Read Last...end of Bryce's letter to President Probst

• I have learned how to manage time and money and how to be self-reliant.
• I have learned how to cook some crazy things. 
• I have gained a love for many different cultures and a love for the country of South Africa and the Saints in this great country
• I have learned of the importance of team work and unity
• The list could go on and on, but I truly have gained so much from my experiences serving here in SACTM.  I know that the true Church of Jesus Christ has been restored today by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I know that we are being led by a prophet of God today, President Monson.  I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and sent His son, Jesus Christ to pay the price for us to return to live with Him again.  I know that the Savior lives and suffered and bled for me that I might live again.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.  --Oct. 2008 SACTM

Letter to President Probst continued

• I have learned how important it is to develop good habits as soon as possible. 
• I have gained the ability to recognize quicker the temptations and traps that Satan leaves for us, and how to best avoid them. I also have come to see how Satan can destroy the greatest by small means.
• I have experienced the most difficult days and weeks of my life while serving a mission.  I have also never felt the Spirit in more abundance and have never been more aware of what Heavenly Father wants for me. 
• I have learned the importance of a good first impression, and how important quiet dignity is, where ever we are, whatever we are doing, we are always being watched. 
• I more fully have come to know that God is there and He answers prayers and I have more fully come to the knowledge of how He does it. 
• I have experienced the sorrow that comes from people I love choosing not to act upon that which they know is true.  I have also experienced the joy that comes from seeing people's lives changed as they embrace the gospel.

Letter to President Probst continued

I really have come to love my family and have gained an understanding about why families are so important.  My mom has a little wall section at home with pictures of the missionaries from our family and above the pics, the scripture 3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."  As I have been able to see the effect of what the gospel and truth and light does for a family, some of my most favorite experiences have been communicating with my family each week and knowing that every single one of them walk in truth, with my little brother leaving for Japan to serve a mission just weeks after I get home.  It just is a great feeling. 

Two Years Ago

Bryce wrote a final letter to President Probst before returning home.  It reflected much thought and maturity and I would like to post a section of it every few days.  It is probably the most precious letter I have and I am so grateful that President Probst thought to send it to us. 
What have I gained, learned and experienced in the South Africa Cape Town Mission that has blessed my life?
Well of course there are too many things that I gained, learned and experienced while serving a mission to even write down a fraction of those things so I will attempt to highlight some of the more important things, in no particular order: 
The First Presidency message on page V states:  More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among it's children. 
  I feel that my view of what happiness actually is, has become much clearer...those things we do in our life that make a lasting impact and cause others and ourselves to change for the better, bringing peace into our lives and lasting satisfaction--a clear view of what is important.
These things bring lasting happiness into our lives, and I know that it is possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  

Family Information Sheets

Every year after Christmas, usually on New Year's Day,  our family would fill out Family Information Sheets. This did not seem to be a particularly fun activity for anyone but Mom and there was a lot of complaining through the years.  However, when it was time to plan Bryce's funeral and during the viewing, as his Family Info sheets through the years were passed around, it became a great revealing time of how Bryce thought and what he liked and didn't like.  There hasn't been as much gripping now...mostly because everyone is older and they know that there are good things about recording what we think about.  Here is the last sheet Bryce filled out: 10 Nov. 2008  He had just come home from South Africa.
Favorite Candy Bar:  Cadbury Tempo   Favorite Food:  Mexican   Movie:  Don't Know  Place to Go:  The Canyons   Color:  Blues and greens and browns   Friends:  Willy, Brad, James, Pete, Kell   Family Activity:  Boggle   Hymn:  Be Still My Soul  # 191   Story:  The Never Ending Story    Scripture:  2 Cor. 4: 17-18
Thing to Do:  Snowboard, make sweet music and movies and pictures  Holiday:  Christmas..Duh!  Vacation:  Lake Alice...Duh!   Family Traditions:  Lake Alice   Moment of my Life:  Birth   Sport:  Snowboarding   Season:  End of fall and beginning of winter   Teacher:  Mr. Call...well probably because I knew him the best
Music Group:  Mason Jennings   Game:  Step to ( played while snowboarding)   Restaurant:  One where I don't have to pay    Fast Food Place:  Taco time probably...I haven't had fast food in America in 2 years --in South Africa: Zebro's   Store to Shop in :  Ebay   Web site:  Gmail.com    Picture or painting:  Me kicking Dallin   Three things I feel I do well:  Look good, snowboard, listen to good music.   My motto or words to live by:  Never give up! Never surrender!  Someone I would like to be like and why:  Of course Jesus Christ because I promised I would do my best to be like Him.   What I would like to be doing in five years:  Be married, have a nice job, making sweet moview or something.   If I had $1000 to spend in one day I would:  buy a season pass and new snowboard, if I had not done that yet ( he did buy a new snowboard, a pass, new pants, two new jackets..heavy and light one.....) My  hopes for our family this year:  Everyone but mom and dad, Dallin , Ty and Nat to have either a boyfriend or girlfriend depending on what they are of course...no gays.   Personal goals for this year:  physical--be cut and eat good, snowboard hard and good/ double back flip on snowboard.   Mental:  get good grades   Social:  Get a girlfriend   Spiritual:  Finish Standard works.
The irony of Bryce being gone is that I probably know more about him now than if he were still here.  He wrote, video taped, recorded things that I wonder if I ever would have seen or read if he was here. 

Letter from Andrew

Andrew is the one with glasses

We got an email from Andrew on Bryce's birthday.  It was great to hear from him...he lives in England.  He was never Bryce's companion but served in some of the same areas.  Here are some of the things he had to say--thanks Andrew for sending it!:

On his birthday, I want to tell you a funny experience I had with him.

It had been a long day on exchanges in Port Elizabeth, and being new to SACTM, I wasn't really used to the Bikes that Elder Christensen and Elder Later enjoyed. Of course, the considerate Elder Christensen planned to park the bikes for the evening and do some contacting and knock a few doors. I say knock, but I mean ring buzzers of the gated properties of Walmer. We got to one house which was behind a fence and lowered at the bottom of a hill, which had a long twisting drive up to the gate. We walked to the gate and pressed the buzzer...the conversation went like this:

Man: Who is calling?

Elder Christensen (EC): Hello we are missionaries from...

Man, abruptly: I'm sorry, who are you looking for?

EC: Well, we're missionaries and we share...(cut off)

Man, abruptly again: Please state the name of the person you are looking for.

EC: Well, we share with everyone in the home, we are...

Man: Please state the name of the person you are looking for.

EC: Everyone, we are from the Church of...

Man, Very Angry: Please state the name of the person you are looking for!!

EC: Well...whats your name?

The Man hung up, and we laughed and laughed. The Man was terribly rude and would hardly let Bryce finish a sentence, but it didn't phase Elder Christensen. He was resilient and kept such a positive spirit with him. I learned so much from that one experience, that rejection, hardship and trial do not need to be miserable - we could rejoice in the journey and instead of having bad feelings towards others, we could happily go about doing our duty with a smile on our face. I took this lesson through the rest of my mission with me/ Bryce's wit and positive attitude made missionary work with him a absolute joy, and even a year later while serving as district leaders in East London together, we still laughed about it.

Bryces Friends

Cooking Steaks in Our Back Yard--Bryce's 19th Birthday

Bryce's Friends Today

 

 

 

One of the "rituals" Bryce loved to do with his friends would be Macey's runs and cooking steaks over the grill with them.  He was pretty much a carnivore before going to South Africa but learned to like other foods during and post mission.  These cute boys have come over for Mother's Day, Bryce's birthdays, and on Jan. 7th.  They have come individually at different times to introduce their girlfriends, to bring flowers ( that would be Jessica), and to see how I am.  One particular memory was a day I was out in the front yard weeding the summer after Bryce's death.  I was really struggling with my thoughts and emotions when Brad drove up and came to see how I was.  I told him I thought Bryce had probably nudged him.  I am so grateful each time I see these friends because Bryce cared a lot about them.  They camped, shot guns, did paintball, fished, sat around the campfire, cooked, came home for lunch, played guitars, played Halo, rode long boards, and just hung out and did very weird and crazy things together.  They have taken really good care to make sure I know they haven't forgotten Bryce.  I sure love them.