Week in Review - February 28, 2016 - March 5, 2016

Landslides, Layovers, and Laughs Continues this week.

So, We finally get approval of how we can send the missionaries back to Huancayo Mission, but requires that it stops raining.  Why you  might ask?  Well, the only 2 airports we have in the whole center region of Peru will not fly if there is rain... Luckily for us there were thunderstorms in one, and rain in the other..  But we were able to secure tickets for the 6 missionaries that were stuck in Lima for the day of Wednesday.  But, when the missionaries got to the airport, the airport officials would only accept 3 of the 6 documents for the missionaries... We tried everything.  Area office went over, we had our Local Travel Agencies try and work it out, nothing.  Up until now I am convinced that they sold these 3 tickets and that is why they denied our missionaries entry to the plane to Juaja, Peru.  So, what do we have to do?  The documents they were requesting we send to them were impossible to send rapidly, due to the landslides on the roads.. 

So, Elder Holmes flew from Jauja Peru to Lima, and back from Lima to Jauja the following morning.  

Click image to enlarge. Elder Holmes turned on his GPS
on his digital camera and was able to capture his flight pattern.

Secured their flights and brought enough documents to bring them home..  First wave of missionaries from Lima made it back on Wednesday, and the second set on Friday morning when I came back with them.  I can tell you, they were tired, dirty, but very o so very happy to return back to our lovely mission.  Even with all the landslides, and other weird problems we have, I can tell you they were genuinely happy they made it back to the mission.  Also, the Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's Breakfast I bought them in the Airport might have lifted their spirits too.  ha-ha. The images below are first a map of my to and from (GPS Recorded from my camera) from our Center of the Mission, to get to Lima, where the missionaries were, and the route I used to come back to the mission. 

This two pictures were taken from the companies website.

Here are the stats I pulled from their website,
in case you were wondering. 

Bombardier Dash 8-202
Manufacturing: Canadian
Capacity: 37 passengers
Crew: 2 pilots + 1 crew
Speed: 550 km / h.
Service Ceiling: 25,000 feet
Aircraft STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing)

In the end it was a good week, very busy.. Very stressful, I only slept like 4 hours a night... But when I got back yesterday, I got permission from President Henderson to sleep for a bit. I slept... 7 hours later I woke up... Worked for the evening and afternoon, then I slept like a rock again for the evening.  But I am doing well now.  All is good.

Leave it to Elder Holmes to share a picture of his in flight snack.

I won't say that I hope you week isn't as eventful as mine, because I know that means something else will happen this week.  So, I just hope that you don't have your only main road be told be closed for the following months, grounded flights, and documentation problems.

-Elder Holmes
Misión Perú Huancayo