Travel Day

(This post is written by my mom.)

Alex emailed on Sunday to let us know that he would be calling around 4:45 local time.  We were stoked!  Rob set his alarm to be awake for our call.  Chris was up waiting for the call as well.  4:45 came and went, no call.  We assumed there just wasn't time so we looked forward to hearing from him during his 1 1/2 hour layover in Denver.  The phone never rang at home or either cell number.  After 4:45 pm rolled around we finally accepted the fact that he wasn't going to have that opportunity to call. I kept checking my email to see if he sent a short note from the mission office in Farmington.  There was no email.  We had given up this time.

While I was cooking dinner at 8pm the phone rang.  I didn't think anything of it until a few minutes later I got the sign from Rob that Alex was on the phone!! I turned everything off, pushed things off the heat and picked up the extension.  It was wonderful to hear Alex's voice.

I had missed out on a few things so Alex repeated his adventures of the day thus far.  Alex and his 9 travelling companions (7 elders and 3 sisters total) all headed to the New Mexico Farmington Mission left the Missionary Training Center bright (well, maybe not bright) and early at 3 am.  They arrived at the Salt Lake airport at 4:15 and made it through security by 4:30.  All tried to call home but the calling cards they had would not work at the airport. (It was nice to know that they tried.)  Their plane to Denver had some problems.  They couldn't get them all fixed so they needed another plane.  They left 5 hours later than their original departure time.  They were only scheduled for a 1 1/2 layover in Denver so they missed their connection to Durango, Colorado.  They were told there would be another flight at 9.  They were cool with that.  It turns out that was 9 am the next day!!  The airline gave them some food vouchers and put the lot of them up at a Holiday Inn in Denver.  Once they were settled in they all called home. Alex's comment on the hotel was that there sure wasn't much to do in the hotel when you are missionary! No tv and no swimming!

It sounded like they were having a good time but they were travel weary and were ready to begin this next phase of their missions. They will arrive in Farmington on Wednesday around lunch time. From their they will meet their new companions and head out into the mission field to begin this next step!

Alex was very happy and ready to get out there and go to.  Please send him a note if you think about it.  His address is just to the right. Don't send mail to the Provo, Utah, address, they won't forward.