Three’s the charm…not always! I remember going to Lake Powell and trying to get Nancy Plowgian’s nephew up on a slalom water ski. Every time he crashed into the water, we’d say, “three’s the charm…then four’s the charm…five’s the charm.” I think it was about ten that was “the charm” before he was up and cruising the lake on one ski.
Well…three really was “the charm” for us this week. Two American senior missionaries, Elder and Sister Ka’ili,
were to arrive at the Fua’amotu airport
at 8:15 a.m. on Thursday morning. Elder Thompson and I were there, on time, waiting for them. The plane didn’t arrive—apparently it was having mechanical problems in Los Angeles. Its new schedule for arrival was at 2:00 a.m. (That’s the middle of the night!) If we had been listening to the Tongan radio, we would have known that bit of information and could have saved ourselves the sixty minute drive to and from the airport. (Silly us…but who listens to the radio and especially when the announcers speak in Tongan?)
Our crazy Office Elders (Elders Karratti, Lyon, and Haltli) thought it sounded fun to take a midnight road trip back out to the airport so they agree to come with us on the return trip. The APs (Elders Kairi and Iketau) didn’t want to be left out of the “action” and decided to join us. We played the notorious “marble game”
until departure time, and then the seven of us jumped into the van…off across the island we went. As the hands on the clock got closer and closer to two o’clock, everything the elders said got funnier and sillier. But we drove to the airport in record time, then sat and waited and waited for the plane. Finally, the airport personnel announced that the plane was now stranded in Samoa, and they had no idea when the weary passengers would arrive in Tonga. So…it was a fast road trip and not very productive!
We did get a telephone call the next day and was told that our delayed missionaries would make the scene at 7:15 a.m. on Saturday…and like I said, “three’s the charm.” The plane arrived. The poor Ka’ilis left Salt Lake City on Tuesday and reached their destination on Saturday…some thirteen hour flight for them!
Because “three’s the charm” this week, here’s a couple of more experiences. The airport trips were the first. The second was a stupid thing on my part. Would you believe, I was making another trip to the airport? This time the two Zone Leaders from Ha’apai, Elders Sanchez and Alatini, needed to catch a flight back to their island after Zone Conferences. I was the designated driver—no problem…no problem until I had to back out of the mission complex’s driveway. It seems that a driver across the street decided to back out of that driveway exactly at the same time as I slowly crept the mission car out into the street. Yep….crunch…but what made it worse…it was a police car.
He jumped out of the car and said, "I'm a member and a bishop." That made everything OK.(Let’s sing “if I only had a brain “from The Wizard of Oz.)
But I’m not the only one on this island who needs a brain transplant! (This is the third and final charm.) We had two Elders who borrowed a neighbor’s car and drove across the island to watch Seminary Graduation at Liahona High School, a LDS Chruch school. Everything they did was totally and completely against mission rules. To make matters worse for them, the car stalled right in front of the Temple. The concerned temple security men went to help the broken down car and were surprised to find it was being driven by missionaries. Needless to say, the missionaries were reported to the President. (Let’s sing again…if I only had a brain.)
Hey, have a charming week! ‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister T.
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