Whatever happened to the days of a good old pay phone and a collect phone call home???
Today is travel day. We wondered if we would hear from Ross this morning as our wake-up call, but he let us sleep (no time to call in SLC).
Around 11:30 we started hearing his voice. Apparently the phones in Chicago O'Hare airport don't allow you to make collect phone calls. So, the automated operator would tell me that Ross or Elder Humphreys (in his own voice) wanted to talk to me, and that I could pay by punching in my credit card number if I wished to accept. Fine. Only problem is that after I would give them my number, the phone would disconnect. After trying that 2 or 3 times, I tried phoning back the pay phone. That doesn't work either! Finally Ross went and got a bunch of quarters, but apparently only enough for about a 3 minute phone call. Arrghh! Finally he got the leftovers of another Elder's calling card. A 150 minute card, with 2 minutes left on it. So another short chat. 2 more attempts at collect calls (I'm starting to wonder who will be shopping with my card that I sent over the airwaves). Then with only a few minutes before boarding his connecting flight, another Elder shared his calling card. He had talked for 2 or 3 hours, but still had about 400 minutes on his card. So we (Emma, Ross, and I) managed to talk for about 10 minutes until all the other Elders started to board the plane. Too short!
So what did we learn??
He's doing great!! He sounds awesome, and very happy and excited to get going!
There are 14 Elders travelling to Paraguay together. I imagine that would be quite a sight.
He's been very healthy (with the exception of his time in isolation - see older post), but nervous at how sick he may be for the next 2 years. I figure that it is good to be afraid, then he will be more careful about what he eats and drinks.
When I asked him if he's been homesick at all, he said no, not really. He's really glad that he lived away from home last year, so that he was used to being away. It's made it so much easier (for both him and us).
Well, that was about it.
Next time we hear from him it will be from South America! Crazy!
Please keep the letters coming to him - he loves them all, and hopes you understand if he hasn't written you back yet. It sounds like they keep these elders busy busy.
p.s.
update as of 7:00pm. Elder Humphreys made it to Miami safe and sound and is now in the air on the way to Argentina. He made another unsuccessful attempt at a collect call, and then borrowed another calling card for another 7 minute call home. Bruce, Marissa, and Erica were happy to get to hear his cheerful voice. He said he gave away some coathangers and a bottle of shampoo, and managed to get his luggage to 50lbs, 49lbs, and a 40 lb. carry-on, hahahah. I think he also put a couple of things into another Elder's suitcase who hadn't reached his limit. Canadian stuff must weigh more than American stuff. I don't know how they did it, because Ross stuck to the packing list - nothing extra! Oh well, what's done is done.
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