Dang it....well it makes for a good story!

Hiya Mum, Dad, and Family,

To answer the question, yes I did get the parcel that Sister Rawcliffe sent me. I have been meaning to send her a letter, but as you know it just seems like there is no time...time is flying by and it is terrible. Tell her thank you so much and that I really enjoyed the peanut butter and oreos...they were amazing! How is she doing? I haven't taken the test yet but I am taking it this week so please pray for me. I am going to need it. Don't worry I will be very careful. So many people are changing, Lydia is getting married and the Heatons moved, wow it is crazy to hear what is going on in Utah. Sounds like a very eventful week for you guys. How was the mapleton firework show...I loved going to those.

Well as for my week....we have a lot of good stories! Sit back, relax and let the dining room proudly present your dinner. Be our guest...be our guest...put our service to the test...Oh sorry got a little carried away.

Now for the week. To be honest it has been a really good week, a bit frustrating but really good. First off, Jodie and Sinead. Well they were planning on being baptized and we had it all sorted for the 1st of August, and then their parents said no! NO...WHAT ARE YOU DOING! THIS IS TRUE! Well obviously we have to abide by their parents decision, so Jodie and Sinead are going to wait until they are 18. Hopefully as they continue to come to church, read the Book of Mormon, pray and doing everything as if they were already baptized, then things will work out to how Heavenly Father wants it to. And who knows we might be able to get in and start teaching their families and get them involved and coming to church.

So we were sad to hear that and then another miracle happened. We have been teaching Rhys for a while and he said that he wanted to wait for a bit to be baptized until he read the Book of Mormon. So we were teaching him and then we just bore testimony to him and told him that this was a good thing. Well the next time we saw him we asked him if he prayed about baptism and he said yes...and then he said and I approve. Well we asked him if he wanted to work towards a date and we sent the date of August 1st. He was doing so well and is still doing amazing. But unfortunately his parents (although he is 21) told him off and said that he was making a mistake. He then asked us if he could move his date to the 15th of August, to try and get his parents on board with him a bit. He told us that no matter what he will be baptized, because he knows it is true and he loves it, but he wants to try and work with his parents. So please keep him in your prayers as well. He is an amazing guy and really loves the church and knows that it is true. Dang parents!! haha but we have to remember to honour our father and mother.

We have also been working with some other, Steve and Shelli. It has taken a long time for us to actually get in and teach them, but after time and time again of trying by their house we were finally able to get in and teach them. We have taught them a few times now and they are staring to understand the gospel and what we believe. They said that they are going to wait until they have an answer to be baptized as well as they have to be married. But I think that all will work out!

Katelin I hear you are best friends with Caroline now! haha that is good to hear! She is awesome. She is getting her Patriarchal blessing t
omorrow!

Here is the story that will probably scare you guys, but don't worry all is well. So last night, Elder Pryor and I had to go to the hospital. Elder Pryor had to get his eyes checked and got antibiotics so not to get an infection and I had to get super glued and steri stripped on my tricep and fore arm! Well lets rewind a half hour! Elder Pryor and I were joking with each other. Elder Pryor passed a glass door, first off who puts glass in a door?!!! Well he closed the door a bit and I then slipped on an ensign magazine and my arms went straight through the glass pane. Well as a result the glass shattered into and bounced off Elder Pryors eye and my arms got cut up! Don't be alarmed we weren't rough housing and we are fine now. But it happened and almost immediately I stopped looked down and just said "ah dang it....well it makes for a good story right?!!!" haha. I just thought I would tell you guys that! I am all good...they weren't bad cuts and Elder Pryor can see!

Well I hope you all know that I love you and that I love the gospel, it is true. I know that with all my heart.

God be with you till we meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. HE LIVES.

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

"Caroline cut my hair.  Just for you guys!"

And I must say it looks so good. 

Thanks Caroline! :)

Sporting a Utah Jazz Hat

He didn't tell us the story behind this picture.

"ah dang it....well it makes for a good story right?!!!"

Ohhh dear!  The bloody shirt and towel!  He will learn to keep things picked up off the floor! Not sure how all this story went down but I guess we will have to save those questions for next weeks email.  Joking with each other....ya right!  No rough housing???!!!  Hummmm!  :)

One miracle closer - Monday, July 20, 2015

Hello Mum, Dad, and Family,

How are you all doing? From what it sounds like...life is very very busy. You are all just moving place to place, activity to activity. Don't go too fast but take every opportunity you have because before you know it those opportunities will be gone. Tanner be careful as you drive! I am a bit nervous to drive but hopefully I will do okay. I have already taken part of the test (the theory test) that went well, now I am taking the practical driving test. So I will go in the car and actually drive. The only study and practice I get is when I take a lesson. So I don't have much time but I think I will do okay. Yeah preparation days are very busy and honestly the most stressful probably. I would love it if all I had to do was email and then go back to work. I would love it! :) We luckily have a washer in our flat so we can do our laundry in the flat. Shopping is about a 15 minute walk, so not too far. We have a lot of fun. Lately we have been going hiking. Last week we went to Whitby, it is a little village and it was really pretty. It is a seaside village as well. The week before we went hiking along Flamborough (another little village along the sea cliffs. It seriously is so peaceful. I would love to sit out there all day. Your emails are wonderful. I love receiving them! Did you all win the family swim meet?! It sounds like you are all staying so busy.

As for me and my week. It too has been very busy. Elder Pryor and I are working with a few people who are very close to baptism. Dad thank you for you doctrinal dissertation last week. It helped a lot. I read it to Elder Pryor and we applied it. We talked to Jodie and Sinead about baptism and it was really good. I think they were just afraid. So we re scheduled them for baptism on August 1, 2015. They really want to be baptized but are afraid that their parents won't let them. They say that everything we have taught them makes them happy and hopeful. They believe that this is true and want to experience more of the blessings which lie ahead. We asked them to pray really hard, and to walk completely by faith and if it is Heavenly Fathers will for them to be baptized than they will. Please pray for them as well. Pray especially for their families, not just to let them be baptized but for safety as well. I know that if they keep reading and praying and rely on Heavenly Father they will be baptized on August 1, 2015.

The next miracle is with Rhys. We again applied what you taught us dad. Rhys doesn't want to be pushed, he wants to ease into the gospel so he knows for sure that it is true and right. Well we prayed about a date and prayed for him. We helped him understand that more knowledge will come as he takes steps towards following Jesus Christ and his example. We asked him if he would be willing to work towards August 8, 2015 to be baptized. Well at first he was a bit hesitant about it but we told him that we would be with him the whole time helping him and that he would know it is the right thing to do. We also told him that if it came to the date and he didn't feel comforttable that we could easily change the date. He said that he would work towards it. Well Caroline is usually his ride to church, but she was ill so we didn't think he would come. But when time came for church to start, in walks Rhys out of the pouring rain in his suit and tie. It made my day to see him there. He stayed all three hours and loved it. He is definitely taking the right steps to gaining a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Speaking of Caroline, she was another miracle. As you know we were working with Caroline a lot. And she let us know that she is going to the temple in a few weeks as well as she is getting her patriarchal blessing soon. We are so excited for her and happy to see so many changes. She doesn't see it herself but, she has become a completely different person. Her whole countenance has changed and it is all because  the Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses each one of us.

There have been so many miracles happening and it has helped me. I have come to a better understanding of the purposes of baptism and my testimony has grown stronger. I have had so many opportunities to see Heavenly Father's hand in the work that I get to be a part of. Miralces happen everyday. We just have to open our eyes to see them!! I love you guys and hope you are all doing amazing. Tell Josh to email me sometime! Good luck to Josh, good luck to Anna, and for Kelly, Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways. Trust in God, trust that he knows each one of us and trust that he knows what is best for us, because he really does.

God be with you till we meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. HE LIVES

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

Are you curious???

Why this picture???

Well...

Today Kylee and I took Tanner to see the doctor to have a finger looked at that he had injured playing ultimate Frisbee on his high adventure scout camp a week and a half ago.  It was still REALLY quite swollen and we wondered if it was more than just a "jam" which Tanner had originally thought it was.

Anyways...

As we sat in the waiting room to be called back, the Disney movie "Tangled' was playing. We were right at the part where Flynn Rider does his famous smolder!  Kylee said, "Mom, watch...here comes the Smolder!!!"  For those of you who know Tyler well, he thought he had this Flynn Rider smolder down pretty close to perfect!  :)

I had to snap a picture!

And...I decided right there and then in the doctor's office that since Tyler had not sent us any pictures with his email that morning I would include the picture in the blog post.  

I kinda MISS seeing his smolder every once in awhile!!!

Not the best picture but here is Tyler doin' the Flynn Rider Smolder while we were visiting one of our family's favorites...Disneyland! It was during the Summer of 2014 about 2 months before Tyler left on his mission.  

Guess you'll have to decide but I think he has it down pretty good too!  

Man do I miss that boy!  He kinda made me smile!!! 

Ohhhh....and just in case you were wondering...After an X-ray we found out that Tanner's finger just had some soft tissue swelling and it would just take about another 2-3 weeks for the swelling to go down!. Boys will be boys!    

Back to the basics - Monday, July 13, 2015

Hiya mum, dad, and family, 

To answer your question about finances, I haven't taken the driving test yet but I have payed for it already, so that was the big chunk of money that was taken out. The mission will reimburse (I think that is how you spell it) but it won't go back to my card. So I will get something for my birthday from that money. I will be taking the driving test on the 30th of July, so wish me luck please. As for the hair...I know I need to get a haircut, it is not the money that is an issue, its that it just seems like there is no time for anything. I won't be able to get a haircut until next week unfortunately. I am sorry about it. I will try and be better. Is Tanners finger okay? Is it broken? Congrats to Uncle Doug. Tell them all hi for me please. It sounds like it has been a good week for you all and thank you for the testimony you sent me. It was wonderful. 

Lets see, this week I have learned loads, and seen loads of miracles! First I learned that many times we as members of the church get caught up in the "deep doctrine" and then we forget about the simple and plain things in which our testimonies are built. I realized this week that I need to go back to the basics and always focus on the basics of the gospel. Because in reality that is what we are teaching and what matters most. So if I were to say anything to you all...that is be anchored in the basics, the foundation of the Church and great knowledge will be given to us as time proceeds. 

Now for miracles of the week: I guess I will start with some people that we have been trying to get in and see for quite sometime now. Steve and Shelli-We have taught them once but they are always really really busy. Well we set up an appointment with them and luckily we were able to get in and teach. Now they have read a bit of the Book of Mormon, but did say themselves that they need to do better. So Steve pulled his Ipad out and said do you all have an app or something? Well Steve we definitely do. We showed him Gospel Library and he downloaded it. He said it will be easier for him to read because he can listen to it as well. We had a plan on teaching them the Plan of Salvation but the lesson was lead a different way. They asked us if they became "Mormon" what would they be obligated to do? They brought up Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity, and Law of Tithing. Elder Pryor and I were a bit apprehensive at first but we started teaching them about the commandments and they reacted very well to them. They said that it completely makes sense and that if they found out it was true they would live the commandments. So Shelli and Steve aren't married, they are planning on getting married next summer, I don't know how it came up, but somehow temples were brought into the conversation. Well Steve has his mind set on getting married in a specific church, and when she saw the picture of the temple she looked at steve and all that happened was steve laughed and said no. Shelli wanted to be married in the temple! It was one of those things that you would have had to been there! The lesson didn't go at all to plan but it was really good and they are very interested in what we have to say. Hopefully as we continue teaching them they will have a desire to first be married soon, and then be baptized! 

Caroline introduced us to her friend Rhys. He is a really cool guy and you can see that he is really interested and has a sincere desire to learn about what we have to teach. He came to church and started reading the Book of Mormon before we even started teaching him. He says that he feels good about everything that we have taught him and that he is still trying to find out if the chruch is true but that he is on his way. He has had a hard time with praying but this last time we saw him, he almost immedietely told us he prayed and that it was easier than he ever thought it would be. We are hardly doing anything. To be honest I think that it is Caroline, because she has borne amazing testimony to Rhys and he has seen the blessings of the gospel in her life. Caroline is still doing awesome. She got her temple recommend and is going to the temple here soon. We are so excited for her! Rhys did tell us that he wanted to wait to be baptized until he finished the Book of Mormon, next time we are going to talk about the Book of Mormon and baptism and hopefully he will understand that he can receive an answer before he finishes the Book. He is such a cool guy. 

Nessa and Nathan (the chavs) are ace! They are so cool. I mean they have a lot of things that are going on in their life and some things that they will have to overcome but they are on their way to the blessings that come from baptism and the gospel of Jesus Christ. This last time they told us that they have seen a change in their lives ever since they met us. They are just so chill.

Well as you can see loads of miracles are happening. I am learning so much and seeing so many miracles in the work that I am participating in. Hopefully as we stay obedient and diligent miracles will continue to happen. I love this gospel and I love my Saviour Jesus Christ. 

God be with you till we meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. HE LIVES 

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

WOW what a week!

Dear Mum, Dad, and Family, 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!! I definitely celebrated it on Saturday with a red white and blue striped tie!! :) It was a good day. And thank you all for the Birthday wishes. It really was a good day. Caroline and her family did a BBQ for her birthday and mine! So it was a good day. I don't feel any older though. I did get the package you all sent me and thank you so much for it. You are all so amazing. Thanks for everything. Dad you really shouldn't be smoking!! D&C 89....just kidding ;). I am glad you are enjoying your smoker! Tanner you are so old...you have your permit already!!! Oh my goodness, where does time fly. I miss you buddy. 

Well to start out the week I guess...It has been a pretty hectic week to be honest, but no matter, good things are happening. We started out the week teaching a man by the name of Connor. We found him with my rubiks cube and asked him if we could teach him with it. He agreed. Well I would say that the lesson was probably one of the best lessons that I have ever been able to participate in. We started out with a prayer and then we were getting to know him and his background, which then lead us to teach about the Plan of Salvation. We talked, and testified, and the spirit taught. Well at the end we felt prompted to invite him to be baptized. He wasn't too bothered at first, probably a bit scared but then after testifying to him of the truthfulness of the gospel he accepted the invitation to be baptized and he promised he would read the Book of Mormon and Pray about it. Well he prayed at the end and it was such a beautiful prayer. You could really tell that he had a great desire to find out if God was there. It was such a wonderful lesson. So he left and I let him borrow my Rubiks cube to practice it and we told him we would teach him how to do it as well as teach him with it. Anyway after the lesson Elder Pryor and I were in awe. The spirit was so strong and we felt so amazing. Well sometimes unfortunately good things don't always last as long as we expect. We saw Connor a few days later and went up to talk to him and he wouldn't talk to us. So we asked if he still wanted to learn and he told us no. I asked for my rubiks cube and he ran off. Haha well it isn't everyday you get stolen from! haha but on a serious note...I don't think one bit that it was a waste of time. I think we were able to help him. He may not accept what we told him now, or whatever, but eventually he will come to know that it is true and hopefully in the future he will ask for missionaries again and he will see the blessings of the gospel come into his life. 

We also taught Jodie and Sinead. We were talking to them about baptism again and how they have felt while learning. They say they love it and feel really good. But in the end they decided that they want to wait for a year to get baptized, so Sinead's dad can come. Although it is sad because we won't be able to see it happen, I know that it will be good. They are still going to come to church and what not but in the next year their testimonies will grow so much. After we were walking home and we got called false prophets and got a death threat! haha well that doesn't happen everyday. I love it here in beautiful little Bridlington, teaching the gospel and seeing my testimony as well as others grow. I hope you are all well and that you have a wonderful week. 

God be with you till we meet again. On our way. #10sof1000s. HE LIVES. 

Love, Elder Tyler Rife

Sorry, I will send pictures next week. 

Since Tyler didn't send any pictures this week (DARN!) ...I decided to add one of my own!  

My Little Firecracker!  :)

Since it was Tyler's 19th birthday yesterday...July 5th...I posted this on fb.

 

I definitely LOVE this boy!  

I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be his mother.  

He has been a joy to have in our home and a part of our family for the past 19 years.

Now he is blessing our family by his service as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 

and I'm grateful for his decision to do so.  

We miss him...

but LOVE to hear of his experiences in England and see how his testimony of the gospel is growing stronger each day as he serves. 

This is from earlier in his mission but is one of my favorites!