It has been quite some time since my last post. We are still doing fine and enjoying our work here in the mission office.
We received 3 missionaries from the MTC 2 weeks ago that area VISA WAITERS. As the name implies, these are missionaries that have completed their MTC training, and are just waiting for their visas to travel to the country where their mission is located. We don't know when their visas might come through, and assigned them in a THREE-SOME companionship. Because they are, and are not, part of our mission, it is a little awkward, but we make them feel welcome and try to integrate them as best we can. One example is that they don't receive a JP Morgan Credit Card which is the card I load up with the monthly maintenance each missionary receives from me. So, I made the arrangement with the Senior Companion of the Threesome to give him an additional $65 (1/2 a month's allotment) on their card which he would then withdraw at the local ATM, and give to the Visa Elder for his support allowance.
This past Tuesday we got word that they were flying out on Thursday morning. They had been with us for only two weeks. Normally the President or the Assistants take care of it, but they would be doing training in the Northern part of the mission, and so I was asked to take them to the airport. No big deal, other than 2 were flying on Southwest Airlines to Boise to pick up their visa, and one was flying to Los Angeles on Delta to get his visa there. The Mission President in Boise and LA were in the loop because they would have to pick up the Elders at their airport, take them to their visa appointment, and then put them back on the plane to travel to Mexico the following day.
Now the exciting part: The Delta flight leaves at 600AM from Terminal A, and the Southwest flight leaves at 615AM from Terminal B. I have to pick them up at 400AM which means I have to get up at 315AM to get showered and dressed. Now this is only 4 days after Daylight Savings time took effect, so my body says it is only 215AM!!!!! I THINK THOSE ASSISTANTS OWE ME A CHOCOLATE CAKE!!!!
Yesterday (Wednesday) evening at 800PM the Visa Elders come in to our office to pick up their travel itinerary and to weigh their bags to be sure it is under 50 lbs. I worry because some of these guys don't look like they have had a lot of experience with air travel, so I go through the procedures of finding your gate, and going to baggage claim at their destination and look for the Mission President or their A.P.'s because they can't meet them at their arriving gate to pick them up.
In this review process, I discover that the Elder going to LA is really connecting in LA with a flight to Las Vegas which is his final destination. All the communication Mom had with Missionary Travel was about this missionary traveling to LA. We now had to figure out and make sure that it is the Mission President from the Las Vegas Mission that will pick up this Elder and that all will be alright.
We are never comfortable just dropping the missionaries off at the curb, and always take them in to make sure their bags get checked in and that they are booked for the correct flight. We then walk them to the TSA counter where only people with boarding passes can proceed. We then leave them there in line and consider the job "done".
So here I have 2 groups leaving at the same time from 2 different terminals. Mom and I can't split up and do it by ourselves where Mom would go to escort one of the missionaries through the airport. Besides, Mom does not do 300AM. Well, our wonderful Zone Leaders came to the rescue, and they went with me at that early hour. They took the 2 Elders to Southwest Air, and I took the Delta Airlines elder to his departing terminal.
We made it back by 515AM at which time I went back to bed.
It is hard to imagine that in 2 weeks we will have been out for 12 months. Time just really flies by.
Until next time.
Love,
Elder and Sister Kolditz
No comments:
Post a Comment