomas S. Monson]

I find it interesting and very important to note and ponder on the fact the he gave practically the same discourses twice in a row… maybe that means it’s important …and we didn’t get it the first time or are miss something. Both, I thought, were wonderful. He focused on GRATITUDE and the perception and use of time. I believe both to play a large role in our happiness and well-being. I also enjoyed and learned a lot from all of the other talks given, and unlike when a child, I listened intently!

Sooo… Tomorrow is transfers and my companion/trainer is being transferred and… I am going to be a trainer. It’s hard to believe I have less than 2 months in the field. I am every excited/nervous! Well, we have a lot to do.

I love you all so much and am grateful for your love and sacrifices for me and each other… we really are the best family.

Elder Packer

[Editorial note by Shayne: A trainer means training a new "greeny" missionary. Being assigned as a trainer after 2 months means Bryce must an amazing missionary; doing everything right. I've never heard of this so soon.]

Mi queriodo familia, [my dear family]

¿Como estan todos? [How are you all today?] All is well here it was very cold this morning and it very hot right now…the sun is strong, and I am very red as I am told almost every day. Thanks you all for your letters it has been nice to come home at night and lay in my bed reading them.

I had fun yesterday dragging one of our investigators out of bed for church …He was kind of sick, but that’s okay. I am really looking forward to General Conference next Sunday, especially for our investigators to have the opportunities to hear the Prophet speak. I hope I will be able to understand it in Spanish. The work is going well here and I am really getting to know the area and the people. Next week is transfers I hope I am still here, although I’m sure I will be because my trainer has been here for 7 months.

As for your questions… I got the letters form Nick and Bishop, please tell them thank you and that all is well… and I will write them if I ever get a chance. I also got a dearelder [letter] from you, Kerry and Dad. I think, they were all from a month ago… so I guess it takes 4-5 weeks to get them because I am so far from Mexico City. Thanks though I really enjoyed reading them. I copied my pictures to CD and will be mailing them next week! Oh yea, I got the picture of Kerry and Isabella…¡carumba [wow] she is cute! Please, get my proxy ballot for the election… ¿By the way when is it and who is everyone voting for and why?

Wow, Mom tell Margaret and the Hurts congratulations for me! That’s awesome!

¡Santa Vaca! [Holy Cow] Kerry you got $2,100 for you car! That’s unreal. What a week Kerry. I’m glad to hear you are okay… and that your Spanish is improving. I am loosing my English and it is hard for me to remember how to say very common things… also to form full sentences, so if this is all jumbled you know why. Yes, I also find I have to concentrate a lot when listening to conversations, especially because Mexicans use a lot of slang and have 7 words for one thing. 

I email from an internet cafe a few blocks from my house. It’s about time I love you all and look forward to hearing from all of you.

Love Bryce

[Tanda] Much of this letter was response to questions I had ask him in my letter so that is why it sounds a little like a one-sided conversation.

¿que tal Familia?

¡gracias por sus cartas! [thank you for your letters] I haven’t had time to read them (except mom’s and Heather’s) so I am printing them off and reading them later. So this week I had my first companionship exchanges with my District Leader Elder Morales. It was for  24 hours. and went well, half of our day was spent in interviews for baptisms. The work has been interesting.

Pachuca, as my companion describes it is a big hotel. The people here have another house or visit family and are gone allot. Its kind of strange, and difficult to meet with investigators regularly. My spanish is improving. People have been telling me recently that when I first came here I didn’t understand but now I am talking allot more and that they understand me. I still need to work allot on conjugating correctly though.

Allot of our time the past two weeks has been meeting with and searching for members to update the church records… allot of the dates, addresses,etc. are missing or incorrect. Usually it is hot during the day and cool in the mornings and nights and it rains allot. We are working allot and looking for ways to strengthen our little ward, which is fairly new. One thing we’ve been doing is choosing a family each week to give a copy of The Book of Mormon to at the end of Sacrament Meeting, then in the following week they tell about there experiences. It has been going well so far. Oh mom …my knee is fine, I am healthy as ever.

My Mission President sent a great quote with his letter this week… “Confidence is contagious, so is lack of confidence.”  Vince Lombardi

…I am going to check right now about the cost to copy my pictures to CDs.

Sending a package through the mail isn’t a problem, but I thinks its better to use DHL or another carrier…. by the way I really don’t need anything right now so unless you really feel the need, a package isn’t necessary. However pictures would be nice, especially of Isabella, I don’t know if I can receive them through the email, but try.

Well it is about time. I love you all very much!

Bryce