Setting Goals...something he learned on Miss

2007 March 26    Today I have decided I need to set goals.  So first goal is...do not buy sugar or candy until page 65.  Second goal: don not eat after 6 p.m. until page 70.  Third goal: by page 100 be able to do 15 pull ups ( any way) and 50 push ups.  By  page 80 have D&C 4 memorized. 

Quick To Judge

3-31-08

I have learned a very good lesson this week about giving praise to others. Here in King Williams town the missionaries have never found too much success, it is a difficult area. this week we have tryed are hardest and pushed the limits and saw great progess. Stats dont often mean very much but we were able to have some of the highest stats that King Williams Town has had. when the zone leaders called me sunday night to get a report on things, the one zone leader commented about how things wernt too bad(suggesting that they should be better),. I thought ha Too bad this guy doesnt even know what we have been doing out here. I know he wasnt trying to put me down but his comments sure were not uplifting. I do not hold any grudges against him, he is a very good missionary. but I learned a very important lesson about not being quick to judge, and how important it is to uplift each other. especially when times are hard. well.

When Bryce was Little...Happy Birthday Would Have Been 25 Year Old!

From Bryce's brother Tyler:  Today I was packing up boxes for our upcoming move and stumbled across some “personal history sheets”—which were written several years ago when I was on a family history kick.  Here is what Bryce’s said (can we say run on sentence J). 

When I was around 4ish might be some of my first memorys, I remember putting on my coat by laying it on the ground and shimmying into it, and I liked the ninja turtles a lot and rode my 3 wheeler down the hill a lot and I had a glow in the dark he man sword my best friend at the time was Jacob Stewart, mostly because of Geographical convenience I would go to his house and his mom would fix us top ramen then I would go stand by the doorway of his mean brothers room Randy and watch them play Nintendo, I never got to go in the room let alone play.  I told Randy he was getting a lump of coal for Christmas there was another friend when I lived at the yellow house called Elijah me and Jacob didn’t really like him and make him say he was going home a lot, but he would just walk around the house and come back, I liked to jump on the tramp, go sleding and eat snow.

Snail Mail

3-25-2008
It's funny you don't quite realize how much you love your family until you sit at a internet cafe half way around the world a year and a half apart looking at pictures of all your smiling faces and it hit me just how important families really are.  They are basically the core of everything when you peel or break down all the different layers in life and whats left is your family.  Mom...you wrote in one of your letters about how you were sorry for not writing all the time because you get busy with lots of "good things".  I'm not rebuking you but it just reminded me how in a Zone Conf. we learned about not doing "good things" but that we should do the "better things" ( like sending more letters to your poor son in Africa) ha.  Just kidding but I think for us to really grow in the short period of time that we are tested, to see how much we can grow we need to not do "good things" or even "better things" but we need to do the "best things" eh, it's difficult though that's why we have to encourage each other like we are all each others personal trainer or something.  I don't write home on paper enough like I should but I am really trying to do the "best things" and I am so grateful for your love and support.  Mission has been such an amazing experience, I have been out here long enough that I can look back and reflect on all of the miracles and growth that I have seen in myself and others.  I don't say these things to boast, but like Ammon says, "yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things (the best things) yea, behold, many miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise His name forever. ( Alma 26:12)   I am glad that I still have time left here and forever to preach the gospel.  I hope I can never lose sight of this light and clear perspective that I feel at this time. 

Dallin!  Listen to your long haired grizzly brother.  Now! is the time for you to prepare for your mission.  You may think that you are already preparing but the bar is high and it is getting higher.  How high can you jump?  Can you teach the first discussion?  Have you gone out with the full time missionaries?  Do you know your purpose? I know I didn't do as well as I should have in preparing for my mission.  In fact I think I just cleared the bar.  I've struggled intensely at times to make up for it.  You don't have to.  Prepare now, jump a little higher.

Family:  I know that the Church is true.  That's the easy way to say that I know that God has given us all the things we need to gain eternal life.  We just need to use all those things that he has given us.  I know that it is because of the Savior that we have access to these thing.  It is past my bedtime but I just wanted to let you kn9ow that i love you and that all is well.  I can't really tell you things often enough.  You know how I struggle with the emails.  I hope you enjoy your day and I encourage you to do the "best things".  Sincerely and yes forever, Elder C.

Please Don't Post What I Write...Not!

3-08

Well I was reading the Ward news letter you sent mom. you should just not put any of my emails in them... Everyone writes these big old emails with lots of information and stuff and then you get elder Christensen' s two sentences that have weird grammer and is like " well I am on mission. things are good." so Please dont put them in the news letters or forward them to random people and things. If you would like to give a summary of whats happen with me that is fine. 

 He was so bugged with the things I put in the ward newsletter.  It made me laugh but I didn't stop.  What could he do?  It was the real Bryce and it made everyone smile that read his entries.  I always got comments about what he wrote.  He was not exaggerating about his emails being two sentences either. 

Birthday Month

No one plans a baby in August.  It is too hot.  Really--I know.  We had a six year space before Bryce came.  That is because Heavenly Father knew I would give Bryce away if he had come any sooner.  I needed help!  He was totally a hand full.  He required much attention, much patience, and a wiser person than me for a mom. 
June 9, 2007
Yesterday they cancelled going to lunch after District meeting …forever…my heart broke a little that day.