Well, I'm back! Time to start internetting again. Sigh. You know, missionary life is so simple-- you can use a computer for one hour a week, that's all. Now it's like, you can use a computer for one hour every hour . . . or something ;-). So I'll be periodically inserting mission stories and other random happenings here for you in the underworld. Let's start with some airplane adventures:
I live in Utah so I didn't have to fly to the MTC although that would have been fun. When we left the MTC it was November 11, 2008. Me and 6 elders. We went straight to the airport and made our way to the gate with stops for pizza and such. We had time so planned to call parentals before we had to board, but what happened is there weren't enough phones so we were going to split the time and the first elders took all the time so the other half of us had to wait until LA or Taipei. Probably Taipei, because we would only have 2 hours in LA but 4 in Taipei. What happened is when we got to LA they changed our flight so we only had 1 hour. I guess that would be all right except it was November (close to Christmas?) and there was some kind of construction on the airport, or something, well anyway there were a couple REALLY long lines we had to stand in and it was an exciting time to put it lightly. We DID make it onto the plane. BUT then we didn't go anywhere. For about an hour we didn't know what was going on. After another hour we still didn't know. It was about midnight at this time so we tried to sleep a little but you know how airplane seats are. Before the third hour was up somehow we learned why we hadn't gone anywhere--there was a bomb threat to our plane! By the end of that hour the police had showed up and boarded the plane and I think they took someone off and/or a few bags. At least they didn't make everyone get off, there were a lot of people on that plane. After another hour we were able to take off. That makes a grand total of sitting in the airplane without even going anywhere for 4 hours! Then the flight was about 13 hours after that. Hooray! Good thing our layover in Taipei was supposed to be 5 hours . . . so yeah then we only had 1 hour which is actually less than that because you have to get on the plane like, half an hour early right? so yeah. We found a bathroom and then the other half of us tried to call home. That was interesting. And then they weren't expecting me anymore so we didn't get to say much and then the elders were like, "we have to get on the plane now!" so yeah. That flight was only an hour. We got out of the airport all right and by the time we got to the mission home it had been 30 hours since we left the MTC, and we did not experience Wednesday November 12, it went straight to Thursday November 13. And that's what I know so we'll leave it there.
When we flew home it was April 1, 2010. I only had one companion this time, an elder again. We left the mission home at 5am and there were no problems getting anywhere we made it onto our flight to Japan right on time. But we didn't leave on time. This was the deal this time, we were supposed to have a 2 hour layover in Tokyo and a longer one in San Francisco. So the plane pulled out from the gate and then it stopped. After half an hour the pilot came on the intercom and told us the check engine light was on . . . and they'd get it fixed in 30-60 minutes . . . hmmmm. Well it was fixed in 30 minutes then there was paperwork for just that long again and so we took off 2 hours later than we were supposed to. Great, we think, we're going to be stuck in Japan. So we get there, and go to land, then suddenly the plane pulls up again. Yeah, that's weird . . . after we're over the ocean again the pilot tells us he doesn't know if we'll be able to land. It's really windy he says. Then, oh, and there's a plane stuck on the runway that blew a tire trying to land. Of course the one runway was closed because there's a plane on it. They closed the other runway because of the wind. We circled around for a while but eventually (after an hour) were able to land. We didn't worry too much about missing our flight since even though no one could land for a while, no one was able to take off either. BUT then they made us go through security AGAIN, I don't know why, but somehow our plane waited for us and we got on and then left--the gate . . . remember there's a plane stuck on one runway and there's only two runways. People are landing and people are taking off but it's a very slow process when you have an international airport like that with so many planes coming and going. Fortunately I guess we only waited in line for 1 hour before taking off, making us 2 hours late. But somehow that nice long flight was 1 hour shorter than it was supposed to be, thank you jet stream. In California we cleared customs just fine and that elder went home and I rechecked my bags and went to the gate to wait another hour before my flight home. So I'm looking out the window enjoying the spring-like weather, and I'm thinking, "yeah, it's probably something like that in Salt Lake, maybe fewer clouds but very nice--because it's April now, that's springtime"and along those lines. I even talked with this guy who was going out there for a ski trip, he asked me what the weather is like in Utah. I told him what I just told you and was ok with the idea that there's snow in the mountains, that's how it's supposed to be. Then when we're on the plane the captain says "now we're headed to snowy Utah" and I wasn't excited anymore. For the weather, that is. Those of you who are also from here know that yes, it snowed, and it was cold. Good thing my mom brought me a coat. So, no more problems, my family was there, we went straight to the church, I got released, and we went home. It took about 28 hours total, leaving April 1 in the morning and getting there/here April 1 in the afternoon.
