20 Hour Bus Ride
Update April 1
Adrian Javier Camejo |
April 1, 2020
Dear families and leaders, we have just received this information from the area presidency:
• We have arranged 2 charters to take the remaining North American missionaries to the United States on Saturday morning, April 4, at 8:00 and 10:00 am. The flights are scheduled to arrive in Salt Lake City on Saturday evening at 5:10 pm and 7:10 pm, respectively.
• More detailed itineraries will be sent as soon as they are available, including those who have connecting flights out of Salt Lake. However, given that flights can be delayed, it is possible that connecting flight itineraries will not be sent until we know the flights have left and have not impacted connections. If connecting flights are not available until Sunday, April 5, your missionary will spend the night in a local hotel for the night.
• There are a great deal of variables that will go into successfully moving approximately 550 missionaries from the four corners of the country during an obligatory quarantine and closed borders. Your faith, prayers and patience are greatly appreciated. If there are significant changes, I will be sure to communicate them promptly.
• A project of this size requires a great deal of coordination. The area presidency, Area Travel, and Area Legal are all working directly with the Argentine government, local governments and the U.S. Embassy to bring this all together.
• Please rest assured that we are doing everything to keep your missionary safe, healthy and to get them home to you as soon as possible.
Thank you very much for your patience, faith and prayers.
President and Sister Camejo.
I emailed President Camejo to ask if we could send Jonathan some uplifting texts and scriptures in the next few days and he said that would be fine.
So, this morning I texted him with this scripture:
Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."
He texted back asking if we had heard he was leaving. He said they were leaving their apartment at 3 PM to go to the mission home about 40 minutes away, and then would be leaving at 9 PM for a 20 hour bus ride up to the airport in Buenos Aires. It sounded like they would leave their phones at the mission home, so we won't be hearing from him until we see him at the airport on Saturday night. They will stay at the MTC there tomorrow night and then fly out the next morning.
We know they will stop along the way to pick up other missionaries. Some missionaries from Ushuaia flew directly to Buenos Aires. I'm sure there will be some miraculous stories about how they were able to travel to the airport and arrive there on time.
I asked Jonathan what he wanted to eat when he got home and he requested "Beef Noodle Supreme". Also, peanut butter filled pretzels and American candy. The only thing that made me cry was when he asked, "Can I still hug you when I get back?" As sad as he is to leave a place he has to grown to love in such a short period of time, after almost 3 weeks of quarantine, he is ready to come home.
It will be interesting to see what the next few weeks bring during this "Inter-Mission". Certainly not what anyone could have foreseen or planned on.
We are praying that all will go as planned, and we are especially praying for the Camejos. All the foreign missionaries are leaving, so there will be only 29 there on Saturday, and eventually only 4 will be there. That is how many native Argentines are in that mission. No other Argentine missionaries will be allowed back to Argentina because there is a ban on anyone coming into the country in an effort to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Crazy times! A good time to place our faith and trust in the Lord. I'm realizing how few things "lie in our power". Can't wait to see what General Conference brings! So glad Jonathan will be able to watch at least part of it.
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