A Hug From Across the World

Before I share a message from Mom I wanted to share a new picture of Elder Buyers. We asked him to send us a good picture of him in his suit and I couldn't have been happier with the picture we got.

I was one very proud big sister when I saw this. Not only does he have the city of Kigali Rwanda behind him but if you look close you'll notice he has a flag pin for his home country {USA} and the two countries that he has come to love over the last year {Uganda & Rwanda}.

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The Buyers family has once again been so blessed by our loving Heavenly Father.

Just after Easter this past April, we received a text of a picture of Elder Buyers with Bre, another “Rigbyite”.  She is in Rwanda working with the Peace Cor. 

Well, we were blessed to have Bre and her family over Monday night for dinner and talk about Rwanda and Elder Buyers.  Bre is home for a month and will be going back for one more year.  I was informed by Elder Buyers and Bre that she was bring me something from Elder Buyers.  After our hello’s when the Fitzgerald family got to our house, Bre asked me if I remembered that she was bringing me something from Elder Buyer, I replied “Yes”.  Then, she gave me a big, big hug.  She said that the hug was from Elder Buyers.  Not just his saying to give me a hug from him, it was literally a passed on hug.  After all the tears, I said “Wait, Eric isn’t supposed to be hugging girls.”  Bre laughed and said, “You are right”.  So, here is how she got my hug.  Bre is engaged to a Rwandan, so, Elder Buyers hugged Bre’s fiancé and he hugged Bre.  The hug was so big from Elder Buyers, that when Bre’s fiancé passed her the hug, his glasses broke.

That was the best gift a mom could ever get from her son thousands of miles away.  Eric knows how to put a smile on his moms face and warm my heart.

What a wonderful visit we had, learning about the area Elder Buyers is serving in and the people he has grown to love.

We asked Bre to tell us about the missionary Elder Buyers that she works with.  She told us what a wonderful sense of humor he has and with tears in her eyes, she said, “It’s amazing the amount of patience he has.  He has a great love of the people in Africa and loves to serve them.  He has a very strong testimony of the Gospel.  You can just feel it when he speaks.  Sometimes he doesn’t say much, but when he does, it is worth listening to.”

Bre filled our evening with all the joys and trials that she and the missionaries see and feel daily serving the Rwanda people.  This visit really helped us understand and feel a little closer to Elder Buyers and the work he is doing.

One trial that the missionaries have is communication.  Elder Buyers continues to learn the language and the Rwandans like to hear him and Bre speak English.  The missionaries also struggle with getting the member to church on time.  We tease here in the U.S. about the members running on “Mormon Standard Time” of 15 minutes late, well, try hours late.  On Sundays, the missionaries will be at the church waiting for hours for the members to show up.  But they are patient and just wait.  That’s not all, when the three hour block of church services are over and members are leaving, here come other members to church.  Wow, that defiantly would take patients.  Of course, the missionaries take the time to teach them.

Elder Buyers and the other missionaries usually will teach all three hours, because a lot of the leaders and teachers of the auxiliaries won’t show up for church.  He will give talks at the last minute in Sacrament and help with the sacrament itself, then step in to teach in Sunday school, Primary and Priesthood.  He has even taught in Relief Society.  He is not that shy little boy any more.

With the church being so new still in Rwanda, the members still have so much to learn.  I know in time, with the missionary’s diligence and example, the members in Rwanda will be great.

Because of Bre’s kindness, Elder Buyers will be receiving some long overdue shoes along with chili, spices for his food and shoe insoles.

What a great blessing Bre has been to us and Elder Buyers. The Lord does hear and answer prayers.

-JoAnn Buyers {Mom}

A Wonderful Surprise

We received a wonderful surprise this week.  A native of Rigby, Breanne, is working with the Peace Core in Rwanda, Africa and attends the same Branch as Elder Buyers each weekend at church. Breanne sent this picture of herself with Elder Buyers to her parents here in Rigby.  

Breanne’s mother has been searching for us since Easter, (all she had was Elder Buyers' name) and finally got our phone number from our dentist/neighbor.

Breanne lives in the small village of Rueli, Rwanda, that is a two hour bus ride to Kigali, where Elder Buyers lives and attends church.  She rides to Kigali every Saturday morning to work with the primary and mutual children on Saturday (she teaches them the Gospel and English) and attends church on Sunday.  She has been there almost a year and will be there for another year.  

Breanne will be coming home for a short visit in July, and we are hoping to meet her and hear a little more about the area where Elder Buyers is serving, before she goes back.

Thank you Cindy Fitzgerald for working so diligently to find us!  We love you.

-JoAnn

Tender Mercy Moment

Somehow I forgot to include pieces of an email that was sent to Mom last week. We really wanted to share it so I figured I would post it now. Before I start it I want to include a piece of the email that Mom sent to him..

We hope you have had a better week and the home sickness is wearing off some. Although, I had a lonely day missing you on Tuesday. I only mention this, because I had a “Tender Mercy” moment because of it. Let me share!

I was busy most of the morning getting a little package (I mean little!) ready to send with Ali (a cousin) to Africa, where she will put it in the mail to you once she gets there. Anyway, I really started missing you and shed a few tears. I texted your dad and Kelly and told them I was having a “Miss Eric kind of day”. Your dad called me and we talked for a few minutes. Kelly texted back and said she wishes she was here to give me a hug. Around dinner time, Deana Byrum (a neighbor) came to the house to give me a hug from Kelly. Kelly had texted her and asked her to stop by when she had the time and give me a hug from Kelly. Well, Deana shared that she woke up that morning feeling a little uneasy, but not a worried uneasy. Like she was suppose to do something, but couldn't think of what it was. She was at a store in Idaho Falls with a friend and it hit her, she was supposed to give someone a hug. She thought that was kind of strange, until a couple minutes later when Kelly texted her and asked her to stop and give me a hug. She couldn't even finish reading the text, because of the tears. It really meant so much to me that our Father in Heaven prepared a great friend to show me his love as well as friends and families love.

Alright.. now on to the email from Elder Buyers...

Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Deana is awesome. One of things I miss the most is the ward. The church here is so different. I guess I should say that the people in the church are so different. I really miss it. I realized that yesterday. Generally the homesickness is ok when I am working but when we are sitting around like at night and stuff it kind’a gets to me. I also found out that music is my weakness you could say. I miss music period but it gets me when I hear something here that is played at home. Almost every shop has radio blaring that you can hear as you walk past. When I hear something from home I can usually relate it to an experience back home and it makes me think a bit. Oh well. Strength! Right.

The pictures I am sending are of Peter and Boney. The guys that usually do our laundry. They didn't come this week so I had to do it today.

The other is of the Elders in my zone.

Good to hear everyone is dong ok. Have a good week. Love you all.

Elder E.E. Buyers