Thursday 8 August 2013

Travel to the Training Centre



After much travel adventure, Elder Sullivan arrived at the Centro de Capacitacion Misional ("CCM") in Santo Domingo.  He was scheduled to travel Calgary to Seattle to Philidelphia to Miami to Santo Domingo however, the very first plane was cancelled due to mechanical failure.  This meant we could say goodbye twice, which worked out nicely.  He was rerouted Calgary to Dallas to Miami to Santo Domingo but did not have enough time to get his baggage and boarding pass in Miami so he was prevented to boarding that flight.  Here at home we did not know about that and all we saw was that the plane was changed due to mechanical failure and a new plane left 2 hours later.  That plane stopped transmitting data 148 miles short of Santo Domingo, so we had an uneasy sleep.  I contacted the CCM President Freestone in the morning to be sure Elder Sullivan had landed, and was informed he was safe and in Miami awaiting a flight to Santo Domingo.  Interestingly enough, that flight also had a mechanical failure and a new plane came out almost 2 hours later which finally delivered him to the CCM.

Of note, the CCM President said to me that he had 40 missionaries arriving the previous day but that he noticed Elder Sullivan would be travelling alone the whole way and expressed his concern for his safe arrival.

Elder Sullivan sent this note confirming his safe arrival.

"I am at the CCM en Dominican and all is well, despite the missing, cancelling and near mechanical failure of several flights. I am well looked after and have a companion who speaks no English from Haiti, just like you guys wanted! Don't worry about me or anything, I just had to stay in Miami for a day (in Dallin's mission area even haha). You guys would like Domincan it reminds me a lot of Mexico but with even crazier drivers!"

Here is Elder Sullivan at the CCM, pictures courtesy of President Freestone.