Change in Plans - Monday, June 28, 2010

The breakfast at the mission was cancelled for today. Last night I had a message on my phone from the elders saying that President Argyle had called them, because we weren't answering our phones (forgot to turn the ring back on after conference- gees!) He told them that an emergency came up that he had to be gone in the morning. It was a good thing we thought about our phones before we went to bed and listened to the messages, or we would have shown up for breakfast and been quite embarrassed.

Since we didn't have to leave early to go to breakfast, we got up at our usual 6:00 hour and accomplished everything we usually do prior to leaving for the office. The sky was clear, but the walk was brisk. It takes us no time at all to walk the short distance to work. We rather enjoy it, even if it is cold.

We greeted the elders and right away I had to admit my absentminded mistake of scheduling the August flights wrong. I usually have Elder Peterson do my emails that require a message in Spanish to those that I know don't speak English. But, I knew Silvio in travel understands and speaks some English, so I emailed him myself to correct my error. At the end of the day, I hadn't heard back from him to tell me if I needed to give him more information than I provided in my email. Maybe tomorrow!

We all were wondering what the President's emergency was that cancelled our breakfast this morning. Soon, we found out!! He called to say that he was down to the Immigration's Building with someone from Bonpland and his family starting the procedure over again to renew their visas. They expire on June 30th. WHAT??? He received a call at the end of last week telling him that the visas had not come for some of the Mission President's who were in the MTC, and President Gulbrandsen was one of them. So he wouldn't be arriving tomorrow as scheduled. Perhaps he would have to return to his home in Arizona while waiting for his visa to come. How disappointing for them!

The Area Presidency was trying to decide who to put in charge of the mission on an interim basis until the Gulbrandsons came. President Argyle offered to stay, but didn't know of their decision until the weekend. They had to get approval from Salt Lake to extend his mission. It just might be for a week or two, but it surely causes havoc with all the best laid plans of air fares, speaking in church at home, a summer get together with all the missionaries that have returned ahead of them, Anika going to Girl's Camp after they get home, and Austin going on a real date with Lindsay who will be in Salt Lake during July on vacation. She lives in Chile with her family who is there on assignment because her father is connected to the building of temples in the South American countries. They met at a basketball tournament and see each other when sports brings the schools together. I'm sure he is way upset because he has been planning this for months.

Since all of their personal belongings have been packed up and sent to the states, the children have no computers, games, books etc. -- just the clothes that they are taking home in suitcases. This will be the longest two weeks, perhaps a month that they have ever spent. At least the television belongs to the house and is still there, plus the Wii that the family owns and didn't pack up to send home.

All the goodbyes have been said and final meetings are over, and now the President will have to continue on and revise plans as needed. If visas for Mission Presidents take as long as those for some of the temporary missionaries that we have had, he may be here a while. But, there are probably strings being pulled by those in charge to get these visas approved and these presidents on their way. Time will tell!! President Argyle told all the missionaries of his extension in the weekly letter he sends to them by email on P-day, which is today.

Nothing any of us did today could top this latest development. We talked a lot about it analyzing how it would affect this and that, but in the long run it will be business as usual and should not deter the missionaries from baptizing. They all love President and Sister Argyle and will be happy to have them around as long as possible.

I finished my new missionary binders today and got as much caught up on my desk as I could because if the new missionary board was installed today in the mission home, I might be needed to help put the magnets on the tablero cards. I didn't hear anything from Sister Argyle about it, but then they were busy with other matters today. I'll check tomorrow.

Elder Kroff and Elder Peterson had a slower day today, but Elder Hales had his share of telephone calls to keep him engaged and busy.

We left at 5:00 and came home to a rather uneventful evening. Leftovers made dinner easy, and as I worked on this journal entry, Rich read in four books that he has downloaded on his iPhone. He is reading The Great Gatsby, 5000 Year Leap by Cleon Skousen, Approaching Zion by Huge Nibley, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. He reads a little out of each book every night. Gosh, I had no idea -- he is so quiet over there on the couch.