Transfer Day

I hope that this is the craziest transfers that we have.  Because I really don't want one to be crazier.  A plane was turning around on the runway and it went off the runway and lost a wheel and they couldn't get it moved off the runway.  They only have one runway so it shut down the whole airport.  So none of the missionaries were able to leave and none of the new missionaries were able to arrive at the airport.  So we had the 14 missionaries that were supposed to go home sitting around the office, plus the 10 missionaries that are going to train that we farmed out to various areas to work for the day.  Poor Elder Obando, our migration secretary, was working his tail end off to try and rebook everyones flights.  We ended up putting the 7 Guatemalans on a bus at 11pm on Wednesday night back to Guatemala. It was a 12 hour bus ride.  When they got to the border, Unfortunately Elder Fernandez and Hermana Chay's (who is going home for health reasons) paperwork was not in order and they had to get on a bus back to San Pedro Sula. 

Transfer day is exhausting. Elder Paredes was sound asleep in the middle of the very noisy office.

At the bus station

Elder Milla made it home

Another crazy thing that happened during this chaotic week was that Elder Alcantara and Elder Rosales got robbed at gunpoint in their home.  The robber came in and made them go in the bathroom and tied them up and stole all their stuff.  The Elders came and stayed at our house tonight (Wednesday) until we could make sure their house was secure and get them new phones. 

On Thursday the new missionaries from the Peru MTC flew into Tegucigalpa and Kirt drove down to pick them up.  The 5 north Americans (Elder Dick, Elder Phillips, Elder Slade, Hermana Tucker, and Elder Raymer-who is going home for health reasons) were able to fly home today. The other 5 are still waiting (Elder Rojas, Hermanas Hernandez, Rios, and Navarro are still waiting).  2 Elders from the Mexico City MTC flew in to San Pedro and Elder Rhoades and Obando picked them up. I got to stay home and I put up our Christmas tree. 

Hermana Tucker made it home

On Friday, Elder Ortiz and Elder Obando had to drive to Tegucigalpa to get Elder Fernandez and Hermana Chay's paperwork fixed.  They got it fixed and then they flew out of Tegucigalpa.  The 5 other missionaries from the Mexico City MTC flew in.  We did the new missionary training.  We didn't get done until 7:30pm so 14 of the missionaries couldn't get home tonight and had to stay at the AP's house. 

Elder Rhoades and Elder Ortiz picking Elder Fernandez and Hermana Chay up at the bus station after they go shipped back to Honduras

When Elder Obando and Elder Ortiz took Elder Fernandez and Hermana Chay to Tegucigalpa they had a little extra time so they went to look at the temple in Tegucigalpa.  The stake president from Progreso was there, Brother Enamorado and his family.

Hermana Castillo and Hernandez.  We were laughing how short Hermana Hernandez looks between Hermana Castillo and me. Hermana Hernandez still hasn't made it home so she helped out with the new missionary training. I teased her that she could pick from any of the trainers that were there for her new trainer. 

Early Saturday morning, the 5 missionaries that were still here finally got to fly home.  Poor Hermana Rios had a 8 hour layover in Panama and an 11 hour layover in Mendoza Argentina before she got to fly home to Buenos Aires.  

What a crazy, crazy transfer day.  Please make the next one not so difficult.