Adrenaline Junkie Calls His Mom

Um ... in case you were wondering ...  these pictures were 

taken right BEFORE Ry's mission

Ryan standing on a 440-foot bungee jump ledge in New Zealand - his first jump and the third highest jump in the world ... so Ryan!

Rock Canyon,  Ryan's first love ... rock climbing (sorry girls) 

When Ryan was eight I took him on his first repelling trip. He didn't dare go over the ledge -- which haunted him for years. Determined to never relive that humiliation, his life has taken a very different course than I predicted that day. And it appears that he prefers the climb to the decent ... however, he has no more problems with ledges (look at pic #1 for evidence of that ... e-gad!)

Heather and Andrew doing the climb with Ry ... he's obviously the one taking pictures 

Ryan and his accomplices signing away their lives for a quick pre-mission thrill ... sky diving

Anticipating the jump ... where are their mothers!!!?

Making the jump - tandem (oh my heart)

Three very satisfied adrenaline junkies

New Zealand ... prepped for a repel into a deep, dark, very black hole, for some tight cave exploration (What!? Why!?)

New Zealand ... not your ordinary hike - gotta be Ryan style - dangerous

New Zealand ... Even when he's sleeping, danger seems to find Ryan. Sleep walking the night before his bungee jump found him randomly punching a hole through a glass window (yes, he's done this his whole life). Out of all the shocked onlookers, he was the most surprised to wake up and find his hand filled with glass!

Doing volunteer work in New Zealand, gave Ryan the opportunity to do some amazing cave exploration as well as  polish up on his photography. Fabulous!

Playing on the beach with his friends in New Zealand. I think I might injure myself even trying a non-dangerous jump like that ... I know, I know, pitiful.

I got to talk to Ryan on Tuesday!!!! It was a complete surprise. He was told he could call to set up another call -- the Christmas call. And we talked for about a half hour!  My favorite Christmas gift thus far! Eric got the short end of the stick and only got about ten minutes with him, but you know how it is with Mom's ... they need the lion share when it comes to matters like MISSING OUR BABIES.

HERE'S THE UPDATE

Ry says he's doing well. He's just been moved to a part of Peru that reminds him of what Afghanistan might look like --- deserty with disheveled hovels for houses. He likes the change, BUT (and Eric wasn't supposed to tell me this, so don't tell Ry that I know) he's tracting some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Peru - places where the locals think he's loco (that sounded planned but it wasn't).

Pray for him! ... and me.

I asked Ry what he missed most and here's what he said:

My family (yes!)

Mostly chilling with my family on a Sunday evening

Carpet

Walking down the street without the fear that I might be eaten by a dog

Instant hot water

A ground that doesn't shake (frequent earthquakes)

And of course, his friends, guitar, long board, music, and his beloved rock climbing.

But despite all that, he's so happy to be where he is and feels "hungry" to learn the gospel and serve in the kingdom. Now that's a true stud.

Now, to explain the pictures ...

Very little scares this boy. Being quickly evacuated from Bolivia-at-war on a private plane didn't shake him. Jumping off a 440 foot bungee-drop in New Zealand didn't seem to phase him. Jumping out of an airplane with his friends was considered exhilarating. However, leaving him at the Provo MTC as he listened to an orientation on the many indoor meetings, devotionals, and classes he should anticipate seemed to make his knuckles turn white and beads of sweat collect on his brow. I whispered to him, "so which is scarier, jumping out of a plane or being left in this place?" His eyes went big as he replied, "hands-down, this is scarier!" Poor dude. But he's so resilient and seems to handle each change with more maturity and clarity to the importance of the path he is walking.