WEEK 93 part 2 - EMOTIONS - It's coming to an end

This was a crazy one!!  For all you Mom's that want to know when you receive the return flight information, it's around 70 days left in the mission.

So two weeks ago on a pday we received an email with Bryce's return date, flight information, and all those great things.  We were ecstatic! I called the girls into my bedroom and Dad was there and we had this big celebration of knowing the exact return details.  The email was carbon copied to Bryce, Dad, Mom, Bishop, and Stake President.  We were so excited and full of joyful emotion!  Our loved one had a return date.

THEN.....later that day we received the pday email.  Apparently Bryce had received a phone call the Friday prior and was told his return date and told he would have an itinerary emailed to him.  He was waiting to surprise us with the news except we received the email before he did.  So that didn't work out so well.  He opened his email to see his flight information, his tickets, his date to leave the mission......and.....he was devastated.  We soon realized our joy was not his joy.  We don't talk about home or return with him so I never really knew how he felt about it but it became very clear on this day.  He does not want to come home.  He is lost in the service of the mission, loves his companion, loves the work, loves the people of  Mexico, and the last thing he wants is for any of it to end.  Although he is so sad, this was the most joyful news a mother could hear. He is truly in love with what he is doing and has truly converted to being a missionary.

He speaks English but in Spanish format.  He said, "This is all so shocking to me, it's real and the tickets are purchased.  This is really happening, Holy Cow.  I really have to come home. This has all hit me a bit in the sadness.  that last sentence, oh my goodness the phrasing was so fun.

So after all that was established it got kind of odd. Every six weeks missionaries transfer into Mexico and missionaries transfer back to their homes. This is the cycle that continues on and on during the two year mission.  Bryce transferred in during a cycle and now he will transfer out at the end of a cycle.  Since Bryce was the first cycle in for his Mission President, this means he is the first missionary to have completed 2 years with President Montoya. His arrival was under different circumstances and his departure is following suit.  Sort of feels like a trend of his mission. He is the only missionary I know of that was the only North American of his generation. That changed many things for him.  For example, he didn't bond with fellow North Americans in the CCM, he didn't arrive into Chihuahua with a support base of people he was familiar with, etc. He doesn't have that group that so many are blessed with throughout their mission. Despite that, he's been an amazing trooper and fought hard when times were tough and has made amazing, amazing, life long friends. I'm sure it was all for a reason and he had to learn to depend on many and when to stand on his own.

His final words:  I've really changed so much.   In a lot of ways. I feel more mature and I'm able to handle stress better. I have a lot to do and time is moving to fast. I need to work fast and hard.  I'm not ready for it to end so I'm just not going to think about it.

WEEK 92 - Part 1 EMOTIONS

So I think this blog has turned into a "Mother's summary" instead of a Bryce's words blog.  As time moves on, he gives much less detail so I just end up summarizing his emails.

Bryce really likes his new companion. He is funny and they get along great.  He jumps right in to teach and apparently loves photography.  (maybe I'll get some good pics). When Bryce arrived in the mission he was the first batch for his mission president so there weren't set programs in place  They now have a set training program for missionaries just entering the field. Bryce (the trainer) and Elder Jiminez (the trainee) attend weekly training meetings. These meetings help the new elder adjust. They also teach the trainers how to be effective teachers. I think it's a wonderful change.  Bryce joked that he was the guinea pig when he arrived. Just the same as he was the guinea pig in our family because he is the first born :) (HAPPINESS TO BE TRAINING AND MEETING A LIFELONG FRIEND)

Right after Bryce picked up his new companion they had some extra time to make visits.  They were right next to a previous area Bryce served in so he went and visited his kids.  He calls them "My Kids".  He said they were so happy to see me and it was so great! It had been a long time that I hadn't seen them and they haven't been to church in a long time.  It was so good to see them. They were laughing and telling jokes and just being funny.

I remember many photos of Bryce playing chess with them, etc.  He visited them often while he served in that area of Chihuahua. (PURE JOY)

"THE KIDS" :)

 I honestly dont' know what the connection is between Bryce and cats but this is his third encounter in the past few months. First he arrived home one night to find a stray cat sleeping on his bed, next he had to clean up an ugly scene of deceased cats at the sisters' house, then this particular week he and his comp were in Delicias and found a tall box with abandoned kittens in it.  So what would Bryce do?  Well Bryce takes the box of kittens to his dinner appointment and gives them as gifts.  Really Bryce?  Yes he did!  However, the recipients were grandparents and were happy.  They have three families with grandchildren, so they gifted each family a kitten.  Hopefully they will be well loved.

Bryce and Elder Jiminez had a baptism in Delicias.  This was the first baptism for Jiminez so it was an exciting day! From Bryce: Yeah so his name is Oscar and he was going to get baptized in 2 weeks, but He was ready then and didn't have any reason to wait so we asked him for that Saturday and he was fine with it! He is really happy right now.  He has no family and lives alone so that's sad. My comp was super excited but he was stressing out all day about the baptism so I had to tell him to relax all day.  (MORE JOY)

Some of the guys in the zone and district

 Bryce gets to work closely with Elder Thomas from Utah.  I love that connection.  Bryce said 

Thomas is the only other gringo so he appreciates that and that he is from Utah and that everyone is from Utah.  That made me laugh.

TENDER LOVE FOR ROMANCITA (SADNESS- HOW TO SAY GOOD-BYE)

Romancita was the one woman I hoped to go back and meet someday.  She took Bryce in and loved him like no other.  She was his grandma in the mission.  She actually kept a framed picture of him in her house.  Bryce lived in the apartment above her house in Parral (a year ago).  That's when he was so sick and had to stay in bed many days. Often he would sleep at Romancita's house and she would care for him.  She cooked him breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  They became so close and I have always felt a special love for her.  She could never know how much I loved her for loving my son.  The day Bryce transferred from Parral back to Chihuahua Romancita was so sad.  She just couldn't bare to see him go.  She thought his comp would go but not him.  He was scheduled to taxi to the bus and head out.  Romancita wouldn't hear of it.  She woke up early, cooked him breakfast and made 2 quesadilla's and wrapped them in foil for his "journey". She then drove him to the bus station (crying all the way there).  They said their goodbyes and Bryce got on the bus.  Bryce said as the bus was pulling away he could see her standing there still crying next to the bus.  I just couldn't stand it!  I know that pain of sending him off to a new place.  I will love her forever.  A few weeks ago Romancita suddenly passed away.  I cried and cried when Bryce told me.  I thought I'd meet her one day but now we'll be meeting in a different place.  Bryce said he had a "feeling" he needed to call her.  He called her and the person that answered the phone said she was in the hospital and couldn't talk.  He kept having a nagging feeling to call again.  He tried again a few days later and she had just been released and was able to talk to him.  He had no idea how sick she really was but I think Juvenal gave him a heads up (not sure).  She told Bryce he was the only one who hadn't called her yet and she had been waiting for him to call.  Two days later, she passed.  Bryce was very sad but said he is happy for her because all she wanted to do was preach 24/7 and share the gospel and now she's in a place where she can do that.