Stake Conference at BYU April 11 2010 Email from Thoughtful Mary

Well today we had stake conference and we had the privilege of hearing from President Bateman the Provo temple president. Well He talked a lot on temples and the miracles that happen there. Then he began telling the story about a very honorable missionary who served in South Africa. I knew right then he was talking about Bryce. He continued telling the story about Bryce and how he passed away. The noisy boys behind me suddenly went silent and it seemed that everyone was paying attention.
Then he eloquently spoke about some of the miracles that happened in the temple with your family after he passed away. Of course I cried as he told the story and it was amazing to hear how silent the room got as he talked about the blessings of the temple and the miracles that were seen because of the faith of my good friends. It was really a great stake conference and it made me love the temple so much more. I thought about how sad it was to lose Bryce but how many people's live have been blessed and will continue to be blessed. As i looked around the room I could tell there were several other people who were moved by his words and I thought to myself, "I'm so proud of Bryce, I'm glad I knew such a choice spirit." Then I thought of you, and your family and how strong you have been and how such a tragic event has blessed so many lives and will continue to do so. I love you guys so much, and I just thought I would share that experience with you.

My reply to Mary:
Thank you  Mary for sharing those tender and sweet thoughts.  I appreciate it very much.  I would have liked to hear President Bateman tell about it.  I got a phone call Sunday afternoon from Peter...he served in SA with Bryce.  He must have been in the same Conference as you because he was walking home and called on his cell to tell me about it.  He heard it twice because he called on Bryce's anniversary just as we had finished at the temple and I told him about it then.  I have had experiences since then with Bryce.  I told Kim this morning that I think Bryce is trying to make it up to me for all the grief he caused me growing up.  He wants me to know he is working with our family and the people of South Africa and helping serve others.   He was always trying to get out of the service projects in YM!  I was in Shopko and Romona Payne was there with her 33 year old son, Randy.  He has Down Syndrome.  One of her other sons served in Japan and when he, Brian came home, found that he had cancer and he was gone in what seemed like a few months.  Romona was Dallin's piano teacher.  Ramona's  brother and family live in Japan right now.  His son was hiking in Durban South Africa with his companion and other Elders and fell to his death.  I have become good friends with his wife Chris.  Long way to tell you that while we were  talking in Shopko, her son Randy kept saying...Brian, Bryce     Brian, Bryce...missionaries.  They are happy.  They are happy. Randy knows.   The temple has always been a very special place for me but now even more so, it has connected me to Bryce and opened my eyes.  The irony is that with all my understanding, I still struggle to do what is right.  It is a challenge for all of us even with all we know and have.  That is the beauty of this mortal life.  Thanks again Mary for taking the time to write down your thoughts and feelings.  It is of great comfort and joy to me and my husband.  We miss our Bryce even with all the understanding we have.   It is such a reminder how each person makes such a difference in this world.

Here is an excerpt of a letter I wrote to President Bateman about going to the temple on Bryce's one year anniversary.  I wrote it because President Bateman saw us at the temple and asked us why we were there at that early hour in the middle of the week.  I wanted him to know about our experience: Yesterday we attended the temple to begin our day remembering Bryce.  It had not occurred to us to do sealings but upon entering the temple, decided that would be a good thing to do.  In the middle of our session of sealing daughters to parents, a sealer came in with more names.  They were sons to be sealed to parents.  As my husband and I were proxy, the sealer commented that the names we were doing were from South Africa.  We felt our son close by with a great big smile on his face.  I will remember that experience forever.  It just felt so good. 

2005 11 20 Bearded Ladies song

Funny Bryce

A Little Bit o' Bryce

This is Darla.  She makes me look like a giant.   She is very small and a jogger.  She has some of Bryce's knee tissue and tendons so she can run...no more soccer but she can run!  We went to Arizona to visit Kira for her birthday and were able to meet with Darla and her daughters.  It was pretty close to heaven to be with her and share.  The interesting part of all this...Darla lost her son ( same age as Bryce) in a car accident a few months after Bryce's accident.  It is times like these that tell me Heavenly Father is very much aware of our pain and sadness and does all He can to help us heal.  This was very much a healing time and a great way to celebrate our sons!

Spontaneous talks 21 May 2008

1. How to Introduce the Book of Mormon to investigators.  The Book of Mormon is worth more than it’s weight in gold.  I’m sure if we went around handing out slabs of gold everyone would be eager to receive one.  They would be thinking of the new Golf they could buy or all of the KFC they could eat.  The could think of many things they could get with that gold, and they would be so happy to receive it.  But instead of giving out slabs of gold worth thousands, or millions of Rand, we are giving out exactly 404 sheets of thin paper with a cheap blue cover worth about 10 or 15 rand.  In worldly measure anyway.  Now a lot of people are still very eager to receive this Book worth 15 rand, most people love anything that is free.  But if they could see the real value of the Book of Mrmon.  If they could see why it is worth more than it’s weight in gold, imagine how wealthy they could become.  Members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints are wealthy…

The Final Bend

Song lyrics from a song Bryce worked on while in South Africa

And it seems everything’s turned gray

Where you walk the wind blows the other way

It’s not as easy as you thought

Can’t find your money don’t know what you’ve bought

The pain inside won’t come out

Makes you worry it makes you doubt

So the storm is on its way

Is there shelter, is there a place to stay?

It might seem like this road will never end,

But just wait till we make it round the final bend

We’ll rest take that burden off your chest now

And we’ll float around the whole hemisphere.

Missionary Jeopardy

I was thumbing through one of Bryce's missionary journals today and found a Jeopardy game that he made for a district meeting. Most of the questions were quite difficult, identifying particular scriptures and quotes, or knowing what was taught in the last district meeting. But I had to chuckle when I read the 4th question in the "Random" category. Question: Who sang "Bennie and the Jets." Answer: Elton John. Bryce had a great sense of humor.

Bryce plays a halloween song (November 2009)

This is probably the last song that was recorded of Bryce playing his guitar.