A Latter-day Saint mission president wounded by a gunman during a home invasion is crediting God’s protection for preserving his life and pledging to continue his church service in Mexico City.
R. Tyler Wallis, who was shot in a scuffle with a robber in the early-morning hours of Aug. 16, was hospitalized for several days before being released. His wife, Elizabeth, was not injured.
“The intruder fired two shots at point-blank range. One of those 9mm rounds entered Tyler’s body in the center of his upper abdomen and exited his body near his hip, miraculously missing his organs and arteries,” the couple posted on social media Monday. “In that initial moment of fear, we felt God and his angels protecting us. The only way to explain the outcome of this harrowing event is a miracle.”
The Wallises, who hail from Orlando, Florida, began their three-year stint last month as leaders of the Mexico City West mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was born in Cincinnati and filled a mission as a young man in Arcadia, California. She is a Provo native.
“We are sensitive that not every situation has the same outcome as ours,” the couple noted, “and we mourn with those who have been tragically separated from loved ones. No one is immune from trials in life. … We are grateful that by God’s will Tyler’s life was spared and a full recovery is expected.”
The Wallises — who, through a church spokesperson, have declined requests for an interview — expressed thanks for the “prayers, love and support” they have received since the shooting.
“It is a privilege for us to serve the Lord and share his message of peace, light and truth,” they wrote, “alongside [their] beloved missionaries in the Mexico City West Mission.”
The couple and the Utah-based church provided no updates on the criminal investigation.