Mellissa Fung was on her second tour as a journalist in Afghanistan when she was abducted. (CBC)

The parents of a CBC reporter from Vancouver who was released four weeks after being abducted in Afghanistan say they were pleasantly shocked to receive a phone call from their daughter Saturday morning.

Mellissa Fung was taken by armed men on Oct. 12. Far from her usual base in Regina, she was stationed in Kandahar but was visiting the Kabul area for a news story.

News of the abduction had been kept from the public over concerns about her safety.

Speaking from her home in Vancouver, Joyce Fung told CBC News on Saturday it was a big surprise to hear her daughter's voice on the phone.

"She sounded so calm and this would be just like Mellissa. She's a very calm and collected person," Joyce Fung said.

Mellissa's father, Kellog Fung, said he's relieved his daughter is safe.

"Well, it's tough. It's a waiting game and we don't know what happened and … we just wait," he said.

The waiting and uncertainty were the hardest parts, Joyce Fung said.

"We've never been in this situation before so it has been very, very stressful," she said. "Even though we keep our fingers crossed and our toes crossed and everything, there's always an unknown element in this situation, but you're always hoping for the best."

Mellissa Fung's parents, Kellog and Joyce, say they can't wait to give their daughter a big hug. (CBC)

Far from deterring Mellissa from working as a journalist, Joyce Fung said the experience may help her become a better reporter.

"Because she's been through the whole situation herself, she can understand more now about other people's situation, and especially those people who are in need," she said. "She's always had a very kind heart for them. She always wants to tell their story."

"This is the job that she wants and this is the way she want to report," Kellog Fung said. "In a way, she has done the right things, even though it gets her into this situation."

While Joyce and Kellog don't know when they will see their daughter again, both are anxiously awaiting the reunion.

"I think I'll probably run out of words. When I see her I'll just give her a big hug," Joyce said.