¡Hola mi querida familia! [Hello my dear family!]

It has been a nutty week. My new companion is Elder Miguel David Fernandez Perez, He’s from Chetumal, Quintana Roo. It’s super far from here! [in the Yucatán Peninsula] This week was a bit of a trial at first since my companion is a greeny, but he is really humble and not afraid of working + he has learned really fast. The Lord couldn’t have blessed me with a greater companion! Funny story: I talked him into waxing his unibrow today… tell you all about it later. Oh, yea another funny story last week with Elder Padget: we were sharing the [story of the] first vision, when all four of the legs of the chair our investigator was sitting on flew out from under her. It’s been said that all sorts of distractions will always come up in the first vision, but this was a funny first.

I was reviewing my notes on General Conference again and noticing how a big part of the theme was doing our duty to God.

This week we had a family of 9, 6 in baptismal age who were going to get baptized, however the father decided that he doesn’t want to get married so that was a hard blow! However we had an interesting fast and testimony meeting… because we share the ward with the assistants and it was General Conference last week we had 12 confirmations, then 2 baby blessings, one of which was the child of one of the families that was confirmed. So in the end there were only 4 or 5 very brief testimonies shared before the service ended. Plus there are a few other pending confirmations and if they would have come like planned, I’m sure that it would have only been a confirmations and baby blessings meeting. I hope our investigators who came for the first time don’t get weirded out by their first experience!

Well, I’ve got to run!

I love you all so much! Take care and make the best decisions this week!

-Elder Packer

P.S. ¡¡¡¡Attached is the new mission photo!!!!

I wanted to share the letter I wrote to President Bulloch.

We’ve been having some pretty difficult days where our appointments have all fallen through, and I’m not going to say it wasn’t difficult. Especially so since we’ve been working hard every day these past weeks to become “misioneros de exito” [missionaries of success] and not just working hard and being exactly obedient, but going the second mile, hablando con TODOS [talking with ALL] testifying of the truths of the restored Gospel, exercising at 6:30 am on preparation day, etc.

Yesterday all eight of our lessons fell through, however we contacted in the street, knocked doors, asked for and contacted references, even visited part member families… and at the end of the day—nothing. It was frustrating and I thought maybe we’ll go eat tacos or I’ll go to bed early, I was a little discouraged and ready find a little comfort in something.

After a comment my companion made, I remembered part of the letter I wrote myself: “Trials come that they may prepare you for the blessings or spiritual experiences you are working for. After the blessings come trials, that we may be prepared to receive again greater blessings.” As missionaries, we teach every day that one of our purposes in life is to be tried, to prove to the Lord that we are really His children. Isn’t it the same as missionaries? Now I know it. If we are obedient, working hard and love the people when everything goes well, great! Who doesn’t? However, I believe it’s when everything goes wrong yet we still give our best, that determines if we are truly “misioneros de exito” and representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that the Lord has great blessing in store for me, blessings that He cannot give if I don’t pass the test. I’m going to do it!

-Elder Packer

Hello my wonderful family,

Things here in the mission are well! The stress of a new cycle… receiving and training new missionaries, buses for the changes meeting, and all that is over. So that’s nice. Really, it wasn’t so bad this time because I made a system the cycle before, so it went rather smooth.

I’m doing really well, really well! I’ve been learning so much and working hard and have been able to serve others. Really, I just feel blessed, happy and Blessed. It’s amazing how well things work out, I guess really it’s amazing just how well the Lord knows us and gives up the experiences we need to progress. And he loves us enough to give us things that are hard for us, but necessary. Man, the mission is hard, but NECESSARY… and not just for the people who don’t have the gospel!

So, two neat things happened the other day. Well, lets just say it’s a challenge to just a document notarized in Mexico. You have to go to see a special person and [very expensive]. So I was thinking to visit the Church Lawyer, whose office is right next door… he doesn’t have a notary’s seal in Mexico, and told me that the only way would be to go to the US embassy. So guess what I did? When we got to the embassy they told me that notarizations were only by appointment for 2-4 pm (it was 10:30 am). By four we are in our area, and let’s just say the Embassy isn’t close, and we had to go in public transportation because of parking. So they said we could go in and ask for more info, and after passing through security they repeated that we needed an appointment and gave us the website where we could go to do so. We still asked if we could go in and ask. When we got to the notary’s desk he showed us a long list of the appointments he had scheduled for the day and asked if we could come back another day. I, of course explained it would be difficult because of the distance and the hours of operation and asked if he could make an exception. Well, he was member! And let’s just say that was a big blessing! So I got the papers notarized.

Now while we were there we took advantage and took some photos of El Angel de Independencia [The Angel of Independence] and while doing so we started a conversation with the security guard. It ends up that she lives in my old area, about 3 hours away, and was interested in our message so I was able to give her directions to the closest church and the hours of service. She knew exactly where it was. Pretty neat, huh?

Well I love you all so much and hope it’s a great week for you all,

-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

[Note: Tanda wrote and asked Bryce several questions.]

Okay so first I’ll answer some of your questions…

Yes, they are sending missionaries tomorrow to the other ward so we will be a District again and I should get a new phone soon too… which I will be very careful with.

We’re are finally starting to get organized in our new place which is just down the street from our old apartment. It is so much better and is new construction so we’re the first people to live there! However my companion tripped the other day in the shower and broke the skin :/ [maybe Bryce meant sink?] …better than his head I guess. We live alone which I think is the same for every companionship in the mission, and luckily, yes we get feed by the members here too

Another nice thing is that a member from the other ward owns a laundry mat on our street and washes all my clothes for 15 pesos, and they are actually clean and don’t get sun bleached or pooped on by birds or spiders laying eggs on them, all of which happened in Pachuca.

Okay, so after not writing last week, I’m sure the title of my letter almost gave you a heart attack, however about an hour ago I ate a Huarrache which is like a Mexican pizza. I have grown to eat a lot of salsa, which is really hot here, however the guacamole that was on this thing was so hot that it burned my mouth, lips, stomach and I could hardly open my mouth for 10 min. because the movement of air in and out of my mouth on my lips hurt so much. Of course I also had to make a somewhat painful bathroom trip shortly after! I also got to eat cow foot last week which I couldn’t really reject because it was offered to me in a family home evening we had with the member we baptized yesterday! So I politely ate it and politely didn’t vomit. I also ate pig foot about 2 weeks ago. I’m not sure which is my favorite?

Last of the interesting things to happen, is yesterday we were late for our baptismal service because the road was blocked by about 35 cross-dressers who were dancing in the street and asking money from all the people driving through. One of the strangest reasons to have traffic backed up or to be late to our own baptismal service. Welcome to Chimalhuacán!

I love you all and you’re in my thoughts and prayers.
-Bryce

Okay, so things have been great here, however very crazy with all the work we are doing. We baptized last week and yesterday. And next week we have an amazing family of 5 which are going to be baptized… that makes 5 weeks in a row, which feels great and is very tiring. “El tanque lleno” [a full tank or font] has been our goal, which is to have at least one baptism a week. I love the people here so much, however I am ready for exchanges, which are next week. The father of the family being baptized next week is an ex-pro football (soccer) player, and is amazing. They used to live a crazy celebrity party life, however they had some very humbling experiences which helped them open up and begin to change. Then we contacted them and they changed their lives completely in a matter of weeks. An amazing family!

Oh yeah, we have another investigator from PERU. She came to church for the first time yesterday with her two sisters, one is a member, and the other, we are teaching too. However, the other sister is returning to Lima en jueves [on Thursday]. Posible ustedes (Kerry y Ceci) pueden encontrarla en Lima …se llama Milagros y es un joven de 23 años, creo. ¿Cundo van a Peru? [Possibly you guys (Kerry and Ceci) can meet up with her in Lima. Her name is Milagros (Miracles) and she is a 23 year old woman, I believe. When are you going to Peru?]

[Editorial note by Shayne so you will understand the next paragraph: Our family curse is that we can hardly ever get through dinner without someone talking about poop or dirty diapers.] :-(

Okay, well lots of stuff happened…OH… I have a poop story!!! The other day we were walking to a house in a remote area and I was walking straight towards the house passing by the tree, when my companion asked “where is it?”, and turned to the left away from the house (and the tree) in front of our path. I thought this was weird because he knew where we were going and we were close… When I passed by the tree I understood, because I saw a man hurry to pull up his pants from a squatting position and walk a way quickly…without wiping too. ¡bienvenidos a Mexico! [Welcome to Mexico]

Okay, have a great week everyone. Thank you all and I love you.

-Bryce