Flying home

In theory, flying home sounds pretty simple. Unless your trip gets scheduled by Elder Haddad, then everything goes wrong. I guess I must have the magic finger, because with the flights I have scheduled, I have managed to lose a doctor for 2 days, lose 11 new missionaries, and lose 31 returning missionaries. Now let me just explain a little. 

Losing the doctor: 

About a week ago, there was a missionary who was assigned to return home to her house because of health related issues. She was going to be accompanied by the mission nurses to Santiago, and then from Santiago to Bolivia by a doctor who works for the church. Along with scheduling her flight to Bolivia, I scheduled a flight for the doctor to accompany her. There weren't too many return flights, but we did the best we could, and found one 3 days later. The missionary got home safely, but about two days later I get a call asking me where the doctor is. Turns out he never entered Bolivia. I was asked if I had made any hotel arrangements for him or his wife, which I also hadn't done. Two days later, they had no idea where the doctor was, and I hadn't either. Somehow he returned home safely, I still don't know how. 

Losing 11 new missionaries: A call came into the office advising us of the late arrival of the group of missionaries leaving the CCM from Santiago, that they would be arriving at 5:00. I checked the flight status, and Osorno wasn't on the flight itinerary anymore. I called the airlines to find out that the flight to Osorno had been canceled and they were flying into Valdivia, two hours away. They were going to land in about an hour, and it would take at least 2 hours to get there in car. We turned our bus around, sent the mission president up there, and called the nearest elders to the airport to go and find the new missionaries. Guess who the closest elders were...good old Elder Salgado. 

Losing 31 returning missionaries: I get a call on Thursday from the temple in Santiago asking me where the missionaries are. There was a large group and I was 100% sure they had left on time because we had woken up at 5am to run 3 miles down to the church, to help them get on their bus. They had arrived in Santiago at 11:00AM, and then the thought crossed my mind if I had ever scheduled to have someone go and pick them up from the airport. At 12:40 when I received the call from the temple, I was pretty nervous as well...where could they be? Turns out they had been delayed finding all of their bags hahaa and didn't arrive to the temple on time. 

Since the first day on the mission I have had bad experiences flying. 

Attached is a photo related to last weeks email. 

Have a great week guys 

Love-- 

Elder Haddad