Elder Ryler's Mission Blog: Mother's Day Surprise!!!!

I knew this year Mother's Day would be pretty hard with both sons away from home and no chance of even talking to either one on the phone!

We actually gave up the Mother's Day phone call Elder Ryler would have made so that he could be on the phone with us when Elder Parker opened his mission call back in February (mission rules only allow 2 calls per year) but it was totally worth it! We consoled ourselves that at least Elder Parker would be able to call me from the MTC on Mother's Day. But then we later found out that he couldn't call either!

I guess logistically it would be pretty difficult for over 2000 missionaries to call their Mothers on the same day?! I should have realized that and not even hoped for it because it does say right in the mission call booklet "You and your family should not plan on any telephone calls or messages while you attend the MTC." Duh! At least Elder Parker heard about this fairly soon after his MTC arrival and wrote me about it so I was better prepared to accept this by the time Mother's Day rolled around.

However, I did not realize just how much I would miss my sons and long for contact of some kind on Mother's Day! Husband did a great job making it a special day for me with breakfast in bed, cooking my favorite meals and extra TLC.

Early that morning we got a phone call about my nephew's death so I drove to my sister's immediately to mourn with them. Of course then I realized I had nothing to be sad about! On the way home I attended Sacrament meeting in a random ward in Layton because I had missed ours. Then the focus was on my two brothers who spent the day with us. After I took them both home I needed a little recovery time! Then we spent time with my "other mother", my father in law's sweet wife whom I truly love! Husband was adamant about leaving there to get home in time so he could take a conference call. I was fine with that.

He went downstairs to take the call while I fixed a snack and felt sorry for myself! He came up a few minutes later, here's how our conversation went:

Me: wow, that was quick

Him: I've got someone on the phone who wants to talk to you

Me: Huh?

Him: It's Ryler!

Me: No way! That's not funny!

Him: Just say hello

Me: (taking the phone) Ryler? I mean Elder Ryler is that you?

AND IT WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was SO not expecting that!!! I couldn't believe my ears!! In fact it was such a shock I'm really not sure that's exactly how the above conversation went but its the general idea.

Apparently Husband had emailed Elder Ryler to suggest he still ask his MP for permission to call on Mother's Day if Elder Ryler felt like he could do that, Husband added "don't worry if not, I haven't said anything to Mom". Elder Ryler wrote back in a very short email "that sounds great, let's surprise Mom! here's my number --!" Husband wasn't even sure from that message that he had gotten permission and the time zone thing was a little unclear but he just hoped for the best and set me up with that bit about a "conference call" and I totally believed it! lol

It was thee best phone call EVER!!!! We had a wonderful conversation, Elder Ryler sounded sooooooooo goood and so happy and we got to hear more about his brand new area, new companion, new calling and an Okinawa miracle!

We also found out that Elder Ry did in fact get permission from his MP to call but it was even before he got the email from his Dad! He had been traveling with the MP and in a discussion about plans for Mother's Day Elder Ry said he was flexible because he wouldn't need to be calling home. His MP asked why and he reminded him of how we'd voluntarily given that up so he could get a call when his brother opened his mission call. His MP responded by telling him he could go ahead and call anyway!!! I love this man!!!!! Luckily Husband had the time right and Elder Ry was home when Husband placed the call and those two totally got me by surprise!!! It was awesome!!!

Here's some of the cool things we learned from that call...

Elder Ry gets to workout in the mornings by running with the MP! They run around the Zoo area next to the Mission Home. There's a big tower there they've nicknamed the "King Benjamin Tower"! lol

His P-days are now on Saturday.

The Jehovah's Witness missionaries have a system of marking the houses they visit in his area. He joked that maybe they could learn the system and it would help them in their tracting and they could leave notes for the JWs to help them too! ;o)

In his missionary reading he is in the Book of Mormon again and loving it! His goal is to have read all the standard works completely through by the end of June. He said he just has to finish the Japanese Book of Mormon by then and he'll reach his goal!

He agreed to translate a short testimony for me so I could put that in a Book of Mormon to give to a Japanese friend here in Utah!

He said he's REALLY excited about going to Nauvoo this summer! (He and I will be volunteers for the pageant and leave as soon as he returns!) He said as he studies and teaches about Joseph Smith he thinks to himself "I'm going to be in Nauvoo where Joseph Smith taught!" Very exciting!!

Best of all was the miracle he shared with us...

He said that a woman named Sister Nagata in Okinawa came to Church on her own, and then she came again the next week and then she became an investigator with the missionaries there and now she is going to be baptized on May 31st!!!!

There’s more… when she came to Church that first time she had in her hands a Book of Mormon!!

There’s more… this Book of Mormon had our family’s picture inside!!!! The Elders told him, “there’s a picture of your family in her Book of Mormon!” How amazing is that?!!!!

We don’t know any more of the details but hope to learn more about how she ended up with it. What a thrill it was to hear this!!! And to know that we had played even a small part in someone wanting to be baptized!!!! It totally made my day!! I had cried a lot of tears earlier for my nephew, my sister and her family and that night I was crying a lot of happy tears because of this miracle and because I was so blessed to get this phone call from Japan!!

Talking with Elder Ry on the phone was such a thrill and we had a really good connection with no delays! That made a huge difference! It made my heart so happy just to hear his voice and even more so to know that he is safe and healthy and happy! What a wonderful Mother's Day surprise!!!